Dean Sikes was born in Chattanooga, Tennessee, the oldest of two children. Raised in a Christian family, he became a Christian at the age of seven.

Not long after his fifteenth birthday, he was sexually abused, and throughout the remainder of his teenage years, he lived a painful and often inauthentic life. By the time he turned twenty-one, his life was spiraling out of control. Bad choice after bad choice catapulted Dean into a defining moment when he had a personal encounter with a loving God. This brought him into full-time ministry, where he served a Grammy Award-winning Christian artist, coordinating and road-managing over six hundred ministry events around the globe.

In January 1993, Dean launched the Spirit of America Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to freely ministering words of hope to teenagers in high schools across America and the world. The Lord blessed this new ministry, and Dean ministered to one hundred thousand students each year, reaching the one millionth student at the end of 2002. Today, the Spirit of America Foundation is known as You Matter, and Dean continues to speak at events, has ministered to millions of students, and has seen thousands give their hearts to the Lord.

In addition to his road outreach, he has written several books, including You Matter.: Finding Hope and Meaning in Everyday Life, and he has an active presence reaching teens on social media.

Dean and his wife, Lori, were married in May 1996, and their marriage has been a living testimony of God's goodness. They have three adult children and four dogs and continue to make their home in Chattanooga.

Post Office Box: 8915 Chattanooga, Tennessee 37414

For more information, visit www.youmatter.us.