About Us

Beyond Our Present showcases the achievements of people who became parents while in their teens and children of teen parents. We want to celebrate positive outcomes over the longer term and provide inspiration and hope. We also want to smash negative stereotypes and create stronger, well-connected communities.

We recognise that parenting as a teenager is rarely ideal, but it happens. Millions of adolescents around the world become parents every year. We don’t encourage teens to become parents and we support the idea of individuals and couples having the ability to plan, space and time their births. But we acknowledge that teen parents and their children can go on to have wonderful lives.

We can all look beyond our present situation towards a brighter future. A future where people are supported not shamed, connected not condemned. Where individuals, families and communities thrive, down the street and around the globe.

Founders and Directors

Natasha & SEAN

Teen parents at age 16. Married for over 25 years.

Professionals. Creators. Researchers. Investors.

Change Agents. Adventurers. Grandparents.

Natasha was born in Gladstone, Queensland and acknowledges the First Nations people Bailai, Gurang, Gooreng Gooreng and Taribelang Bunda on whose land she lived and played as a young child. Sean was born in Sydney, New South Wales and acknowledges the Darramuragal people on whose land he lived and played as a young child. Both Sean and Natasha acknowledge the Gubbi Gubbi / Kabi Kabi First Nations people of the Sunshine Coast (coastal areas) and the Turrbal First Nations people of Brisbane (north), on whose lands they both then played, studied, met, loved, birthed their two children, worked, prayed, and called home. They pay their respects to the elders - past and present - on each of these lands. Now living in Aotearoa New Zealand, Natasha and Sean also recognise and pay respect to ngā iwi Māori as the tangata whenua of Aotearoa.

Sean has tertiary qualifications in Engineering & Information Technology and is currently the Head of Rail and Transit New Zealand and Regional Digital Lead at a large global engineering firm. Natasha holds a Masters of Science (Global Health Policy) from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. Prior to founding Beyond Our Present, she worked as a project manager for international development projects in the Pacific region and has held various other professional roles within government, non-profits, and academic institutions.

Sean and Natasha love learning, adventure, science, nature, theology, the arts, innovation, kindness and great food - pretty much everything! They also have two incredible adult children, a wonderful son-in-law, and their first grandchild.