About Us
Vision
We envision a future in which queer, trans, non-binary and gender expansive children have the freedom to live an authentic and thriving life in a society that celebrates them.
Mission
Through programs, services, events, education, and advocacy, we create community, provide support, and promote resiliency for families of LGTBQ+ children in Boulder County and beyond.
Emily (she/her)
Emily is a partner to the love of her life, a mother of two human children (as well as two pups), an entrepreneur, an advocate, a dreamer, a voice, and a spiritual being who may be slightly obsessed with houseplants. She believes that everyone should be able to live an authentic and grounded life.
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Born in Boston, she grew up in suburban Massachusetts and spent a lot of her childhood swimming, playing sports, learning to follow the narrow path that her family carved out for her. Emily earned a Bachelor's in Psychology from the College of the Holy Cross (Worcester, MA), as well as a Master's in Organizational and Corporate Communications from Emerson College (Boston, MA). After all that schooling, and over a decade in the corporate grind, she busted out of those old patterns and moved to Washington, DC in 2011.
Away from her family and everything she had always known, she found herself and started a business called Shine Coaching & Consulting. Somewhere along the way, she met a beautiful soul and had two wonderful and often challenging children. Over the years, both she and her business have evolved.
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When her youngest child came out as trans a couple of years ago, Emily became passionate about creating and holding space for beautiful rainbow children just like hers. Within a year, she was co-creating Parenting the Rainbow with another parent just as passionate as her about creating a better world for trans, non-binary, and gender expansive kids.
Maren is a parent, a partner, an organizational development consultant, a certified Enneagram coach, an advocate, an activist and a community-tender who envisions a world where all souls are able to discover and fulfill the depths of their potential.
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Maren grew up in Colorado and spent many years leading international trips and running experiential education programs based out of California. In 2014 she and her partner moved to Monterey, CA to live near family as they welcomed their first child. In 2017, with their then 3- month old and 3 year old in tow, they sold all their stuff and moved into an RV on an adventure of a lifetime to find their place as a family. Colorado felt like home the minute they landed and they have been growing in their community since then. She, her partner, their two children and too many pets currently live in Longmont.
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In 2020, Maren learned she was the mother of a gender expansive child and went on the path of growth and love that is parenting a trans child in the current world. This journey has left Maren passionate about supporting parents of trans children and passionate about helping people rewire their experience of community in the modern world.
When Maren is not busy running her coaching and consulting practice, or managing her life and juggling children, you can find her at the hot springs or at yoga or gathering with friends around a fire.
Maren is also on the board of TRANSfarmation, a land-based gap year program supporting Trans young adults.
Maren (she/her)
