A woman with gray hair wearing a black sleeveless top and black pants stands outdoors near a large, twisted tree, touching a branch as the sun sets in the background.

Change is possible

—and it must be rooted in care.

I’m a writer and consultant dedicated to transforming our communities, our organizations, and our systems of care.

Black curved decorative line.

Hi, I’m Zena Sharman.

A woman with short curly white hair smiling outdoors, wearing a black top, with trees and foliage in the background during sunset.

My work is rooted in relationships and a commitment to creating more liberatory and just futures together.

🌱

My work is rooted in relationships and a commitment to creating more liberatory and just futures together. 🌱

Two questions animate my work:

“How do we create change?” and “How do we care for each other?” 

I’m passionate about creating transformative possibilities in our communities, our organizations, and our systems of care. I do this as a writer, strategist, facilitator, educator, and coach. My approach is grounded in fifteen years of leadership experience, a PhD in qualitative health research, and advanced training in complexity-informed and participatory methodologies. It’s also informed by my lived experience as a community member and volunteer.

Small mushrooms growing on a mossy log in a dark forest.

Introducing

Staying Power

On Queerness, Inheritances, and the Families We Choose

Book cover titled "Staying Power" by Zena Sharman, featuring large purple text on a dark background and a textured multicolored abstract image below. Subtitle reads "On Queerness, Inheritances, and the Families We Choose."

Staying Power, a memoir-in-essays about interdependence, grieving, and parenting as a queer femme, is my most honest and personal book. A celebration of the transformative power of queer family-making, it tells the story of being raised by a mother driven to break cycles of violence in our family and my sideways journey into parenthood after she died.


Coming February 2026 from Arsenal Pulp Press, Staying Power is available for pre-order now.

“As innovative in form as it is in content, Staying Power is an intricately constructed memoir in essays that pushes against the familiar contours of life-writing, just as the queer communities at its heart push against the familiar contours of family-making. This book is a portal; prepare to be transformed.”

—Hannah McGregor, author of Clever Girl: Jurassic Park and A Sentimental Education

“Staying Power stands as both testament to queer resilience and celebration of the families we choose. With femme brilliance and emotional intelligence, Sharman offers a guide to building a life centered on care and community.”

—Ariel Gore, author of Rehearsals for Dying and The End of Eve

“If you've ever been born to run but are trying to figure out how to grieve, love, and stay, this book is for you.”

—Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha, author of The Future Is Disabled and Care Work

A woman with short, curly white hair is smiling and standing in front of a stone wall. She is wearing a green dress with a floral pattern.

LET’s GROW TOGETHER

Work with me 

As a consultant, I work with people, groups, and organizations to help you get from where you are to where you want to be. Together, we’ll move more wisely through complexity, strengthen relationships, and find purposeful pathways to action.

Strategy

Creating inspiring and actionable roadmaps for organizations and teams

Facilitation

Helping groups think better together through purposeful conversations

Coaching

Supporting leaders in living their values and navigating change