Meet the Team

Mara Mintzer

Executive Director and Co-Founder

Mara Mintzer helped found Growing Up Boulder (GUB) in 2009. A passionate advocate for child-friendly cities, Mara presents and writes internationally on the topic of engaging young people in inclusive community planning and development. Her expertise in engaging children and youth in meaningful ways to shape their own cities is requested by government and community organizations around the world. In 2017, Mara delivered one of the most successful TedX Talks on the importance of urban planning with kids, accumulating almost 2 million views. She continues to be inspired by seeing the positive impact that planning equitable communities has on everyone. Mara also loves creating innovative community resources, like the nation’s first child and teen friendly city map. Prior to GUB, Mara was Director of Belle Haven Community School in California, where she oversaw child and family support services families on an underresourced school campus.  She has designed and implemented a wide variety of programs for underrepresented children, families and neighborhoods in New York and California.  Mara received her B.A. in Psychology from Brown University and her M.A. in Organizational Psychology from Teachers College, Columbia University. In her free time, Mara loves to cook, spend time with her family, and to immerse herself and learn about other cultures while traveling the globe (she speaks Spanish and French). 

Maddie Frank

Assistant Director 

Maddie is an educator with a diverse background, ranging from outdoor education to traditional science teaching. Maddie is a passionate advocate for equitable opportunities for youth. She received her Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science from University of Redlands and a Master of Arts in Teaching with a specialization in culturally responsive science classrooms from Relay Graduate School of Education. Beginning her career as an outdoor educator, Maddie discovered the profound impact of experiential learning in the great outdoors. This experience laid the foundation for a transition into the traditional classroom setting, where she continued to ignite curiosity and innovation for students. She firmly believes that every young mind holds incredible potential, and she is dedicated to ensuring that quality education and the wonders of the natural world are accessible to all. In Maddie's free time, she finds joy making pottery, traveling, and backpacking.

Jasmine Johnson

Youth Engagement and Communications Specialist

​Jasmine is a recent graduate from Bowdoin College where she majored in biology and minored in dance. This summer she is joining Growing Up Boulder to support with community engagements and social media. Before GUB, Jasmine has worked the youth through mentoring and teaching them about science. ​

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Nettie Skievaski

Graphic Designer

Nettie is an Urban Design and Planning graduate out of the Environmental Design program at CU-Boulder. She started with Growing Up Boulder as an intern, and has since pivoted to the role of Designer, working with the team to create GUB’s Impact Reports, brochures, educational materials, and more. Nettie loves to support an organization that amplifies unheard voices and pushes for needed systemic change, while operating in an incredibly thoughtful and caring manner. Outside of Growing Up Boulder, she is an instructor with the Environmental Design program, and does graphic design work for other passionate social justice organizations.

Erin Saunders

Nature Program Director

As Growing Up Boulder’s Program Director, Erin Saunders is passionate about equitable, community-scale nature connection through engaging youth’s voices in planning and development of programs and spaces. Erin has decades of experience leading teams through the visioning and development of programs that connect youth to nature, through her work at Thorne Nature Experience. One of her biggest accomplishments was founding Thorne Nature Preschool, Boulder’s first licensed nature-based preschool. Erin has also been foundational in starting the E Movement, a collective impact model that engages over 25 providers in providing community-scale environmental education programs to our community’s schools, and has led to the development of Nature Kids Jovenes de la Naturaleza.  Erin’s career pathway has grown out of her own love of nature and a belief that if ALL children are given the opportunity to spend time playing in nature with a mentor, this will result in adult stewardship values. Erin holds a BS in Zoology and Botany from the University of Washington and the University of Melbourne in Australia.  Erin enjoys live music, traveling, hiking, and spends most of her free time exploring and playing with her two young boys in nature. ​

Chelsea Hackett

Director of Civic Engagement

Chelsea Hackett is an interdisciplinary artist, researcher, and creative consultant whose work focuses on supporting youth in self and civic advocacy. She holds a doctorate in Educational Theatre and has spent her 20-year career utilizing embodied teaching methods to support people of all ages in practicing the skill of discomfort. 
Before joining Growing Up Boulder as the Director of Civic Engagement, Dr. Hackett co-founded and ran SPEAK, an international non-profit focused on supporting young women’s vocal empowerment. She has co-developed bilingual (Spanish/English) curricula addressing civic engagement across various topics and has trained hundreds of educators in how to utilize youth-centered approaches. For fifteen years, she has facilitated and shared programming cross-culturally through a deep partnership with the MAIA Impact School for girls in Guatemala. 
In addition to her community based practices, her academic work has focused on Participatory Action Research, centering youth and community members as co-researchers to solve their most pressing problems, utilizing both qualitative and quantitative methods. She has published multiple articles and presented at over a dozen conferences, sharing best practices with educators and practitioners across fields.

Michelle Villagran

Nature Educator

Michelle's role with Growing Up Boulder brings together her deep love for nature and families. She holds a BS in Environmental Science from the University of Redlands and a Level III Early Childhood Professional Credential, and has spent her career as an outdoor educator and early childhood professional in California and Colorado,  including at Thorne Nature Preschool. In 2025, she also trained as a postpartum doula through CAPPA, drawn by a passion for supporting families through the transitions of early parenthood. Michelle is excited to help build parent communities and introduce little ones to the natural world. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, rock climbing, knitting, and exploring the outdoors with friends.

Kaya Surden

Summer Intern

Kaya Surden is a Growing Up Boulder intern. She spent many childhood years participating in Growing Up Boulder activities and giving input. These experiences have prepared her as an adult to now receive input from children. Previously, Kaya spent her summers as an intern for Thorne Nature summer camps, a counselor for Open Window Studio summer camps, and lighting designer for the local theater group Parlando. These experiences deepened her passion for working with kids and listening to their voices. An avid reader and writer, Kaya is currently studying for her B.A. in Creative Writing at Bryn Mawr College in Pennsylvania. She values creativity and helping others and is excited to apply these as a part of the Growing Up Boulder team.