Colorado Leadership Stories

Find a nice spot outside and listen to Brian Vogt, CEO of the Denver Botanic Gardens , as he shares his remarkable transition from a classical antiquity degree to leading one of the nation’s most beautiful and frequently visited public gardens. Brian talks about the importance of pursuing your passion, the meaning behind intentional culture, and the exciting developments at Chatfield Farms. As a c...

Bryana Starbuck is the public information officer for the City of Glenwood Springs and proud Alum of Boettcher’s Doers & Difference Makers Fellowship. In this episode, Bryana talks about the nuance required to serve as a local government leader in rural Colorado. As a public servant dedicated to bridging differences, Bryana shares her strategies of authentically listening, finding common groun...

Put on your western wear and listen as Katie revels in some rich Colorado history with her mentor and longtime friend, Tim Schultz. With roles ranging from cowboy, school board member, county commissioner, banker, commissioner of agriculture, economic development leader, and president of the Boettcher Foundation, Tim has earned the name, “Mr. Colorado.” Explore the meaning behind collaborativ...

Join us for a conversation with Rene Brown, the chair of the Colorado State Fair Board of Authority and a longtime resident of Pueblo. Her family has been part of the Junior Livestock Sale at the Colorado State Fair for over 60 years. In this episode, Rene reflects on the impact of hard work, family legacy, and community involvement. Listen in to learn more about the state...

The Governor of the Colorado Buffaloes football program is a Boettcher Scholar. As he enters his junior year on the field, Camden Dempsey reflects on his newfound fame and potential for influence after Coach Prime recently appointed him press secretary for the team. Camden also shares insights about the rigors of being a Division I student-athlete, persevering through adversity, and why he talks s...

Meet Autumn Rivera, the 2022 Colorado Teacher of the Year and newly elected president of the Colorado Science Teachers Association, as she shares wisdom from her years of experience as a sixth grade teacher in the Roaring Fork Valley, where she grew up. Autumn reflects on the importance of embracing challenges while also setting boundaries as an educator Listen on  Apple Podcasts  |&nbsp...

In this episode of the  Colorado Leadership Stories  podcast, Eagle County Commissioner Kathy Chandler-Henry joins Katie to share her experience from childhood in Eagle County to her current role in community service. The two discuss her background in research and data collection, explore the challenges Eagle County faces—from housing to water issues—and uncover innovative solutions. Hea...

Joining the Colorado Leadership Stories podcast is Elizabeth Garner, the Colorado state demographer. We explore Elizabeth’s childhood in Colorado and her path to becoming an economist who leads an important state office. We talk at length about Elizabeth’s work to produce population and economic forecasts that serve many purposes for local governments and organizations. With more than 25 years of...

Join Katie as she chats with Yemi Mobolade, the mayor of Colorado Springs, who shares the importance of mentorship on his path to becoming a businessman, pastor, and public servant. A political independent, Mayor Yemi talks about leading with humanity and community while valuing purpose over party. He reflects on how he has engaged thousands of Colorado Springs residents and the importance of upli...

In this conversation, Kyle Hybl, president and CEO of El Pomar Foundation, talks about his lifelong dedication to community engagement and philanthropy. He shares insights from experience in the U.S. Air Force and service on the CU Board of Regents, emphasizing the importance of how individual involvement can be the catalyst to shaping progress. Listen on  Apple Podcasts  |  Spotify...

Meet Maithreyi Gopalakrishnan, a 2011 Boettcher Scholar and tech entrepreneur who solves large-scale problems leveraging frontier technology. Maithreyi talks about how her academic experiences in engineering physics and industrial management at CU Boulder and Stanford fueled her passion to innovate. Today she is the co-founder of two companies that actively promote gender diversity in STEM entrepr...

Five years after a routine checkup led to the life-altering diagnosis of early-stage Alzheimer’s, Rebecca Chopp is a picture of joy, health, and discipline. With the same verve she once poured into higher education leadership and research, today her passion is focused on Alzheimer’s activism. From the living room of her Broomfield home, the retired University of Denver chancellor and renowned scho...

Joelle Martinez’s leadership journey is rooted in community, culture, and identity. Hear from the president & CEO of the Latino Leadership Institute about her family’s Colorado story and multi-generational influences on her life and career. In our conversation, Joelle shares the events that led to her pivot from leading public affairs campaigns to running an institute that unlocks the potentia...

In this episode of the Colorado Leadership Stories podcast, Katie interviews Kourtny Garrett , president and CEO of the Downtown Denver Partnership . They explore Kourtny's Colorado roots and experience in creating vibrant urban spaces in Texas, and her return to Denver to lead the city's downtown revitalization. Kourtny shares insights on the impact of mentorship and the adaptive c...

In this episode we are joined with Owen Rask , a 2024 Colorado College graduate and Boettcher Scholar. Owen's passion for economics, political science, and mathematics fuels his approach to real world challenges, while his involvement in musical theater and stand-up comedy boost his ability to connect with others and lead. We discuss his work with AI at CC as well as how his time studying abroad a...

Join us as we talk with Janice Sinden , president & CEO of the Denver Center for the Performing Arts , about her journey from aspiring teacher to influential leader. Janice shares how a series of mentors and pivotal experiences shaped her, from a fifth grade educator who inspired her love for teaching, to a mentor who challenged her to understand her own beliefs and work across political lines...

In our conversation with Dr. Stefanie Johnson , author of a  Wall Street Journal  national bestseller and director of CU Boulder’s Center for Leadership, we learn about what it means to inclusify – a continuous, sustained effort to help diverse teams feel engaged, empowered, accepted, and valued. With years of research and teaching in her background, Stefanie delves into why uniqueness a...

Join us for an enlightening conversation with 2011 Boettcher Scholar Richard Maez , deputy director of Ednium: The Alumni Collective. With his southwest Denver roots at the epicenter of his passion for community, Richard's path as an educator has been a unique one. He has served as a high school teacher, college advisor, and program manager, where he discovered the power of storytelling in connect...

For the past decade, Dr. Carrie Besnette Hauser has led Colorado Mountain College , overseeing 11 campuses in the central Rocky Mountains that today enroll more than 18,000 students. With themes of collaboration and complexity, Carrie talks about the importance of seeking common ground on issues that can divide rural and urban Colorado. An experienced mountaineer, she also shares how she finds ins...

Dr. Jandel Allen-Davis is the president and CEO of Craig Hospital in Denver, which specializes in neuro rehabilitation for spinal cord and brain injuries. With 25-plus years of experience in obstetrics and gynecology, Jandel reflects on her career as an African American woman in healthcare leadership. Discover how Jandel seamlessly transitioned into administ...

Taking the  Unify Challenge  is an exercise in many things, including curiosity, courage, and listening, to name a few. But the results it produces – building civic muscles – is the outcome that drives Unify America President Michelle Sobel. Founded in 2020, Unify America creates interactive experiences to help Americans bust out of their bubbles and get to know each other. From connecti...

Like mother, like son. Gloria Perez (Boettcher Fellow) and Fabian Jimenez (Boettcher Scholar) share a special bond rooted in a life philosophy: who we are is how we lead. From the humble roots of an immigrant family, Gloria and Fabian talk about the pride they feel for Leadville and rural Colorado – and what it means to serve a community. They also share the story of Fabian’s civic engagement proj...

In a career that has spanned eight decades, preservationist Dana Crawford has redeveloped some of Colorado’s most historic buildings, ranging from warehouses and projects in downtown Denver to Trinidad. Today, at age 92, Dana joins us from her Flour Mills loft to talk about her life and career. From redeveloping Larimer Square in the 1960s to the more recent revitalization of Union Station, Dana’s...

A born collaborator, Rebecca Holmes is a community champion for education in Colorado. As President & CEO of the Colorado Education Initiative , Rebecca’s influence is at the intersection of education policy, practice, and innovation. In our conversation, Rebecca shares the story of growing up a Colorado kid and attending Manual High School, a place from where she draws inspiration daily. Toda...

Greg Moore has been at the epicenter of civic engagement in Colorado for more than two decades. As the longtime editor of The Denver Post, Greg is a natural connector who possesses limitless curiosity. Join us for a conversation with Greg, a Boettcher Foundation Trustee, whose life has been shaped profoundly by women -- including his mom, wife Nina, supervisors, three sisters, and two daughters. G...