About BNG
Built Not Given Youth Initiative was created to help students build what was never handed to them.
Built Not Given Youth Initiative exists to help young people understand that their story matters, their future has value, and their growth can be built through discipline, mentorship, opportunity, and purpose. BNG serves students who may lack access to creative tools, structured guidance, media education, leadership development, and meaningful exposure. Through storytelling, sports, mentorship, and accountability, BNG helps students build the confidence and character needed to move forward with direction.
Our Mission
Built Not Given Youth Initiative empowers youth through storytelling, media education, mentorship, sports, and leadership development, helping students adapt to today’s technology while building confidence, discipline, communication skills, and purpose.
Our Vision
Our vision is to build adaptable youth who use their voice, creativity, and technology with purpose, growing into confident leaders prepared to create opportunities for themselves and positively impact their schools, families, and communities.
Core Values
Discipline
Growth is built through consistency, effort, and responsibility.
Accountability
Opportunity must be matched with commitment, honesty, and follow-through.
Story
Every young person has a story with value, and storytelling can build confidence, identity, and purpose.
Character
Talent means more when it is supported by respect, integrity, humility, and responsibility.
Leadership
Students should learn to represent themselves, their families, schools, teams, and communities with purpose.
Access
Students deserve fair opportunities to learn, grow, be seen, and be supported regardless of resources.
Impact
Students should use their growth, platform, and influence to positively affect others.
BNG develops students who understand that talent may open a door, but discipline, character, accountability, and leadership determine how far they go.
Our Founder
Ruben Infante
Founder & President/CEO
Ruben Infante founded Built Not Given Youth Initiative to help young people gain something he learned early can change a life: access to the right guidance, practical support, and someone willing to invest in their development.
Growing up, basketball gave Ruben a sense of belonging and possibility, but opportunity did not automatically come with a roadmap. A high school guidance counselor who took the time to help him navigate college became an early example of the kind of intervention BNG is built around today: timely guidance, accountability, access to resources, and an adult willing to help a young person move forward.
Experience behind the mission
Ruben brings a professional background spanning youth development, live and post-production, athletics media, and school-based media education. His experience includes youth-support work, professional production environments, athletics communications, photography, video, interviews, game-day production, and helping young people participate in practical media settings. He is bilingual in English and Spanish.
Before BNG was legally established, Ruben was already doing athletics-media work in school environments and creating opportunities for students to participate in real production and interview workflows.
That work is part of Ruben’s founder and professional background. It is not represented as BNG organizational program delivery.
From experience to an organization
BNG was created to turn that experience into something more structured, accountable, and sustainable: an organization that combines youth development, mentorship, media literacy, storytelling, and hands-on production opportunities.
Since incorporation, BNG has documented direct service to 56 unique student-athletes across three schools and four sports programs through media, storytelling, photography, video, and athlete-support activities.
Ruben’s goal is not simply to create more content. It is to help build environments where young people can develop communication skills, media literacy, production discipline, confidence, and practical experience while schools and athletic programs receive meaningful support.
Ruben’s path is the proof behind the name. Everything was built, not given. BNG exists so the next student doesn’t have to build alone.
Selected founder background & pre-BNG work
Ruben’s independent professional portfolio includes selected athletics-media work that predates BNG, along with broader live-production and professional media experience.
View Ruben’s Athletics Media Portfolio
Selected pre-incorporation work is presented as Ruben’s founder and professional background. It is not represented as BNG organizational program delivery.
Trust & diligence
- Incorporated
- 2026
- Organizational impact
- 56 unique student-athletes directly served since incorporation
- Nonprofit status
- IRS-recognized 501(c)(3) public charity
- Transparency
- 2026 Silver Seal of Transparency from Candid
Governance & Board of Directors
Built Not Given Youth Initiative Inc. is a Florida nonprofit corporation (Document No. N26000002003) and an IRS-recognized 501(c)(3) public charity, EIN 41-4798448, incorporated February 17, 2026. BNG is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors responsible for the organization’s mission, oversight, and accountability.
Ruben Infante
Founder, President, and Director. Leads BNG’s programs, partnerships, and day-to-day operations.
Deseri Gonzalez
Director and Treasurer. Oversees BNG’s finances, financial records, and reporting.
Vanessa Gonzalez
Director and Secretary. Maintains corporate records, meeting minutes, and board documentation.
Accountability
BNG earned the 2026 Silver Seal of Transparency from Candid and maintains its records with the Florida Division of Corporations. The organization’s first federal Form 990-N and Florida annual report are due in 2027, following its first full operating year.
Built Not Given Youth Initiative Inc. is an IRS-recognized 501(c)(3) public charity and Florida nonprofit organization (EIN 41-4798448). Contributions may be tax-deductible as allowed by law.