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How We
Started
The One Life Project's idea began in 2016 with a vision to transform the way mental health is perceived and supported among young people. What started as a small, passionate initiative in Amsterdam, New York, quickly grew into a nationwide movement dedicated to breaking down barriers and challenging stigmas surrounding mental health. From our humble beginnings, we've expanded our reach, creating a network of support that empowers teens and young adults to thrive in every aspect of their lives. Our journey is rooted in a commitment to compassion, education, and advocacy, ensuring that no young person feels alone in their mental health journey.
About the Founder
During high school, Alexander Kovarovic quietly struggled with depression, anxiety, disordered eating, and profound issues of self-worth. What many people around him did not see was the intensity of that internal battle. In his senior year, those struggles culminated in Alex wanting to take his own life and ongoing self-harming behaviors, leading to a nearly four-week hospitalization for intensive mental health treatment.
That period marked a critical turning point. While in treatment, Alex began learning the language of mental health, recovery, and self-compassion for the first time. Yet healing was not immediate or linear. In the year following his hospitalization, he continued to navigate relapses, self-harm urges, eating disorder behaviors, and the difficult process of rebuilding confidence and identity.
Those experiences did more than shape Alex's recovery; they shaped his purpose. Living through the gaps in education, support, and stigma surrounding youth mental health made clear how many young people were struggling silently, without tools, language, or connection.
The One Life Project was born from that realization.
What began as one young person’s response to pain grew into a mission grounded in empathy, prevention, and hope. Today, the One Life Project exists to ensure that no young person has to navigate mental health challenges alone, and that education, support, and understanding are available long before a crisis point is reached.
Creation of One Love Media
In 2017, Alexander wanted to help others in hopes of learning how to grow and work through his anxiety and depression. He thought that by talking with other people going through similar things, that maybe it would help. In May of 2017, Alexander created a Facebook page where he shared quotes, motivational content, self love pictures and feel good content in hopes of helping others struggling with what he was struggling with. After running the account for only 3 months, one night Alex posted an inspiring quote that went viral and was shared millions of times. His Facebook page gained 1.1 million followers in only three days. His continued success with the page over the past few years has led him to over 4 million followers on that page. The page is run mainly anonymously. Most people don't know Alex runs and oversees the page unless they know him through the One Life Project or personally. The page is still running the same content, all targeted to people struggling who feel alone or down on themselves and Alex has created several other pages and self help groups over the past few years in addition to his main page which now totals over 7 million followers. He started One Love Media on January 2nd, 2018, which was created to oversee all of the pages, its followers, and the content posters on the pages. One Love Media still oversees all of the pages and content today and all income derived from these pages is made as a donation to the One Life Project.
Creation of Anti-Bullying Nonprofit
In February of 2018, Alex wanted to do more to directly impact those struggling with mental health, self esteem, and bullying. He created the National Youth Internet Safety and Cyberbullying Task Force, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that was formed to help combat bullying and keep teens safe online from cyberbullying in hopes of preventing teen suicide. The nonprofit took off very quickly and garnished over 1,000 volunteers across the United States within a few months. The nonprofit was able to create programs that were used in schools and had a great social media presence that helped keep teens safe online. Resources were able to be shared with those who needed them. This nonprofit was run under this name and mission until February 10th, 2020. At the time that this organization was created, Alex, as well as most of his volunteers were very young, many still teenagers, so at the time, the nonprofit's name was chosen, but ended up not being the best choice, being that it was way too long of a name and didn't really fit the mission they wanted to work on long term. The nonprofit's directors, board of directors, mangers, and many volunteers gathered for a meeting in Albany, NY in late February of 2020. They discussed how the nonprofit was to proceed, a potential name change, and redesign of our mission statement.
A few months before the February 2020 meeting, Alex had given a speech at a New Jersey high school where his speech topic was called "One Life, Keep Pushing Forward". The speech was aimed at teens and discussed how we all only have one life and that we need to reach out for help if we are struggling so we can grow and push through mental illness. Alex knew he wanted to incorporate the speech into the nonprofit's new name. The management team went back and forth between One Life Organization and One Life Project for several days before it was decided to go with One Life Project, because our mission is always growing bigger and needs to be worked on like a project! On March 12th, 2020, the One Life Project was officially launched and the National Youth Internet Safety and Cyberbullying Task Force was now the One Life Project. We took on our new mission statement of working to build and create a kinder world where we educate, advocate for, and support teens, college students, and young adults who are struggling with mental health in the hopes of preventing suicide in young people and ending the stigma that surrounds mental health. Our nonprofit launched only days before COVID hit many countries across the world including the United States, and lockdowns had begun. Many people started feeling the effects of the lockdown and we gained over 1,800 volunteers in just the first 3 months as many wanted to help others struggling and felt strongly in our mission. Our social media accounts quickly grew, we started creating school programming and speeches for when schools reopened and we used social media as a way to grow our nonprofit quickly through the worse of the COVID period, in hopes of helping those struggling at home during the lockdown. From that point on, our nonprofit has quickly become a home for thousands of volunteers, employees, business partners, and millions of individuals who support our mission and work.
Creation of One Life Project
Creation Of Our Motto
The creation of our motto, "Be True, Be You, Be Kind," was a deeply intentional process that embodies the core values of The One Life Project. As we sought to distill the essence of our mission into a few powerful words, we reflected on what young people truly need to navigate the complexities of modern life. "Be True" was born from our belief that authenticity is the foundation of mental well-being; we want every individual to feel empowered to embrace their true selves without fear of judgment or rejection. "Be You" serves as a reminder that each person’s uniqueness is their strength, and we encourage youth to celebrate their individuality and express themselves fully. Finally, "Be Kind" underscores the importance of compassion, both towards oneself and others. In a world that can often feel isolating, kindness is the bridge that connects us all, fostering a supportive community where everyone can thrive. Together, these words form a mantra that guides our work, inspiring young people to live with integrity, embrace their identity, and spread kindness wherever they go.
Current Day Work and Success
The One Life Project opened its first official office in Amsterdam, New York in late 2020, marking an important step in transforming a grassroots movement into a structured nonprofit organization. As the organization grew and its reach expanded, OLP relocated its New York operations in early 2023 to New York City, where a leadership and administrative office was established to better support regional programming, partnerships, and coordination.
Over the following years, the One Life Project expanded beyond New York, opening leadership offices and volunteer-run outreach centers across multiple states. These locations were established to support local programming, school and community partnerships, and youth-led outreach efforts. Many of these spaces were generously donated by landlords and community partners who believed deeply in OLP’s mission and wanted to support youth mental health work in their own communities.
In mid-2023, OLP launched Our Colors United, a youth-led LGBTQ+ education and advocacy initiative created to promote inclusion, equity, and belonging through community engagement, educational programming, and digital outreach. This initiative further strengthened the organization’s commitment to amplifying underrepresented voices and fostering inclusive spaces for young people.
Today, The One Life Project operates as a fully volunteer-powered organization, supported by more than 3,500 volunteers worldwide. Our work includes school and college programming, community workshops, advocacy campaigns, fundraising initiatives, and large-scale awareness efforts, both in person and online. We proudly partner with local, regional, and national organizations, businesses, and creators who share our commitment to youth mental health and well-being.
As the One Life Project continues to grow, our focus remains grounded in education, prevention, and youth empowerment. With an expanding East Coast presence and a global digital reach, we are committed to building sustainable, community-centered programs that ensure young people feel seen, supported, and never alone.
