Former Emerge Colorado Leaders Announce New Training Program Empowering Women in Politics

Emerge Colorado, the state's self-proclaimed premier training and recruitment organization for Democratic women seeking public office, is attempting a rebirth of sorts after hitting a rough patch. In a shocking turn of events, their national affiliate, Emerge America, decided to sever ties with their Colorado chapter due to accusations of mismanagement. Ouch!

But fear not, because when one door closes, another one opens. Some of the former leaders of Emerge Colorado have banded together to launch a new nonprofit called Women Uprising. These ladies say that they are on a mission to provide free training, mentorship, and political resources to diverse progressive women. They also say that they want to increase women's voices in the corridors of power and transform the very nature of power itself for the betterment of our families and communities. Admirable goals, we must agree.

Lisa Calderón, former executive director of Emerge Colorado

Lisa Calderón, the former executive director of Emerge Colorado and now the leader of Women Uprising, made it clear that their focus is on bringing about real change. Joining her are Kristen Seidel as the political director and Mary Imgrund as the communications advisor—both formerly with Emerge Colorado.

This whole saga has been quite the rollercoaster ride for Emerge Colorado and its parent organization. The drama reached its peak when Emerge America sent a letter to their alumni declaring the dissolution of their affiliation agreement with Emerge Colorado. The letter cited numerous complaints about the management of the organization and claimed that an amicable resolution couldn't be reached due to the leadership's actions. Pretty serious allegations, but they didn't provide any specifics. However, reports from Colorado Public Radio and The Denver Post shed some light on the matter. They uncovered allegations of a staffer from Emerge Colorado making derogatory remarks about a sexual assault victim, as well as dismissed campaign finance complaints against Calderón regarding her alleged use of Emerge polling for personal gain during her campaign for Denver mayor. Not exactly a shining moment for Emerge Colorado.

Calderón fired back, accusing Emerge America of a hostile takeover and trying to centralize its power over the independent state chapters while thwarting local unionization efforts. She didn't hold back, folks. It's worth noting that this is the very first time Emerge America has cut ties with one of its affiliate groups. Quite the precedent being set here.

Now, Emerge America claims it'll soldier on in Colorado, despite severing ties with Emerge Colorado. However, it seems they won't be riding solo in their mission to empower women in politics anymore. Women Uprising is here, ready to offer their own brand of training and support. Looks like Emerge America's monopoly on this front is starting to crumble.