HI, I'M ASHTON

Ashton Colby is the Founder of Gender YOUphoria, a social enterprise on a mission to shift the global and interpersonal disempowering narratives about transgender people. Gender YOUphoria completely reimagines cultural responsiveness training, inclusive strategic media & marketing consulting, and compassionate communication. Gender YOUphoria provides unrivaled diversity training to companies like Maven Clinic, a tech startup, named as one of Fast Company’s “Ten Most Innovative Health Companies in 2020”.

Ashton is a leader in transgender integrative health. With over 320 hours of training, Ashton is a certified yoga instructor specializing in trauma-informed yoga and mindfulness-based emotional resilience skills for marginalized populations. Gender YOUphoria’s social impact is improving LGBTQ+ mental health and has provided over 200 LGBTQ+ adults and youth in Central Ohio free or reduced-cost trauma-informed yoga & meditation since 2018. Ashton recently served on staff at Antioch College serving as LGBTQ Mental Health Resource Advocate to provide LGBTQ students with personal development support. 

Ashton has been featured in People, Bustle, Today, Columbus CEO Magazine, and as a TEDxColumbus speaker. His Youtube channel “Beyond the Body” has over two million views and reaches 90 countries. In addition to mental health advocacy, he is heart-felt that financial wellness is foundational for liberation. 

He mentors and coaches LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs dismantling their internalized limiting beliefs. He is on the advisory board for Pride Fund 1, a venture capital fund providing funding to LGBTQ founded companies, and is on the advisory board for Stonewall Columbus’s L.E.A.P. LGBTQ Entrepreneur Accelerator Program. He was also a finalist for SEAChange’s social enterprise pitch competition. As a Columbus native, he serves on Experience Columbus’ LGBTQ Advisory Committee with other LGBTQ business and community leaders. As a 2021 New Leaders Council Fellow he represents Columbus alongside the next generation of progressive leaders from across the country. 

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