Maks Ezrin experienced early addiction himself.  As a young child born and raised in New York City, Maks enjoyed everything the city had to offer. He attended the best schools, maintained a rigorous course load, had the support of a loving family, and enjoyed a wide and varied social circle.

Despite these advantages, Maks began experimenting with drugs and alcohol at fourteen years old. His substance dependence worsened during college, eventually leading to a near-fatal overdose in his early 20s.

Through the help of friends and family, Maks has been sober since 2016. Recognizing the importance of early detection and the support of sober mentors, Maks has dedicated himself to giving back and helping young pre-addicts.

Propelled by his experience, Maks connected with leaders in the addiction field to raise awareness of the ‘silent problem’ unnoticed by most families until too late, and soon after,  Youth Prevention Mentors was founded. 

Maks is a Recovery Coach certified through CARC and CCAR. He trained and studied under Dr. Louise Stanger, LCSW, CSAT-1, CDWF, CIP, and Dr. Rami Kaminski, MD. In 2022, Maks was awarded the Youth Leadership Award from the Caron Foundation at the 16th Annual Caron New York City Awards. Maks recently received his Masters in Applied Positive Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania.