In February 1992, Gene Bowen was faced with the reality of imminent death from an out-of-control habit. For ten years, he had been a tour manager for a variety of artists. Since 1982, Gene’s daily routine included obtaining drugs not only for himself, but for many of the international artists and road crews with whom he worked and toured. Ironically, he was also responsible for helping particular artists stay “clean.”

With the help of family, friends and music industry colleagues like artist manager Jack Bookbinder, gene was one of the lucky ones who embraced recovery. Understanding how lucky he was to survive (and for Jack, coming to terms with his own personal adversity, Type 2 diabetes (T2D)), gene and Jack set out to build an organization to teach and empower young people with healthy coping, communication, and life skills in hopes of helping them find their way towards a happy future. They looked to publicize the many strengths and resources available from the music/entertainment industry and the mental health field.