Adspeak · 2026-07-30 · 14 min
Key moments - from our scoring
Substance score
34 / 100
Five dimensions, 20 points each
Jaymes Black, the first Black and non-binary leader of the Trevor Project, delivers a compelling case for why brands must move beyond charitable giving to become active partners in LGBTQ youth suicide prevention. The conversation, recorded live at Brand Week, centers on the Trevor Project's 27-year history as the leading crisis intervention organization for LGBTQ young people, operating 24/7 services via phone, text, and web chat across the U.S. and Mexico. Black details the crushing reality: 39% of LGBTQ youth seriously consider suicide annually, and at least 20 will attempt suicide during the 15 minutes of this talk. The nonprofit faced a catastrophic setback when federal funding for the 988 LGBTQ specialized services program was suddenly eliminated, cutting their impact by 50% overnight. Rather than despair, the Trevor Project mobilized 100+ celebrities to oppose the cuts and evolved into a field catalyst model - shifting from transaction-based corporate sponsorships to transformational co-creation partnerships. Black articulates three critical lessons for brands: depoliticizing LGBTQ youth as a universal human issue, moving from judgment to partnership despite business fears, and recognizing that LGBTQ youth are watching which companies show up. This framework redefines corporate social responsibility around integrated impact partnerships where companies become architects of solutions alongside the nonprofit.
Every 45 seconds an LGBTQ young person attempts suicide in the United States, with 39% of LGBTQ youth seriously considering suicide and 12% actually attempting it according to the Trevor Project's survey data.
The federal government ended funding for the bipartisan 988 LGBTQ youth specialized services program, which was launched in 2022 and had doubled the Trevor Project's impact by providing life-saving services to an estimated 1.5 million LGBTQ young people, cutting the organization's impact by 50%.
The Trevor Project is the leading suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for LGBTQ young people, offering 24/7 crisis services by phone, call, text, or web chat with trained counselors, plus prevention programs including research, advocacy, education, and peer support in the United States and Mexico.
Brands are encouraged to move toward integrated impact partnerships where they roll up their sleeves, use their platforms and expertise, and become architects of solutions alongside the organization - shifting from transactional sponsorships to transformational co-creation that reaches and saves lives.
The Trevor Project is the only organization at the intersection of suicide prevention, mental health, LGBTQ, and youth sectors with holistic suicide prevention and 24/7 crisis intervention programs specifically for LGBTQ young people in both the United States and Mexico.
Our reviewer’s read on each dimension, with quotes from the episode.
The episode is primarily a nonprofit pitch and cause advocacy speech rather than a B2B learning opportunity. While emotionally compelling, it offers minimal novel insights for B2B operators - the core message is that brands should partner with the Trevor Project and depoliticize LGBTQ issues, repeated multiple times with limited substantive depth on marketing strategy, operational execution, or business principles.
Lesson 2. We must move from judgment to partnership. So one of the most important lessons that we've learned through this time is that brands are afraid. Some brands are paralyzed.
creativity is not just a, uh, marketing skill, it's a survival strategy. And courage isn't the absence of fear, it's the decision to care.
The content relies heavily on well-worn CSR frameworks - corporate partnerships, celebrity endorsements, storytelling for social good, and cause-marketing playbooks that have been standard in the industry for over a decade. There is no contrarian thinking, first-principles analysis, or challenge to existing brand partnership models. The 'field catalyst' rebranding is merely reframing existing partnership structures.
we move from transactional brand engagement to transformational co creation, where companies don't just fund our mission, they become a part of fulfilling it
creativity, partnerships, storytelling
Jaymes Black is the CEO of a major nonprofit and brings authentic lived experience and institutional credibility. However, the episode is not designed as a business operator interview - it's a polished nonprofit pitch. Black's perspective is valuable for understanding cause marketing from the nonprofit side, but they are not a practicing CMO, brand executive, or operator discussing hands-on marketing or business challenges.
My name is James Black. I use they, she and he pronouns. And I have the honor of leading the Trevor Project
as of uh, July 2024, the first black and non binary person to lead the Trevor Project
The episode provides some concrete data (39% of LGBTQ youth considered suicide, 12% attempted, 90% affected by politics, 1.5M reached via 988 program, 100 celebrities mobilized) and specific program examples (Celebrity Engagement, mental health champion awards for named artists). However, it lacks specificity on actual brand partnerships, ROI metrics, campaign performance data, or detailed case studies of what "integrated impact partnerships" actually look like in practice.
39% of LGBTQ youth seriously considered suicide. In this particular survey, 12% of those youth actually attempted suicide
we recruited more than 100 celebrities to sign a public letter opposing these cuts
This is not a conversation; it is a unilateral nonprofit presentation with zero host follow-ups, pushback, or questions. The host merely introduces and closes. There are no difficult questions about brand risk, partnership ROI, measurement challenges, or tension between activism and corporate interests. The format precludes meaningful dialogue or intellectual challenge.
Welcome to Adspeak, Adweek's podcast about the business of marketing, media and creativity. In this episode, we're sharing a conversation recorded live at Brand Week
That was a conversation recorded live at Brand Week.
Computed from the transcript - who did the talking, and the words that came up most.
What if your brand could become a lifeline for LGBTQ+ youth in crisis? In this episode of Adspeak by ADWEEK, we turn the mic over to Jaymes Black, CEO of The Trevor Project. A nationally recognized LGBTQ+ advocate and nonprofit leader, Jaymes oversees the organization’s crisis intervention, research, education, advocacy, and peer support programs serving LGBTQ+ young people across the United States. Jaymes shares how brands can become powerful allies in suicide prevention by moving beyond sponsorships and embracing meaningful partnerships. They explore why LGBTQ+ youth mental health should be treated as a universal human issue, how authentic storytelling and celebrity engagement can amplify impact, and why visibility matters during moments of crisis. From mobilizing corporate resources to building long-term trust, Jaymes offers a compelling look at how creativity, compassion, and collaboration can help create lifesaving outcomes for young people who need support the most.
Transcribed and scored by The B2B Podcast Index.
Speaker A: Are your ad campaigns lighting up the dashboard but not the pipeline. That's bullspend and marketers are calling it out in dashboard confessions.
Speaker B: My boss asked for results so I opened my dashboard for the only positive sounding metric I had impression cut the bull, spend.
Speaker A: See revenue, not just reach. LinkedIn delivers the highest return on ad spend of major ad NETWORKS. Advertise on LinkedIn. Spend $250 on your first campaign and get a $250 credit. Go to LinkedIn.com campaign terms and conditions apply.
Speaker C: Welcome to Adspeak, Adweek's podcast about the business of marketing, media and creativity. In this episode, we're sharing a conversation recorded live at Brand Week featuring leaders from across the industry discussing the ideas shaping brands right now. Let's get into it.
Speaker D: Hello everyone. My name is James Black. I use they, she and he pronouns. And I have the honor of leading the Trevor Project and the privilege of being a part of the movement to end suicide for LGBTQ young people. Now, I know many of you here work for large brands, many that give back to mission driven causes like Trevor. So you understand the challenges that we're facing in social justice. They're steep. So over the next 20 minutes, I will introduce you to Trevor Project's work, the challenges that we face, and how we're approaching this moment with creativity and courage and conviction. So just a little bit about me before we dig in. This is a few pictures about me, my family and my life. And I show these pictures because it's related to my work at, ah, the Trevor Project. I come to this work with lived experience. This is a life that I did not think that I would ever have. It's a life that I dreamt of, but I didn't think that it was a possibility. Related to our research at the Trevor Project, we know that more than a third of LGBTQ young people do not see themselves living past the age of 35. So I understand what that feels like. But today I am a mother of 11 year old twins in sixth grade, a wife, an activist, a mentor, a, uh, leader, and as of uh, July 2024, the first black and non binary person to lead the Trevor Project, an organization that is on the front lines building a better world for LGBTQ young people. An organization that I could have greatly used on my journey. So for those of you who do not know, the Trevor Project is the leading suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for LGBTQ young people. We offer 247 crisis services available by phone call, text or, uh, web chat. And it connects highly trained counselors with LGBTQ young people whenever they need support. We also address the root cause of suicide. And to help address the root cause, we drive a series of prevention programs, including research, advocacy, education, and peer support. And our mission is to end suicide among LGBTQ young people. And we envision a world where all LGBTQ youth people feel seen, safe, and accepted for exactly who they are. And we've been doing this work for more than 27 years. For more than 27 years, the Trevor Project has been doing vital life saving work across the United States. And just this month, we celebrated our third anniversary in Mexico. We launched operations in, we call it Trevor Mexico in 2022, where more than 100,000 LGBTQ young people in crisis have been supported by Spanish speaking local staff. And every year, the Trevor Project helps hundreds of thousands of LGBTQ youth through some of their darkest moments. And believe me, we have, uh, felt those moments with the youth who contact us. And the Trevor Project has felt this moment that we're in. We felt it deeply. The ways in which LGBTQ young people have been politicized has been brutal. This work is tough. And for me, it's personal, it's emotional. And as someone who was once an isolated, hopeless queer person myself, I know firsthand the depths of darkness and the power of connection to pull you out of that darkness. So this slide here shows just a handful of the relentless attacks we faced over the record breaking numbers of anti LGBTQ bills, increased skepticism and cynicism around LGBTQ identities and self expression. A Supreme Court case that has deadly implications for trans youth seeking gender affirming care. And the list goes on and on and on. So despite all of that hostility, all of that extreme weather, I want to talk about courage, creativity, and care. I want to talk about how the Trevor Project is navigating extreme adversity and how we're using creativity, partnership, and storytelling to strengthen our brand, our values, and our ability to create change, even when everything seems to be working against us. So I have about 15 more minutes with all of you today. And in that time, at least 20 LGBTQ young people will have attempted to take their own lives. Let that sink in for a minute. Every 45 seconds, an LGBTQ young person attempts suicide in the United States, and more than 1.8 million seriously consider suicide each year. And that number is 40 million globally. And these numbers are devastating, and they're not improving. Now up on the screen, here are a few key findings from our last annual research report surveying thousands of LGBTQ youth. 39% of LGBTQ youth seriously considered suicide. In this particular survey, 12% of those youth actually attempted suicide. One in two wanted mental health care but were unable to receive it. And an overwhelming 90% of LGBTQ youth said their well being was negatively affected by recent politics. And this research underscores what we're witnessing every day. The mental health crisis among LGBTQ youth is growing worse, shaped by an increasingly hostile sociopolitical climate. And then over the summer, and I know many of you probably heard about this in the news. It was everywhere. Came a major blow. The federal government ended funding for the 988 LGBTQ youth specialized services. I mean, this was a historic bipartisan program that allowed the Trevor Project to double our impact, reaching more youth than we ever had before. And this program would provide it life saving services to an estimated 1.5 million LGBTQ young people since it was launched in 2022 is no longer available for those who need it. And it's devastating. Almost overnight, that progress that we made over a five year or so period was stripped away. Our impact was cut by 50% just like that. And highly trained specialized counselors were suddenly left without the resources to serve LGBTQ youth through 988. And countless LGBTQ youth around the US were now burdened by both a gap in care and the message that their lives were not worth saving. So we had to ask ourselves, how do we continue to care, connect and create at ah scale when the systems meant to support us are eroding? The answer, we turn to creativity, partnerships, and purpose. We use our voice and our brand to transform our pain into power. One way we do this is through our Celebrity Engagement program, which aligns our mission with influential voices who can amplify our message to millions. We approach this work with a community mindset, bringing together artists, athletes, and creators across generations to build a groundswell of visibility and solidarity. When we Learned about the 988 funding cuts, we mobilized quickly. We recruited more than 100 celebrities to sign a public letter opposing these cuts. Many also took to their own platforms, resulting in millions of Americans hearing and sharing our message. Another creative strategy we use, creating our own news. Just last month, we honored fellow Texan like me, Megan the Stallion as our annual mental health champion. An award recognizing public figures who use their platforms to destigmatize conversations about mental health and suicide prevention. Some of our previous honorees include Lil Nas X, Janelle Monae, Dylan Mulvaney, and Dua Lipa. And this award isn't just about celebration. It's about storytelling. It's how we Spotlight courage, model vulnerability, and build momentum around conversations that save lives.
Speaker A: Flowing ad budget on metrics that look great till the CFO sees them. That's bullspend. And marketers are calling it out in dashboard confessions.
Speaker B: I remember telling my boss, it'll be good for the brand. When leads were slow. Yeah, it wasn't.
Speaker A: Cut the bull. Spend LinkedIn lets you target by company job title and More. Advertise on LinkedIn. Spend $250 on your first campaign and get a $250 credit. Go to LinkedIn.com campaign terms and conditions apply.
Speaker D: Trevor as a field catalyst. This is how we're evolving. This is our next chapter. This is our evolution. Amid these unprecedented challenges, paradigm shifts, and uncertainty, the Trevor Project is evolving to ensure our impact can scale and save as many lives as possible. This means we cannot do it alone. And in this evolution, we must be more visible, more impactful, more focused, and more collaborative. And for the Trevor Project, this means we must expand our impact by catalyzing the field of LGBTQ youth suicide prevention. And this evolution is truly an enhancement of our mission. So let's break down what it means to be a field catalyst. What this means is being a convener and facilitator of collective action on behalf of LGBTQ youth to accelerate towards our mission, driving change by leveraging collective strengths and shared outcomes. Now, why is the Trevor Project best positioned to, uh, be a field catalyst? Well, we conducted an industry analysis last year that highlights our unique position on the intersection, or at the intersection of suicide prevention and mental health, LGBTQ and youth sectors. And the Trevor Project is the only organization with holistic suicide prevention and 247 crisis intervention programs specifically for LGBTQ young people, both in the United States and Mexico. And why is being a field catalyst a force multiplier? This field catalyst approach optimizes our resources and how we more sustainably amplify our impact. It's a shift from, um, we help LGBTQ youth in crisis to we transform how brands and society support LGBTQ youth mental health. So what does this mean for brands? Creativity, partnerships, storytelling. From that perspective, this is how we move from transactional brand engagement to transformational co creation, where companies don't just fund our mission, they become a part of fulfilling it. This is how we evolve from corporate sponsorships to integrated impact partnerships, where companies don't just write checks, they roll up your sleeves and they use their platforms, their expertise, to reach and save lives alongside us. And this is how we move from charitable giving to collaborative innovation, where companies don't Just donate to the cause. They become architects of solutions, helping, uh, us build pathways that, uh, we could otherwise not build ourselves. Now, building these pathways and being a holistic, effective field catalyst will take some time. We know that. But it starts in rooms like this. Our goal is to strengthen and strategically expand how we engage in movements and partner with other organizations, leveraging our positioning and expertise to scale our impact and reach. Now, I would love to stay in touch with the folks in this room if your company is interested in getting involved in the LGBTQ youth movement. So we've learned a lot of lessons in 2025. And so as we go 2026 and beyond, I want to share some of the lessons that we have learned. Now, lesson number one is still applicable. Ignore lesson number two and three, because I have new lessons that I want to share with you that are more brand specific. Lesson number one. We must depoliticize LGBTQ youth. Our organization is apolitical, nonpartisan, but the young people we serve have been politicized. To protect them, we must make political attacks on LGBTQ youth unpopular and unacceptable. And the core lesson here is that brands can help us treat LGBTQ youth suicide prevention as a universal human issue. We always say at the Trevor Project that suicide prevention is about people, not politics. It's a human issue, not a partisan debate. Lesson 2. We must move from judgment to partnership. So one of the most important lessons that we've learned through this time is that brands are afraid. Some brands are paralyzed. And I don't say this with judgment. I say this with a deep understanding. You're navigating shifting customer expectations, employee pressure, and real business risks. And what I want you to know, as a social justice organization, we're not here to call you out. We're here to help you through. And lesson three, the signal matters. LGBTQ youth are watching. LGBTQ young people are keeping score. They're keeping score. Not in a punitive, um, way. In a survival way. They're watching to see who shows up and who disappears. And so the core lesson for you all today as brands, your presence is a lifeline, especially in this moment. So, in closing, we know that we cannot do this work alone. Every person in this room, every brand, every creative leader has the power to be a part of this movement. And when we collaborate, share resources, and bring courage to care, we don't just create campaigns. We create lifelines. And so, in the space of unprecedented challenges and unprecedented times, what we said at the Trevor Project is that our response must be equally unprecedented and what that means for us is that we are going to out organize, out fund and out love the forces trying to divide us. Because at the end of the day, creativity is not just a, uh, marketing skill, it's a survival strategy. And courage isn't the absence of fear, it's the decision to care. Anyway, thank you.
Speaker C: That was a conversation recorded live at Brand Week. You can find more coverage, analysis and interviews from across the marketing and media world@adweek.com thanks for listening to Ad Speak. If you like the show, be sure to follow or subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.
Speaker A: Uh, are your ad campaigns lighting up the dashboard but not the pipeline? That's bullspend and marketers are calling it out in dashboard confessions.
Speaker B: My boss asked for results, so I opened my dashboard for the only positive sounding metric I had. Um, impressions.
Speaker A: Cut the bull spend. See revenue, not just reach. LinkedIn delivers the highest return on ad spend of major ad NETWORKS. Advertise on LinkedIn. Spend $250 on your first campaign and get a $250 credit. Go to LinkedIn.com Campaign terms and conditions apply.
Speaker E: Brand Week is back September 15th through the 17th in downtown Atlanta. And if you're serious about where marketing is going, this is the room for you. I'm Jenny Rooney, chief brand and Community Officer at adweek, and for three days we're bringing together the sharpest minds in marketing for the ideas, insights and connections share, shaping what comes next for brands. From culture and creativity to growth, leadership and consumer behavior, Brand Week is where brand leaders come to think bigger, connect deeper, and leave with a clearer plan for what's ahead. Get your tickets now@brandweek.com and use code BW26 for 20% off. That's brandweek.com code BW26.
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