Our Team
Sharon Madison
Executive Director
Sharon Madison brings passion and vision to We Ride 4. A former champion cyclist with two gold medals from the 2013 Maccabi Games and the title of 2014 Colorado Road Race State Champion, Sharon knows what it takes to achieve ambitious goals. After building a thriving cycling community within another nonprofit, Sharon faced the setback of its closure during the pandemic. Determined, she turned this challenge into an opportunity, founding We Ride 4 in 2020.
Under her leadership, We Ride 4 has become a community dedicated to camaraderie and giving back, supporting kids' wellness and outdoor activities through cycling. Sharon’s commitment ensures We Ride 4 not only connects riders but also makes a lasting impact on young lives.
John Genell
Director of Operations
Along with Sharon Madison, John co-founded We Ride 4 and plays a key role in shaping its long-term strategic initiatives. A senior executive with over 35 years of business experience, he previously spent 11 years as the market sales leader for Grant Thornton in the Desert and Mountain States Region. He also has over a decade of Management Consulting experience, advising Fortune 100 executives on business and technology solutions.
John holds a B.S. in Accounting from Villanova University and an M.B.A. in Finance from Fairleigh Dickinson University.
In the summer, he designs routes for our 3-day Colorado events. In winter, you'll find him in Tucson, leading road and gravel rides while growing the We Ride 4 Tucson chapter— or scouting out the best taco stands in town.
His favorite We Ride 4 mantra? "Just come and be part of it, however it works for you!”
Melissa Baumann
Cycling Club Operations
Board of Directors
Todd Lancaster
A proud third-generation Colorado mountain pioneer, Todd was born and raised in Idaho Springs. His search for an affordable college near great skiing led him to the Air Force Academy—what he calls the “best mistake” of his life. This decision launched a 26-year Air Force career, where he flew jets, transitioned to special forces helicopters, and retired as a colonel with over 300 combat hours.
After the military, Todd took on an even tougher challenge: serving as a two-time superintendent of Clear County public schools. His leadership earned him Colorado’s Excellence in Education award and an invitation to Harvard’s public education program. He later became an executive coach and leadership consultant, expanding his impact across education, corporate, nonprofit, and government sectors.
Cycling has always been part of Todd’s life. A section of the Clear Creek bike path is dedicated to his younger brother, Scott Lancaster, who was tragically killed by a mountain lion. The two rode together on the first Ride the Rockies, where Scott was the youngest rider.
Todd met Sharon through another cycling nonprofit, and she quickly captured his heart and soul. When she launched We Ride 4, he was all in—committed to helping grow it into a national network of interconnected chapters, bringing her vision to life.
Shaun Gleason
Shaun’s love for cycling began in 1986 when a boyfriend convinced her to buy a road bike—he’s long gone, but her purple Cannondale still hangs in her garage. She found her way to We Ride 4 through an informal riding group with Chief Ambassador John Genell, who introduced her to founder Sharon Madison. Inspired by Sharon’s leadership and the club’s mission, Shaun knew she had found her cycling “home.”
With a Doctor of Pharmacy degree and a passion for learning, Shaun later earned a Master’s in Global Studies and is just four Spanish classes away from a French degree. Her career has been a blend of innovation and service—from researching TB drug dosing at National Jewish Health to launching the first online international PharmD program at CU’s Skaggs School of Pharmacy. Seven years at Johnson & Johnson taught her the power of strategic partnerships, and she has held leadership roles in major pharmacy organizations.
Outside of work, Shaun is dedicated to service. She’s a Platinum Volunteer with the National Sports Center for the Disabled, where she has spent 15+ years as an adaptive ski instructor, and she was even featured in NSCD’s 2023 Annual Impact Report. She also spent 14 years ushering at Augustana Lutheran Church—proudly never dropping an offering tray!
Her husband, Richard, supports her passion for service (and hangs her bikes from the ceiling). Shaun looks forward to using her experience and love of giving back to help We Ride 4 grow—while having plenty of fun on two wheels!
Renelle Everett Darr
One of Renelle’s favorite things to do is to ride her mountain bike through wildflowers. It gives her a joy like no other to pedal through the spring and summer blooms. She grew up in the mountains of Colorado and thus adopted the love of nature at a young age. She can be found alpine, telemark, and backcountry skiing, climbing mountains and trails, and traveling the world to meet amazing people and explore other natural wonders.
For work, Renelle founded InSight Coaching & Consulting in 2009, where she combines her love of people, nature, strategy, transformation, and conscious leadership to help leaders, teams, and organizations bridge the head and heart and reimagine a new era of work. She previously worked with EY, Deloitte, United Way, and The North Highland Company, which helped shape her understanding and love of people, profit, and purpose. She has an MBA from the University of Colorado and is a Certified Executive Coach with specialties in Emotional Intelligence and Conscious Leadership.
Renelle has served on many nonprofit boards including The National MS Society where she rode and sometimes still rides BikeMS. She joined the We Ride 4 Board due to its alignment with her values of fun on bikes/in nature, community, and giving back. She has also known John Genell for over 20 years and would say yes to almost anything he asked her to do! She lives in Golden, Colorado with her two children and doggy.
Greg Rodarte
Greg is a Colorado transplant; having grown up in Southern California, Greg spent the first ten years of his professional career on the East Coast. Greg is a Partner at Marlin Hawk, a global leadership advisory and talent solutions firm, where he leads the Healthcare Services practice as well as leading the Denver office. As a member of the global leadership team at Marlin Hawk, Greg focuses on driving strategic growth amongst clients and also leads the Global Learning and Development Committee. Educationally, Greg received his Bachelors in International Politics from Georgetown University and his Masters of Science in Leadership and Education from Johns Hopkins University.
While not an avid cyclist, Greg has a passion for making an impact in local communities, particularly amongst youth as evidenced by his experience as a Corps member in Teach For America earlier in his career. He looks forward to extending his expertise to the Board of We Ride 4 to collaboratively further the impact our organization makes in local communities.
Britt Chester
Britt Chester, born in 1985 in Boston, Massachusetts, grew up in Banner Elk, North Carolina, where he developed a passion for mountain biking, snowboarding, and skateboarding. At 18, he relocated to Atlanta, and later on to Denver, Colorado, to study journalism and PR. His media career began in 2009 as a reporter for Denver Westworld, with his work featured in Village Voice, LA Weekly, and GQ. In 2013, he became the editor of YES! Weekly in North Carolina before moving to the real estate industry in 2015 as a reporter and video and podcast producer.
In 2023, Britt co-founded Send It, a mountain bike gear and accessories company, with his longtime friend Cole Kramer. Britt aims to empower outdoor athletes of all ages with the best gear and strongest community. He resides in Wheat Ridge, Colorado, spending weekends swimming, biking, hiking, or working on yard projects. He also thinks potatoes are the #1 superfood.
Cathleen Charlow
Cathleen Charlow is from the greater Charleston, South Carolina area, and has lived in Denver for 7 years. She loves how active the city is, especially how conducive it is for cycling! She moved to the beautiful state of Colorado in 2017, and lives with her husband and sweet rescue dog. Cathleen is a graduate of Clemson University, where she received both her undergraduate and graduate degrees. Since graduation in 2014, she has worked as a psychotherapist, specializing in trauma work with adults. In her free time, Cathleen loves anything that facilitates her being outside in nature. This includes hiking, camping, snowshoeing, and, of course, cycling! She also enjoys reading, traveling, and spending time with her friends and family.
Cathleen's relationship with cycling began about 3 years ago, making her a relatively new member to the cycling world. She just completed her first road event this summer, participating in the Tour de Steamboat! Cathleen loves that cycling keeps her active, and is a way of movement that allows her to see much of this state's beauty. She is an avid road rider, preferring the pavement to gravel. Cathleen was introduced to We Ride 4 through board member Britt Chester. Once she heard about the organization, she felt aligned with the mission of We Ride 4; providing more opportunities for kids to get outdoors and explore movement on bikes. She feels especially passionate about the opportunities We Ride 4 provides to populations of children who otherwise may not have the access. She is passionate about serving others and connecting people so that everybody has access to a healthier lifestyle.
Nate Eisma
Nate Eisma hails from Prior Lake, Minnesota, where he spent his formative years. He ventured to Colorado for higher education, earning a finance degree from Colorado State University. Post-graduation, Nate made Denver his home and has been a resident there to this day. Currently, Nate provides valuation services within a public accounting firm.
From his earliest days, Nate has been passionate about cycling, having competed on the cross-country mountain biking team during his high school years. Nate has since said farewell to the competitive side of riding, and now enjoys riding for fun! Since calling Colorado home, he's explored many of the amazing trails across the front range and high country.
Nate's journey with We Ride 4 began when a colleague introduced him to John Genell. He was inspired by the organization's commitment to getting kids outdoors and pursuing a healthy lifestyle. He's excited to help bring the mission to more people in the community and wants to make sure everyone has the chance to experience the joy of riding a bike!
Andrew Phillips
Andrew’s love of bicycles began in Priest River, Idaho where he terrorized his neighbors on his 10 spd Huffy. He eventually moved to Utah, enrolled at Weber State University and married an Ogden local. He then crossed the Rockies to Boulder where he graduated from the University of Colorado School of Law and started his career as an attorney.
Needing a way to clear his head from work-related stress, he began commuting on his bike and rediscovered his love of two wheels. In the 17 years since, he’s logged over 60,000 miles on Strava, won many personal injury cases in trail, and has settled many more outside of court. His passion for cycling and helping others has driven him to focus his legal practice almost exclusively on representing cyclists who have been injured by others while riding their bikes.
When he’s not working, you can find Andrew at home in Golden, CO with his wife, four kids, and their dog, Ezra (see that cutie below). He seeks out adventure and memorable experiences in as many ways as he can, whether it be summiting high peaks, skiing deep powder, or cycling epic routes. He is a member of the bar in Utah and Colorado and, if necessary, co-counsels with other attorneys to represent clients outside of those states.
Andrew is excited to be a valuable resource within the mountain west cycling community.
Cordelia Taylor
Cordelia Taylor moved to Denver in 2008 to attend the University of Denver, where a transformational semester studying art in Florence, Italy inspired her to pursue a degree in art. She graduated in 2012 with a BA in Electronic Media Arts & Design.
After graduation, Cordelia began her career in non-profits at the Denver Art Museum, where she facilitated the installation of technology-based artworks at the DAM, MCA, and Redline Gallery. She also served on the curatorial board for the Daniels & Fisher Clock Tower projection on the 16th St. Mall and helped raise funds for students to study abroad. Cordelia believes that creative expression reflects the vitality of a community.
Her cycling journey began in 2023 when she trained for and completed the Denver Century Ride, discovering a new source of strength and joy. Soon after, she was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, which made cycling even more meaningful. It became her therapy, medicine, and connection to the community. She is passionate about sharing her love of cycling and helping kids experience the joy and empowerment it brings.