Staff Team
Kayla VandenBosch
Executive Director, Co-Founder
Dixie Strange
Program Specialist
Kiera Pelletier
Program Specialist
Board of Directors
Cynthia Lopez
Board Chair and Secretary
Justin Ortiz
Board Treasurer
Jason Janz
Board Member
Haley Griffis
Board Member
Joshua Geppelt
Board Member
GiGi Hahl
Board Member
Charisse Jordan
Board Member
History
Open Up was founded in January 2017 (with the name Providence HomeShare) as an innovative, community-driven response to the challenge of attaining and sustaining safe, stable, and affordable housing in Denver, Colorado. Originally led by co-founder Taylor Schultz and an advisory team made up of local stakeholders, Open Up pioneered a new, relationship-based model to approach housing issues, which has positively impacted more than 60 families in over 30 mutually-beneficial “home share” and “property match” placements to date. Today, Open Up aims to build an effective and resourceful program that offers real, transformational housing solutions and sets the precedent for cities everywhere to “open up” existing livable space and create dignified housing opportunities that all people may access.