Hidden Gems: Meet Aundré Wright of New Culture

Today we’d like to introduce you to Aundré Wright.

Hi Aundré, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
My story is deeply personal.

Growing up, my father was incarcerated from the time I was two years old until I was seventeen. I grew up without my dad, without consistent guidance, and without someone helping me navigate what manhood, responsibility, or direction looked like. As a teenager, that absence led me into negative behaviors and a lot of trial and error. I was essentially figuring life out as I went.

That realization became the foundation for my work.

In 2017, I began working directly with young people aging out of foster care and immediately saw reflections of my own story. Many of them were being asked to transition into adulthood without consistent support, stable housing, or guidance — expected to “figure it out” the same way I once had.

In 2022, I helped launch what would later become New Culture. We started with a few homes and a clear belief that housing alone wasn’t enough. Young adults need stability, community, accountability, and adults who don’t walk away when things get complicated.

Today, New Culture has grown from 5 housing sites to 56 and has served more than 250 young adults across Arizona. What began as a housing program has evolved into an ecosystem of support designed to help young people not just survive after foster care, but truly flourish.

At its core, New Culture exists because I know firsthand what happens when young people are left to navigate adulthood alone — and what’s possible when someone chooses to walk alongside them.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
No, it definitely wasn’t a smooth road, especially early on.

In the beginning, I didn’t take a salary during the first year from New Culture because I didn’t want money to become the reason the quality of care suffered. We were building from the ground up, and every dollar needed to go back into the young people and the program itself.

Scaling is hard, especially in this work. A lot of organizations grow quickly but end up compromising quality, and that was something I was really intentional about avoiding.

As we’ve grown, things have gotten better, largely because of the team. One staff member in particular, Chris, has been with New Culture since the very beginning and has been instrumental in helping us navigate challenges and stay grounded in keeping the main thing, the main thing. We like to call him the youth whisperer.

At the end of the day, we’re serving humans and more specifically, youth, and that has to remain the focus as New Culture continues to evolve.

Another challenge has been building the right culture and protecting it. When people apply to work at New Culture, we’re not just inviting them into a job, we’re inviting them into a responsibility. This work requires presence, consistency, and a willingness to show up for youth aging out of foster care even when it’s hard or inconvenient. We’re very intentional about who we bring onto the team because culture matters. The way staff show up directly impacts how safe, supported, and seen our youth feel.

Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
New Culture exists to walk alongside young adults aging out of foster care during one of the most critical transitions of their lives. Today, we are the largest housing provider in Arizona serving youth aging out of foster care. With that scale comes a deep responsibility not just to provide beds, but to create stability, consistency, and care across every home and relationship. While housing is the foundation of our work, we specialize in holistic, individualized support. That includes education and employment guidance, financial literacy, life skills, and ongoing mentorship all rooted in relationship and trust. What also sets New Culture apart is youth actually want to join our community and be a part of our culture, they are not required to and so I think that means alot. Many of the youth we serve have missed out on experiences most peers take for granted. We intentionally create opportunities for joy, connection, and community — including experiences like taking youth on their first cruise, traveling out of state, or simply celebrating together in meaningful ways. They remind young people that they belong, that life can include joy, and that their story doesn’t end with foster care. Brand-wise, I’m most proud that New Culture has grown without losing its heart. Even as we’ve expanded, our focus has remained the same: people over programs, relationships over rules, and dignity over convenience.

We also want readers to understand that youth aging out of foster care are one of the most overlooked demographics. There’s often an assumption that once young people turn 18, they’re taken care of or ready to be on their own. In reality, the data tells a very different story, the outcomes for youth without support are often staggering. For a long time, many young people transitioned into adulthood without stable housing, consistent relationships, or guidance. They were expected to figure life out overnight. Today, youth aging out of foster care have access to support that didn’t exist before and New Culture is proud to be part of that shift. Our work is rooted in the belief that when young people are given stability, community, and someone willing to walk alongside them, their outcomes and their futures can look very different.

Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc?
I think my two favorite books are Generous Justice by Tim Keller and also Hustle Harder, Hustle Smarter by 50 cent.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.newcultureaz.org
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/newcultureaz