Our Mission and Vision
EducateUS Fund is a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to powering up the movement for universal sex education in the United States. We provide tools, resources and expert advice to advocates for sex education, and build new opportunities for all kinds of people to join the fight. We believe that sex ed is foundational to a healthy society and can change the world.
Our Team
Jaclyn Friedman
Founder and Executive Director
EducateUS is led by Founder and Executive Director Jaclyn Friedman, a lifelong activist, advocate and organizer. Friedman’s work has globally popularized the affirmative consent standard of sexual consent. Her first book, Yes Means Yes: Visions of Female Sexual Power and a World Without Rape, was one of Publisher’s Weekly’s Top 100 Books of 2009, and has inspired new laws in five U.S. states, as well as policies on countless campuses across the country and the world. She also spearheaded the legendary #FBrape campaign, which forced Facebook to address and exclude content that promotes or trivializes violence against women under their hate speech policy, and is founder and former executive director of Women, Action & the Media (WAM!).
Candace E. Hardnett
Lead Organizer
Candace E. Hardnett is a social justice activist, former pastor, and experienced community organizer with a focus on equality, inclusion, and civil rights for marginalized groups. She has been instrumental in lobbying, protesting, and advocating for legislation that protects the rights and well-being of minority groups, particularly those which involve BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ communities. She believes that all people have a right to exist in a world without fear of discrimination or bigotry. Candace believes her faith to be a valuable component to the justice work that she so diligently pursues and for this reason she believes strongly in comprehensive sex education and ending the stigma around sexuality and expression. Her passion derives from her love for her family and the desire that they live in a safe and equitable world.
AJ Mingorance
Program Assistant
AJ Mingorance is a social justice advocate, creative, and life-long learner. AJ is a proud survivor of Brigham Young University, a university known for its exceptionally high rate of queer student suicides. They use the gift of surviving to take up space and join their community’s fight to win back their rights.
With a background in film and progressive rebellion, they were proud to be a member of the EducateUS Youth Advisory Board and then Board of Directors. They are ready to cause more change as the Program Assistant. They currently live in Richmond, Virginia with their spouse and two cats.
Stephanie Davidson
Legal Services Coordinator
Stephanie Davidson is an attorney and educator, who has spent the bulk of her career representing domestic violence survivors in litigation against their abusers. Most recently, she was the Managing Attorney of the Survivor and Family Justice Workgroup at the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles. She has taught experiential courses at UCLA School of Law and Harvard Law School, and has engaged in systemic advocacy on behalf of survivors in New York, Massachusetts, and, most recently, California. Having worked with hundreds of survivors of intimate partner violence, most of whom did not benefit from the sex education they deserved, Stephanie is proud to be part of EducateUS Fund’s crucial work.
Our Board
Sydney Turner
Board Chair
Sydney Turner is an activist, organizer, and writer, working in mental health patient services and reproductive healthcare in Illinois. In 2025, she earned her Bachelor of Science in Psychology and Communication with a minor in Gender and Women’s Studies from the University of Illinois, where she also earned a Certificate in Distinguished Undergraduate Research, focusing on reproductive healthcare and sexual violence.
During her time in college, Sydney authored a new, more accessible and trauma-informed version of the Campus Safety Notice email for sex crimes. The email featuring her writing is the current template used by the University, sent to over 70,000 students, staff, and faculty via the Division of Public Safety. Also as a student, while serving as the Health Policy Director of Planned Parenthood Generation Action, she co-authored a successful referendum to expand medication abortion access on-campus. The referendum went on to inspire Illinois House Bill 3709, signed into law in August 2025, requiring all public colleges and universities in Illinois to offer medication abortion to students on their campuses.
Elle Chase
Treasurer
Elle Chase (she/her) is a certified life, intimacy and relationship coach, board-certified sexologist, and multi-certified sexuality educator. Her work focuses on empowerment, relational skills, empathy, reducing shame, and addressing the intersection of body image and sexuality. As a life and executive coach, she draws on 25 years of experience as a film executive, producer, and five-time business owner across multiple industries
Justine Ang Fonte
Secretary
Justine Ang Fonte, M.Ed, MPH is the child of Philippine immigrants and award-winning sex educator, consultant, and professor based in New York City. She is the author and voice of the Audible Original, How to Talk to Your Kids About Sex and is the co-editor of the first edition of Fundamental Concepts and Critical Developments in Sex Education: Intersectional and Trauma Informed Approaches published by Routledge Press in 2025.
Eli Mendelson
Eli Mendelson (he/him) is a seasoned leader in strategic prospect development, currently serving as Senior Director, Prospect Development at City of Hope, where he has dedicated the past 11 years to advancing mission-driven growth and innovation.
Originally from the south suburbs of Boston, Eli spent 14 years in Chicago before settling in Southern California. His professional journey is deeply intertwined with his commitment to equity and inclusion. Over the years, Eli has actively contributed to the LGBTQ+ community—serving on Chicago’s MSA Lesbian Softball board, co-founding Out for Justice, a court-watching advocacy group, and most recently, co-chairing Pride in the City at City of Hope, championing visibility and support for LGBTQ+ employees and patients.
Eli holds a degree from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and brings a thoughtful, people-centered approach to leadership, advocacy, and organizational development.
Ryan Sharnbroich
Ryan Sharnbroich is a Brooklyn-based systems change leader, operating at the intersections of education and public health. With over a decade of public school teaching and program leadership experience, he currently serves as the Director of Learning and Innovation at Cardea, where his work focuses on supporting education, health and human services agencies nationwide to implement equitable and effective adolescent sexual health education and services.