On this episode of the Sports Philanthropy Podcast, host Roy Kessel welcomes Rob Mutert, founder of Warp Corps. Rob takes us through his remarkable path from his Chicago upbringing and service in the Marine Corps to building a family business and later creating a nonprofit dedicated to youth wellness. With a focus on skateboarding, fitness, and mentorship, Warp Corps is tackling the opioid crisis and strengthening mental health in Woodstock, Illinois. Rob shares how sports, resilience, and community engagement can empower young people and transform lives.
Rob Mutert
Rob Mutert is the founder and Executive Director of Warp Corps, a nonprofit and social enterprise based in Woodstock, Illinois. A Marine Corps veteran, small-business owner, husband, father, and grandfather, Rob has combined his diverse experiences to create a mission-driven organization focused on youth development and community wellness. His early work running the Warp Skatepark gave him a firsthand understanding of how skateboarding, art, and music could inspire young people, build confidence, and foster positive communities.
In 2017, Rob shifted his focus more directly toward social impact after seeing the devastating effects of the opioid crisis in his community. He began developing prevention and engagement programs, rooted in the belief that keeping young people active, creative, and connected to their passions helps protect them from harmful behaviors. Over time, Warp Corps grew from a grassroots initiative into a vibrant community hub, with a retail arm that not only funds its programs but also provides valuable workforce training opportunities for local youth.
Today, Rob leads Warp Corps at the intersection of mental health, substance abuse prevention, and community empowerment. The organization offers fitness programs, skateboarding and art workshops, and critical outreach services, including distributing naloxone and providing resources for those at risk of addiction and homelessness. Guided by Rob’s philosophy of “prevention through engagement,” Warp Corps has become a model for how sports, creativity, and mentorship can transform lives and strengthen entire communities.
Warp Corps
Warp Corps is a community-centered nonprofit and social enterprise committed to preventing suicide, substance use disorder, and homelessness by engaging at-risk populations through creative, connection-based programming. Their approach—“Prevention Through Engagement”—recognizes that mental health challenges, addiction, and housing instability often intersect. Rather than treating these issues in isolation, Warp Corps works to meet people where they’re at and provides holistic support to interrupt harmful cycles before they become crises.
At the heart of Warp Corps are its youth programs, which harness music, art, skateboarding, and adventure sports as vehicles for personal growth, resilience, and belonging. In addition to these offerings, the organization conducts street outreach, connects individuals with care resources, and offers housing support. Their retail arm—selling coffee, custom apparel, and skate gear—serves as both a fundraising engine and a workforce training opportunity for local youth, helping them gain real-world skills while contributing to the mission.
Located in Woodstock, Illinois, Warp Corps operates a physical space that functions as a hub for community engagement, creative expression, and wellness. They host youth events, gallery exhibits, fitness activities, and mental health support initiatives from their headquarters on Benton Street. By integrating outreach, creativity, and real resources under one roof, Warp Corps strives to be more than a nonprofit—they aim to be a catalyst for lasting transformation in their region.
0:00 – Introduction of Rob Mutert:
Host Roy Kessel welcomes Rob Mutert, founder of Warp Corps, to discuss his journey from Marine veteran and business leader to youth mentor and mental health advocate through sports, fitness, and community engagement.
2:15 – Childhood in Park Ridge, Illinois:
Rob shares memories of growing up in a close-knit neighborhood where kids played street hockey, basketball, and baseball every day—long before organized travel teams took over youth sports.
4:40 – Early love of hockey:
His brothers “voluntold” him to be their goalie in street hockey games, sparking a lifelong passion for the sport—even though his organized hockey career ended early due to financial challenges.
7:25 – The cost of youth sports:
Rob reflects on how his family couldn’t afford for him to keep playing hockey after moving towns, motivating his mission today to make sports more accessible to all kids.
11:10 – Lessons from the Marine Corps:
After high school, Rob enlisted in the Marines, where he learned discipline, logistics, and teamwork—skills that became the foundation for his leadership and service-oriented mindset.
14:55 – Building a fitness-focused workplace:
During his 27 years running the family manufacturing business, Rob integrated fitness into the company culture, leading daily workouts and promoting team wellness as part of work life.
20:30 – Passion for action sports and recovery:
Rob discusses how mountain biking, snowboarding, and skateboarding became positive outlets that helped him maintain sobriety and focus after giving up alcohol.
25:45 – Mentoring youth through skateboarding:
In 2003, Rob opened an indoor skate park in Woodstock, Illinois, where he mentored young skaters, trained several future professionals, and introduced yoga and strength training programs.
31:50 – Tragedy inspires action:
The 2017 suicide of a former student and local veteran deeply affected Rob, driving him to confront addiction and mental health struggles in his community.
36:05 – Founding Warp Corps:
Rob launched Warp Corps from his basement with the motto “Prevention Through Engagement,” connecting fitness, art, and mentorship to promote mental wellness and prevent substance abuse.
43:20 – Expanding the mission:
He outlines plans to grow Warp Corps into a larger facility offering free fitness classes, recovery programs, and community resources supported through grants and donations.
47:15 – Closing reflections:
Rob emphasizes that purpose, movement, and connection can save lives—and that communities thrive when sports, wellness, and opportunity are open to everyone.
