About Us

A MODEST BEGINNING

In 1999, Brandon Busteed was in the unique position of serving on the Duke University Board of Trustees as a Young Trustee. A recent graduate and former Class President, Brandon saw the issue of alcohol from the student perspective all the way to the board – and realized not only how big the problem was but also how complex it was. During his days a student leader promoting alcohol-free events, Busteed had struggled to de-emphasize the role of alcohol in social life but grew increasingly disheartened watching Duke’s best and brightest continually rely on alcohol as a social crutch. While still an undergraduate, he decided to start a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to tackling high-risk drinking at America’s colleges and universities. His goal was to find an approach that empowered students to address the problem. After being turned down for 17 grants in a year and half, he came to see that the nonprofit model was not the right fit. The company would have to be a different breed of organization. Shortly thereafter, Brandon secured financing from several early backers and angel investors and launched the organization as a for-profit social enterprise. Read the full Washington Post story of Brandon’s early days.

Ten years later, what began as one undergraduate’s idea has redefined alcohol prevention on America’s college campuses. Today, EverFi is widely regarded as the thought leader in the field, offering a true enterprise risk management solution for tackling high-risk drinking. As the organization and its impact on higher education has expanded over time, we have remained wholly committed to a single promise – empowering our partner institutions to achieve their mission of promoting student success.