Meet Kay Transtrum, CO+HOOTS Foundation’s first hire!

Scorpions love Kay Transtrum, mostly out of fear for her demonic laugh.

We’ll let her explain. Meet Kay, CO+HOOTS Foundation’s first hire! Made possible by a grant from the Phoenix Industrial Development Authority Community Development Fund!

Age: 24.

Hometown: Gilbert, Ariz.

Nickname: Kay-train, or ‘like the letter’.

Why did you want to work at CO+HOOTS and the CO+HOOTS Foundation?

When I interned with CO+HOOTS in 2013, I was surrounded by passionate and driven people who collectively wanted to grow Phoenix and show everyone how much potential it has. The energy was contagious and I couldn’t get enough. The Foundation combines my adoration for building up this amazing city and helping the individuals that live in it. I love that each day is never the same, and I get to meet and work with so many people here that inspire me.

What are your hopes and dreams with the CO+HOOTS Foundation?

I hope to absorb as much of Kristin’s nonprofit knowledge and strength as possible. Not only am I stupidly lucky to work with the CO+HOOTS Foundation, but my mentor is a kick-ass name-taker that wants — and has already started — to change the world. I want to see the Foundation become something that people recognize as soon as they hear the name, and a concept that continues to grow in Phoenix.

Members may be able to help you as well … What are your own personal hopes and dreams?

I would love to start a short story forum where writers can submit short stories and artists can choose stories from there and match their artwork up with them. Like a matchmaking site that results in potentially published stories.

If you had 100 billion dollars, you would … add it to my Greater Than Coffee tab, obviously. I would immediately purchase a McLaren P1 and invest in a racetrack. I would travel, live, and volunteer around the world. I would start a foundation to help educate victims of domestic violence so they can find sustainable careers and support themselves and their families. I would adopt all the babies I could possibly care for. I would also invest a lot of time and money into trying to improve the foster care systems, in Arizona especially, but for our country in general.

What should the CO+HOOTS community know about you?

I have a super loud laugh, I wish I had more control over the volume but I don’t. I also have an arsenal of quotes that pertain to just about any conversation you will ever have with me, and I will almost always refer to them. I get embarrassingly excited when people open up and share their ideas with me because I’m at my happiest when I’m helping others.

What is that one big project you’d like to do? In CO+HOOTS/Foundation or out of CO+HOOTS/Foundation?

I’d love to cultivate some sort of nonprofit school system. Either for a specific trade (like coding or designing) or maybe a little more broad. I think the idea that a degree is necessary for success is being called into question, and I am very passionate about that transition in social thought. Everything is still swimming around in my mind right now, and I need to ground my ideas and make it concise. But yeah, that would fo rizzle be my big project.

What is one thing people don’t know about you?

I’m a scorpion whisperer. I’ve stepped on more scorpions than I can count and even had them fall out of air vents on me, and never been stung. I’m pretty sure it’s a superpower.

Why are you so awesome?

Because science.