Build a Leader.
Change the world.

The Factor exists to be the X-factor in someone’s life –
igniting a ripple effect of generosity, achievement, and lasting impact.

You Can Be Someone’s Breakthrough.

Great leaders don’t rise alone. Behind every world-changer is someone who believed in them, someone who stepped in at the right moment to remove a barrier – whether it was funding, strategy, or access to the right opportunities.

At The Factor, we connect bold visionaries with the generous people who can help them step into their full potential.

Here’s to the Unsung Heroes


The ones who move the world – not with spotlights or standing ovations, but with quiet, decisive action. A door opened. A barrier lifted. A chance given.

The Factor is for those who see potential and choose to fuel it. Because when you back a leader, you don’t just change their path, you change every life they go on to impact.

No fanfare, no parade. Just real, lasting change.

Johan Martinez-Khalilian
Founder

My father, an immigrant from Iran, and my mother, from Puerto Rico, worked tirelessly to give me a shot at a better future. Their grit taught me perseverance—but when it came time for college, they could only afford my first year.

Just as I was ready to drop out, a friend introduced me to a couple who had once paid for her tuition. They were looking to support someone new. I wrote them a letter, unsure of what would come of it.

Their response changed everything. They offered to fund the rest of my education—on one condition: I had to maintain a 3.5 GPA. I accepted the challenge and graduated with honors.

That act of generosity didn’t just get me through school, it reshaped my future. They stood in the gap when I needed it most.

That experience is the soul of The Factor. We exist to be that kind of support for others. Because sometimes, all it takes is one person to say, I believe in you—and mean it.

Emma Turnbull Onstott
Director

I come from a big family, the kind where love was abundant but resources were tight. My parents worked hard, but still, there were gaps—moments when we needed something we couldn’t reach on our own. More than once, someone showed up and stood in that gap. Not to rescue us, but to remind us that we weren’t alone. That changed everything for me, and altered my view of generosity in profound ways.

That’s why I’ve spent the last ten years in the nonprofit space, helping leaders, visionaries, and creatives build things that matter, lift up communities and empower individuals to do good in the world. I’ve built programs, launched campaigns, shaped stories, and walked with people in the messy middle of transformation.

My work is rooted in one belief: Transformation isn’t a solo act. We rise in community. I have a deep hope in the kind of generosity that doesn’t just change lives, but multiplies them.

  • Leadership Training

    The Factor equips bold, mission-driven leaders with the training, tools, and confidence to maximize their impact. Through a six-month, intensive leadership program—including three immersive retreats, expert-led seminars, and personalized coaching—participants sharpen their skills, expand their networks, and earn a coaching certification from a top leadership firm.

    These are future coaches, nonprofit founders, counselors, and social-impact entrepreneurs—leaders ready to transform lives and communities. But many face financial barriers that limit access to this training. Your support removes those barriers, ensuring the best leaders rise.

  • Community Building

    At The Factor, community isn’t an afterthought—it’s the engine. Through weekly group calls, 1:1 mentorship, and ongoing guidance, we foster a tight-knit network of bold, hopeful leaders who show up for each other. We believe alignment matters more than agreement, and that real growth happens when we’re rooted in something deeper than opinion—shared purpose. In this community, leaders challenge one another, celebrate wins, and walk through the hard stuff together.

  • Development Retreats

    There are some things you can’t learn on Zoom. That’s why we gather in real places—mountains, coastlines, quiet corners of the country—to reconnect with vision and each other. These retreats are more than a break from routine; they’re intentional spaces for deep growth, reflection, and renewal. Future leaders come away with more than training—they leave with clarity, community, and the kind of friendships that fuel the long road ahead.

Your support doesn’t just cut a check – it launches a leader. It funds the dream that changes a life, a community, or a generation.

A single act of generosity can change everything.

You know this already. Someone took a chance on you once. Gave you a shot. Opened a door. That moment still matters.

3% Cover the Fee