About Us
Building Leaders Today for Tomorrow's Careers
At Leadership Development Resources, we believe that every young person, regardless of background, past mistakes, or present circumstances, deserves access to the tools that build a stable, self-sufficient future. Our work begins in middle school, where we partner with Title I schools and district programs to reach students before disengagement becomes dropout.
We do not operate as a short-term intervention. Our model is a continuum. From the first character lesson in sixth grade to the final job placement at age twenty-five, we walk alongside the individual as needs evolve.
That means teaching self-awareness and social skills early, reinforcing leadership and communication in high school, and adding resume writing, career exploration, and direct employer connections as young adulthood approaches.
Many of the students and young adults we serve carry histories that complicate the traditional path to success. Some have experienced foster care instability. Others are transitioning from DJJ programs, jail, or prison. Some are simply navigating poverty in a school system that was not built with their lived experience in mind. We meet each person with individualized support, not a one-size-fits-all curriculum.
Our commitment to Title I alignment means we understand the pressure schools face to improve behavior, attendance, and postsecondary outcomes. We design our services to support schoolwide goals, whether that means pulling students out for small-group skill building, pushing into classrooms to reinforce positive behavior, or providing transition planning for students at risk of falling through the cracks.
Beyond the school walls, we serve young adults up to age twenty-five who need a second chance or a first opportunity. Through our Saturday certification programs, community-based workshops, and direct partnerships with employers, we create bridges from wherever a young person is standing to wherever they want to go.
We are building leaders one stage at a time, and we do not stop at graduation.
Our Mission
To equip at-risk and underserved youth and young adults with the social-emotional skills, leadership tools, and career readiness they need to transition successfully from school to sustainable employment, serving individuals from middle school through age twenty-five, including those in foster care, DJJ, and reentry programs.
Our Vision
A Tampa Bay community where every young person, regardless of systemic barriers or personal history, has a clear path from the classroom to a career, supported by schools, agencies, employers, and neighbors who believe in second chances and first opportunities.
Our Values
Empowerment
We build confidence by helping participants recognize their own strengths and make decisions that move them forward.
Inclusivity
We serve youth and young adults from every background, in school, out of school, in foster care, in DJJ, and in reentry, without judgment.
Excellence
We hold ourselves accountable to evidence-based practices, continuous improvement, and outcomes that matter.
Community
We know that sustainable change happens when schools, families, agencies, and employers work together.
Caleb L. Mitchell: Founder & CEO
Caleb L. Mitchell grew up in a household of eleven children where resources were tight but expectations were high. Every member of his family graduated high school and pursued additional education, some through college, others through technical training and certification programs. That lived experience shaped his belief that environment and support matter as much as individual effort.
Caleb earned a bachelor’s degree in Organizational Leadership and a master’s degree in Christian Education. Those academic foundations, combined with his personal history, inform the design of Leadership Development Resources, an organization built not from theory alone, but from the understanding of what it actually takes to help a young person facing real obstacles find a way forward.
Today, Caleb leads LDR with a clear focus: creating partnerships with Title I schools, juvenile justice programs, foster care agencies, and community organizations to deliver services that are practical, relational, and rooted in the belief that every young person can lead, given the right resources.
Meet Our Team
Meet the staff and directors who deliver our programs inside the schools and in the community.
Our Supporters
Learn more about the partners, sponsors, and donors who makes this work possible.
Board Members
Meet the board guiding our mission and ensuring orbitational accountability.