Every comeback starts with someone who refused to give up. This is the story of how the Comeback Kid Project came to be — and why we're not going anywhere.
Utah has thousands of young people aging out of foster care, battling addiction, and rebuilding after trauma — with no map and no one walking beside them. Every year, hundreds of Utah youth age out of the foster care system and are expected to navigate adulthood alone — no family, no plan, no safety net. The outcomes are devastating: homelessness, incarceration, unemployment, and untreated mental health conditions.
The Comeback Kid Project was founded in 2025 in Lehi, Utah by Michael Walker — a man who knows what it's like to fight back from rock bottom. Michael battled addiction as a teenager and young adult, and had to write his own comeback story without a playbook. That experience lit a fire that never went out.
His belief is simple: every young person who has faced adversity deserves someone in their corner. Not a handout. Not a program that checks a box. A real person who shows up, stays, and walks beside them. CBK Project is the thing Michael wished existed when he was the one who needed it most.
We are a registered 501(c)(3) public charity verified by the IRS, meaning every dollar donated is tax-deductible and goes directly to serving youth.
We don't fix people — we walk with them while they rebuild. Our trauma-informed approach means we understand what these young people have been through, and we meet them where they are.
Based at the foot of Utah's Wasatch Mountains, we believe that just like those peaks, young people are capable of rising to extraordinary heights when given the right foundation.
Three core values drive everything we do. They're not just words on a wall — they're the standard we hold ourselves to every single day.
We are who we say we are, regardless of who is around.
We keep our commitments. We take responsibility for our results.
Healing comes through lifting others.
Michael Walker didn't start the Comeback Kid Project from a boardroom — he started it from experience.
As a teenager and young man, Michael fought his own battles with addiction and adversity. There was no roadmap. No mentor waiting on the other side. He had to claw his way back — and he did. That fight, and everything it taught him, became the foundation for everything CBK Project stands for.
Today, Michael is a Pediatric Psychiatric Nurse who works directly with youth ages 12–17 in a clinical setting — the exact population CBK Project serves. He's also a father in a blended family of five children, and an avid skateboarder who still believes the best way to clear your head is four wheels and concrete.
Michael is currently working toward becoming a Nurse Practitioner with a long-term vision of providing accessible mental health care through the Comeback Kid Project — offering clinical services at little to no cost for qualifying youth and young adults. It's the next chapter in CBK Project's mission: not just mentorship and service, but real, professional mental health support built into the foundation.
He is the Comeback Kid. And he's building the thing he wished existed when he needed it most.
The Comeback Kid Project is led by people who believe in this mission — not because it looks good, but because they've lived it.
Pediatric Psychiatric Nurse working with youth ages 12–17. Father of five in a blended family. Avid skateboarder. Overcame addiction as a young man and built his own comeback — then built CBK Project so no one else has to do it alone. Currently working toward his Nurse Practitioner license with a vision of bringing clinical mental health services into CBK Project's mission.
Mother of three — a 15-year-old daughter and 13-year-old twins. Presha is the engine behind the scenes. As a young single mom, she fought her way into door-to-door sales and was featured at the Vivint awards ceremony for her entrepreneurial spirit and sales achievements. She's a formerly licensed insurance agent and Medicare representative who now works with veterans at a dental practice in Spanish Fork, overseeing the VA side of the operation. She runs her own business, worked to put Mike through nursing school, and shares every piece of this vision. CBK Project doesn't exist without her.
Committed father of three girls. Licensed Utah and Salt Lake County real estate agent and founder of Grow Utah Real Estate. Bo brings sharp business acumen, deep local roots, and a reputation built on integrity and hustle. His professional network across Utah's real estate, lending, and contracting communities gives CBK Project a direct line to the resources, partnerships, and community connections that help young people find their footing.
CBK Project is building toward something bigger. As Michael advances toward his Nurse Practitioner license, the long-term goal is to offer professional mental health services directly through the Comeback Kid Project — accessible care at little to no cost for youth and young adults who qualify.
Imagine a single organization where a young person can get a mentor, learn real-world skills, serve their community, and access clinical mental health support — all under one roof, all rooted in the same values. That's where we're headed.
Whether you want to mentor, donate, volunteer, or partner — there's a place for you.