Aaron Zendejas is a speaker, social impact strategist, and advocate for youth whose work builds bridges between underserved communities and powerful institutions. Born in San Jose, California, and raised in the foster care system from ages six to eleven, Aaron’s early life was marked by instability, addiction in the home, and systemic barriers. Rather than be defined by those experiences, Aaron used them to build a life centered on healing, storytelling, and strategic advocacy.

His foundation in discipline began in martial arts—training in Tae Kwon Do for over a decade, earning second place in the Junior Olympics, and later expanding into MMA, judo, kickboxing, and jujutsu. These practices gave him an outlet, a standard, and an identity. In high school, Aaron made the intentional decision to attend motivational conferences, recognizing that while his challenges weren’t his fault, the responsibility to rise from them was his to carry.

Today, Aaron partners with industry leaders to shift narratives, open access, and create opportunities for young people from foster care backgrounds. He works weekly with executives across entertainment, tech, and business sectors—collaborating on events, mentorship pathways, and strategic partnerships through the Open Your Doors initiative. This cross-industry coalition creates experiential and career access points for foster youth through curated relationships with companies that are committed to doing more than just making statements—they’re opening their doors.

Through the Open Your Doors initiative, Aaron works weekly with a growing network of cross-industry leaders to curate events and build access pipelines for foster youth. His key collaborators include Gabriella Mosci, Head of Business Development and Innovation at SALXCO and Live Nation; Matt McLernon, Senior Manager at YouTube; Eric Hutcherson, Executive Vice President and Chief People & Inclusion Officer at Universal Music Group; Sean Collinson, renowned hostage negotiator and conflict resolution expert; Rodney Boyd, Partner at Nexus Group LLC; and John E. Michel, President of the Food is Love Foundation, social entrepreneur, and former Air Force General. Together, they co-create experiences that not only open doors but ensure youth are equipped to walk through them with confidence and opportunity.

Aaron works closely with the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) to help build bridges between available resources and the youth who need them most in the Greater Los Angeles area. The programs they are developing are designed to be scalable and replicable—creating a national model for equipping foster youth with sustainable support, mentorship, and access to life-changing opportunities.

Aaron has spoken for and collaborated with leading institutions including the White House, NFL Headquarters, Sony Pictures, YouTube, and Universal Music Group. After speaking at the White House in May 2024, his contributions helped influence a federal designation of May as Foster Kid Awareness Month, along with a multi-million-dollar national investment into the at-risk youth sector—beginning with pilot initiatives in Los Angeles. His appearances at the NFL Headquarters in February 2023 and September 2024 prompted dozens of companies and private sector leaders to re-evaluate their role in youth advocacy, many of whom invited Aaron to educate their teams on the realities youth face in foster care and how they can play an active role in changing the narrative.

His July 2024 speaking engagement with Sony Pictures, in partnership with Treyarch—a globally recognized game development studio known for creating immersive entertainment experiences—and Universal Music Group, further amplified his work, positioning him as a connector between corporate influence and youth transformation.

Aaron’s ability to build capacity in others—especially young people who have faced hardship—is rooted in his lived experience and refined through years of direct mentorship, collaboration, and leadership. He knows how to create safe spaces for growth while casting a bold vision for what’s possible.

He also serves on the board of Beyond the Tears, a nonprofit focused on supporting individuals recovering from trauma, abandonment, and grief. The organization is dedicated to building long-term mentorship pathways that promote emotional healing, spiritual restoration, and practical life development.

Aaron has spent years in property management—starting as a leasing agent, advancing to assistant manager, and ultimately overseeing six apartment complexes in Riverside, California, adding additional operations capacity and skill sets to his profession arsenal, making his an incredibly versatile asset to any team and organization.