Meet Steph Hauser | 4those Founder & Ultrarunner

We had the good fortune of connecting with Steph Hauser and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Steph, what principle do you value most?
The value of generosity matters most to me in both our business and nonprofit. Speaking specifically of 4those, this principle is best derived from the posture we take around hope – not hope in a specific outcome or circumstance, but hope in a way that believes that no matter what outcomes occur or what circumstances come, we will experience love and goodness and see our way through. Through this posture of surrender to whatever comes and acceptance of what is, we are able to offer generously the same hope to others. We can live without fear of scarcity in the future and instead see abundance. When we see that for ourselves, we see how we can give more to others, how we can feel stable and secure no matter what comes and thus uplift the communities that we serve from a spirit of generosity.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
At 4those we aim to tell a new story around extreme prematurity, one of hope, healing and possibility regardless of the outcomes of such a difficult season of life. When our son was born just over halfway through pregnancy with almost no chance of survival, we chose to believe in a beautiful and abundant future for him and for us, and now we carry that same message to other families through our programming. Though our time in and after the hospital was full of incredible highs and unimaginable lows, we found hope in believing that even in the darkest valleys, light would shine through. Whenever we would receive bad news about our son, we would say, “tell me what’s good.” That simple phrase did not change our circumstances or the statistics around the outcomes of such extreme early birth, but it did allow us to see the full picture, one that changed what would be for our son into what COULD be for our son. When we built out the vision for 4those and began operating, we wanted to bring this message to others in big ways, so I ran 147 miles (one for every day our son was in the NICU) in 48 hours to raise awareness around our cause. That effort invited so many more people into our big story, and we now have a award-winning short documentary film that has appeared in multiple film festivals and continues to spread our message of hope, healing and possibility in impossible circumstances for all who need to hear it. Next year, in 2026, I will be 10x-ing the distance and running 1,470 miles around Colorado to continue to raise money for and bring 4those all over the state.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Naturally I’d invite them to come with me on some of my runs! You can’t beat distance running in the gorgeous state of Colorado! And then of course I would visit FOX•DOG COFFEE in Erie, our coffee shop owned by my husband and me. Fun fact: We built it while our son was in the NICU and opened a month after he came home!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
There are so many people to thank along our journey! Our story with 4those began because we had a team at UC Health willing to say yes to what was then an impossible outcome after our son was born at just 23 weeks gestation and given less than a one-percent chance of survival. The entire staff there carried us through five months in the hospital and our son lives now as a thriving six-year-old! Furthermore, our entire community near and far provided immense support in that season of the NICU and beyond as we started our nonprofit 4those that brings the same hope, healing and possibility we found in that uncertain time to others in similar situations. Together, through our friends, families, donors, and other support, we are able to tell a new story around the journey of extreme prematurity.

Website: https://www.4those.org

Instagram: 4thoseorg

Facebook: 4those

Youtube: 4those

Image Credits
Joe Movick (all running and family pictures)
Tory Putnam (sweater headshot, photos of me with/and NICU equipment)