Rising Stars: Meet Lara Galante of Northwest Denver (Sunnyside)

Today we’d like to introduce you to Lara Galante.

Hi Lara, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I’m a professional joy-seeker, accidental entrepreneur, and lifelong enthusiast of coloring outside the lines.

I’ve worn a lot of hats—bartender, fitness coach, human poop bag sales manager (true story), dessert-pedaling bike lady, and nonprofit fundraiser. But through it all, one thing’s stayed the same: I’ve always believed grown-ups need more play.

For years, I had this idea swirling in my head about starting a kind of camp for adults—something where women could connect, create, collaborate, and rediscover joy. In April 2024, my daughter wrote the phrase “Find Your Inner Parakeet” on a memo board in our dining room. I couldn’t stop thinking about it. What was my inner parakeet? What made my heart sing? At the time, I was in a job that didn’t feel like the right fit, but I kept ignoring that inner voice.

Fast forward to April 2025. I finally decided to take the leap. I left that job, traveled to Bhutan for a two-week mountain biking adventure with my best friend, and came home with a newfound sense of clarity and courage. Jet-lagged but inspired, I stayed up late getting all my ideas onto paper, built a website, and launched my business—Find Your Inner Parakeet.

So, why the parakeet? Because parakeets don’t ask for permission to sing—they just do. And so can you.

My mission is to help women reconnect—with themselves, with others, and with that sense of wonder they may have left behind. Through 2–3 hour collaborative art socials, I create spaces where adults can play, create, and let go of perfection. You might not take home a piece of art—but you’ll leave having created something beautiful together.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Starting a new business has been exciting, energizing, and—if I’m being honest—a bit messy at times. The biggest challenge for me has been marketing. When I first launched Find Your Inner Parakeet, I came out of the gate fast. I returned from a mountain biking trip in Bhutan on May 15th with a heart full of inspiration, and within a month I had written the concept, built my website, tested my mini-retreats, and was ready to go.

And then summer hit. My daughter was home from school, we had family travel plans, and suddenly everything felt like start…stop…start…stop. I realized I didn’t actually have a real marketing strategy—I had excitement, ideas, and momentum, but not a plan.

I wouldn’t trade the summer I had with my daughter for anything, and in hindsight, that slower stretch helped me refine what was and wasn’t working. Once she was back in school, I was able to focus, pivot, and experiment. I started building partnerships with local businesses, and that changed everything. Instead of trying to do it all alone, I began collaborating—and now people are reaching out to me.

It hasn’t been a perfectly smooth road, but it has absolutely been worth it. I believe so deeply in the mission of helping adults make space for play, creativity, and joy. Every challenge has taught me to stay flexible, listen, learn, and keep going—even if it’s two steps forward, one step back. That’s how you build something meaningful.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I help adults reconnect with creativity, joy, and that sense of childlike wonder many of us have lost along the way. Through Find Your Inner Parakeet, I design and lead playful 2–3 hour collaborative art socials and creative mini-retreats in Denver. They blend creativity, connection, and a little bit of magic—like recess for grown-ups.

My events aren’t traditional art classes. There’s no pressure to be “good” at art—no right way, no wrong way, no perfection. The focus is on process over product, and in many cases, participants create art together, contributing to shared pieces that evolve with each pass. I specialize in helping adults loosen up, play, experiment, and enjoy making something—not for achievement, but for joy.

What I’m most proud of is watching people come in saying, “I’m not creative” or “I haven’t made art since I was a kid,” and leaving lit up, connected, inspired, and trusting their creative voice again. Some haven’t laughed that hard or felt that free in years. Seeing that transformation—in just a couple of hours—is the best feeling in the world.

What sets Find Your Inner Parakeet apart is the combination of:

• Collaborative, process-based art that takes the pressure off
• Playful, welcoming environments where adults can show up as their full selves
• Intentional connection, not small talk—people often arrive as strangers and leave as friends
• Partnership with local businesses, strengthening community with each event

My mission is simple: to help adults rediscover joy, connection, and creativity—not someday, but now. Because parakeets don’t ask for permission to sing. They just do… and so can you.

Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
I’ve spent years exploring the world and diving into books, always chasing new perspectives, stories, and sparks of inspiration. Whether I’m lost in a bustling city or mountain biking an unfamiliar trail halfway around the world, I feel most alive when I’m off the beaten path and tuned into the magic of a place.

When I’m not dreaming up magical art socials , you’ll find me biking through the woods, making messy art, singing off-key, cooking something cozy, or adventuring with my family: my husband Steve, daughter Lyla, and our chatty parakeet, Pretzel (plus our dearly missed Blueberry, watching over us from the big perch in the sky).

Come play with me—life’s too short not to.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.findyourinnerparakeet.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/findyourinnerparakeet
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laragalante/