Why we are here

Dandelion Thrive was created from a simple belief: cost should never stand between a person and wellness.

Our work is personal. Founder Chris Serrano grew up with trauma and later struggled with substance use. In 1987, Chris entered recovery and has remained continuously sober. That experience shaped a lifelong respect for resilience, dignity, and the importance of meeting people where they are.

After attending massage school in 2014, Chris began imagining a place where people affected by trauma could explore different forms of support without cost becoming the deciding factor. A generous $100,000 donation made it possible to establish Dandelion Thrive and begin turning that idea into a practical source of financial assistance.

Today, the Foundation is helping develop a model that brings mental-health care and supportive wellness services into thoughtful conversation while keeping each provider’s role clear.

Our founder

Chris brings more than 35 years of experience in business leadership, advocacy, and project development. Chris built and sold Tidy Co., worked as a paralegal advocate, helped provide sensitivity training for police and fire professionals, and trained in massage and aquatic bodywork.

Board of Directors

David Blood — Board President

Karen Serrano — Board Treasurer

Chris Serrano — Board Secretary and Founder

A growing vision

Los Angeles Integrative Mental Health is our mental-health partner. Wellness Embodied, a separate wellness center in Encino, provides supportive wellness services.

Wellness Embodied’s purpose is clear: to offer thoughtful, trauma-informed services in a setting built around safety, choice, and individual comfort.

Dandelion Thrive Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.