CO.STARTER Q&A
Take a moment to get to know one of our recent CO.STARTERS participants, Denise!
Q: What is your business or idea?
A: A social enterprise that provides ongoing age-appropriate prevention education on drugs and addiction to parents and their school-aged children. Passionate people living in recovery would help develop the education material, provide mentoring services, and produce exclusive artwork apparel for customers who wish to spread the word about our work visually (or just enjoy local wearable art). All artwork will be created by adults and children impacted by addiction, telling their stories of heartache and hope. This dual-impact model will not only provide essential education and opportunities for parents of school-aged children to connect - it will also provide economic opportunities and creative outlets for those rebuilding their lives after addiction.
Q: What do you hope to learn/get out of the CO.STARTERS program?
A: I'm in the startup phase and stuck, so I hope to learn how to figure out my next steps. I don't know what I don't know, so I hope to learn a lot from the facilitators and other participants' ideas and approaches that will help me grow my business effectively and impactfully, in the right direction, so that it will be sustainable.
Q: What is your motivation for pursuing your business idea?
A: I believe youth are at an ever-increasing risk of addiction and overdose because of the growing mental health crisis, social media pressures, and prevalence of dangerous street drugs in our community - and the county. Many people with lived experience of addiction are turning their lives around and have a passion for helping youth avoid the road they traveled. I am passionate about creating meaningful connections between the right people to help address this problem as a community.
Q: What is a fun fact about you?
A: I am an electrical engineer who worked at IBM for 28 years and then operated a custom cabinetry business with my husband for 8 years. I love camping, reading, exercising, TobyMac, and investing time with our kids and grandkids. I grew up in the Detroit area but have lived in Rochester for 35 years, so I call Rochester home. I thrive on change and solving real problems, and I love connecting with people - especially on topics that aren't commonly discussed.
