Do Something, an organization that supports young entrepreneurs, awarded activist and author Marvelyn Brown with $10,000 for her consulting business Marvelous Connections, Fast Company reports.

The 25-year-old former POZ staffer—whose memoir, The Naked Truth, hit bookshelves last year—was diagnosed with HIV the age of 19 and now spends most of her time speaking to thousands of youth about HIV/AIDS through Marvelous Connections. Brown’s consultations have inspired more than 200,000 young people to get tested.

Unlike many activist groups, Marvelous Connections is a for-profit business that relies on earned revenue and does not run off of donations or public-health funds.

According to Brown, her organization counters the federal government’s reliance on abstinence-only education in public schools. “I’m not going to follow their guidelines because their guidelines don’t work,” Brown said. “I have to do what I want to do in my way.”

When Brown isn’t speaking to high school and college kids about HIV/AIDS, she consults with media companies on how to incorporate HIV awareness into programming. She also coaches other positive young people in public speaking.