Career
In 1994, Lentz moved from her home state of Kansas to New York and became a recruiter as well as an investor in an effort to help save and reopen a United States National Historic Landmark. There, Lentz started a career in staffing and recruiting. Lentz has held various leadership positions in staffing and recruiting and is currently the Chief Executive Officer of r2 sourcing, her own consulting and recruiting firm.
The Stonewall Inn "is widely considered to be the single most important event leading to the gay liberation movement and the modern fight for gay and lesbian rights in the United States", having been the site of the riots that set off the modern gay rights movement.
Lentz stepped in and became a co-partner/investor in 2006 after the Inn had fallen into disrepair, a no-man’s-land of crime and drugs that risked closing for good
Lentz and her business partners helped save the most significant gay rights landmark. She also became its first (and only) female investor, and began using her position for activism by organizing or hosting hundreds of events for GLAAD, Marriage Equality United States of America, the Hetrick-Martin Institute, HRC, the New York City Anti Violence Project (Avon Products), Sylvia"s Place, Lambda Legal, and others
In addition Lentz also helped organize the March for Marriage rally, uniting over 80 LGBT organizations and thousands of people to call for the repeal of DOMA in 2013. A few of the highlights in Lentz’s activism career include
Planning Stonewall Inn’s 40th anniversary celebration, marking 40 years since the riots with celebrity guests raising thousands of dollars to benefit the Hetrick Martin Institute home of the Harvey Milk High School in New York City.
Being awarded the Stonewall Community Foundation"s Hero Award in 2010 for her activism and work in the LGBT community
Being listed as one of GO Magazine"s "100 Women We Love"
Lentz also worked closely with GLAAD to ensure that Guinness, one of the major sponsors of New York City"s Saint Patrick"s Day Parade, would be boycotted if they didn’t pull their sponsorship from the parade which at that point would not allow LGBT people to march.
With the help of the LGBT community Lentz managed to get Guinness to drop their sponsorship and the following year LGBT groups were allowed in the parade. Her activism and involvement, at Stonewall as well as within the Gay Community, have led multiple outlets to quote Lentz on her reaction to major LGBT events. Such as DOMA, the overturning of DADT, Obama coming out in support of Gay rights, as well as Obama making history by mentioning stonewall in his inaugural speech.
As of 2015, Lentz lives in the Meatpacking District in New York City.
