The GenderCool Project: How Young Transgender Kids are Thriving
Workshop Description
Thousands of young people who identify as transgender and their families are having positive experiences in small towns to large cities across the country. While this seems counter to the news many of us see on a daily basis, a youth-inspired campaign is changing that. The GenderCool Project is a new storytelling campaign that's helping to tell stories of remarkable and successful young transgender kids. It's about WHO these amazing young people are and not WHAT they are. Come meet some of the GenderCool Champions and hear their stories that have been covered by The TODAY show, New York Times, People Magazine, Teen Vogue NBC and ABC News. This panel is for anyone who wants to be inspired and for young people to learn the easy steps they can take to become GenderCool Champions in their own community!
Presenter ... Jennifer Grosshandler, Co-Founder, The GenderCool Project and parent of Champion Chazzie
Panel ... Champion Stella Keating and mom Lisa Keating, Champion Tru Wilson and mom Michelle Wilson
Conference Track
Family
Teen (Ages 13-17)
Primary Contact
Jennifer Grosshandler, The GenderCool Project
Workshop Presenters
The GenderCool Project, The GenderCool Proje
Presenter Bio
Jen is a marketing veteran and proud parent of a 12-year-old transgender daughter, a gift that has inspired her to become a national advocate and speaker intent on shedding light and levity on the gender conversation. Tapping her skills and connections in 25+ years in the global agency world, Jen helped launch The GenderCool Project in February, 2018, an awareness campaign and non-profit spotlighting exceptional stories of the accomplishments of transgender youth. The campaign aims to open up understanding in communities across the country by introducing WHO these remarkable kids are and not WHAT they are.
The GenderCool Project launch was covered internationally by media including: The TODAY Show with Megyn Kelly; New York Times; People Magazine; ABC News; NBC News; Teen Vogue; Huffington Post; Pink News; and WGN News with more powerful national media coverage planned in the coming months. More than 43 countries across continents are now engaged with the campaign, from Uganda to Australia to Costa Rica to Israel.
She is also on the front line of school policy work for gender inclusive schools in Illinois, helping to lead the charge in multiple school districts, representing more than 35,000 students.
Prior to founding The GenderCool Project, she had a thriving communications consultancy, supporting iconic brands such as McDonald's, Netflix, Starbucks and Allstate. Her battlefield training was at global PR giant Edelman Worldwide where she rose to senior vice president/group head.
She is a graduate of the University of Colorado, Boulder with a bachelor of science from the school of journalism. Jen is business-level fluent in Spanish and a medaled triathlete and marathoner.