LEADing for Life Receives $255K Donation from Costco and Naturade to Empower Under-Resourced Students

Naturade Owners Kareem Cook and Claude Tellis (LEADing for Life Alumni)

ATLANTA, Aug. 1, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- In a significant boost to education initiatives in underserved communities, Costco has donated $255,000 to LEADing for Life Enterprise over the past two years from a portion of its sales of a Naturade product. This generous contribution underscores Costco's commitment to supporting education and empowering the next generation of leaders.

LEADing for Life Enterprise, a global nonprofit dedicated to learning and leadership development, provides under-resourced high school students with immersive experiences in leadership, technology, and entrepreneurship. Programming and curriculum are anchored in the principles of pipeline, preparation, and readiness, ensuring learners are well-equipped for future success.

Costco's ongoing support through Naturade sales funds scholarships for LEADing for Life participants, enabling them to attend top-tier experiential college and career learning programs. LEADing for Life has been instrumental in the personal and professional growth of many successful alumni, including Naturade co-owner Claude Tellis.

"LEADing for Life introduced me to the business world in 1990 through a college and career readiness program at Columbia University," Tellis said. "From there, my education journey continued to Duke University and ultimately The Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania. The organization sparked my passion for business and entrepreneurship, eventually leading to co-owning Naturade. We're excited to pay it forward to future world leaders with Costco's continued support."

Naturade, one of the first Black-owned companies to enter Costco, has been available at the retailer since 2021. Naturade's popular High Protein Weight Loss Shake is sold in over 100 stores in the Los Angeles region and online at costco.com. Purchases of Naturade directly sustains the financial scholarships LEADing for Life receives from Costco.

"We are honored to be chosen as Claude Tellis' nonprofit beneficiary for continued financial support from Costco and Naturade," said Dru Ealons, Executive Director of Operations at LEADing for Life Enterprise. "Their support allows us to admit more students into our programs who might otherwise be unable to afford them, granting them access to life-changing opportunities in higher education, and empowering them to thrive in the 21st-century knowledge economy."

To date, Costco has awarded over $80 million in educational scholarships.

About Naturade
Naturade is a leading natural products company dedicated to reversing diet-related illnesses that disproportionately affect underserved communities. Naturade offers plant-based meal replacements and nutritional shakes, including the popular High Protein Weight Loss Shake sold at Costco. Learn more about Costco and Naturade's partnership supporting LEADing for Life at www.naturade.com/leadingforlife.

About LEADing for Life
We believe that learning is a lifestyle, not an event! Formerly known as LEAD and founded in 1980, the LEADing for Life Enterprise is a 501(c)(3) national nonprofit cross-sector collaborative of premier international global corporations, government agencies, higher education, and nonprofit partnerships that offer a myriad of pathways and entry points for multigenerational learners to participate in the pipeline, preparation, and readiness journey. We are committed to developing generations of curious and engaged learners with the capacity to contribute to humankind, equipped to "think differently" about how they learn, when they learn, and the relevancy and application of what they learn. To date, LEADing for Life boasts a community of more than 30,000 lifelong learners making meaningful change in the world. Capture the future at www.leadingforlife.org and follow LEADing for Life on social media.

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