Our team

ASHLEE MARIE PRESTON

Ashlee Marie Preston is a renowned media personality, storyteller, and Co-Founder of KaleidoCollective: a network of queer and trans creatives, executives, and other professionals in media, arts, and entertainment aiming to make the world a safer, more enriching place for the LGBTQ+ community through narrative change and culture-shift efforts. Additionally, she founded and directs YouAreEssential. Ashlee Marie is a TED alumna, the first openly trans person to run for state office in California, and was the first trans person in the U.S. to become editor-in-chief of a publication. She is also a member of the Leadership Council for the NEXUS Impact Society and serves as the Vice President of Membership and Chair of the LGBTQ Affinity Group for the Impact Guild. In 2024, she was honored with the Trailblazer Award by the United Nations at the Global Impact Awards.

SEPI SHYNE

Sepi Shyne is an attorney, entrepreneur, and transformational leader known for bridging conscious living, equity, and cultural innovation. She made history as the first out LGBTQ+ Iranian elected official in the world and the first Iranian-American woman to serve as mayor in the United States.

Today, she channels her impact through wellness, media, and sustainable community-building as Director of Development for YouAreEssential. Sepi’s work spans civil rights advocacy, spiritual integration, and the creation of inclusive, healing-centered spaces. Whether shaping policy, producing global features, or co-creating immersive healing spaces, she leads with vision, integrity, and heart—illuminating paths toward collective liberation and embodied purpose.