Atlas Defense is a human-centered violence prevention training organization that supports fellow POC and LGBTQIA+ communities' safety on their own terms. This means that while we offer a variety of training ranging from situational awareness, verbal/ spatial de-escalation, event safety planning, safe workplace training/ consultation to responsible, legal, and defensive firearm training, we see our place as only informing our student's decisions and don't push them toward one modality or the other. We started Atlas upon deciding that something needed to be done about the pervasive, toxic patriarchal culture that seemed to discourage anyone but straight white male students to learn these skills. Especially as a former Marine and security professional, Manuel was acutely aware of these issues and has been striving to help his community not replicate these toxic patterns.

Besides alchemizing his military and private sector experience to the civilian side, Atlas Defense further differentiates their services from the status quo of the industry by doing this full time with a diverse staff of indigenous, Black, south Asian, Latinx, and queer instructors. Most other instructors doing what we do only train as a side hustle or hobby which can cause quality control issues to say the least. We've even been quoted in university research about the effect of education & training on reducing gun violence in Minneapolis. (research available upon request)

Atlas Defense MN

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