Director
Hello! My name is Lindsey Blankenship. I am the Director of Creating SPACE. I helped found this nonprofit because I wanted to help make a cultural change and make disability a comfortable conversation. I have a rare degenerative genetic eye disease, called Retinitis Pigmentosa. This disease is slowly taking away my sight. I am also heavily involved in the Foundation Fighting Blindness. I am a mother of two elementary school children and live outside of Denver, Colorado.
Through having a disability of my own, I know how hard it can be for others to know how to broach the subject and struggle to ask me questions and engage in conversation. I wanted to help change all of that. I wanted to create a safe space where curiosity was encouraged and help teach students and adults the tools to have open conversations.We really took our time creating programs and workshops that help give students and adults the tools to start these much needed conversations. Listening to one’s story, understanding how to ask for and give permission, language and education are just some of the things we teach. I am thrilled with what Creating SPACE stands for; the mission and vision and the change that we are going to help create.
Program Director
My name is Kati Cahill and I am the Program Director at Creating SPACE. I am also the Head of School at Humanex Academy, a middle and high school for neurodivergent learners. My background in curriculum development and passion for inclusion fuels my love for the work we do at Creating SPACE. I have loved being a part of the creative process of building this organization and helping our mission come to life in the communities we serve. As a teenager I was diagnosed with severe scoliosis, a curvature of the spine, and often struggled with how to talk about it with peers and adults. I believe so much in our mission to make disability a comfortable conversation and the importance in building safe spaces for students and adults to share their stories and be themselves. Teaching others the importance of permission and educating folks on appropriate language and interactions is an integral first step in this process and I couldn’t be more proud and excited to create this change through Creating SPACE’s programming.
Programming/Public Speaker
Buck Latta is a Colorado native and amputee with deep ties to his family and community. He enjoys helping local businesses successfully navigate benefits strategies. He also volunteers his time coaching and teaching within the amputee community and for local sports teams and non-profits. Buck lives in A-Town (Aurora) with his awesome wife, Cammie and two kids, Kiera (16) & Flynn (14) where he enjoys playing golf with his family and making questionable decisions on the ski hills in Colorado's beautiful high country. Fun fact: Buck’s giant dog, Willow, loves to snuggle like a tiny kitty cat!
Treasurer
Adam is a 6th generation Coloradoan that loves to be outside. He grew up in a small mountain town. He grew up doing all sorts of sports and activities with his family, knowing in the back of his mind that X-linked Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP) was possible to be passed down to him. In his 20’s he was diagnosed with RP. As he has been loosing his vision he is determined to continue to do the activities he loves. . He currently lives in Steamboat Springs with his lead sight guides, wife Emily and sons Graham and Elliott. Adam’s friends and family provide constant support for Adam to continue doing what he loves most including skiing, mountain biking, running, waterskiing, camping, swimming, along with many other activities. Fun facts, he has made his kids, who were 5 and 7 years old, ride their bikes to the ski area with all their ski stuff.
Adam has known Lindsey for many years, being involved with the Colorado Chapter of The Foundation Fighting Blindness. When Lindsey announced she was starting this non-profit, Adam was excited to get involved. With his background in engineering, property management, and interest in personal finance he was a great option for being the Treasurer. As someone with a growing disability and trying not to have it dictate his life, he feels like the mission of Creating SPACE is so important in educating our children and communities.
Public Speaker
A Colorado native, I have always found solace in the mountain air and have always been up for an outdoor challenge—as far as my wheelchair wheels could take me, or beyond. I have been a teacher and a swim coach, but enjoy being a Mom the most. My husband, Andrew, and I live in Denver with their two mudslinging, car-vrooming young boys.
Public Speaker
My name is Jake Fisher. I am a native of Colorado. I love to travel and play golf. I also work within the golf industry. I have a couple of different types of disabilities. I am hearing impaired and must use hearing aids in order to hear most anything. I also have a bit of a learning disability and a very mild case of cerebral palsy.
Marketing Director
Becca Cooper Leebove is the founder of ShuBu Creative, a purpose-driven strategy, branding, marketing and PR agency based in Centennial, Colorado. She is a seasoned marketer and brand strategist with over 21 years of local and national branding, PR and marketing experience. She has led marketing teams and spearheaded major brand initiatives for notable Colorado-based organizations such as Vail Resorts, Regis University, Starz Entertainment, PorchLight Real Estate Group, and several Denver advertising agencies.
Becca's expertise lies in developing and implementing comprehensive branding, PR and marketing strategies for large organizations. Her experience includes overseeing the launch of new brands and websites, executing complex rebranding efforts with multiple stakeholders, and managing multi-million dollar budgets for multi-channel marketing campaigns. Becca is also a recipient of the Denver Business Journal’s Outstanding Women in Business award and has been named a Top 100 Influencer in Marketing.
