Meet Colleen
She/Her
“For me, homelessness was the great equalizer.”
Colleen was a single mother in the Air Force when she experienced sexual trauma. After being medically retired, a mistake at the VA also prevented her from collecting over six years of pay. These circumstances set off three years of homelessness for Colleen, which included staying in city shelters, couch hopping, and street living.
“Compassion is an inconvenience. It’s work.”
During her recovery program, Colleen sat alongside Fortune 100 CEOs who were experiencing similar hardships, which she describes as an eye-opening experience. And while this experience showed Colleen homelessness can happen to anyone, she believes change can begin with anyone, too.
“Many people believe laws write themselves… but any significant reform starts with just a few people.”
Colleen is currently working on a platform called I-Strata, which seeks to prevent self-harm in the military. She also supports Protect Our Defenders, which is on a mission to end rape and sexual assault in the military. Outside of activism, Colleen enjoys taking live photography for local bands.