On their own, each of these Northern Colorado residents is making a difference. As couples, their shared dedication to giving back amplifies their impact, enhances their relationships and strengthens their communities.
Inspiring others through artistic engagement and creative storytelling
When Betony Coons was 11, she jammed her finger playing basketball at church. An older boy taped it up and stayed with her until her parents arrived. She didn’t think much of it—until years later, when she realized that boy was Tim.
The two grew up in neighboring Kansas towns, crossing paths through church and community theater. But it wasn’t until 2002, when a mutual friend brought Betony to visit Tim in Greeley, that their story really began.
Tim Coons, President and CEO of the Weld Community Foundation and Betony Coons, mixed media artist. Photo by John Robson.
“We hit it off immediately,” Tim says. “Then we started comparing childhood stories and finding overlap. She told me the story about her finger and I said, ‘I was that boy.’”
Despite different upbringings—Betony describes herself as “unschooled and feral,” while Tim was “a country club kid”—they connected through creativity. After marrying at Greeley’s Centennial Village Museum, Betony pursued visual art and teaching, while Tim built a career in music, directing at local churches, performing and recording albums.
In 2012, they co-created Giants & Pilgrims, a multimedia outlet combining music, painting and storytelling through a series of albums, artwork and live performances. By that point, they had started a family, with their four children inspiring much of their work.
Betony expanded into large-scale public art in 2016 by creating murals and installations, first across Greeley and later for the Denver Children’s Museum (“Bloom”) and Denver Zoo (“Wild Village”). This year she released her first authored and illustrated children’s bedtime story, “The Unwinding Path.”
Meanwhile, Tim wanted to deepen his impact in the community but also needed to find a more stable way to provide for his family. In 2019, he joined the Weld Community Foundation, becoming the president and CEO four years later. There, he helps steward millions in charitable funds to support Weld County organizations.
“I couldn’t have continued to do what I love if Tim hadn’t stepped into that role,” Betony says. “He’s always been a community storyteller, and strengthening the community through the foundation has been a natural progression for him.”
Though their artistic collaboration has been put on pause, the couple’s shared mission of inspiring the community hasn’t. Betony continues to bring vibrance and joy to public places, while Tim shares positive stories through the Weld Found podcast he started six years ago. Two of their daughters, Lucy and Harriet, are already following in their footsteps with their first public art commission, adding artwork to trash enclosures in Greeley.
“When I look at our connection to this community, I feel proud of what we’ve accomplished,” Tim says.
Lauren and Shawn Storeby, owners of Snack Attack Specialty Sandwiches & Brews
and Happy Trails Coffee Co. Photo by John Robson.
Supporting veterans and building community through business
Shawn Storeby understands firsthand the challenges veterans face. A former U.S. Marine infantry machine gunner, he deployed three times before spending years training foreign militaries. He met his wife, Lauren, in California while working security at one of her fashion shows. She’d spent time in the corporate world of fashion and had recently co-created her own clothing line.
The two were married in 2012. After Shawn’s final deployment, they began dreaming about moving to Lauren’s home state of Colorado and doing something totally new.
“Shawn needed to be his own boss,” Lauren says. “He loves to eat—a friend of ours gave him the nickname ‘Snack Attack’—and he’d always had this idea to open a sandwich shop.”
In 2017, with a newborn, they took the leap, selling their house and moving to Fort Collins sight unseen.
“We literally picked a spot on the map,” Lauren says. “We knew no one and had never visited.”
Five months later, they opened Snack Attack Specialty Sandwiches & Brews, a nod to Shawn’s nickname and their signature chip-filled sandwiches. From the start, they focused on building community by hosting fundraisers, supporting nonprofits and sponsoring trail clean-ups.
Then the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Instead of closing their doors, they doubled down, donating meals to healthcare workers while helping other restaurant owners navigate shutdowns through the Online Restaurant Academy, a business Lauren co-founded.
“We’d made the community a big part of our mission, and during the pandemic, it lifted us up in ways we never thought possible,” Lauren says. “They kept us open when we would’ve otherwise closed.”
In 2022, Shawn co-founded Honor Street, a nonprofit supporting veterans in crisis by covering essentials such as groceries and utilities.
“When bills pile up, PTSD can start to set in,” Shawn says. “We try to step in before things get to that point.”
A year later, the couple grew tired of referring potential customers to breakfast spots and opened Happy Trails Coffee Co. next door to Snack Attack. Meanwhile, Lauren took on additional leadership roles to support the restaurant industry, serving on the Fort Collins Area Chamber of Commerce board and as chair of the Northern Colorado Hospitality Sector Partnership.
Their journey hasn’t been easy. Starting over in a new city, navigating a pandemic and running a business together presented many unexpected challenges.
“When you work with your spouse, it can get rocky,” Shawn says. “But no matter what we face, we know we’re better together.”
That mindset has carried them through the tough times, earning them a Small Business of the Year Award from the chamber in 2019 and recognition as a candidate for the Better Business Bureau’s Torch Award for Ethics in 2024.
“Part of being a responsible business owner is giving back,” Lauren says. “When you do, it comes back to you.”
John Hanrahan, partner and broker associate with The Group Real Estate and Connie Hanrahan, founder and chief strategy officer of Mantooth Marketing and PR. Photo by John Robson.
Giving back through mentorship and philanthropy
Connie and John Hanrahan’s story started on the golf course. While life has taken them in new directions over the past two decades, they never really left.
John, a retired PGA professional, built his career in golf, caddying as a kid, going pro at age 20 and becoming the head golf professional at Fort Collins Country Club in 1994. The next year, Connie launched Mantooth Marketing and PR, providing marketing and event planning services for businesses and nonprofits across Northern Colorado. Her favorite events to plan were golf tournaments, and that’s where she met John. They were married in 2005.
Raising the two children John brought into the marriage occupied much of his and Connie’s time in the early years. Once they were grown, he approached Connie about a major career shift.
“I remember the day he walked in and said, ‘I think I’m ready for a change,’” Connie says. “I’m a planner. I like to know what to expect, so that scared me.”
John joined The Group Real Estate that year, in 2016.
“What I’d loved about golf was building relationships, and real estate seemed like a natural fit,” he says.
Connie faced her own pivot during the COVID-19 pandemic. After organizing more than 300 events, she shifted her business away from event planning to focus on marketing. She succeeded in keeping Mantooth strong, but her proudest work has been mentoring young women—more than 160 to date—through internships.
“When I started Mantooth, women were still finding their voice,” Connie says. “I’d sit in meetings and see other women too intimidated to speak up. Now I help them build confidence as they enter the workforce.”
Together, Connie and John have turned that passion into action in other ways. In 2022, they launched the Hanrahan Golden Clover Golf Tournament to raise funds for WomenGive, a program of United Way of Larimer County that helps single mothers cover childcare costs. The event has raised $150,000 to date.
“A lot of the things we do revolve around strengthening women and children and helping provide them with a strong foundation to build their lives,” Connie says.
They also support the Fort Collins Habitat for Humanity, Realities For Children, The Gardens on Spring Creek, Colorado State University and Pathways Hospice through their time and donations.
While both have been recognized in their careers—John was named on the Real Producers Top 200 List for Northern Colorado last year, and Connie received BizWest’s Women of Distinction award in 2010—their community work is what matters to them most.
“I have a goal to put a smile on someone’s face every day,” John says. “When we hear how these efforts are helping people, it feels like we’re accomplishing that.”
For Connie, one moment stands out: overhearing a group of men discussing the impact of WomenGive after a tournament.
“I stood there and watched in awe,” she says. “Then I said to John, ‘We did it. This is the ripple effect.’”
Despite demanding careers and full volunteer calendars, the two stay connected through travel, gardening and golf.
“We’re aligned in what matters, and we support each other,” Connie says. “When one of us has a busy week, the other steps in to pick up the slack.”
