About

Hi, I'm Anthony

Founder of RISE TOGETHER. Creator of UNBROKEN. Speaker, photographer, and storyteller exploring how lived experience and human connection can change lives.

Why I Do This Work

For more than a decade, my work has been built around one idea: stories can change what happens next.

What began in 2013 with my own recovery story grew into RISE TOGETHER, a national effort using lived experience and connection to help young people navigate the impact of overdose, mental health, and life's hardest moments.

That work has now reached hundreds of thousands of young people and community members and contributed to peer-reviewed research involving more than 10,000 students.

After losing my 17-year-old son, Gavyn, to fentanyl in 2020, storytelling took on an even deeper meaning.

Today, through speaking, photography, RISE TOGETHER, and the UNBROKEN Project, I continue exploring how honest stories help people feel seen, remembered, and less alone.

Different mediums. Same belief.

Connection can change a life.

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Speaking & Coaching

Featured By & Trusted By

Anthony's work has been featured by Forbes, USA Today, NPR, PBS, Variety, Huffington Post, and national prevention and recovery organizations.

Creating Conversations That Matter

For more than a decade, Anthony has helped schools, organizations, and communities navigate difficult conversations through lived experience, storytelling, research, and human connection.

From school assemblies and national conferences to community exhibitions and leadership experiences, his work creates spaces where people can tell the truth, feel less alone, and take meaningful action.

His work focuses on:

Storytelling & Human Connection
Youth Prevention & Mental Health
Recovery, Grief & Resilience
Leadership Through Lived Experience

Areas of Impact

IMpact & experience

Co-Founder & Board Chair, RISE TOGETHER
Creator, The UNBROKEN Project
500,000+ youth and community members reached through RISE TOGETHER
Co-author of peer-reviewed research involving 10,438 students
Keynote speaker, Penn State College of Medicine Addiction Symposium
Presented for national prevention, recovery, education, and community organizations
Featured by Forbes, USA Today, NPR, PBS, Variety, and HuffPost

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Two Nights. Two Reasons to Come Together.

RISE’s Lucky 13 + UNBROKEN x Milwaukee 13 Years of RISE. One Big Night. Next Saturday, we’re taking over Gibson Community Music Hall in downtown Appleton to celebrate 13 years of RISE TOGETHER—with ONYX, Keag + friends, spoken word from Keziah Love, music, storytelling, community and more. Every ticket helps keep RISE’s youth prevention work moving forward. Saturday, Sept. 12 | 5–9 PM | Downtown Appleton Five Days Later, UNBROKEN Comes to Milwaukee. The UNBROKEN Proje

Anthony Alvarado

2 days ago1 min read

Nearly 70,000 lives. Every one has a story.

Seen. Remembered. Unbroken. Nearly 70,000 people died from drug overdose in the U.S. last year. The numbers are moving in the right direction. But every number is still a person. A family. A story. UNBROKEN began with my son, Gavyn. I lost him to fentanyl in 2020, two weeks after his 17th birthday. I didn't want his life—or the lives of so many others—to be reduced to another statistic. So we started sharing stories. Today, UNBROKEN is becoming a traveling collectio

Anthony Alvarado

Aug 301 min read

What Research Is Teaching Us About Youth Mental Health, Resilience, and Connection

For the past 13 years, I've had the privilege of speaking with students, educators, families, and communities across the country. In that time, I've learned something important: You can be healing and still struggling. You can be smiling and still grieving. You can be successful and still feel lost. You can be surrounded by people and still feel alone. The truth is, being human is complicated. Yet somewhere along the way, many of us learned to hide the parts of ourselves that

Anthony Alvarado

Jun 244 min read

Struggle Creates Connection

June is Men’s Mental Health Awareness Month—and this year, I’m not just raising awareness, I’m living it out loud. After more than a decade of sharing my story, I’ve learned that real strength isn’t about pushing through—it’s about showing up honestly, even in the hard moments. This post is a raw reflection on burnout, vulnerability, and the kind of healing that starts with slowing down. If you’ve ever felt the pressure to stay “on” while running on empty, this one’s for you.

Anthony Alvarado

Jun 2, 20253 min read

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