Moonshot Community Spotlight: Doen Lee
We are thrilled to spotlight members of our community doing hard, beautiful, and essential work. Our Moonshot Community Spotlight blog series highlights folks impacted by or involved with Moonshot ventures.
Today, we highlight Doen Lee who works as the Mentorship Manager with Joy as Resistance (created by Bre Donnelly, Moonshot Fellow, Cohort 3) and has previously worked with Asian Girls Ignite (Joanne Liu, Moonshot Fellow, Cohort 4 and Mehgan Yen, Moonshot Fellow, Cohort 6).
Doen Lee, Mentorship Manager with Joy as Resistance
My family immigrated to California when I was in third grade. I grew up in both Fremont, California, and Taipei, Taiwan. I have experienced two educational systems in two different cultures. Both of my parents are teachers, and I like to think that I get my passion for education from my mom. My Taiwanese-American identity has shaped the way I think about education and community. Ever since high school, I’ve been involved with nonprofits and have walked the line between education and nonprofit community spaces.
My former supervisor and close friend, Cristina [Chacon], was a program alum who shared about Moonshot with me. I applied to join one of the cohorts but ended up getting directly involved with two Fellow-created ventures — Asian Girls Ignite and Joy as Resistance — later on.
The Joy as Resistance Team!
Today, I work at Joy as Resistance as the Mentorship Manager. I manage our mentorship program, Big Queer, Little Queer and support LGBTQIA2S+ youth and adults in getting together and getting to know each other. The nitty gritty involves outreach, training, matching, ongoing support, hosting community events, and transitioning matches. As a Joy staff member, I also contribute to the organization through collaborative projects and team facilitation. I would describe myself as fun, empathetic, intentional, reflective, and detail-oriented.
Joy as Resistance promotes hope and joy for LGBTQIA2+ youth ages 10-24 in the Denver Metro area. They offer mental health counseling services for youth and their families, mentorship through our program, Big Queer, Little Queer, and a variety of consultation and professional development services via their school and non-profit partnership program, Joyful Spaces.
I am driven to do this work in many ways. I love disrupting systemic inequities, building new foundations, and promoting joy. I believe that we have to do things differently to get better results for the community. I want queer youth and racialized communities — groups who have not traditionally had access to institutional power and resources — to thrive.
Even though I wasn’t a Moonshot Fellow myself, I’ve felt the impact of the Moonshot community. It has been really cool to see CEOs and EDs that I feel like I can relate to. My team at Joy as Resistance inspires me, challenges me, and supports me. The Asian Girls Ignite team is powerful beyond words. I’ve learned so much from being a part of the startup nonprofit experience. I’m grateful to be connected to the Moonshot community and know that these leaders share my values of community, integrity, and connection.
Moonshot asked, “If you had a magic wand, what are three things you would do to create more liberatory spaces for youth in Metro Denver?” I’d pick:
Increase affordable, safe, and accessible transportation
Provide financial sustainability for low-income youth and families
Support the mental health of youth and adults
I aspire to create opportunities and expand access for all young people, so that they can grow as their authentic selves.