The initiative, now supported by a team of five and over 1,100 volunteer hours, has partnered with 18 nonprofits to provide direct community support
Two Los Angeles teenagers from Pacific Palisades and Pasadena have transformed a local disaster relief effort into a nationally recognized initiative, raising over $55,000 in five months to support youth affected by the recent Los Angeles fires.
Teens4LA, founded by Aliyah Redding and a peer, combines traditional fundraising with blockchain and cryptocurrency technologies.
Launched in response to the fires, Teens4LA raised $10,000 in 36 hours and $20,000 within two weeks, growing to $55,000 through an innovative approach. Nearly 50% of donations came from cryptocurrencies via a platform called Pledge, which accepts over 130 digital currencies. The initiative also introduced ART4LA, a digital art collection created with over 20 artists and NFT brands, with each transaction recorded on the blockchain as “Proof of Donation.”
The initiative, now supported by a team of five and over 1,100 volunteer hours, has partnered with 18 nonprofits to provide direct community support. Its impact earned recognition at the 2025 Social Innovation Summit, where it won the inaugural Social Innovation Crypto For Good Award. Teens4LA was also featured at ETHDenver, attended by 25,000 people, and LA Check In, as the only youth-led nonprofit among six highlighted on the livestream.
Looking ahead, Teens4LA will host the Y3K Innovation Summit at UCLA from Sept. 8-10, 2025, to share its disaster response model with student-led movements nationwide and globally.
