Rising Stars: Meet Shannon And Frederic Lachance of Fort Collins

Today we’d like to introduce you to Shannon And Frederic Lachance.

Hi Shannon and Frederic, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Not speaking each other’s language, they fell in love the first day they met at an amusement park in Ontario, Canada. Shannon was attending a small Bible College in New York State and Frederic’s family moved temporarily to the United States. They were both invited by a youth group to go on an outing to Canada. Frederic spoke French and was born in Quebec, Canada. Shannon hoped to go to Quebec after she finished her studies, to learn French. Frederic learned English in 6 months after they started dating. They got married and moved to Québec where Shannon then learned French and they began their family.

During their years spent in Quebec they started an Internet cafe in 1997 and a few years later they partnered with Frederic’s brother, David Lachance and a computer software programmer named Ernest Yale to develop coin-operated arcade gaming machines and interactive theater motion rides for the amusement industry.

In the meantime, Shannon also got her first pastoral license and assisted at a local church in Repentigny, Quebec while she also volunteered as the general director for a gospel music festival that partnered with the city’s department of recreation.

Eventually, the Lachance’s sold their part of the company they helped begin in Quebec to try new adventures with pastoring. This led them to the suburbs of Vancouver, British Columbia (Coquitlam). There, they served in a local church, became campus pastors of a multicampus congregation. Frederic also oversaw the technical and media development of the main church, the administration, facilities and major renovations that engaged the congregation into environmental projection that captured participation during worship services. Shannon worked with the mayor and a city councilor on several endeavors including responding to victims left homeless from a townhome complex fire and a refugee task group to respond to the influx of new residents needing help.

As their 4 children grew into adults, they returned to the United States. Shannon was invited to join a merging Christian College Campus in Christiansburg Virginia which is now known as Life Pacific College, Virginia as the director of development. They then launched a company that was known as Property Builders which redesigned and renovated residential homes to be put back on the market with a contemporary and modern flair.

The deep desire to re-enter ministry and pastor is what brought the Lachance’s to Colorado in June in 2023. They bought a home in Larimer County that had been in foreclosure, and they have used their skills and talents in design and renovation to bring life and luxury to their dwelling.

They were invited by the International Church of the Foursquare Gospel to volunteer with Shannon as the senior pastor to reopen an existing church building in Fort Collins. They launched services in April 2025 with an emerging congregation known as Avid Church on W. Harmony Road.

In the meantime, Frederic is using other talents to register a patent and is creating a start up in the technology sector.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Juggling the redesign of their home and land which had been never fully finished, and the land was not taken care of for over 15 years has kept Frederic busy every day. They’re near 6,000 square ft. Home is the largest residential project they have undertaken to date. It has required a new mindset and learning what the Colorado vibe entails in interior design. This has given them a new perspective in creativity while keeping clean lines and looks with warm tones through the use of material choices.

The landscape on their property which is just under 1 acre required they re-lay their pathway, redesign their flower and rock beds and they have yet to try to replant the grass. They planted 21 new trees this past fall and have had to learn about how to treat 600 new plants and shrubs in a dry and rocky climate. Hopefully they will make it through the winter season and see the plants and trees thrive during summer of 2026 as they continue to learn about the care of their land on the front range.

As for the new adventure with a start-up that seeks to re-invent mixing for residential construction, commercial, industrial, pharmaceutical, cosmetic and dental compounds with a highly complex new process and mixing machine for on demand usage, it is finding the right direction to take that will open the door to revolutionize every possible avenue that needs specialized mixing on demand for unlimited industry fields that it can be applied toward. Because patents are being developed, it seems like a race against time to test and develop the technology with the given funding while searching for new avenues in funding and government grants.

The Lachance’s are used to tackling a challenge. Their eyes are focusing on potential on all fronts and that keeps them moving forward knowing in their minds what the end result will bring. The hope for the future is mind blowing! Potential is the most exciting path of life that calls for inventive, creative, out of the box thinkers like Frederic and Shannon…. Put that together with purpose and they have a resolve for incredible impact!

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
They have a strange mix that leads toward a unique dynamic.

They are developers… They build and redesign space. They also give that space purpose for safety, interaction, entertainment and lively atmosphere. This can also be seen through their past involvement in creating interactive machines for the amusement industry. While Frederic was a co-founder and co-owner of Triotech Amusement, the company won best employer of the year, young entrepreneur of the year with Canada’s BDC and he was invited to speak to marketing students at a college in Québec while also being invited by government officials of Nova Scotia to speak at an event they held for business. He also was featured on television financial interviews, magazine, etc. They have also expressed this creativity while on staff at a multi-campus church in British Columbia in redesigning several church auditoriums and areas in the buildings. They have also redesigned many residential homes in Virginia and now their current home in Fort Collins.

They are multicultural. With Frederic born as a French speaker and French-Canadian cultural background, and Shannon born in Michigan and living in Canada for 27 years both in French and Canadian English cultures including the international city suburbs of Vancouver, BC, they have knowledge and experience that opens themselves to celebrate others. Frederic has traveled to many places for business like Dubai, England, and across the United States and Canada and they have interacted in Vancouver with many Asians cultures.

Shannon is a registered Native American Indian and also has a Dutch heritage. Her parents were Missionaries in Africa and she has visited and ministered in African countries like Malawi, Ethiopia, Sierra Leone and has also ministered to people in Costa Rica and studied Spanish while in Guatemala during a summer in her youthful college years.

They are entrepreneurial… they have started an Internet cafe in front of a small-town college then transitioned into a coin-op amusement company that sold machines and systems internationally. Shannon helped develop a gospel music festival as art and entertainment that was integrated into the cities summer activities for residents and greater Montreal attendees. They have partnered with other city officials to make a difference and start initiatives that focused on community and wellbeing. They and their congregation just held a fundraiser at Avid Church to help with funding for the new Women’s home at the Lighthouse in Fort Collins (Non- profit for faith based sober living.) Frederic is also developing a technology start up with an invention… a work in progress as we speak.

Ministry and Public Speaking… They are starting a new church congregation, following the footsteps of their parents. Frederic’s parents were pastors of a church that his parents founded in Québec and they were also traveling ministers. And Shannon’s parents were missionaries in Malawi and though Shannon’s mom passed away due to Cancer this past June, her stepfather still oversees the orphanage her parent’s founded in Malawi. The Lachance’s did not have the luxury of bringing a team with them to Colorado as a core starter team. Most of their relationships had been built in Canada for ministry. They have engaged in the community and built relationships in the region organically. Though they are just getting the congregation started, they have built friendship and connections that allow them to hold services and participate in helping other non- profits. They are still inviting people to join their team with ministry aptitude such as worship leading and band, children and youth ministry volunteers, and more. They were also involved in an initiative called Praise in the Park at Fort Collin’s City Park two summers ago and they continue to look for new opportunities to champion others within the community. Shannon is also a part of a club called Toastmasters. Since she must use public speaking as a pastor for sermons, she enjoys being challenged as a member of Resource Masters Toastmasters Club in Fort Collins.

What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
Within the housing market, as it fluctuates, they have never had an issue with selling homes they redesigned. The main thing they have found to work is to integrate new ideas; visit other developers across the nation and see what new ways they can adapt to changing trends. Since they are technology focused as individuals, they integrate lighting options in their homes. Their coffered ceilings feature LED strips with integration that allows the homeowner to change the ceiling light colors. They have integrated this within their open concept main area that allows for their chandeliers over their kitchen islands to have LED light bulbs that change colors. And instead of pot lights in their sitting area, they used LED strips to create a new visual line to light the ceiling in a modern tone. They admit that they love using centered stone for counter tops and quality range features. The value in their home for large crowds compels them to invite guests over for dinner to where they live to engage and build community.

As for the church world, calling people back to community building is important. Historically, the church was a central focus for deep meaning and relationship. A place of support and encouragement. When people come together, not only does everyone expand as an individual, and thrive as a collective group, but being a community-based congregation can impact the surrounding region with purpose and support by partnering with so many like mind people. The Lachance’s see a new vision for church growth where potential within people is celebrated and empowered. The power of the team is an unstoppable force. And the attention to the “whole person” can leave a positive lasting effect for generations.

And for the startup adventure the Lachance’s are on, customization and specialization in all fields is not only a thing for this new day and age, but also it is here to stay. Customized products are not only trending, but customization on demand is also revolutionizing industries, businesses, health, beauty, and advancement in every field. Problems can be resolved quickly by targeting specific requirements. And the Lachance’s see that products that require expiration dates (because of chemistry breakdowns) during shelf life can be problematic. By offering a new way to mix products as needed with required customizations they believe that they can help businesses and even change countries where resources are limited. It can change industries that need color matching on demand for specific shades and color. It can change industries where batches have to be used quickly because they will harden when it is not on demand. Small quantity can be offered where mixing has only offered larger volumes that are environmentally wasted. This is the future of product development which can span from construction to cosmetic creams, paint, dentures, and medicine. It is all in the ability to mix as needed in a customized fashion. This is the way forward!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://avidchurch.org

Image Credits
Family photos.