Meet the Cohort 8 Moonshot Fellows!
This fall, we welcomed Cohort 8 of the Moonshot Innovation Space: 20 bold leaders stepping into a collective of more than 100 innovators, founders, and builders across Colorado.
Moonshot leaders understand that youth don’t live in just one system—their lives are shaped by multiple systems, including education, housing, healthcare, justice, and more. That’s why our fellowship equips leaders with the skills, networks, and spaces to create change across them all.
Cohort 8 Fellows are working to transform early childhood education, engage youth in environmental and food justice, improve access to essential resources like transportation and housing, and build opportunities for young people to thrive everywhere they go.
We’re honored to introduce them to you. Meet each Fellow below and see how they are redesigning the systems that shape youth futures.
Interested in joining the Moonshot Community?
Complete the interest form by clicking the button below to learn more about Cohort 9 and our next application cycle.
Listed alphabetically by first name. In the Moonshot Innovation Space, Fellows develop solutions to address inequities in systems that serve youth. These solutions may be new standalone organizations or initiatives within existing structures.
Aisha Brown
Aisha (she/her/hers) is the founder of Bright Minds Art Studio, offering trauma-informed art education for preschool through middle school students, equipping them with tools to process feelings and build emotional literacy. Through storytelling, symbolism, and hands-on projects, the program helps children connect imagination with personal growth.
Connect: aisharenee.com / arenee303@gmail.com
Candi Cdebaca
Candi (she/her) is the co-founder of CreSer ECE, an early childhood initiative serving children 0–5 in Denver’s Globeville, Elyria-Swansea (GES) neighborhoods. Candi aims to close the childcare gap and center GES families through educational experiences, community partnerships, and context-specific care.
Connect: creserece.org / candicdebaca@creserece.org
Carleen Brown
Carleen (she/her) is on a mission to build a future where learning is lived, not just taught. Her solution is designed to help young people develop 21st-century skills, including communication, collaboration, critical thinking, and creativity, through service projects where youth take on projects that matter to them.
Connect: LinkedIn / Carleen@created-llc.com
Cat Long
Cat (they/them) is creating a youth sports league for queer, trans, and nonbinary youth that challenges the extractive, cis-heteronormative, and ableist culture of organized youth sports. This youth soccer league will be a space where competition becomes relational and healing, staff are deeply vetted and held accountable, and pleasure and belonging take center stage
Connect: LinkedIn / long.caitlin@gmail.com
David Martinez
David (he/him/él) is building radical infrastructure that supports young Black and Brown leaders in cultivating their political voices and liberatory action. David’s solution fosters joyful, communal spaces by-and-for the communities they serve, where youth explore political identity through storytelling, mentorship, and workshops.
Connect: LinkedIn / david.martinez08241@gmail.com
Diamond Garcia
Diamond’s (she/her/ella) in-school program builds meaningful relationships with students and nurtures their growth at a critical stage in life. Through continuous engagement and culturally rooted leadership development, Diamond prepares students to thrive both personally and academically.
Connect: LinkedIn / diamondag0606@gmail.com
Janei Maynard
Janei (she/her/siya) is the founder of the 5th Element Center for Dance (5E). Rooted in the belief that hip-hop and street dance styles should be accessible to the Black and Brown communities from which they originated, 5E offers dance instruction, social-emotional learning, and academic support.
Connect: fifthelementdance.org / janei@fifthelementdance.org
Jazmyne Peters
Jazmyne (she/her) leads Girls Like Us, a program centering joy, healing, and cultural affirmation to address the unique discrimination faced by Black girls and femmes. Jazmyne aims to expand the program across Denver and Aurora so more young Black girls can reclaim their power, amplify their voices, and be celebrated for who they are.
Connect: colorado.edu/crowninstitute/mind-body-voice-0 / jazmynepetersphd@gmail.com
Jacob (Jazz) Smith
Jacob (Jazz) (any pronouns) leads Composing Youth Mobility, redefining transportation justice. Jacob’s creative ecosystem model supports youth who have experienced transportation and mobility barriers, equipping them with political education, systems design training, and paid consulting opportunities within the transportation industry.
Connect: LinkedIn / jsmith@composingmobility.com
Ken Lemos
Ken (he/him) is designing a boxing program to empower those struggling with anger management, experiencing bullying, or questioning themselves in any space. Through physical fitness and by developing self-esteem, focus, and resilience, the program offers a constructive outlet for youth to channel frustration and discover their inner champion.
Connect: kenlemos7@gmail.com
Kim Brazile
Kim (she/her) leads Third Space, a culinary-based workforce readiness and youth development program. Participants gain skills and confidence to succeed in a professional kitchen environment through hands-on experience. The program culminates with community dinners where youth apply their training in real-time service.
Connect: soallmayeat.org/team / kim@soallmayeat.org
Liliana Flores Amaro
Liliana is the co-founder of CreSer ECE ECE, an emerging model in Denver’s Globeville, Elyria-Swansea (GES) neighborhoods that centers culturally sustaining practices. Through caregiver co-working spaces, early learning experiences, and a vision for a licensed ECE center guided by cooperative principles, Liliana is reimagining community-rooted early education.
Connect: creserece.org / lilianafloresamaro@creserece.org
Mona de Amor
Mona (they/them) advances community arts education and creative youth development by expanding professional pathways for teaching artists. Through certification programs, community-led pedagogy, and leadership development centering BIPOC and LGBTQ+ voices, they aim to increase equity, consistency, and quality in arts programs serving marginalized Colorado youth.
Connect: https://monalicious.media /mona.media.magic@gmail.com
Nico Schmitt
Nico (they/them) is developing a leadership pipeline for youth with lived experience of homelessness at Urban Peak. Through mentorship, skill-building, and paid professional pathways, they uplift young leaders while embedding lived expertise into the homeless services sector to strengthen systems and improve delivery.
Connect: LinkedIn / nico.schmitt23@gmail.com
Nicole P.
Nicole (she/her), founder of Penguin Pals, is creating an inclusive school model for children on the autism spectrum. Offering integrated therapy, sensory support, small classes, and family resources, her vision fosters nurturing environments where students and caregivers feel supported and empowered.
Pame Cevallos
Pame (she/they) leads the Youth Curatorial Collective, an art and leadership program empowering youth to explore global movements, partner with artists, and curate identity-centered exhibitions. Through family workshops and mentorship, they transform art into advocacy, education, and collective storytelling.
Connect: LinkedIn / pame.c.amores@gmail.com
Patience Kabwasa
Patience (she/her) is building a justice-centered pipeline for environmental and food systems education, spanning waste reduction to policy advocacy. With paid internships, leadership opportunities, and trauma-informed, culturally responsive teaching, she equips youth most impacted by environmental injustice to lead equitable, sustainable change.
Connect: LinkedIn / patience@foodtopowerco.org
Pedro Mendez
Pedro (he/him) is addressing the childcare and early education gap through a developmental, play-based parenting model that strengthens caregiver-child relationships. His program provides age-appropriate learning for infants and toddlers while coaching parents to set and achieve developmental goals for themselves and their children.
Connect: LinkedIn / Pedro@thecommunityplayvillage.com
Sarahi Hernandez
Sarahi (she/her/ella) serves as the Creative Operations Director at Hecho en Westwood, supporting youth mentorship and programming rooted in cultura, arts, and community pride. Under her leadership, the organization has expanded through large-scale cultural events, youth-led initiatives, and school-based partnerships.
Connect: LinkedIn / Sarahi@hechoenwestwood.com
Sekia Um Lor
Sekia (she/her) is developing a culturally anchored youth leadership and wellness program for Hmong children and teens. Through screen-free, intergenerational activities and healing-centered engagement, her work fosters healthy habits, cultural connection, and confidence in the next generation of community-rooted Hmong leaders.
Connect: LinkedIn / Sekia.Lauj@gmail.com