Boulder’s progressive community is full of women seeking to uplift groups of marginalized individuals. The following ladies contribute their time and talents to empower other members of our community. From food redistribution to legal counsel, learn more about these passionate people who provide incredible services for our awesome city.
Paula DuPre Pesmen
Executive Director – There With Care
Fifteen years ago, this executive director said goodbye to a successful career producing feature length films in order to found There With Care. Paula was first inspired during her work as an Associate Producer on three Harry Potter films. Critically ill children would visit the set as their “wish for a day”. Paula then experienced cancer upclose when her husband was diagnosed and successfully treated for an advanced form of cancer.
These instances led her to establish There With Care, a nonprofit that helps families who are going through medical crises. The organization provides rides, home maintenance help, meals, child care supplies, sibling support, and so much more. Paula has expanded the nonprofit’s network to a national scale, helping families receive assistance during the most trying time of their lives.
Hayden Dansky
Executive Director – Boulder Food Rescue
In 2011, Hayden Dansky along with four friends developed the Boulder Food Rescue in an attempt to subvert the food system paradigm that often left so many hungry. This collective effort works to save food that is typically thrown away by groceries, bakeries, and other food-related industries by redistributing it throughout the community to groups in need.
Dansky grew up in a single-parent household and frequently ate canned or microwavable food. It wasn’t until moving to Boulder that she developed a different understanding and relationship with the food system. Dansky now runs a team of food rescuers who do important work with and for our community.
Kristen Carpenter
Director of American Indian Law Program – CU Boulder
Professor Carpenter holds degrees from Dartmouth and Harvard and has long worked for the rights of Indigenous Peoples in the United States. While she has accomplished important achievements with her law background, such as publishing books and legal treaties, Carpenter is a founding member of CU’s Center for Native American and Indigenous Studies.
With empathy, wisdom, and compassion, these women take care of others within our community. They speak and fight for those who cannot do so for themselves, and we are truly grateful.