CONNECTING & INSPIRING WOMEN

Featuring Also Inside

PIPELINE
TRAILBLAZING #METOO
with TARANA BURKE
DATA DRIVEN PATH
THE TRUE COST OF
TO GENDER EQUITY CHILDCARE
with KATICA ROY
COLORADO WOMEN'S HALL OF FAME
INDUCTEES ANNOUNCED
WOMEN OF DENVER QUARTERLY
SPRING 2018

THEWOMENOFDENVER.COM

THEWOMENOFDENVER.COM
 OUR VOICES
WIELD POWER
There are simply no words to describe how proud and excited
I am to showcase the incredible stories inside this magazine.
We’re three issues into our journey and already seeing a
powerful voice beginning to form.
What amazes me most about this Spring 2018 issue is that
we’re featuring stories on both sides of the journey for women’s
equality. We showcase businesses and programs that support
financial equity and wealth accumulation for women, and
political contributors who are helping to rework legislation
and make change in our government. It’s so important that we
recognize that all of these contributions are important to the
cause and support long-term, sustainable change in our world.
As you read our stories this quarter take a moment to consider
the contributions you make, big or small, that help to create a
better future for women everywhere. I want to personally thank
you for making an impact and I hope the stories we share will
inspire you to find new and unique ways to get involved and
continue to support and grow the power of women.
Krystal Covington, Founder

SPRING 2018 CONTRIBUTORS

ART DIRECTOR BROOKE GRACZYK
WRITERS JOCE BLAKE
ANGELA JACKSON
COPY EDITOR LYNN CLARK
CONTRIBUTORS SHAUNA ARMITAGE
KAREN EINISMAN
STEPHEN GLITZER, CHWC
SUSAN GOLICIC, PHD, CPIC
LYDIA HOOPER
TINA LOMBARD
DEBORAH RADMAN
CYNDI STEWART, PHD, FNLP
COVER PHOTO WALNUT STREET PHOTOGRAPHY
PHOTO CREDIT
 1 TRAILBLAZING #METOO INTERVIEW WITH FOUNDER TARANA BURKE

4 FINANCE THE SURPRISING POWER OF CREDIT

5 FOOD MAKEOVER GOING PALEO

7 WOD IMPACT MEMBER SPOTLIGHT LORI HEISLER

9 5 WAYS TO SHIFT OUR CULTURAL PARADIGM

11 PIPELINE THE DATA DRIVEN PATH TO GENDER EQUITY

14 ESSENTIAL LESSONS I LEARNED CHOOSING ENTREPRENEURSHIP

15 THE TRUE COST OF CHILDCARE

2018 SPRING QUARTERLY EXPLORING THE IMPACT ON COLORADO'S WORKING MOTHERS

19 THE TRICK OF COOPERATION WOMEN CREATING NETWORKS OF CHANGE

21 RISE ABOVE CIRCUMSTANCE MEET DENVER'S WORK OPTIONS FOR WOMEN

23 COLORADO WOMEN'S HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES

11
15

21
WALNUT STREET PHOTOGRAPHY
 trailblazing #metoo
INTERVIEW WITH #METOO FOUNDER TARANA BURKE
by Joce Blake

1 WOMEN OF DENVER QUARTERLY WINTER 2017

 TRAILBLAZING #METOO INTERVIEW WITH FOUNDER TARANA BURKE 2

On October 15, 2017 actress Alyssa Milano, tweeted, “If
you’ve been sexually harassed or assaulted write "me
too" as a reply to this tweet.” Within 24 hours, #metoo
had been used over 800,000 times.
Stories of women who were assaulted as children to stories
of women experiencing injustice in the workplace are now
being told all over the world using those two little words.
You founded the me too Movement™ in 2006 using the idea
of “empowerment through empathy.” Why use this method?
Burke: Empathy does far more for people than sympathy,
which is the emotion many people pour onto survivors of
sexual violence and abuse. Sympathy is rooted in remorse
and pity, but empathy is the act of trying to understand what
someone has gone through by putting yourself in their shoes.

“
But Milano didn’t start the Being a survivor myself,
#metoo movement. In fact, it I remember feeling
started in 2006 when Tarana very alone, like no one
Burke founded the me too understood what I was
Movement™ through Just Be I remember feeling very alone, feeling. Pity doesn’t help
Inc. to help survivors of sexual
violence—particularly women like no one understood what I people move through their
pain, but people showing
of color from low-wealth was feeling. Pity doesn’t help empathy, saying in their
communities—find pathways
to healing. Her career as a people move through their pain, own way “me too” and “I
see you,” is powerful.
youth worker exposed her to
heartbreaking stories about
but people showing empathy,
How did it feel to have
broken homes and abusive or saying in their own way “me too” Alyssa Milano, promote
neglectful parents, she says.
Now, Burke says, survivors
and “I see you,” is powerful.” #metoo on social media?
are feeling seen, validated Burke: I was very
and supported in ways they surprised at first. It
never have before. Today, the happened so quickly that
movement continues to liberate women to declare that they, I didn’t have much time to process it. But Alyssa reached out
too, have been sexually harassed or assaulted, including Lady to me shortly after the hashtag went viral to thank me for the
Gaga and Gabrielle Union.
work I have been doing for more than a decade.
Women of Denver Magazine interviewed Burke and
Colorado activist Laura Richards about #metoo, supporting How can we continue to support survivors outside of
survivors and getting involved. the me too Movement™ ?
The me too Movement™ was birthed from Burke: Each survivor is different and has a different story,
your organization, Just Be Inc. which
focuses on the health, well being, and
wholeness of young women of color. Why
was that mission important to you?
Burke: Women and girls of color are
consistently treated as though our
lives and humanity don’t matter. We
endure violence of all kinds, erasure
and criminalization at disproportionate
rates and have limited access to the
support and resources necessary to
navigate those things. As a black
woman who is also a survivor of sexual
violence, I knew that if I was going to
do this work, I had a responsibility to
center women and girls of color in it
not only because it’s the right thing
to do, but because so few people and
organizations acknowledge
our humanity.

ART BY ELINA TUOMI

 a different path to healing and different needs. It’s important to organized the Women’s March are young and vibrant, and they
not make blanket statements and assumptions about survivors are carrying on the work of my generation. I am always in awe and
and the kinds of support they need. Approaching survivors with have been honored to work alongside so many impressive women.
compassion and empathy is key. Listening to them is the best way
to learn how to support them. You told the Denver Post
Laura Richards, a Colorado that you don’t want the
activist, decided to make her conversation to go back to the
voice heard about the #metoo shadows. Can you explain?
movement by organizing a
rally at the Colorado state Richards: Sexual assault hits
capitol in November 2017. She the media for a minute then
is a survivor of several sexual disappears off into obscurity.
assaults. She gathered other We make a few changes but
survivors and advocacy leaders
can never really move the
to bring more awareness to the
issue and to highlight resources agenda to changing the culture.
that are available in Colorado. Organizations that provide
Here’s what she had to say. free or sliding scale services
get a little bump in donations,
Why is it important to demand but then they fall back to the
respect and equality for women? bottom of the list.
Richards: Women have worked
There’s a fear that we have
hard to open doors; when we
first began in the workplace we been fighting this fight for so
juggled everything: career, children, home and marriage. It has long, that once Donald Trump is not President and the issues are
been a long hard road. not covered by the media it
Before 1993 we did not have will be like every other time.
the right in every state to press I think now we can capitalize
charges against our spouses for on this opportunity and not
rape. We still do not get equal allow it to fall back into the
pay for equal work. I once shadows.
found out a male colleague
received more money than me What inspired you to organize
for doing the same job. When the rally outside the capitol?
I asked for a raise I was told
he had to care for a family. At Richards: Our stories have
the time, I was a single mother power, but telling them only
having to do the same. moves the agenda so far. In
For me, the question should 10 years, I don’t want to
be, why would you not treat hear more stories. I want
us with respect and equality? to see women feeling safe
We have had to battle for every reporting sexual harassment
right we have today. The right to vote, the right to not be beaten by and receiving fair and equitable treatment, so they no longer fear
our spouse, the right to have control over our bodies and the right
ending their careers. When rape victims report, I want to see
to own property. We must continue to demand respect and equality
and fight for what is right. We have to honor the women that more than 3 percent of of those cases being prosecuted. I don’t
sacrificed so much so we can have the opportunities we have now. want people telling us what we should have done to avoid sexual
assault.
What do you think of the culture for women in Colorado?
I hope that one day, men and women will read history books to
Richards: Women in Colorado are proactive, vocal, and engaged in
know what sexual assault is because the education exists. I want
their communities, families and careers. It’s amazing to see them
embrace feminism in a way I couldn’t have imagined in the ‘80s. sexual assault in all its forms to be extinct.
There’s a diversity that is phenomenal to watch. That is what inspires me. I am driven by my sad story, but I am
We have strong, diverse women in our state legislature that bring inspired by the courage of women who want to end sexual assault,
so much perspective to the legislative process. The women who especially for those who haven’t found their voice.

3 WOMEN OF DENVER QUARTERLY SPRING 2018

 FINANCE THE SURPRISING POWER OF CREDIT 4

Women have a power beyond beauty, intuition and

multitasking—a quantifiable one that we often overlook.
That power is credit. It can work for you or against you.
I’ve spent 25 years as a mortgage loan officer. I’ve seen first-hand that
women with good credit can buy homes, cars, obtain business loans,
purchase furniture, take vacations, and get a good a good education.
Good credit will even enable you to get better employment. Good credit
can even get her lower interest rates, higher paying jobs, and just overall
better access to more wealth opportunities.
When a lender or employer pulls your credit report, the information helps
them determine whether you have the character to repay a loan or be
trusted with their assets. They pull your information from major credit
bureaus, which issue “credit scores” derived from algorithms. These scores
help lenders determine the risk of lending to you.
Sometimes your credit report contains inaccurate information or doesn’t tell
the whole story. Fraud, illness, job loss, divorce and even natural disasters

Surprising
can cause payment issues that look bad on your report. That leaves us in a

The
vulnerable state, possibly ruining our ability to borrow or be trusted with
someone else’s property. The good news is that credit can rebound when you
use the proper tools and techniques. It can take a few weeks, several months

Power of Credit
by Tina Lombard, Loan Originator, Envoy Mortgage
(and in the worst case, years) to regain or secure a good credit rating.
I’ve helped women repair their credit in as little as one month, and get their
family into a home. I’ve seen them fight incorrect credit reporting from past
marriages or creditors who reported false late pays, and these women took
their power back…with that got their families into new homes. Now there
are other factors that go into using credit, like income, assets, collateral and
legalities…but all that aside, your credit rating is the underlying factor that
makes the consideration of all these other items even plausible.
One of the strongest things a woman can do to secure herself and her
family’s future is to have good credit and financial power. Whether buying a
home, a car, acquiring a business loan, or applying for a higher paying job, I
encourage you to regain your power, and stack the odds back in your favor!

Here are two US Government websites that offer info and further
resources and counseling for Housing and Consumer Credit.
*US Department of Housing and Urban Development “Buying a Home”: www.hud.gov/
topics/buying_a_home
*USA Government “Dealing with Debt”: www.usa.gov/debt
FOOD MAKEOVER

Going Paleo
by Cyndi Stewart, PHD, FNLP
Functional Nutrition and Lifestyle Practitioner
Akashic Records / Energy Medicine Consultant
www.rootcausehealthsolutions.com

CHANGING OUR EATING HABITS

IS TOUGH. TRUST ME I KNOW.

In the past I didn’t like to cook. I would

purchase the latest kitchen gadgets 2
with high hopes to make healthy meals,
and they just collected dust.
Eventually I found a few simple recipes
with the ingredients I enjoy, and I
realized how easy cooking can be. To
make it even better, I began inviting
friends over each time I tried a new
recipe to make the cooking session a
social event and an experience I could
really look forward to. 1
Now I enjoy finding recipes and
changing them up to fit into my life and
ingredient choices. I prefer ingredients
that are anti-inflammatory and include
healthy fats. Here are a few of my
favorite easy snack recipes to enjoy
this spring.

BROOKE GRACZYK

5 WOMEN OF DENVER QUARTERLY SPRING 2018

 FOOD MAKEOVER GOING PALEO 6

1 KALE NACHOS 3 JALAPENO POPPERS

Skip the fried chips & unhealthy Peppers to taste and great baked
vegetable oils | Makes 2–3 servings Makes 4–5 servings
Ingredients Ingredients
1 bunch Dino kale (also called Lacinato) 10 Jalapeno peppers, halved & seeded
Tomato
5 Turkey bacon slices
Olives
Vegan, non-dairy cheese*
Vegan, non-dairy cheese*
Chili powder (optional)
Avocado
4 Pink Himalayan sea salt Instructions
Olive or avocado oil Preheat the oven to 425°. Add cheese
and bake for 20 minutes. Add bacon
Instructions and bake another 5 minutes. If you like
Preheat oven to 300°. Tear your kale a little heat, sprinkle some chili powder.
into chip size pieces, place on a baking
sheet with parchment paper, spray
olive oil or avocado oil and sprinkle PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES
4
pink Himalayan sea salt. Bake for Baking with nut butters and without
10 minutes, after 8 minutes add the grains | Makes 8 cookies
cheese. While it’s baking dice the
2 tomatoes, olives and avocado. Remove Ingredients
from the oven and add the toppings. 1 cup Peanut butter (best raw organic
and no added sugars)
2 PARSNIP CHIPS ½ cup Coconut sugar or sugar
Skip the fried chips & unhealthy substitute (author rec: Swerve)
vegetable oils | Makes 2–3 servings
1 Egg or egg substitute
Ingredients
1 tsp Baking soda
2 medium parsnips, thinly sliced
(about 2 cups)  1 tbsp Vanilla extract
Olive or avocado oil ½ tsp Pink Himalayan sea salt
Pink Himalayan sea salt
Instructions
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350°. Combine
3 Preheat the oven to 300°. Place chips
all ingredients well and use an ice
on a baking sheet with parchment
paper. Spray oil and sprinkle pink cream scooper to place the cookies on
Himalayan sea salt. Bake for 25 a baking sheet with parchment paper.
minutes, or until golden brown and Bake the cookies for 5 minutes, and
crispy. Note: If chips are sliced thicker, flattened with a fork, then bake for a
allow up to 45 minutes. another 5 minutes.

* Use Vegan, Non-dairy Cheeses for a true Paleo diet, but any cheese can be used in the recipe as a substitute.

To learn more from Cyndi Stewart, visit rootcausehealthsolutions.com

 LORI HEISLER
WOD Impact Member Spotlight
by Joce Blake
Educator, social entrepreneur, and humanitarian Lori
Heisler is the definition of fearless. This Women of Denver The answers led Heisler to create the Greater Good
Impact Member has traveled five continents on a mission Institute, a training and development company for social
to inspire, impact and influence people, especially on the entrepreneurs. The company’s mission is to provide
“
topic of child sex trafficking and
child exploitation.
Heisler says she has been an
advocate for children her entire I have always
life. As a child, she admired leaders
like Martin Luther King, Jr., and
known my life
thought she could leave that kind of had a calling
impact on the world, too. She was
an elementary school teacher for 15
bigger than I
years and eventually became a school could ever
administrator. She found she was
more interested in children’s social imagine.”
and emotional well being than their
test scores, and she left that world.
“I knew I still had work to do,” she says. “I started by taking
a long hard look at my values and what I most wanted to be
remembered for. The questions I had about who I was soon
became the driving force behind everything I did.”
7 WOMEN OF DENVER QUARTERLY SPRING 2018
THE GREATER GOOD INSTITUTE IS BORN
“opportunities for female leaders,
professionals, and companies to
leverage their influence, strengthen their
leadership, uplift humanity and become
inspiring agents of change.” Heisler also
created the Good for Her Startup Camp,
which trains women entrepreneurs to
run companies that make the world
better for women and children.
She also has built the Greater Good
Institute as a platform to end child
exploitation and sex trafficking, which
is her passion. The company gives 1
percent of its time, 1 percent of its
services and 1 percent of its profits to
EPCAT, a global organization that fights child exploitation.
“I have always known my life had a calling bigger than I
could ever imagine,” she says. “If anyone ever asked me,
‘Lori, what change do you most want to see in the world,’
I’d always have the same answer. I want to end all violence
and exploitation against children.
 WOD IMPACT SPOTLIGHT MEMBER LORI HEISLER 8

“I can’t think of anything more devastating than an innocent are being trafficked and exploited for sex—often by someone they
child being bought, sold and exploited for sex,” she says. know, someone they met online or even a family member, she says.
With fire in her soul and determination in her heart, she gained
more knowledge about trafficking and decided that the end of WE HAVE THE POWER TO INFLUENCE

R
child trafficking would be the cause her business had to support.
TRAVELING TO GET THE BIG PICTURE
In October 2017, with the guidance of ECPAT-USA, a non-profit
working to end child exploitation, Heisler embarked on a 30 day
Heisler says you don’t have to be a social activist to support the
end of trafficking. You can use your influence and buying power.
“From empowering employees, ensuring slavery-free supply
chains, using ethically sourced products and services and engaging
customers and stakeholders in the cause, we have the ability to

“
advocacy journey to Singapore and Thailand. make a serious impact on this global human
Wanting to gain a broader perspective and rights crisis,”she says.
learn how her business could best support To do this, she encourages everyone to
the end of child trafficking and slavery, become educated as consumers, travelers,
Heisler spent time meeting with leaders and
organizations already working to prevent and
From empowering community members, and business owners.
end these crimes. employees... using • Take a look at business practices and
decide to work only with responsible
Her journey began with a meeting with
Mrinalini Venkatachalam, head of the United
ethically sourced vendors and service providers.
Nations Women Public Awareness and Youth products and • Train your employees on what to look
for and ensure everyone agrees to adhere
Committee. They discussed the importance
of uplifting girls and women around the services... we have to child labor and human rights laws
world and the work being done to achieve
gender equality. Her biggest takeaway: We
the ability to make • Look within your sphere of influence
to see where you can lend expertise,
still have a lot of work to do. a serious impact on resources or talent to organizations
that work to end these crimes.
“When women are empowered, we invest 80
to 90 percent of what we earn back into our this global human “As educated consumers, we can make
family and our community,” she says. “We rights crisis." the conscious decision to only buy from
have every reason to uplift women.” conscious and ethical companies,” she says.
She also met Laura Marks Entwistle, founder “We can shop from conscious businesses.
and CEO of a nonprofit that works to We can book accommodations and travel
disrupt the business of child sex trafficking, EmancipAction. with hotels and airlines like Marriott Resorts or Delta, both
adopters of the CODE, an initiative to end trafficking in the travel
“Laura and I share the belief that there is no other work more and tourism industry.”
important than ending child sex slavery,” she says. “It’s the worst
possible thing happening to the most disenfranchised children in In the world we live in, it has become very
the world.” easy to turn a blind eye to this issue.
Fighting this epidemic is just as important
Heisler says she learned that it’s a misconception that child as any other equal right because
sex trafficking only happens in Southeast Asia. She says that every human deserves the pursuit of
trafficking victims can be found in factories, construction sites, happiness. We are thankful to have
truck stops, hotels, bars, fisheries and at sex venues all over the forces like Heisler who are willing To become a WOD
world. Backpage and craigslist are notorious. to educate and empower others to Impact Member, visit
In the United States, its usually our most vulnerable children who make a difference.
JoinWOD.com
 W

5 SHIFT OUR
CULTURAL
Ways to Over the last couple of years, we’ve witnessed some
really challenging social issues. The events relating
to #metoo, #blacklivesmatter, government upheaval,
LGBTQ injustices and others have opened a giant
wound in our country, and it needs attention!
Our days of turning a blind eye have put us in this position.
We now need boldness from those who have higher
standards. We need to hear from those who have great ideas,
and we need action from those who have the courage and
power to shift the current cultural paradigm.

PARADIGM
by Stephen Glitzer, CHWC, Holistic Life Coach, Chef
& Susan Golicic, PhD, CPIC, Holistic Life Coach
Uninhibited Wellness
Where are these superhuman people who are capable of
these great feats? They are reading this article at this exact
moment! Yes, YOU! It may seem too great of a challenge to
change this society’s culture, but you CAN make an impact.
You can influence your family and friends, your circle, your
community, and your local government, among many others.
It’s time to kick apathy in the teeth and create the equitable
relationships we all crave. It’s time to take charge and lead
with conviction. WE NEED CULTURAL EVOLUTION!

9 WOMEN OF DENVER QUARTERLY WINTER 2017

 5 WAYS TO SHIFT OUR CULTURAL PARADIGM 10

WHAT ARE SOME THINGS WE CAN DO?

HERE ARE 5 BEHAVIORS TO HELP ADVANCE EQUITY IN OUR SOCIETY.

1 Listen.
Try to shift your mindset to one of being solutions-
oriented. When someone is challenging your opinion,
5 Inclusivity.
be open and try to process the idea, ask questions, and
evaluate whether it holds water. We too often shut down
the voice of those who have different ideas. We were all
raised with different values, different social conditions,
different economic environments, and that should be
considered a benefit to problem solving. We need all
perspectives for progress.
This is the very essence of community! We are
all connected, and everyone needs to be involved! People
of all cultures, backgrounds and beliefs who live in the
community must be included. This isn’t a fight for who’s
right and who’s wrong, but how to lift each other up as
a society. Considering everyone’s voice will help us grow
into a new age of equity. While not everyone can be
served all the time, everyone can still be seen and heard!

2 Voice.
Don’t play it safe and stay silent when you have
something to say. Use your voice when you have an
Our wounds are deep. Like a bear with its foot caught in a trap,
we’re angry, we yell, we snap and we bite at those around us. But the
wounds can be healed. When leaders like you listen, speak up, take
brave action, build community of diverse ideas and lift others up
opinion about something that was said or done. Offer despite differences of opinion, we will create a movement of mindful
your ideas to start or improve conversations. Be sure people who want to build a culture where all people can thrive.
that you are speaking for positive change and not
mimicking negativity or condescension. Your voice
doesn’t have to be the loudest or sharpest to be the most
effective.

3 Bravery.
Take action while injustice is playing out in front of
you. Be supportive of those around you who are trying
to communicate and defend. Trust that you will be
supported by those in your circle when you need to
act. Creating a culture where a #metoo movement is
not necessary takes incredible courage as we move to
change what have long been considered social norms.
Don’t be afraid to be the first to do something—someone
has to lead each effort and why not you?

4 Community.
We are a species who have survived multiple millennia.
We easily create lifestyles and achieve goals. We tend
to make friends with those who have similar interests,
and as a result, we avoid conflict (which is a bad habit
to start). Find ways to stretch your comfort zone and to
reach out to get to know your neighbors. Get involved,
connect with others, and see the value people have to
offer instead of which differences to avoid.
 PIPELINE
THE DATA DRIVEN PATH TO GENDER EQUITY
“Gender Equity in the Workplace Finally Achieved.”
This headline you’ve most likely never seen before.
But one Denver woman is working diligently to
make it happen.
Katica Roy is the co-founder and CEO of Pipeline
Equity, and she passionately steers the company
toward turning this fantasy into reality.
Companies have said for years that they are committed
to diversity. And many have increased their numbers of
female and minority employees. However, Roy found they
often struggle to tie their gender equity initiatives to their
financial measures.
Pipeline uses artificial intelligence and some proprietary
platforms to operationalize gender equity in the
workplace. The goal is to make gender equity initiatives
achievable, stop unconscious bias and ultimately improve
the financial performance of a business.
“We fill that gap for companies that are really struggling
to operationalize their commitment to gender equity and
increase their financial performance through closing their
gender-equity gap,” Roy says.
11 WOMEN OF DENVER QUARTERLY SPRING 2018
by Angela Jackson
Many diversity and inclusion solutions are generally
connected to the hiring process, Roy says. Pipeline
does more.
“We offer fundamentally the first solution that actually
ties in the system every decision you’re making around
gender equity,” she says. “We quantify the projected
economic value of that decision.”
Roy says the seed for making gender equity actionable
sprouted when she was a guest on a radio show in 2015.
The host asked her and the panel of women if they
believed the gender pay gap would be closed in her
lifetime. She noticed that no one had really looked at
the issue at a microeconomic level, so that’s what she set
out to do.
One of the most important pieces that drives Pipeline’s
goal is the need to change the narrative so that people can
see themselves in the story. While women most often lend
their voice to the gender equity issue, all voices are needed
to effect real change.
“Men are the other half of the conversation,” she
says. “Part of that is because they hold the majority
of leadership positions in our companies. We have to
 PIPELINE THE DATA DRIVEN PATH TO GENDER EQUITY 12

broaden what we mean when we talk about gender equity and really
provide a path for everyone to be part of that conversation and
move it forward.”
Being the daughter of an immigrant and a refugee also fuels Roy’s
quest for equity. Her mother evacuated from the Channel Islands
during World War II and her father fled Hungary during the 1956
Revolution. Her parents’ struggle for freedom is directly related to
her fight for fairness.
“I was raised to never give up and to always do my best,” she says.
“There was a sense of immense gratitude for the opportunities t
hat we had been given to be in this country and what not being
in this country meant. There was a sense of duty and obligation
and gratitude for what had been given to us and we should
always give back.”
Roy says she keeps her background in mind constantly to keep
momentum going.
“I get up everyday to ensure that I make an impact so that the
women and men, boys and girls coming after me have more
opportunity than I had,” she says.
She says she also gains inspiration from a
Marianne Williamson quote:
“Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing
enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel
insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. It’s
not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light
shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the
same.”
If you are thinking about starting a business and helping to close
the gender equity gap, Roy’s advice is to be strategic. Do your
research and when it comes down to it, take the leap and the ledge
will appear.
“We need more women not only to start their own businesses,
but to start really, really big businesses,” she says. “It’s how we will
continue to change the trajectory. We need more women to dream
big. Economic power can change the world. Hands down.”
Pipeline Equity is poised on a robust growth trajectory and hopes
to continue to make a substantial dent in the gender equity gap
and expand the economic pie for everyone.

“
We need more women
not only to start their
own businesses, but
to start really, really
big businesses...
It’s how we will
continue to change
the trajectory. We
need more women to
dream big. Economic
power can change the
world. Hands down.”

WALNUT STREET PHOTOGRAPHY

For more information about Katica Roy or

Pipeline Equity supporting your company,
visit pipelineequity.com.
 ESS

LET’S GO FURTHER,
TOGETHER.
•
•

Learn more:
AcademicAlliances@snhu.edu

13 WOMEN OF DENVER QUARTERLY SPRING 2018


ESSENTIAL LESSONS I'VE LEARNED
CHOOSING ENTREPRENEURSHIP
I knew what I wanted to do from a young age. I
wanted to be a teacher. I went to college right out of
high school because that’s “how things were done.”
And then two years into my education, I didn’t want to
be a teacher anymore. So I got another degree… but no
job interviews.
I wanted to work for a paycheck and have someone else worry
about how that money would get into my pocket. However,
when I graduated from college in 2008 and then again in 2011,
the economy was down and those fancy pieces of paper I had
worked so hard for—and will still be paying off 20 years from
today—weren’t worth anything.
I had no job, no prospects, and a considerable amount of debt.
I became a freelancer… then a business owner.
Until that point, I had never considered being a freelancer. But
I felt frustrated and stuck, so I did what I could to get some
experience and income. Turns out, I was really good at it.
I started out doing assistant work, keeping the execs organized. I
wrote copy for blogs, landing pages, and lead magnets. I managed
social media accounts and envisioned new campaigns. Over time
I discovered that I was a marketer. Finding the right fit for my
personal brand, however, was a square peg/round hole situation.
And that’s when I realized…. I didn’t want to be a freelancer. I
wanted to handle business the way
that felt most authentic and
effective for me. I wanted
to be a business owner.
Shauna Armitage is a
freelance marketing strategist,
as well as founder of the
Making Moxie podcast and
challenges.
ESSENTIAL LESSIONS I LEARNED CHOOSING ENTREPRENEURSHIP 14
by Shauna Armitage
3 THINGS I LEARNED AS I BUILT MY BUSINESS
As a high schooler, I thought everyone had 9-5s. People
didn’t own businesses, corporations did! When being dumped
unceremoniously into the job market after graduation, I
discovered that wasn’t true. More and more people are taking
this path into entrepreneurship today as they are discovering that
the road they thought they had to travel is blocked—or not a
desirable road to go down.
While it’s common in our culture for more and more
professionals to turn to entrepreneurship, it’s not an easy thing
to do. And these are the three essential lessons I took from this
crazy experience:
1. Owning a business means that YOU are responsible for finding
your next source of revenue, building the brand, and creating
positive outcomes. Responsibility can be scary, and you will fail.
Learn from it. Each failure—no matter how big or small—will
shape you into the the kind of leader and business woman you
want to be.
2. Regardless of whether you work for that paycheck or you work
for yourself, you still need to have a deep understanding of your
personal values. No matter what your business is, you’ll have to
interact with other people, so communication and flexibility are
important. However, there should be some things you will never
compromise on. Identify what those things are, and they will
become the north star that guides you in growing your company.
3. There are a lot of things you don’t know that you don’t know.
How can you find solutions to problems you don’t know exist?
You can’t. You’re going to make some mistakes, and that’s ok, but
the best things you can give yourself as a new business owner
are the gifts of knowledge, mentorship, and community.
There’s always someone who has already been where you are,
and there’s always someone who is willing to support you. Find
those people and learn everything you can from them! Build a
community around yourself and your business that will be the
foundation upon which you can build real success.

Saralyn Ward hosts a parenting segment on
Colorado’s Everyday Show, and is the founder of The
Mama Sagas, a community of women sharing their
stories in video and blog form. For more stories of
local Colorado women balancing a career and family,
visit The Mama Sagas blog every Wednesday.
15 WOMEN OF DENVER QUARTERLY SPRING 2018
THE TRUE COST
OF CHILDCARE
EXPLORING THE IMPACT ON COLORADO'S WORKING MOTHERS
by Saralyn Ward
I am a working mother, with two children in full-time, center-
based daycare, and I’ll be honest: Every month I wonder if it’s
worth it.
When I was first pregnant, I was working full time as a project
manager. I liked my job, but I knew it was only a step on my
career path. I had many more goals to pursue, and I remember
feeling nervous, unsure how having a child would impact my career.
I wondered, would I want to keep working? Would I be able to find
daycare? Would I suddenly become irrelevant in my industry? How
would I balance my aspirations with my new, cherished role as a mother?
But something unexpected happened after I gave birth: While my heart
expanded exponentially with infinite love for my child, my personal goals
and priorities came sharply into focus. Not only did I want to continue my
career, but doing so became a matter of self-preservation. With little eyes watching
me, I felt a renewed drive to succeed and live a life of purpose. I wanted to work,
and I needed to do it efficiently. With dreams to chase and a daughter along for the
ride, I was determined to continue my career.
Little did I know the biggest challenge I’d face was be the astronomical cost of
daycare.
My husband and I both have good jobs, but still, our daycare costs surpass our
mortgage payment. Currently 93 percent of my personal salary goes to paying for
childcare. In the 4 ½ years since having my first child, I have tried almost every
 THE TRUE COST OF CHILDCARE EXPLORING
working
situation
imaginable.
I’ve stayed
home. I’ve
worked remotely. I’ve
freelanced. I’ve started my own
business. I’ve worked part-time. And I’ve worked
full-time. I even tried network marketing. Every one of my
moves was heavily influenced by our childcare options at the
time—or perhaps more accurately, lack thereof.
And I’m certainly not alone. Working parents across Colorado are
trying to navigate the rocky waters of costly and limited childcare
while minimizing the impact on their careers. Single parents and
families living below the poverty line are hit the hardest by the
lack of quality, licensed childcare in the state, and while there are
resources available to help, they are hard to find.
As operational costs continue to rise and with limited federal
and state support, childcare centers are forced to raise prices
or sacrifice the quality of care. Often, this equates to hiring
underqualified employees and paying them less than a living wage.
In a September 2017 report written
by the University of Denver’s Butler
Institute for Families in partnership
with Brodsky Research and Consulting,
it was noted that “families are unable
to pay the full cost of the quality care
and education that they want and that
society benefits from. However, society
is not picking up the marginal costs
between what families can afford and
what quality services cost. The result is
that the early care and education sector
is in market failure.”
In the same report, the facts are
laid bare:
• In Colorado, families with enrollment, which, in the end, helps
an infant or toddler in center- employers.”
based care pay 44 percent more Fabiano sums up the problem we face
for childcare each year than
they would pay for a year of “Colorado is known as a ‘childcare
college tuition.
• Statewide, there is licensed who need care than the state can hold.”
capacity for only 18 percent
of the state’s 2 year olds
THE IMPACT ON COLORADO'S WORKING MOTHERS 16
• Colorado is one of the top ten least affordable states
for childcare, with center-based infant care costing
40 percent more than the national average.
• Public funding to support early care and education
in Colorado offsets only 28 percent of the cost of
providing care—10 percent less than the national average.
According to the National Women’s Law Center, 7 in 10
mothers today are in the workforce. Yet a 2015 Washington Post
survey reported 51 percent of parents stopped working or took
a less challenging job for caregiving reasons.
Because women typically make less than men, mothers are
often the parent to put their career on hold. Then, when their
children enter school, women often struggle to find work
because of the “mom gap” on their resume. Lack of affordable
child care isn’t just affecting women in the years when they rely
on it; their long-term career trajectory and earning potential
may be affected for years to come.
The repercussions don’t end there. Companies are faced with
the cost of high employee turnover, the economy suffers as
disposable income diminishes, and society loses the long-term
economic benefits associated with early childhood education.
Yet there is hope: These socio-economic consequences are
proving to be catalysts for innovative solutions.
For example, WorkLife Partnership is a Denver-based nonprofit
partnering with Care.com in a pilot program to invest in family
childcare settings. They aim to increase the availability of affordable,
licensed care by providing grants to at-home daycare providers. This,
in turn, serves the companies with which they partner.
“Our goal is to partner with businesses in Colorado to fill
the need of their employees’ childcare. We hope this leads to
less turnover,” says Cathy Fabiano,
Childcare Business Manager for
WorkLife Partnership. “What we’re
doing is literally one-on-one [training
for childcare providers]. I’m going to
their house, looking at their space,
helping them realize they could have
5 more children and saying ‘What do
we need to do to make this work?’
We have used grant funding to replace
fences and windows, given them
equipment, bought curriculum. For one
of our providers, we will pay for her
Director certification. We are building
these providers’ self-confidence [as]
small business owners to increase their
in Colorado with one simple statement:
desert’ because there are more people
As our state continues to attract more
residents and the cost of living increases,
I hope this is just the beginning of
AMANDA ASHLEY
 our collective brainstorming session on ways to make the desert
flourish with more opportunities for affordable, quality care. The
women of Denver—and the country as a whole—are counting on it.
Heidi, works full time with 2 kids in daycare, $2400-3000 per month
in childcare:
“Daycare eats a lot of our disposable
income—$30k of it each year. That’s
money that can’t be saved for college
or put to other uses. But the other day
I said to my husband, even if we were
eating mac & cheese for dinner every
night, I’d still keep my kids in school.
When you find somewhere you love
with people you trust, you don’t doubt
what you’re doing. You just make it
work.”
Jacquelyn, left full-time corporate job to
move to part-time work, spends $1600 a
month in childcare:
“The most challenging aspect to this
situation is that as a mother I innately
put my children’s needs first. Having
to acquiesce to my financial situation is
torture. Knowing your family needs you
in a very close and personal capacity
AND knowing that you have to sacrifice
that to provide financially causes an
intense emotional strain.”
Meggan, single mother working a
demanding job with an airline, $2000 a
month in childcare:
“The most challenging part of my move
to Denver has been finding reliable
childcare. I need child care consistently
from 5 AM to 5 PM, but someone who
is flexible enough to sometimes come
earlier, stay later, and do overnights
because my job requires a fair amount
of travel. I was not able to be promoted as quickly as I could
have been due to the lack of flexibility in my schedule due to
unreliable child care. Having to call in on short notice and missing
meetings because my child is sick, or I don’t have someone to pick
her up from school means I need to take PTO, and impacts my
performance at work. The amount of stress and worry is a huge
distraction.”
Alima, made a complete career change
because she couldn’t find childcare, $120
a month in childcare:
“I was an elementary teacher, but after
scrambling for childcare constantly and
going through 6 different childcare
situations in one school year, I decided
to quit my teaching job. It was too
stressful! Trying to find a job that would
work around my husband's constantly
changing schedule was nearly impossible, so I created my own. I
decided to take a year to fully pursue my passion in photography
17 WOMEN OF DENVER QUARTERLY SPRING 2018
and see if I could make a part-time career out of it. It has been so
much fun and manageable being a family photographer.”
Camille, works part-time in the fitness
industry, juggles childcare between
both parents and a kids’ club onsite at
work, $150 per month in childcare:
“We began the process of looking
for daycare when we found out I was
pregnant. We toured many places, but
they were ALL waitlisted. Even if they
did have room, I wasn't sure we could
afford to put him in daycare. We used
a nanny two days per week for his first year because there was no
room in any daycare facilities we researched. Also, most we found
did not offer part-time and because of the nature of our jobs, we
did not need a full-time daycare.”
Celeste, single parent who works an
hourly manufacturing job, pays $400
per month in childcare and drives 40
minutes each way for a friend to watch
her child:
“My biggest challenge is not being
able to have a stable babysitter. You
don’t know if suddenly they’ll say
they can’t watch kids anymore for
whatever reason. It has happened
to me before, to where I have to find someone the next day.
It makes it really hard because I have to miss work or have to
be late. I always panic. I don’t have the opportunity to do as
much as I’d like to, like stay for overtime or go in on weekends
if needed. Even if I wanted a second job
for the extra income I’d have to find a
night babysitter and that’s twice as
complicated and I’d have to pay
twice as much. I would prefer
to work in a different
department than
where I’m at,
where there’s
better pay, but
it’s a 12-hour
shift with
a rotating
schedule and
I can’t do
that. I’m very
limited in what
I can do.”
 18

$
100 OFF *

WOMEN OF DENVER
EXCLUSIVE OFFER

FINE ART BOUDOIR

everyWoman.
everyAge.
everyBody.

denverboudoirphotos.com/wod

720-213-6476  lynn@lynnclarkportraits.com

follow @lynnclarkportraits
*May be used toward Signature Boudoir Session only. One per customer, per year.
 THE TRICK OF COOPERATION
WOMEN CREATING NETWORKS OF CHANGE
BY LYDIA HOOPER, FOUNTAIN VISUAL COMMUNICATIONS
“The opposite to patriarchy is not matriarchy but fraternity,
and I think it’s women who are going to have to break the
spiral of power and find the trick of cooperation.”
—Germaine Greer
We all know that old structures are changing fast. What we
don’t always see is that women are playing a pivotal role in
birthing the new ones being created.
We also often hear about the challenges women face, and we
need to hear more about the strengths we bring to them.
Women who are leading change efforts in Denver call us to use
our current opportunity to see ourselves—and show up in the
networks we are involved in—in new, groundbreaking ways.
THE POWER AND ROLE OF NETWORKS
Despite often having fewer traditional resources, women are
incredibly rich in social capital, often exchanged in informal
networks. We rely on informal networks, both online and in
person, to get jobs, find childcare, and inform one another
about current affairs.
“We don’t know that what we’re doing in informal networks is
using our power,” said Nita Mosby Tyler, founder of The Equity
Project. “We only think about power when we think of formal
networks. With informal networks, we call it relationship, my peeps,
19 WOMEN OF DENVER QUARTERLY SPRING 2018
my girlfriends. That is called ‘referent power.’ That to me is the
basis of good, authentic networks: Respect and reciprocity is clear,
and you’re not just leveraging people when you need something.”
For women, these networks extend across apparent boundaries
between the personal, professional, and political. “‘The personal
is political,’” quipped Dede de Percin, executive director of
Mile High Health Alliance. “It’s pretty hard to separate those
out. For many people who get to choose their jobs—and not
everybody does—they’re drawn to the work for a reason and
those reasons tend to be personal.”
Research suggests that women may be more reticent to network
or ask for things from their networks simply because they aren’t
as confident about the value of what they can reciprocate.
Case in point: Megan Devenport, executive director of Building
Bridges, said since taking this position she has discovered that
although she needs to compartmentalize her networks less if she
wants to be more effective at raising funds for her nonprofit, she
is still cautious about building relationships based on wanting
to get something out of them.
INNER WORK
“I think networks are inside-out work,” Tyler said. “It starts with
your self-reflection about your own power and from that is the

creation of your informal networks and formal networks. Some
of these are by association, but some have everything to do with
who you are and what you stand for.”
Working in networks can also challenge us to change our habits,
according to Malinda Mochizuki, an MPA student who works at
UC-Denver’s Center on Network Science. Mochizuki describes
herself as a Type-A, goal-oriented person.
“As a result of working more in collaborative, network-oriented
ways, I’ve found I’ve had to let some of that go,” she said. “I
had to take a step back and look at the project as a learning
process: How can we bring all these different people together and
collaborate with one another to meet broader goals while also
meeting our individual or organizational goals?”
De Percin worked in a formal network that leveraged leaders from
both political parties. She said that formal networks in particular
can force us to work with those we don’t always naturally align with.
“Our strategy was to bring the voices to the table that would
help get the campaign across the finish line,” she said. As
uncomfortable as it can be, she said we need some level of outside
opinion to help us avoid groupthink and test ideas, even if it
means we work with those with different values than our own.
A NEW VISION OF LEADERSHIP
For decades, women have been held to the male leadership
model, but we are often criticized when we break from social
norms and appear to be more assertive or achievement-oriented.
While women are acknowledged for their leadership skills in
situations of crisis (known as the glass cliff), too often men are
valued for “teamwork” behaviors that are written off as merely
stereotypical in women.
Fortunately, women are learning to value one another more.
“What I’m beginning to see more and more of in women’s
networks is the valuing of expert power,” Tyler said. “Leadership
looks very different when you have a consciousness of expertise,
because it’s the valuing of the expertise of others, regardless of
their titles.”
Studies have shown that if a group includes more women, its
collective intelligence rises (interestingly, it doesn’t necessarily
rise if it includes more members with high IQs). Some think
it’s because we're less likely to dominate conversations and we're
more likely to draw others in, both of which can significantly
impact group decision-making and progress.
“As more and more women enter the workforce, we’re seeing
much more of a horizontal work structure, where leadership is
more distributed and relational,” Mochizuki said. “There’s a
shift toward more open, adaptive structures.”
Devenport agrees changemaking and leadership is now
happening in decentralized groups, and will continue to be.
“As women, we have a whole lot of alternative ways of
leading to offer,” she said. “I think many things are shifting
in that direction in part because women are moving into
those leadership positions. However, I think in the absence
THE TRICK OF COOPERATION WOMEN CREATING NETWORKS OF CHANGE 20
of consciously naming where other more oppressive forms of
leadership are showing up, we run the risk of defaulting into that.”
HOW YOU CAN BE THE CHANGE
“There’s so much ambiguity around these moves that we are
making,” Tyler said. “We’re calling it a ‘movement,’ which to me
indicates temporary, in response to. It’s not a movement, we’re
changing the culture.
“We have to start naming it as power.”
Here are some tips these women gave for others looking to lead
themselves and their networks towards a better culture for us all:
1. Recognize your power and strengths and look for
opportunities to join new networks based on them.
2. Learn about internalized misogyny and intersectional
feminism and reflect how they affect group dynamics. Seek
out accountability partners, both who share similar identities
and who represent different ones.
3. Meet regularly with women in similar positions as you to
share about challenges and celebrate each others’ successes.
Lydia Hooper partners with organizations and networks to help them collaborate and
communicate about complex topics. You can read more articles and get her free ebook
“Using Visuals to Support Collaborative Work” at www.fountainvisualcommunications.com.
SERVING OUR LOCAL COMMUNITY
BY FULFILLING THE DREAM OF
Homeownership
Tina Lombard
Loan Officer NMLS ID#147594
253-332-5986
tlombard@envoymortgage.com
www.envoymortgage.com/loan-officer/tina-lombard
9035 Wadsworth Pkwy Suite 2730
Westminster, CO 80021
All applications are subject to credit approval. Program terms and conditions are subject to change without notice. Some products may not be available in all states. Other restrictions
and limitations may apply. This is not a commitment to lend. Envoy Mortgage Ltd. #6666, 5100 Westheimer Rd., #320, Houston, TX 77056, 877-232-2461; AR Banker/Broker/Servicer
License #103315 - AZ Mortgage Banker Licensee – License #0908096; Licensed by the Department of Business Oversight under the California Residential Mortgage Lending Act License
#413 0597; CO Mortgage Company Registration # 6666, Regulated by the Division of Real Estate; Licensed by the Delaware State Bank Commissioner Licensed Lender Licensee
#011264; Georgia Residential Mortgage Licensee License #23619; Illinois Residential Mortgage Licensee – License #MB.6759338; MA Mortgage Lender Licensee – License #MC6666;
MA Mortgage Broker Licensee – License #MC6666; Envoy Mortgage Limited Partnership – Licensed by the New Hampshire Banking Department License #14552-MB; Licensed by the
N.J. Department of Banking and Insurance NMLS #6666; Nevada – Envoy Mortgage, Ltd, 5100 Westheimer Road, Suite 320, Houston, TX 77056; Phone number (702) 425-5986 –
Mortgage Broker License – License #4305; Licensed Mortgage Banker – NYS Department of Financial Services, License #B500979, 746 Merrick Rd., Baldwin, NY 11510; OH Mortgage
Broker Act Certificate of Registration # MB.804190.000, SM.501928.000; OR Mortgage Lending Licensee #ML-3933; Rhode Island Licensed Lender – License # 20092627LL; Rhode
Island Licensed Loan Broker – License # 20122861LB; TX Mortgage Banker Registration- NMLS #6666; TX Regulated Loan License #42377. This office is licensed and examined by the
Office of Consumer Credit Commissioner of the State of Texas; Virginia NMLS ID#6666 (www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org) – Lender License and Broker License # MC3021; Envoy
Mortgage Ltd d/b/a Envoy Mortgage, L.P.- WA Consumer Loan Company License # CL-6666 – http://nmlsconsumeraccess.org
 For 20 years, Work Options for Women has helped people
overcome barriers to sustainable employment by building
confidence. Through their innovative program, they have provided
resources and culinary job training to more than 3,000 people.
“In a city that is on the rise in every aspect, we need to ensure
that the folks who have the least, rise with everyone else,” said
Bailey Denmark, Work Options for Women’s development director.
“Given Denver’s record-low unemployment, it might seem that
even individuals facing serious barriers can get a job without a
training and support program like ours. But in reality, across the
county, 60 to 70 percent of individuals with a criminal history are
unable to find employment more than 12 months after release.”
Some people don’t know that Denver has struggled with helping
its citizens maintain employment due to many variables—the most
impactful of which is homelessness. One in ten Denver residents
reported that they have experienced homelessness, according to a
2016 poll conducted by The Denver Foundation.
“And, we know it is unlikely that those who face the most serious
employment barriers will be able to retain employment until they
begin addressing the underlying challenges to stability in their
lives,” Denmark said.
Work Options for Women has worked to help people address these
challenges with great success.

RISE
A RESPONSE TO 1996 WELFARE REFORM
Work Options for Women began in 1997 when a social worker
started a culinary job-training program to help disadvantaged
women obtain entry-level employment in food service. It was a
response to The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity
Reconciliation Act of 1996, also known as welfare reform.
“Today, we not only prepare disadvantaged workers to obtain
entry-level employment, we work to ensure that graduates have the
culinary skills, job-readiness skills, life skills and ongoing support

ABOVE
they will need to retain sustainable employment and pursue a
permanent career,” she said.
Denmark said Work Options for Women offers culinary training
because food service is one of the few job sectors willing to hire
individuals with a criminal history or with less than a high school
education.
And, Denmark said, the Denver-metro area has more than 3,500

CIRCUMSTANCE
open food service jobs. Because of the amazing impact, they have
developed a strong community need for their services.
“Work Options for Women’s sector-focused skills training
and multiple opportunities for hands-on skills practice give
our students self-confidence and a ‘leg up’ when they seek
MEET DENVER'S WORK OPTIONS FOR WOMEN employment,” she said.
Maria: A success story
by Joce Blake
Maria came to Work Options for Women from the court system.
She had been convicted of a felony while struggling with addiction.
Above all, Maria was taking care of her young children as she
awaited sentencing.

21 WOMEN OF DENVER QUARTERLY SPRING 2018

 RISE ABOVE CIRCUMSTANCE DENVER'S WORK OPTIONS FOR WOMEN 22

There was a chance that Maria would have to go to prison WORK OPTIONS FOR WOMEN’S VALUES

C R E P E
for up to ten years. But she was so determined to gain the
skills and knowledge to be successful and eager to change her
life that she was unbothered by a possible prison sentence.
“The judge presiding over her sentencing hearing was so
impressed with the work she was doing to create a different COMMUNITY RESPECT EMPOWERMENT PRACTICALITY ECONOMIC
story for herself that he granted her parole,” Denmark said. STABILITY
“Maria completed her core training with us and went on They work as a They hold in They strive to They provide
to our advanced training program where upon completion, team with high esteem increase the real world They promote
she was hired as an entry-level worker. She was quickly common the women who skills and education and self-sufficiency
promoted to a supervisory position and is currently a purpose to have chosen to confidence of training
fulfill their change their women in
manager at a local restaurant.”
mission lives poverty

SUPPORTING WOMEN … AND ALL PEOPLE

The name of the program begs the question: why women? “Every time we lift up a woman and provide her with
skills and support to be sustainably employed, that woman
“Statistically speaking, most single-parent households are touches so many other women in our community. By
headed by women. With this in mind, our thought is that supporting our organization, you’re giving women a chance
if you train a woman the impact is greater for their entire to succeed and strengthen our community as a whole.”
family and the community in which they live,” Denmark
said. “While we predominantly serve women, we have always It is beautiful to know that this gem is right in our
served men and will continue to serve all people, regardless backyard. But it’s not enough to be thankful. We have to
of their gender expression, race, creed, religion, etc.” make sure Work Options for Women continues to serve our
community. You can make a gift online at workoptions.org/
The organization adopted its core values of community, donate, or contact Denmark at bdenmark@workoptions.org.
respect, empowerment, practicality and economic stability to
create focus and remember that even in a thriving economy,
there are those who don’t have the skills or knowledge to be
successful. That’s why the organization exists.
“We help people get a job and maintain that job so they
can become sustainably employed and successful in their
community. We won’t be satisfied until everyone in the
community has a real chance at success,” Denmark said.
She said working for the organization has taught her
important lessons. First, she said, every student wants to
be successful and can positively impact their own future.
Next, she said, given an opportunity, there is nothing the
Work Options for Women staff can’t figure out, and there’s
a synergy and strength in a creative group of like-minded
people that is to be admired. And finally, she said, Denver’s
nonprofit community is incredible and Denmark believes
their potential for collaboration is just beginning.
Denmark said that the organization’s board and staff
have been working over the last year to add a new target
population and new service-delivery model. In 2018, they
will offer culinary training at their current cafes and will
support a halfway house for ex-offenders.
“In 2017, Work Options for Women was the only Denver
agency selected to receive substantial funding from Impact
100 Metro Denver,” she said. “These grant funds are being
used for a new mobile culinary classroom and program
expansion. And, we have recently established several new
partnerships within the re-entry community.

TYLER HOUSTON
 by Deborah Radman

Deborah Radman An astronaut, four nonprofit leaders and activists, a university chancellor, a
is a 40-year public former Colorado Lt. Governor, a journalist and suffragette, an educator of the
relations veteran who
deaf, and a community builder and cattle owner comprise the Colorado Women’s
is a director on the
Colorado Women’s Hall of Fame Class of 2018.
Hall of Fame board
and director of the The inductees become the next group of extraordinary contemporary and
Hall’s Marketing PR historical women with significant ties to Colorado, who have made enduring and
exemplary contributions to their fields, inspired and elevated the status of women
and helped open new frontiers for women and society.

HERE, WE INTRODUCE YOU TO THE SIX CONTEMPORARY INDUCTEES WHO INSPIRE US.

GAIL SCHOETTLER, PhD
Politician, Women’s Advocate
Induction Date – 2018
Gail Schoettler is a formidable and tireless
advocate for women. She is the first woman
to be both Colorado’s lieutenant governor
(1995-1999) and state treasurer (1987-1994).
Schoettler started her political career on the Douglas County
Board of Education in 1979, also serving as president. In 1983,
Governor Dick Lamm named her executive director for the
state’s Department of Personnel.
As lieutenant governor, she negotiated cleanup agreements
for the Rocky Mountain Arsenal and the Rocky Flats Nuclear
Weapons Facility, saving billions by dramatically reducing
the cleanup time. She also launched Colorado’s School-to-
Work reform, growing it to include 28,000 businesses and
95 percent of public school students, making Colorado the
national leader in School-to-Work.
In 1999, President Clinton appointed Schoettler as an
ambassador to negotiate a global communications treaty with
189 nations. She co-founded the International Women’s Forum
and the group Electing Women.
Schoettler served as co-founder, CEO and president of the
Children’s Museum of Colorado. She also co-founded the
Women’s Bank N. A. in Denver. She remains involved in her
family business as general partner of the Avenales Land and
Cattle Company, and supports the Shell Creek Wine Company.
She and her husband Donald Stevens own eGlobal Education, a
travel company introducing business and community leaders to
their counterparts overseas.
Schoettler has led business delegations to emerging markets,
introducing Colorado business leaders to key government
ministers and businesspeople. Her experience in international
business and politics underlie her knowledge of the economics
and politics of globalization, successful political strategies for
businesses, and issues of importance to women. Corporations
seek her advice on managing the politics of globalization and
government regulations.
SUSAN HELMS
Ret. Air Force Lieutenant General,
NASA Astronaut, Induction Date – 2018
Susan Helms is an explorer and risk-taker,
with a lifetime of first accomplishments
for women.
A retired Air Force lieutenant general (LTG) and astronaut,
Helms was the first military woman in space and holds the
world record for the longest spacewalk (8 hours, 56 minutes).
She was a member of the first class at the Air Force Academy

23 WOMEN OF DENVER QUARTERLY SPRING 2018


to include women, flew on over 30 aircraft (including the F-15 and
F-16 fighters), and was the first woman to serve on the International
Space Station (ISS). LTG Helms retired as a three-star general after
serving as the first female commander of Vandenberg Air Force Base.
LTG Helms earned a MS in aeronautics and astronautics from
Stanford University and was a distinguished graduate of the Air
Force Test Pilot School. As an astronaut from 1991 to 2002, she
logged 211 days in space and was a member of the Columbia Return
to Flight Task Group after the loss of shuttle Columbia.
LTG Helms returned to the Air Force, serving in several capacities.
She was director of plans and policy for the U.S. Strategic Command
at Offutt Air Force Base. At Vandenberg Air Force Base, she served
as 14th Air Force Commander for the Air Force Space Command and
Commander of the Joint Functional Component Command for Space,
US Strategic Command.
A highly decorated officer, her honors include the Distinguished
Service Medal and the Defense Superior Service Medal with two oak
leaf clusters. She received NASA’s Distinguished Service Medal and
Outstanding Leadership Medal. LTG Helms received the R. L. Jones
Award for Outstanding Flight Test Engineer at the Air Force Test Pilot
School, and was inducted into the Astronauts Hall of Fame in 2012.
As a senior Air Force commander, LTG Helms instilled a culture of
education, prevention, and accountability on the serious issue of
sexual assault. Now serving on corporate boards, she advocates for
female voices at the highest level in American business. She also
serves as a role model for students pursuing a STEM education.
DOROTHY HORRELL, PhD
Education and Community Leader
Induction Date – 2018
Dorothy Horrell is a purposeful and
transformative leader, whose influence is
particularly felt in higher education. "I see
education as the instrument of hope,"she said. "It changes lives, not
just for this generation but for generations to follow."
Currently chancellor of University of Colorado Denver, Horell has
a history of leadership in higher education. She has dedicated
her professional life to improving educational opportunities for
Colorado’s youth. She holds three degrees from CSU: a BA in home
economics, and a MA and a PhD in educational administration.
Horrell started out as a high school teacher in Adams County, and
moved to the State Board for Community Colleges and Occupational
Education. She became the first female director of the Division of
Occupational Education, and she was named to the inaugural role of
vice president of Educational Services. In the 1980s, Horrell served
COLORADO WOMEN'S HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES 24
as the first chief academic officer for the Colorado Community
College System and as president of Red Rocks Community College
for 10 years. She expanded outside of education as president
of the Bonfils-Stanton Foundation for 12 years. She received a
gubernatorial appointment to the governing board of the CSU
System Board of Governors, and served as chair of the CSU Board
for two years. She retired briefly before being recruited to become
chancellor of the University of Colorado Denver in 2016.
Horrell has an enduring passion for creating healthy families and
communities. Raised on a ranch homesteaded by her grandfather,
she competed in 4-H at the local, state, and national levels. She’s
served on boards for civic organizations focused on education, the
arts, homelessness, and women’s leadership. As a lasting civic
legacy, Horrell established the Livingston Fellowship Program,
and was instrumental in founding the Institute for Leaders in
Development, programs that support emerging nonprofit leaders.
Horrell’s numerous honors include the Colorado Women's Chamber
of Commerce Top 25 Most Powerful Women, the 2016 ATHENA
leadership award; and the Colorado 4-H Hall of Fame.
FAY MATSUKAGE
Lawyer, Philanthropic and Business Leader
Induction Date – 2018
Fay Matsukage is an inspired and accomplished
leader who pushes boundaries and overcomes
obstacles. Matsukage is one of the first Asian‐
American female attorneys admitted to practice law in Colorado,
specializing in corporate and securities law. She made partner at
her first law firm in three years. She ran her own law firm, and now
practices at the Doida Law Group, LLC. Matsukage is among a few
female attorneys in her specialty, and she is often consulted as one
of the most knowledgeable and experienced individuals in securities
law. Matsukage holds a BA summa cum laude from Colorado College
and a law degree from the University of Denver.
Matsukage was one of three students of Asian descent in college
and law school. With a strong family upbringing and encouragement
from her father, she was driven to help law professionals of Asian
descent in Colorado. Matsukage was a founding member of the
Colorado Asian Pacific American Bar Association, formed in 1990.
She is also a founder of the Colorado Asian Pacific American Bar
Foundation, which awards two annual law school scholarships to the
DU and the University of Colorado law schools. A main beneficiary of
the Foundation is the Denver Asian Pacific Development Center, and
Matsukage assisted with the capital campaign to buy the building
where it is currently located.
Matsukage also helped form the Colorado Women’s Bar Association
Foundation, serving as President from 2007-2009. When asked
 about her community involvement, Matsukage said her great
grandparents moved to Honolulu, and someone gave them a hand. “I
want to help new generations the same way,” she said.
Matsukage’s many honors include the 1999 Trailblazer Award from
the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association, the 2006 Minoru
Yasui Community Service Award from the Asian Pacific American Bar
Association of Colorado, the 2006 Mary Lathrop Trailblazer Award
from The Colorado Women’s Bar, and an Outstanding Alumni Award
from DU’s Sturm College of Law. She dedicates countless hours
educating attorneys about her area of specialty and experience as an
Asian attorney and woman.
LESLIE FOSTER
Nonprofit and Community Leader
Induction Date – 2018
Leslie Foster is a devoted nonprofit leader who
lifts up others to fulfill their potential, making
communities work for diverse populations. Foster
has been the Executive Director of The Gathering Place since 1990,
which serves women and children experiencing homelessness. Phillip
Infelise, CEO of Pcubed, remarked, “One of the most memorable
hours with Leslie was spent walking down Colfax. I quickly realized
Leslie's dedication to serve the community goes well beyond the
walls of The Gathering Place. Everyone we passed addressed Leslie by
her first name; and she did likewise to them. I realized how expansive
the impact of service can be when it comes in the form of a woman
like Leslie." She graduated magna cum laude from Stevens College
in Missouri, and received her MA in Public Administration from
University of Colorado at Denver (CU Denver).
Under Foster’s leadership, The Gathering Place now has an annual
budget of $2 million and assets over $7 million. The organization
serves 250+ members who come daily. In 2016, there were 61,000
visits from 5,986 individuals, including 2,000 children. Over 65,000
meals and 824 medical screenings were provided. In a prior role as
the Pro Bono Project Coordinator of the Mental Health Association of
Colorado (now Mental Health America), Foster created a nationally
recognized program that placed mental health professionals in
schools and shelters.
Foster’s parents instilled a deep sense of civic engagement,
volunteerism, and social justice. Leslie's father was a union pipefitter
and her mother was one of the first Activity Directors in Nursing
Homes, and a member of Governor Romer's Commission on Aging.
Foster joined the Board of Directors of Community Shares of
Colorado (CSC), serving as Board Chair from 1993 – 1996. In 1993,
she became a member of the Denver Community Leadership Forum,
and was appointed to the Mayor's Commission to End Homelessness
in 2003. Her many honors include the Colorado Women’s Agenda
Foremother Award in 1995, Colorado Business and Professional
Women, Woman of the Year in 1999, and Recipe
25 WOMEN OF DENVER QUARTERLY SPRING 2018
GERIE GRIMES
Nonprofit and Community Leader
Induction Date – 2018
Gerie Grimes is a sincere and highly capable
leader who exudes passion for local community
and families, and describes herself first as a
mother, grandmother, and wife of 47 years. She is deeply committed
to Denver’s Park Hill community where she has always lived and
worked. Grimes has been President/CEO of Hope Center for the
past 12 years, a non-profit providing early childhood education and
vocational training for adults with disabilities. She has an MA in
Non-Profit Management from Regis University, and a BA in Non-Profit
Administration from Metropolitan State University. She is a Buell
Fellow and currently a PhD candidate at the University of Denver.
Grimes’ life work is to change the playing field for all regardless of
race, gender, sexual orientation, skin color, or marital status. Hope
Center, where she has worked for 36 years, serves 250 children
including gifted children 2 ½ - 5 and 30 adults with developmental
disabilities. Many are labeled ‘at risk’ by the State, a label Grimes
believe we should abandon because every child comes with strengths
first, and then areas to work on.
Grimes community involvement is expansive across 45 years of
service. She has provided leadership for organizations including the
Center for African American Health, Denver Early Childhood Council,
Colorado Association for the Education of Young Children, National
Black Child Development Institute Denver Affiliate, Transforming
the Early Childhood Education Workforce, Denver Preschool Program
Advisory Board, Holly Area Redevelopment Project (HARP), Mayor’s
Head Start Policy Council, Mayor’s Early Childhood Education
Commission, Metro State University Board of Trustees, Colorado
Black Women for Political Action, Falcons Youth Organization, and the
Police Activities League.
Her incredible dedication has been recognized with many honors
including the Denver Early Childhood Council Founding Board Member
Recognition Award in 2017, William Funk Award for Building Stronger
Communities in 2014, Mile High United Way – Anna Jo Haynes Caring
About Kids Award in 2013, the Martin Luther King Jr. Peace Award
in 2013, the Minoru Yasui Community Service award in 2011, the
Mary McLeod Bethune Award of Achievement in 2013, and the 2011
Colorado Children’s Champion Award.
 18

EVERYONE LOVES
WOD MAGAZINE!
5,000 copies of our magazine are
distributed FREE at over 100 locations
across the Denver metro area and over
4,000 people are reading our content online.

To continue our mission of connecting and

inspiring women (and men) with free access
to our magazine, we need your support.

HERE ARE A FEW EASY WAYS TO SHOW YOUR SUPPORT AND KEEP THE VALUABLE CONTENT COMING.

WOD
Become a home-delivery subscriber at WODmag.com
WOD
Share online with #WomenOfDenver
WOD
Donate at GoFundMe.com/WODmag
WOD
Become a contributor at thewomenofdenver.com/contribute
WOD
Advertise your business by emailing krystal@thewomenofdenver.com
 Curating Connections Meet Just a Few of Our Talented
is Proud to Sponsor Speakers & Authors
WOMEN OF DENVER
Curating Connections’
Colorado Authors and
Presenters are ready to help
your organization develop
your next generation Tara Powers Krystal Covington
of leaders and teams.

Julie Holunga Kami Guildner

Schedule a Free Consultation: See Our Entire Line-Up of Speakers, Authors and Their Topics at:
720-842-5186 CuratingConnections.com

B R O O K E G R AC Z Y K
CREATIVE WARRIOR

BRICKHOUSEBRAND.COM
FREE
20-MINUTE
VISUAL BRAND CHAT

219.689.1598
bg@brickhousebrand.com

27 WOMEN OF DENVER QUARTERLY SPRING 2018

WOMEN-OWNED BUSINESS LISTINGS

20/20 EyeVenue

THINK
Glasses, Sunglasses & Optometry
MARCELLA NEVERMANN
720-405-2020 | 2020eyevenue@gmail.com
www.2020eyevenue.com

Moss Adams
Advisory CPA
DEANNA DUELL
OUTSIDE
THE BOX
303-294-7785 | Deanna.Duell@mossadams.com
www.mossadams.com

Natalie Gentry, LLC

Massage, Breath & Movement By Krystal Covington, MBA
NATALIE GENTRY
303-325-4150 | natalie@nataliegentry.com
www.nataliegentry.com

Integrity Wealth Solutions

Wealth Management Strategist
JUSTINA WELCH
303-716-5777 | justina@integrity-wealth.com
www.integrity-wealth.com

Fairway Independent Mortgage Corporation

Personable Mortgage Lender
ERICKA YORK
528-691-0416 | erickay@fairwaymc.com
www.applywithericka.com

Phoenix Affect
PR, Communications, & Web Design
PHOENIX JACKSON
720-275-8238 | www.phoenixaffect.com
phx@phoenixaffect.com

Sunnyside Station
Shared Workspaces & Offices
NICOLE SKORKA
720-855-3085 | community@sunnysidestation.com
sunnysidestation.com
Amused Woman Studios LLC
Creativity, Community, Transformation
DINA TIBBS
303-242-7881 | dina@dinatibbs.com
www.amusedwomanstudios.com
Positively Powered
Book Coaching & Publishing
AMY COLLETTE
303-630-9413 | amy@amycollette.com
PositivelyPoweredAuthors.com
Sovenco
Business & Strategy Consultant
DANIELLE NORRIS
720-588-0607 | dnorris@sovenco.com
sovenco.com
We’ve all heard the cliche, “Think outside the box,” but as easy
as it is to say, it can be really challenging to execute on that
recommendation. What often keeps us stuck is that we’re attempting
to think outside of a “box” that we haven’t actually defined.
In this exercise, think about a problem you’re working to solve right
now or will need to solve in the future. Use the box to the right, to
create a list of preconceived notions and ideas that might create a
barrier to seeing things in a new and innovative way. In other words,
what do you already know? By putting these in the box you can get a
picture of what you’ve already known, tried and thought of.
Come back to your box in a week (or at least a few days) and fill in
the space outside of the box with new ideas that don’t overlap what
you’ve already come up with.
This exercise is a great way to get started with solving a problem and
actually succeeding at thinking outside the proverbial box.

To advertise with Women of Denver, please email Krystal at krystalcovington@gmail.com

 JOIN WOMEN OF DENVER
"Women of Denver will help Join a dynamic group of leaders
build your connections, who support each other in reaching their
confidence, leadership professional goals.

skills, credibility and more." Women of Denver's workshops can help

—303 Magazine...
you develop your business skills, build a
powerful network, and empower you to
earn your worth as a business leader.

We have over 40 events per year and a

diverse and powerful network.

JoinWOD.com
or learn more at theWomenOfDenver.com