Based in Essex, iThrive Initiative is a pioneering Community Interest Company (CIC) committed to uplifting, inspiring, and empowering young people to take control of their futures. With ambitious plans to grow throughout the region, and ultimately nationwide, we are on a mission to tackle one of the most urgent issues facing society today: youth unemployment and the associated consequences of inactivity in young people.
At iThrive initiative, we help young people uncover what they truly want from life, equipping them with the motivation, confidence, and practical skills they need to turn aspiration into achievement.
The statistics are stark: young people have the highest unemployment rate of any age group, 244% higher than the wider population. Shockingly, 1 in 8 young people in the UK are Not in Education, Employment or Training (NEET). If our NEET rate mirrored that of the Netherlands (1 in 20), the UK economy would be £69 billion better off. These numbers make it clear: we absolutely need change…
Project iThrive is that change.
We're not just another employment support programme. Our approach is fundamentally different; our methodology, our delivery, our business model, and most importantly, our mindset. We work to align young people's employment with their life goals, helping them make more purposeful decisions with a clear view of their bigger picture.
Using a unique mix of implicit and explicit conditional incentives, Project iThrive ensures high engagement and long-lasting impact. We’re building a generation that thrives not just survives.
Join us in reshaping the future…
“There are two types of wishes in this world; one is of hope, the other is of regret.
Don’t live without the first and don’t die with the second”
- Tristan Fontagio -
Meet the Team
Tristan Fontagio
CEO and Co-Founder
Tristan is an experienced and innovative problem solver and is the driving force behind iThrive initiative. He specialises in systems analytics, solutions as well as relationship management. He has performed ambassadorial roles for large national charities, generating millions of pounds in revenue whilst authoring several strategic solutions worth over one hundred million pounds. In the last 15 years he has solved several nationally scaled socio-economic problems, the economic value of which is too large to calculate.
In 2023 Tristan’s cognitive ability was tested and found to be in the top 2% of the country. His talent for producing data led solutions is what makes this ambitious project so achievable.
Nigel Sanders
Co-Founder & Director of Music
Nigel is a music, sound and visual artist and author.
He has written 8 books, produced 28 albums and exhibited his visual abstract art in galleries all across Europe over the course of a career that spans more than 30 years.
He teaches music privately and has lectured electronic music, drums and composition at Universities.
His understanding of music, it’s deeper primal roots and the therapeutic benefits it brings to people’s holistic well-being and balance are priceless to the success of Project iThrive.
Naffie Darboe
Director of Creativity & Culture
Naffie Darboe is a dynamic and inspirational leader with a decade of experience in employment contracts, youth development, and creative pathways. She advocates the untrodden road, champions better business cultures and her lived experience drives inclusion and equity in the workplace through continuous skills development.
With senior roles and an impressive and well connected network across West London, Naffie empowers and inspires individuals through mentoring, career coaching, and workforce development. Her fierce belief in the voice of all is paramount to shaping youth led services on Project iThrive.