We unite fans through music and empower them to support each other’s mental health.
HOW IT STARTED:
Born in the Scene,
Built for the Fans.
In 2011, Jake Luhrs - frontman of the Grammy-nominated metal band August Burns Red - set out on a mission to help his fans. Night after night, he stayed late after shows to listen as people shared raw stories of addiction, self-harm, and hopelessness, often telling him his music was the very thing keeping them alive.
Later on, Jake created HeartSupport. He envisioned a safe, stigma-free community where music fans could open up about their darkest struggles, find unconditional acceptance, and get the peer support they need to navigate their mental health journey.
Today, HeartSupport stands as a dedicated space built by and for the music scene, ensuring that no fan ever has to struggle alone.
MEET OUR VOLUNTEERS:
Get to know the heart behind HeartSupport
Our volunteers aren't just listeners; they’re peers who understand because they’ve been in your shoes. From going through our programs themselves to standing alongside fans in their toughest moments, our team proves that recovery is possible. Click through to meet a few of the incredible individuals making sure no one fights their battles alone.
MEET OUR DIRECTORS:
Board of Directors
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Jake Luhrs is the lead singer of Grammy-nominated metal band, August Burns Red and founder of HeartSupport.
To date, he has toured hundreds of countries internationally and reached the Top 10 BillBoard charts multiple times.
After seeing his fans struggling through addiction, depression, and suicide ideation, he prayed one evening for a way to help his fans and people around the world find hope and faith. The answer to that prayer was HeartSupport.
In the short years Jake has been running HeartSupport, he has united bands and fans alike to carry a message of hope, healing, and restoration to a scene that is typically viewed as “dark” and “without hope.” His efforts thus far have led the organization to be nominated twice for philanthropic awards up against the likes of Doctors Without Borders and the American Cancer Society.
In 2016 he won the Artist Philanthropic Award at the Alternative Press Music Awards in recognition for his work at HeartSupport. In addition to HeartSupport and his band, he also runs a clothing line company called “More Weight” that inspires others to reach and achieve their health goals through community support. -
Lou Rivera’s own personal mental health journey started, like many, as a young child. Sexually abused by a family friend, Lou learned first-hand how abusers groom their victims. Living many years with guilt and shame, Lou learned that talking with others and getting the professional help needed are keys to a successful healing journey. Lou is a strong mental health and sex abuse prevention advocate. Breaking the mental health stigma and exposing as many young people to get the help they need for their personal healing journeys is so important.
Lou’s first experience with the HeartSupport mission was a two-hour breakfast meeting with founder, Jake Luhrs. It was eye and heart opening. The discussion motivated Lou to get involved with HeartSupport. Lou’s first project was to assist Jake Luhrs with the setting up the YourLife Gym as a business advisor.
Lou graduated from Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts with a degree in physical therapy. Lou and wife Michelle have three grown children, a wonderful son in law, four dogs and two grand dogs. Lou loves to spend time with family, pups, travel and enjoy a good cigar occasionally. Lou and Michelle are partners and owners of a physical therapy private practice and an ergonomic consulting firm, both in Pennsylvania.
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Michelle Saari has been an advocate and mental health professional for over 20 years.
She holds both a Ph.D. and Masters degree in psychology and is a licensed mental health provider, and Board certified clinical supervisor in the state of Minnesota.
She is also a Nationally Certified Counselor through the NBCC (National Board for Certified Counselors). As a long time fan of the heavy metal music industry, she was aware of the negativity and darkness that many in the scene face.
Seeing Heartsupport as a unique blend of the music community, relationship building and hope for those struggling, she began volunteering on the ground at Vans Warped Tour. Michelle has helped the organization grow to reach even more people while encouraging others to live the healthiest lives they can and discover their best self.
Outside of her professional service, she can be found exploring the outdoors, spending time exercising, and attending as many concerts and music festivals as her schedule allows. -
Since moving to Bozeman Montana in 2004 to pursue a business degree, I received three degrees from MSU, during which time I worked to travel for the passion of documentary photography. After amassing a portfolio that has touched on all seven continents, I moved into the SaaS industry to pursue a career in technology. I have been so lucky to find the discipline of Customer Success and am proud to support amazing customers, build out organizational excellence, and help create and nurture a team that is world-class in this incredibly difficult and complex industry.
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MEET OUR COMMITTEE:
Committee Members
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With over 20 years of experience in the legal industry, and over 30 years as a musician, Shawn is excited to advise HeartSupport – combining his love of metal with his love of the law.
Shawn is the General Counsel at Crisis Text Line, a not-for-profit organization operating a free, 24/7 national crisis line offering mental health support via text and chat. There, he has overseen the org's international expansion and rapid scaling in the U.S. to support millions of people in crisis, with thousands of trained volunteers. Prior to joining Crisis Text Line, Shawn was an associate at the global law firm of Gibson Dunn in its New York office, with a broad practice including complex commercial litigation, privacy, employment, and corporate defense/government investigations, representing individuals and entities in a wide array of industries. His pro bono clients included entities in mental health services and the arts. Prior to that, Shawn worked for several years as a paralegal at two boutique New York City law firms, focusing on litigation, employment, and corporate defense matters.
Shawn earned a Bachelor’s degree in English & Music from Columbia University and a J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania.
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Content creator Kevin Murray is a serial entrepreneur and events industry professional with decades of experience and success. In his role as CEO & President of Rare Drop, Kevin leads new business development and overall company growth and expansion. His years of experience as a former content creator and broadcaster, in combination with his knowledge and expertise in the gaming and esports space, have helped expand business endeavors while offering strategic direction to clients and peers, both locally and nationally.
Eight years ago, Kevin transferred his expertise in live-event planning, production, and execution into owning and operating one of the largest charitable gaming events in the space. What started as a small meetup has become a game changer in the industry. In Kevin’s role as Executive Producer of GCX, he ensures that attendees, exhibitors, vendors, partners, and creators have a top-tier experience.
While successfully running Rare Drop and GCX, Kevin also lends his financial savvy to help his business partners continue expanding and growing Kings Coast Coffee Company. Starting as a small roasting operation delivering coffee right to your door, Kings Coast has grown into a physical brick and mortar coffee shop that rivals its largest industry competitors with ethical sourcing, sustainability, and specially curated custom coffee roasts.
Kevin holds Executive and Advisory Board seats for both for-profit and nonprofit entities, offering his expertise to help propel their organizations forward.
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With nearly two decades of experience in the music industry, Heather brings a dynamic background in marketing, public relations, and nonprofit collaboration. She spent 11 years at Fearless Records, where she led efforts in advertising, media relations, nonprofit partnerships, and live event coordination—including release parties and festival activations. In 2021, Heather joined Unified Music Group (UNFD and Community Music) as Marketing Manager, where she oversees digital and social campaigns, influencer strategy, advertising, PR, and radio relations. Her passion for fostering meaningful connection through music aligns deeply with HeartSupport’s mission, and she has long been a dedicated champion of the organization’s work.
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Bio coming soon