HeartSupport is a non-profit organization using music to start mental health conversations with people who otherwise would not seek help.

The Story of HeartSupport

In 2011, our founder set out to help his fans.

Jake is the well-recognized frontman of the world-famous metal band, August Burns Red.

Every night, fans would share raw stories about addiction, suicide, self-harm, fear, war, hopelessness, and more.

HeartSupport became a community for the music scene.

Jake created an online community with its own forum, groups, and events where fans could open about their struggles and get support in improving their mental health.

Too many people struggle without seeking help.

We realized we couldn’t wait for people to hit crisis to talk about their mental health. We needed to start the conversation earlier.

“I found Heart Support when I was in the middle of the hardest time in my life. This community stood by my side when no one else in my life would. HeartSupport provided a safe space I never had.”

— Beth, community member

How We Work

Our focus is to get people talking about their mental health because unvoiced problems can’t be solved.

People may not know how to talk about their mental health, or even that they need to, but we can all talk about how music affects us.

Music is a more approachable medium to talk about the issues of the heart.

People may not be willing to come to us to talk about their issues, so we built a way to go to them.

We start conversations on the social media platforms they’re already using like Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and more.

People may not be willing to see a therapist but are open to talking to peers who have been through the same circumstances.

Feeling understood and knowing someone can relate is powerful.

“It brought actual tears to my eyes that people had hope for my life. I don't know what I would do without heartsupport.”

— RedRain XXX (HS Discord)

The Team Leading the Conversation

Jake Luhrs

FOUNDER

Nate Hilpert

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Taylor Palmby, LHMC

SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER

Marie-Anne

PROGRAM DIRECTOR

Morgan Hochstetler

VIDEO EDITOR

Acacia Bengo Ssembajjwe

SOFTWARE DEVELOPER

Our Board of Directors

  • 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.

  • As Executive Director of HeartSupport, Dave is tasked with growing the HeartSupports footprint throughout the nation and beyond.

    He is entrepreneur and 27 year college and high school basketball and football coach.  Dave stepped away from coaching and business to dedicate his energy to impacting culture with hope, purpose and community.  In the last decade, Dave helped develop the iMatter Foundation and initiatives.  The iMatter Foundation is an educational based not-for-profit purposed to help those suffering with self-harm and addiction.

    Dave has vast experience in building and maintaining teams and team health.

    Dave’s a seasoned speaker who uses energy and humor to deliver advanced leadership concepts to the venues he engages.  Among his passions is helping entrepreneurs launch new businesses.

    Dave is a devoted husband to Robin (36 years) and father of 2 daughters, Cassia and Hannah.

  • 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. 

  • Michelle Saari has been an advocate and mental health professional for over 15 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.

  • Casey Faris has been passionate about mental health for decades. In high school, he felt lost in a sea of classmates struggling with depression, anxiety, self-harm, and eating disorders, but didn't really understand how he could help. In late high school, a fuel to help people started to mesh with his love for multimedia and Casey decided his life should "probably have something to do with creating things and helping people." After kicking around a few ideas, going to college for video production, volunteering for several mental health organizations, and working in the youth group in his Church for years, he came across HeartSupport at Vans Warped Tour.

    Since that moment, Casey's been driven to create inspiring content that acknowledges the depths of mental health issues, and has directly supported thousands of people though live streams in HeartSupport. He even wrote a book on mental health and livestreaming called "You Are Not Your Stream." He also runs a company with Dan Bernard teaching video editing online to inspire and empower the next generation of creators. Casey believes that one of the most vitally important things you can do in life is to express yourself and take advantage of the freedom to create. This fusion of creativity and mental health has now become the flavor of just about every major pursuit in Casey's life.

  • Dan Bernard has been involved in the mental health field since he was a young boy. From getting counseling due to his parents' divorce when he was 8, to experiencing the effects of alcoholism and domestic violence in his family life, Dan learned firsthand how life's struggles can affect a person's outlook on themselves and on the future. Art and music were Dan's safe places as he learned to express himself and his emotions through creative means. In middle school, he remembers giving a drawing to someone who was having a rough day and realizing how powerful giving away art could be in changing a person's mood and outlook.

    After getting a degree in Art and Multimedia Production in college, Dan pursued his passion for people through his local church in various ministry positions and also through co-founding a company built on equipping and encouraging other creatives through video editing courses online. This venture led Dan to get involved with Heartsupport, and, alongside Casey Faris, directly encourage, support, and care for many people through live streaming on Twitch. Dan has created and given away thousands of pieces of art through an initiative he calls "Creative Encouragement" and to this day still keeps in touch with many of those people with whom he has connected through his art.

    Dan is madly in love with his wife of 17 years and adores their 7 year old daughter, whom they adopted through the Oregon foster care system. The family continues to open their home to children in need in their area.

  • Meet Brittany Mullins, a woman of compassion and determination whose journey has been marked by a commitment to making a positive impact. Married to her high school sweetheart, Brittany's story is one of both personal and professional growth.

    Having initially climbed the ranks at Nordstrom, Brittany established herself as a formidable force in the cosmetics industry. However, driven by a desire to contribute to the well-being of others, she took a bold leap and founded "Beneath The Skin," a nonprofit dedicated to providing peer-to-peer mentoring for young women grappling with loneliness.

    Despite the challenges, Brittany's dedication to her cause never wavered. Balancing her nonprofit responsibilities with a burgeoning career, she redirected her talents into the sales and marketing arena. Today, she holds the esteemed position of Senior Vice President at an outsourced sales and marketing organization.

    Beyond her professional pursuits, Brittany finds joy in her personal life. A devoted fur baby parent, she shares her home with two beloved dogs. Her love for exploration and adventure is evident in her frequent travels around the world with her husband. Amidst her busy schedule, Brittany cherishes moments spent with her family and friends.

    Brittany Mullins exemplifies the transformative power of passion and purpose, weaving together a narrative that blends career success with a deep commitment to uplifting others.

Our Advisory Board

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • Bio coming soon.

  • Bio coming soon.

Contact us.

Questions? We’re an open book.
Fill out the form here or email us at

[email protected]

Note: This is not a mental health support email address, for encouragement, please see our GET HELP page.