December 2022 Update to Alumni: The Young Leaders Program is in Full Swing!

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In May 2022, we launched the Young Leaders Program for Scholar alumni in the early stages of their careers and post-college lives to create and implement initiatives, companies, and ideas while comprehensively supporting them on their various journeys. The program is based on three components: learning, relationships, and entrepreneurship.

We are very excited about our progress in the past seven months and look forward to sharing what is to come!

See below for program updates and what’s next for Young Leaders Alumni (ages 21-30) and how Sustaining Alumni can support them (ages 30+).

Learning Component…
Advisor Sessions Recap and Upcoming Coach Sessions!

Providing innovative, comprehensive, and personalized support resources to grow Young Leaders, maximize individual potential, and foster community change.

Young Leaders
Advisors “In Residence”: We held three individual sessions from October through December with the Whole Person, Executives, and Leaders teams respectively. You can learn more about Advisors, session topics, and feedback here. Stay tuned to PeopleGrove for recordings of these sessions. Save the Date for the “Ask Me Anything” Zoom session featuring all Advisors and a welcome by Pete Burridge on January 24, 2023, 8:30 AM – 1:30 PM MST! We’ll bring on six new Advisors in 2023 and begin the sessions quarterly starting in March.

Personalized Coaching: The Young Leaders Program staff have been meeting with Greenhouse community members to form personalized coach pairings around the themes of leadership, professional, personal, and community change. Coaching starts in January 2023!

Sustaining Alumni
Video Library: We have been working to develop our Video Library on PeopleGrove to provide quality online sources. We’d love to have our Sustaining Alumni (30+) be part of our Video Library on PeopleGrove! If you are interested in being interviewed for the library around leadership, professional, personal, or community change themes, please email Michelle Kruk.

Relationship Component…
Illinois Regional Meetup Recap and Upcoming Career Fair! 

Helping Young Leaders foster relationships that matter for powering ideas, actions, and community change.

Young Leaders
Illinois Regional Meetup: We kicked off our first Regional Alumni meetup in Chicago in October! Alumni from 7 class years joined host Nick Tarleton and Young Leaders Program staff for an evening of fun and engagement by fostering relationships, engaging with each other, and playing Whirlyball! Some alumni drove 6+ hours from other states and flew in to participate! You can read more about the event here.

Colorado Regional Meetup: Save the date for the Colorado meetup on May 12, 2023, 4:30-6 PM in Denver hosted by alumna Connie Appiah right before the Glass Half Full Colorado event!

Virtual Career Fair: Stay tuned for more details on a virtual career fair in 2023 that will connect Young Leaders with Greenhouse community corporations, hiring professionals, and sector-focused conversations.

All Alumni
PeopleGrove: If you haven’t already, join our cross-community online engagement platform, PeopleGrove to build relationships with fellow alumni and the Greenhouse community.

Do you have an available internship or job opportunity for our Scholars or Young Leaders? Post the opportunity to PeopleGrove and email Michelle Kruk. 

Save the Date for Ignite! Friday, August 4 – Sunday, August 6, 2023.
Stay tuned for more information including accommodations and travel stipends.

Entrepreneurship Component…
Upcoming Idea Creation and Enhancement Sessions!

Helping Young Leaders create and sharpen business ideas at every stage of development. From ideation to business resources to seed funding, we’re building an ecosystem to develop entrepreneurial mindsets and launch high-potential ideas.

Young Leaders
We are very excited to be in the planning phase of the regional, in-person Idea Creation, Enhancement, and Execution support sessions next year. Stay tuned to apply to attend these sessions starting in March 2023. 

Sustaining Alumni
We would love for you to participate in our regional Ideation sessions to help our Young Leaders flesh out new, high-potential ideas. If you are interested in participating in one of these sessions in 2023, email Jamie Clay.

Alumni Updates…
Congratulations Scholar Alumni!

We’d love to update our alumni community on all of your exciting professional and personal life updates. Do you have updates to share? You can complete this survey at any time and let us know! See below for some current updates.

Lara Alkarim (CO ’16): Lara spoke to the New York Development Board in November.

Jose Banales (CO ’19): Jose started a new position as a Customer Success Manager at Zayo Group! He’s been with Zayo since 2018 and this is his third position with them.

Yasmin Cortes (CO ’20): Yasmin spoke to the Illinois Development Board in November.

Nadeen Ibrahim (CO ’17): Nadeen was promoted at the East Colfax Community Collective to Organizing Director.

Michelle Kruk (IL ’16): Kruk spoke to the Illinois Greenhouse community at Glass Half Full Illinois in October.

Ousaf Moqeet (IL ’22): Moqueet spoke to the Illinois Greenhouse community at Glass Half Full Illinois in October.

Nick Tarleton (IL ’16): Hosted our first Young Leader’s regional meetup in Chicago in October.

Submit your exciting professional and personal updates here!

Want to learn more? Stay connected!

To stay up to date on the Young Leaders Program and how we are providing comprehensive support to alumni in the early stages of their career and post-college life, click here.

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Greenhouse Scholars Launches Operations in New York

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NEW YORK CITY (Dec. 6, 2022) Greenhouse Scholars, a nonprofit cultivating diverse leaders,

announced that it has launched operations in New York, bringing its successful philanthropic model,

honed and tested over nearly two decades, to the nation’s largest city and its surrounding state.

The organization named its first class of Greenhouse Scholars from New York earlier this year,

representing The Bronx, Queens, and Long Island. Greenhouse now has full-time staff on the ground in

New York City and seeks additional donors, volunteers, and community leaders to help the program

continue to grow in the region.

Founding Supporters on the ground floor of this launch include Tiger Global Impact Ventures,

TAG Associates, Savills, Modern Executive Solutions, Gamut Capital, and many generous individual

contributors.

Founded in 2005 in Colorado, Greenhouse Scholars’ vision is to create a community of leaders who will

evolve the communities of the world. The organization’s Community Change Model begins by working with

the most inspiring role models from low-income communities during their college years. Greenhouse

continues with these young leaders during their post-college lives to support their growth as individuals

and collaborate to implement ideas, companies, and change initiatives. As program alums move into their

30’s and 40’s, the Greenhouse community works together to deepen and broaden the impact of these

ideas and initiatives to benefit whole communities.

“When we started Greenhouse, our ambition was to grow into a truly national organization, impacting lives

across the country,” said Pete Burridge, CEO of Greenhouse Scholars. “Our expansion into New York

makes that dream a giant step closer to reality, and we’re incredibly grateful to our inaugural donors there

for believing in our vision and providing the resources to serve our first class of Scholars in the state.”

Greenhouse Scholars’ results are undeniable: 97% of Scholars graduate from college, compared to only

15% of low-income, first-generation students nationally. The Scholars’ starting salaries are double that of

their parents and are 22% higher than their peers – changing the trajectory of entire families. The

Scholars, alumni, and supporters have collaborated to launch and lead hundreds of nonprofit and forprofit

businesses, change initiatives, and projects benefitting more than 4,000 communities. 90,000

people are directly impacted by this organization every year through mentoring, volunteering, community

initiatives, presentations, entrepreneurship, partnerships, school impact projects, and more.

For more information about getting involved with Greenhouse Scholars in New York, either as a

Founding Supporter or partner, please contact Paul Cothran at pcothran@greenhousescholars.org

or 303.459.5473 or visit: https://greenhousescholars.org/get-involved/.

About Greenhouse Scholars

Greenhouse is a diverse community of leaders working together to ensure people of all

backgrounds can live a life of their choosing. We have a community of thousands of leaders who

are taking action to create change in our country and around the world. Education unlocks the

potential of leaders, their families, and entire communities. Greenhouse leverages the power of

education and community to create generational change.

Founding Sponsors of Greenhouse Scholars in New York include:

Tiger Global Impact Ventures

Tag Associates

Savills

Modern Executive Solutions

Gamut Capital

Young Leaders Program 1st Regional Meet-Up in Ilinois!

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The Young Leaders Program provides comprehensive support to Greenhouse Scholars alumni in the early stages of their careers and post-college life.

Events like these foster relationships that matter for powering ideas, individuals, actions, and community change.

Regional alumni meet-ups are purposeful opportunities for Young Leaders to engage with peers and allow them to identify specific values and achievements of their cohort.

Greenhouse hosted its 1st regional Young Leaders alumni meetup in October at Whirlyball in Chicago, Illinois. Thanks to our host, Nick Tarleton, alumni from 7 class years joined the Young Leaders Program staff for an evening of fun and engagement by fostering relationships, engaging with peers, and playing Whirlyball! Some alumni drove 6+ hours from other states and flew in just to participate! 

What did the Young Leaders enjoy the most at the Ilinois Regional Meet-Up?

“The opportunity to see old friends and make new ones. I am convinced Greenhouse has the highest density of amazing people per capita, and being able to connect with these people was incredible. I saw scholars I haven’t seen in a decade and it was like we never missed a beat. I met new scholars and it was like I had known them for years. The culture that has been established in Greenhouse to treat one another with respect and warmth makes me so happy I could tear up.”

“Reconnecting with alums and the program – I hadn’t seen anyone in a while and it was nice to come out, take a break, and be around inspiring people.”

“My favorite part was being able to bond with other scholars. Coming out of the pandemic person-to-person interactions became very rare so having this opportunity to play a game, have some food and drinks really create an amazing atmosh.”

“My favorite part was being able to interact with other scholars in different ways (during whirly ball and dinner). It was a great way to bond with one another.“

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Young Leaders Program Advisors “In-Residence” Sessions

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The Young Leaders Program provides comprehensive support to Greenhouse Scholars Alums in the early stages of their careers and post-college life.

Advisors “In-Residence” Sessions provide innovative, comprehensive, and personalized support resources to grow Young Leaders, maximize individual potential, and foster community change. Advisors participate in three teams and work with alumni over four virtual sessions:
  • Leaders “In-Residence”: Helping alumni become exceptional leaders of people, profits, and purpose.
  • Executives “In-Residence”: Preparing young leaders to take on the finance, operations, marketing/customer experience, and culture challenges and opportunities that present themselves regardless of vocation.
  • Whole People “In-Residence”: Providing the knowledge and tools to help young leaders live their best lives.
  • Fullday Session with All Teams: One full-day Ask Me Anything (AMA)-style Q&A session across all three teams.

See below for bios of and workshop themes from our curated Advisors “In-Residence”

We were excited to kick off the Advisors “In-Residence” Sessions with our Whole Person Team on October 25 where our Young Leaders participated in advisor-led breakout workshops focusing on “Self-Understanding” with Angel Eduardo and Paul Dreyer and “Quality-of-Life Planning” with Caroline VanSickle and Chris Nelson.

On November 17, we continued our Advisors “In-Residence” Sessions with our Executives Team where our Young Leaders worked in small groups with the individual Advisors and focused on the following workshop themes: “Life is Not a Dress Rehearsal,” with Jim Cooper, “Negotiation and Self Advocacy” with Natalie Levy, “Navigating Your Career” with Denise Bell, and “Know Yourself and Your Audience” with Eric Goldstein.

On December 12, we hosted our final team session of the year with our Leadership Team when our Young Leaders attended the following four mini-workshops with each Advisor: “The Art of Effective Feedback” with Frank Beardsley, “Young Leadership” with Kathleen Lockhart, “Your Leadership Style” with Danielle Lloyd, and “DEI in the Workplace” with Onon Wedum.

On January 5, 18 Young Leaders from 8 states, 6 class years, and 2 countries, joined us for our first All Advisors in-Residence Session. We welcomed back our Leadership, Whole Person, and Executive Advisors for a day of facilitated discussion. Our CEO and Founder, Pete Burridge, kicked off this virtual event with a moving keynote speech.

Our Young Leaders had the following to say about their experiences with the Advisor teams and All Advisor Session:

Whole Person:
“My favorite part was being able to be vulnerable with people who I identify as being in my community. I feel like that’s been missing in my life. I built a wall to avoid connection and I’m not always sure if that’s healthy boundaries or me avoiding people.“

“It was a really awesome opportunity to connect with people I haven’t talked with in a long time. I think my favorite thing was that it facilitated discussion that allowed everyone to be vulnerable, self-reflective, and still supported.“

“The small icebreakers/questions that we started the sessions with were all really thought-provoking and open to interpretation. They really demonstrated the difference in thinking from person to person.“

Executives:
“The ability to share and be vulnerable with my current job/career insecurities and being met with validating and encouraging remarks left a big impact on me.“

“I loved the topics and speakers. They were all so relevant to me right now it was hard to choose which ones I wanted to attend. I enjoyed that each speaker engaged our options and thoughts and the small groups made it easy to connect.”

“I am jealous about the sessions that I didn’t attend and would love to attend them all.“

Leadership:
“I liked talking about leadership without having to pick apart my strengths or weaknesses, name my style, etc. The session called for introspection of a different kind and I liked discussing leadership as its entity that we all already have. I liked talking about it as an identity that needs to be nourished with specific things – that we as leaders need specific types of development and support rather than “be” leaders and give, contribute, etc. The direction this session took was 10/10.”

“I’ve attended all three sessions this fall/winter, and I have left each one feeling more confident and assured in myself. Also, I cannot stress enough how sharing time and space with alumni makes me feel connected to a community that truly cares for me. Just tens, tens, tens across the board!“

All Advisor Session:
“It re-inspired me to take charge of my career path (visualizing the future, telling my value story to my company, maximizing the value that I can get from my current role).”

2022 Advisors “In-Residence”

Leaders Team

Frank Beardsley

Senior Managing Director, Guggenheim Partners

Frank is a 35+ year financial industry veteran with an outstanding track record of growing insurance and asset management businesses. Most recently, Frank worked at Guggenheim Partners Investment Management as a Senior Managing Director. He has proven skill in driving successful risk and investment management practices through multibillion-dollar organizations. He has demonstrated strengths in managing remote teams across multiple functional areas. Frank is also a strong communicator and business partner who excels at senior management and board relations. He is an adaptable and results-focused leader who embraces change.

Danielle Lloyd

Director, Caruso Ventures

Danielle is a director at Caruso Ventures which invests in high-impact scaleups, seismic trends, and next-generation entrepreneurial leaders. Before Caruso Ventures, she was an Executive Director with the Zayo Group. Prior to relocating to Colorado, Danielle was the Director of Events and Sponsorships for The New York Times. She graduated from Susquehanna University in Pennsylvania with a bachelor of arts degree in mass communications and media studies. Danielle volunteers her time with three organizations: Endeavor and EforAll as a board member, and Colorado Thrives as a delegate.

Kathleen Lockhart, MBA

VP of Deal Management, Zayo

Kathleen leverages her strategic background wherever her career takes her. She strives to put herself in an environment where she can continuously learn, grow, and face new challenges. She endeavors to always be involved in her community and has a goal to add value to the world every day. She has always enjoyed working with others, particularly when given the opportunity to improve teamwork across organizations. This is evident with her current role as VP, Deal Management at Zayo where she leads a 40+ person team. She has been promoted several times at Zayo since her first position as a GIS Specialist in 2014 and most recently in 2021 as a VP.

Onon Wedum

Diversity and Community Relations Coordinator, Janus Henderson Investors

Onon is a self-starter and trilingual speaker working as a Diversity & Community Relations Coordinator at Janus Henderson Investors where she focuses on community outreach, sponsorship management, and event planning to support an environment that values the unique talents and contributions of every individual within a culture of inclusivity. Onon is originally from Tokyo, Japan where she received a bachelor’s in marketing from Asia University. Outside of Janus Henderson, Onon is an entrepreneur and owns ONON, a clothing boutique that carries high-quality women’s casual clothing in Denver.

Executives Team

Denise Bell

Former Principal, Talent Strategy and HR Consultant at Mercer

Denise is a human resource professional with external client consulting experience in HR Transformation, Diversity Equity and Inclusion, and general talent strategy as well as internal HR experience in learning and development, talent management, and talent acquisition. Denise is passionate about empowering organizations to optimize and modernize their HR programs, practices, and structure as they journey towards the future of work. 

Jim Cooper

Co-CEO, Financial Independence Group

Jim graduated from James Madison University with a degree in Business Management and minor in Finance. He was a scholarship athlete at JMU for four years as a member of the JMU football team. Before being introduced to Financial Independence Group, Jim was helping to run a family business in Charlotte, NC. Once Jim met Bill Cain and Bo Johnson, he had to be a part of this great organization. Jim started his tenure with FIG as an Annuity Marketing Consultant in 2002. Jim built a book of business from scratch and quickly developed a passion for the financial services industry.

Eric Goldstein

Chief Risk Officer, Antares Capital

Eric has operated in several executive-level roles across risk, operations, technology, and administration at Antares Capital, a ~$50 billion private credit manager and a leading provider of financing solutions for middle-market private equity-backed transactions. Eric is also a member of the firm’s Executive Committee. Prior, Eric was a Managing Director at Goldman Sachs in the Merchant Banking Division, responsible for finance and administration functions of the division’s private investment funds. He also led the structuring, negotiation, and management of fund-level subscription and asset-based credit facilities.

Natalie Levy

Founder and Managing Partner,
She’s Independent Investments

Natalie is an engineer and mathematician turned Wall Street derivatives trader, growth technology investor, and business-to-business (B2B) enterprise technology sales leader. She marries a deep understanding of data, data science, and technology paired with strong interpersonal skills. She has over a decade of angel investing experience and 20 years of hands-on operational experience through revenue execution, operational, and leadership roles selling into 34 countries. Today she operates as a fractional revenue executive with deep expertise in real estate, financials, and technology and serves on several private company boards today.

Whole Person Team

Paul Dreyer

CEO of Avid4Adventure

Born in South Africa, Paul moved to the U.S. as a small child, and has continued to seek out travel, adventure, and education ever since. He worked in and around the worlds of experiential education, leadership development, and group psychology for over 18 years. His scope of practice has been varied; he worked as a facilitator, curriculum designer, expeditionary leader, risk management consultant, staff trainer, and counselor. Much of his experience comes from teaching, leading, directing, and counseling groups or organizations in remote and challenging settings or environments around the world. Currently, he serves as the CEO with Avid4 Adventure helping support the mission to empower kids to choose active and healthy outdoor lifestyles.

Angel Eduardo

Writer, Musician, Designer, Communicator

Angel Eduardo is a writer, musician, photographer, and designer based in New York City, best-known for coining and promoting the rhetorical concept of star-manning. He is an Advisory Board member, FAIR in the Arts Fellow, and Director of Messaging & Editorial for the Foundation Against Intolerance & Racism (FAIR), where he helps shape the organization’s pro-human approach to our often contentious and divided discourse. He is also a contributor to the Center for Inquiry’s blog, where he writes on science, communication, skepticism, and morality for a column entitled Searching for Better Angels.

Chris Nelson

CEO and President, Freedom Service Dogs of America

Chris is currently the President and CEO of Freedom Service Dogs of America. Prior to starting this new role in 2022, he had more than 25 years of experience creating opportunities for young people to thrive. Chris has worked with over 12,000 young people across the country. His passion for unlocking the potential of young people led him to TGTHR in 2007 as a program manager, program director and deputy director until assuming the role of CEO in 2018. Under Chris’ leadership, TGTHR launched a multitude of programs, including a drop-in center and emergency shelter for youth experiencing homelessness; a street outreach program; a transitional living program; and Colorado’s first LIHTC-funded permanent supportive housing building specifically for young adults. 

Caroline Van Sickle

Director/Founder, Coach CVS

Caroline helps teams, organizations and individuals set a foundation of success, both in work and in life, at the next level. She combines a working knowledge of psychological and neurological science to help individuals extract hidden potential, remove mental obstacles, and enhance self-awareness. Her goal is to help you achieve an improved state of personal mastery. She breaks down biological processes from beliefs to behavior to help people and groups understand the underlying mechanisms that activate behavioral levers. Without understanding the basics of neuroscience, we can’t help but operate on autopilot.

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Publications Spotlighting Our Reasons for Being

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Greenhouse Scholars is vital to spreading the power of opportunity, choice, and belief to affect low-income families and communities.  These resources demonstrate the critical importance and unmet needs that our program is working to solve in the communities we all share.

  • “Friending Bias” highlights recent studies that link cross-class social interactions with upward social mobility. According to Raj Chetty, an economist at Harvard, “Growing up in a community connected across class lines improves kids’ outcome and gives them a better shot at rising out of poverty.” By building a community of people from different geographic, socioeconomic, racial, and cultural backgrounds, Greenhouse Scholars is facilitating connections that help people transform their own lives and the world.
  • For young people from under-privileged backgrounds, admission is not the only hurdle to the success at elite colleges and universities. In this piece from The New York Times Magazine’s Education Issue, Anthony Abraham Jack, a professor at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, details his experience as a low-income, first-generation, student of color at Amherst College. His powerful story highlights that while financial aid is critical, it falls short of meeting many disadvantaged students’ needs.
  • At Greenhouse Scholars, we see our community open doors and minds, unlock potential, and drive positive change. Your Life is Driven by Networks, an article from venture firm NFX, presents a detailed model that explains this effect and how significantly your networks can influence your outcomes. It also highlights college and your first job as a couple of the key crossroads that have the most influence on your long-term network.
  • Episodes 4, 5, and 6 of Season 1 of Revisionist History, a podcast by Malcolm Gladwell, focus on low-income students’ road to higher education, how universities provide (or fail to provide) opportunities to those students, and inequitable collegiate philanthropy.
  • This interactive New York Times article presents results of a study that suggests low-income students are still significantly underrepresented at U.S. universities, particularly schools qualified as elite. An accompanying article points out the same underrepresentation of minorities.
  • As Elite Campuses Diversify, a ‘Bias Towards Privilege’ Persists. In this NPR article, Anthony Abraham Jack, author of The Privileged Poor: How Elite Colleges Are Failing Disadvantaged Students, is interviewed about his research that shines a light on the hidden curriculum and other barriers to success that students from “doubly disadvantaged” backgrounds must overcome to succeed in higher education.
  • Three Miles, episode 550 of WBEZ’s This American Life podcast, follows the story of two groups of students from opposite ends of the socioeconomic spectrum and highlights their differences in educational opportunities and experiences in college.
  • On Greenhouse Scholars’ Youtube Channel, our Scholars share their inspirational stories and how the Whole Person Program has helped them to overcome adversity and give back to others.
  • This factsheet from the Postsecondary National Policy Institute highlights statistics about first-generation college students, their degree attainment, and the challenges they face. This is a valuable resource for anyone trying to better understand the need behind Greenhouse Scholars’ mission. The article sites many reputable sources for its statistics.

September 2022 Update to Alumni: Thank you for launching the Young Leaders Program with Greenhouse Scholars!

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We launched the Young Leaders Program in May 2022 to support our alumni in the early stages of their careers and post-college life and ensure we work together as a community to launch high-potential, high-impact ideas.

See below for program updates and what’s next for Young Leaders Alumni (ages 21-30) and how Sustaining Alumni can support them (ages 30+).

Learning Component…
Upcoming Advisor Sessions!

We’ll help Young Leaders gain the knowledge they’ll need to maximize their potential as leaders, professionals, community members, and change makers.

Young Leaders: The Young Leaders Program staff have been meeting with Greenhouse community members to form the Advisors “In-Residence” and Personalized Development Coach teams around the themes of leadership, professional, personal, and community change. Stay tuned to PeopleGrove and your inboxes for fall Advisors “In-Residence” zoom session dates. If you haven’t already, make sure to complete the Young Leaders Program application to participate in the sessions as well as communicate your interest in Coaching (starting in 2023!). In addition, we have been working to develop our Video Library on PeopleGrove to provide quality online sources.

Sustaining Alumni: We’d love to have you be part of our Video Library on PeopleGrove! If you are interested in being interviewed for the library around the themes of leadership, professional, personal, or community change, please email Michelle Kruk.

Relationship Component…
Upcoming Regional Meetups! 

We’ll help Young Leaders foster relationships that matter for powering ideas, actions, and community change.

Young Leaders: We kicked off our Young Leaders Program and the relationship component with our first Ignite conference weekend. 20 Young Leaders joined the Greenhouse community over two days for networking, collaboration, learning, idea creation, and relationship building. Click here for a snapshot of the Ignite speakers, which included five Sustaining Alumni.

The Young Leaders Program staff are currently planning Regional Alumni meetups potentially in Chicago, Denver, New York City, Washinton DC, San Franciso, and Los Angeles. Plus a virtual meetup for those that are abroad or outside the cities mentioned. Each meetup will be capped at 10 first-come, first-served participants.

Sustaining Alumni: If you haven’t already, join our cross-community online engagement platform, PeopleGrove to build relationships with fellow alumni and the Greenhouse community. Do you have an available internship or job opportunity for our Scholars or Young Leaders? Post the opportunity to PeopleGrove and email Michelle Kruk. 

Entrepreneurship Component…
Upcoming Idea Creation!

We’ll help Young Leaders create and sharpen business ideas at every stage of development. From ideation to business resources to seed funding, we’re building an ecosystem to develop entrepreneurial mindsets and launch high-potential ideas.

Young Leaders: We are very excited to be in the planning phase of the regional, in-person Idea Creation, Enhancement, and Execution support sessions in 2023. Anyone can participate in the Idea Creation and Enhancement sessions. 

Sustaining Alumni: We would love for you to participate in our regional Ideation sessions to help our Young Leaders flesh out new, high-potential ideas. If you are interested in participating in one of these sessions in 2023, email Jamie Clay.

Alumni Updates…
Congratulations Scholar Alumni!

We’d love to update our alumni community on all of your exciting professional and personal life updates. Do you have updates to share? You can complete this survey at any time and let us know! See below for some current updates.

Helena Cappon (CO’19): Cappon is visiting a local rural high school and presenting to prospective Greenhouse Scholar applicants this September to increase our influx of rural applicants before applications close. 

Elizabeth Gutierrez-Gutierrez (CO’22): Gutierrez-Gutierrez was a featured guest speaker at Greenhouse’s Annual Inspire event on August 7, 2022. Click here to listen to her speech!

Michelle Lehman (CO’19): Lehman’s animated series, A Visual Love Letter to the Queen City Memory Café, was accepted into Denver Digerati‘s Supernova Digital Animation Festival! It will be featured as part of the Colorado Artist Spotlight which you can access online on September 14th. Lehman was also selected for the Denver Business Journal’s “Top Innovator Under 25 in Colorado” 2022 list.

Alfredo Reyes (CO’12): Reyes was a featured guest speaker at Greenhouse’s Annual Inspire event on August 7, 2022. Click here to listen to his speech!

Submit your exciting professional and personal updates here!

Want to learn more? Stay connected!

To stay up to date on the Young Leaders Program and how we are providing comprehensive support to alumni in the early stages of their career and post-college life, click here.

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Young Leaders Program – Ignite 2022 “Building Blocks”

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The Young Leaders Program provides comprehensive support to Greenhouse Scholars Alums in the early stages of their career and post-college life.

We are excited to kick off the Young Leaders Program with Ignite! A two-day conference weekend for alumni to join the Greenhouse Community for networking, collaboration, learning, idea creation, and relationship building to launch their commitment to being a Young Leader. 

The kickoff year will focus on the theme “Building Blocks” and celebrate the start of the program and dive into its core components (learning, relationships, and entrepreneurship) and themes (leadership, professional development, personal development, and community change).

2022 Ignite Speaker Preview

Pete Burridge
(Leadership Workshop)

President & CEO,
Greenhouse Scholars

Pete Burridge is the founder of Greenhouse Scholars and its sister companies, Greenhouse Partners and Pete founded Greenhouse Scholars in order to create a Whole Person program that makes a broad and lasting impact by helping students to become community leaders that create change that will last through the generations. He believes that each of us is accountable to give back to the community.

Charles E. Dukes
(Professional Panel)

Director of Social Responsibility,
Wend Collective

Charles Dukes serves as an educational strategist for Wend Collective. As a member of the Wend team, Dukes coordinates youth development opportunities to enhance and improve the educational ecosystem. Before joining Wend Collective, Dukes dedicated a significant amount of his career as an education policy director and central office school district administrator.

Wendy Guardado
(Personal Panel)

Communications & Policy Associate, INCLUDEnyc

Wendy Guardado is a Greenhouse Scholars alumna and holds a Masters in Special Education from Hunter College in New York and was a Bilingual General and Special Education teacher in all content areas for six years. She was elected as her school’s United Federation of Teachers Union Leader for three of those years and made the full transition to the policy sector through the Bronx Borough President’s Office as an education analyst.

Meseret Hailu, PhD
(Personal Panel)

Assistant Professor,
Arizona State University

Dr. Meseret Hailu is a Greenhouse Scholars alumna and Assistant Professor of Higher and Postsecondary Education in the Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College, Arizona State University. Her research focuses on the pursuit of gender equity in STEM education with a focus on the strategies, programs, and systems that help historically underrepresented students and faculty succeed in these fields.

Kimmy Paluch
(Professional Panel)

Managing Partner,
Beta Boom

Kimmy Paluch is the founder and Managing Partner of Beta Boom, an early-stage venture fund that invests in software companies that are building the future for women and multicultural consumers in the U.S. Prior to Beta Boom, Kimmy founded and ran a Silicon Valley innovation firm for 12 and currently sits on the boards of Intermountain Healthcare and Utah African American Chamber of Commerce Charitable Foundation. Kimmy earned her B.A. in Computer Science from Dartmouth College and MBA from MIT Sloan School of Management.

Lindsey Price
(Featured Facilitator)

Business Owner and CFO,
Denver Modern

Lindsey Price founded Denver Modern in 2018 with her husband, Donnie, as an approachable, modern furniture brand that focuses on authentically timeless style comfort. She combines her passion for problem solving and scale building after 10 years of management consulting with his intense love of beautiful products and e-comm strategy. It brings Lindsey immense joy to lead a growing business with her spouse – from working together at their kitchen table, to adding a showroom and warehouse, with 10+ bright and capable folks working side-by-side. Prior to that, Lindsey was a Senior Associate at Greenhouse Scholars where she loved working directly on the Program. 

Kyle Pollock, PE
(Personal Panel)

Civil Engineering Project Manager,
Galloway & Company, Inc.

Kyle Pollock is a Greenhouse Scholars alumnus and a Civil Engineering Project Manager with a demonstrated history of working in the land development sector with experience in residential, office and retail, hotel, industrial, and public projects. Kyle is skilled in the management, design, and analysis of site layout, wet utilities, grading, and drainage. 

Alfredo Reyes
(Personal Panel)

Executive Director,
Latino Cultural Arts Center

Alfredo Reyes is a Greenhouse Scholar alumnus and a first-generation American and the son of Mexican nationals, Aurora and Juventino, who taught him to believe in the transformative power of education. He is currently the Executive Director of the Latino Cultural Arts Center, a project he conceptualized during his MA at CU Boulder in Educational Foundations, Policy, and Practice.

David J. Rolla, JD
(Professional Panel)

Mergers + Acquisitions Associate,
Morrison & Foerster

David Rolla is a Greenhouse Scholar alumnus and associate in the Denver office of Morrison & Foerster and a member of the firm’s Corporate Department. David advises public and private companies in connection with domestic and cross-border mergers and acquisitions.

Erin Weed
(Community Change Workshop)

Speaker / Author / Visual Artist,
Erin Weed, Inc.

Erin Weed’s career began in Chicago, working in public affairs and media relations. She later worked in New York City, producing documentaries and reality TV shows. Her career shifted gears after her friend was murdered in 2001. For the past 10 years, Erin has worked as a leadership development expert with a passion for honest communication. She helps leaders get clear about who they are, what they stand for and how to express it authentically. She has worked with 1,000+ people, resulting in viral TED talks, company manifestos and thought leadership programs.

Eric Zacharias, MD
(Professional Panel)

Director of Medical Education,
COPIC

Dr. Eric Zacharias has been involved with COPIC for over ten years, first as a member of the clinical faculty and, most recently, as a Patient Safety and Risk Management consultant and the creator/host of COPIC’s “Within Normal Limits” podcast. He embodies COPIC’s mission of “improving medicine in the communities we serve” through his professional interest in medical education.

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Summer Symposium 2022

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Exploring the Value of Leadership

At this year’s Summer Symposium we aim to demonstrate the value of leadership. At Greenhouse Scholars we are Leading Forward. This conveys the idea of coming together under the flag of forward momentum-your own as well as your communities. Inspiring you to go back and build on your success. Always leading, and more importantly, always moving forward.

What is Summer Symposium? It is a key component of our Greenhouse Scholars program, bringing all of our Scholars together for peer support and learning. An annual, multi-day gathering, Summer Symposium includes workshops, speakers, panel discussions, and group projects that encourage Scholars to explore their core values, expand their thinking, and cultivate their leadership skills.

We’re thrilled to announce that this year’s Summer Symposium will be held at the CU Boulder Center for Academic Success and Engagement (CASE).

2022 Symposium Speakers

Reggie Rivers

Monday, August 8th at 8:30 AM

Reggie Rivers is a Denver Broncos running back for six seasons and two-time Broncos NFL Man of the Year. He has been inducted into the Southland Conference Hall of Honor and the Texas State University Hall of Honor. He is a media personality that’s worked in radio, newspaper, and television in Colorado. He has written five books, including the award-winning novel “The Colony: A Political Tale”. He is known for his motivational speeches about leadership and teamwork lessons learned in his time in the National Football League.

Angel Eduardo

Monday, August 8th at 9:45 AM

Angel Eduardo is a NYC based writer, musician, photographer, and designer. He is best known for promoting the concept on acknowledging their good intentions and your shared desires despite your disagreements when arguing with others. Angel is an Advisory Board member, FAIR in the Arts Fellow, and Director of Messaging & Editorial for the Foundation Against Intolerance & Racism (FAIR). His writing can be find in Center for Inquiry’s blog, Newsweek, Areo Magazine, Mr. Beller’s Neighborhood, and The Caribbean Writer.

Jarvis Sam

Monday, August 8th at 11:00 AM

Jarvis Sam is Vice President, Global Diversity & Inclusion at Nike Inc. and was recently named to Forbes 30 Under 30 in Sports class of 2021 as well as Portland Business Journal’s 40 Under 40. In his current role, he oversees a team of people focused on driving diverse representation, inclusive leader and social justice education, professional development and the ecosystem of promoting and creating a culture of belonging inside and outside of Nike. Jarvis is a graduate of Rice University and he began his career as a strategy and operations consultant with Deloitte Consulting in Houston. Jarvis will receive his MBA from Brown University and IE School of Business in May 2022.

Britney Robbins

Monday, August 8th at 1:00 PM

Britney Robbins, named one of the 26 Most Influential and 20 Most Inspiring Chicagoans. In 2016, she started The Gray Matter Experience – a non profit dedicated to unlocking the self-determining power of Black youth and strengthening their ties to community through real world experience in entrepreneurship. Britney has worked within Chicago’s entrepreneurship and tech community for the past seven years. Most recently, she has become the Relationship Manager for CAST US, a multi-million dollar venture capital fund led by Don Thompson of Cleveland Avenue.

Todd Ebert

Monday, August 8th at 1:00 PM

Todd Ebert is the Chief Marketing Officer at BrightAl. He has spent 25 years leading marketing teams in driving rapid growth and increasing enterprise value. Todd has merged in powerful and meaningful ways at the intersection of the art and science of marketing. He has served on the Greenhouse Scholars selection team and continues to offer his expertise to our community. Todd has an MBA in marketing from the University of Texas at Austin.

Kate Siegel Shimko

Monday, August 8th at 1:00 PM

Kate Siegel Shimko currently serves as the Director of Boards and Commissions for the Colorado Governor’s Office. Prior to taking on this role in 2019, Kate worked for the Governor in a variety of capacities.

Michelle Lehman

Monday, August 8th at 1:00 PM

Michelle Lehman is a Greenhouse Scholar from the class of 2019. She graduated with a degree in neuroscience from Middlebury College. She is currently an animation and video Specialist at Quantum Design. She works within a niche that intersects 2D and 3D computer graphics with science. Before Quantum Design she worked at Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

Mimi Chau

Monday, August 8th at 2:00 PM

Mimi Chau is a Greenhouse Scholars alum and is a pediatrician at Community Health Care, a federally qualified health care center, in Tacoma WA. She received her degrees from Stanford University and the University of Colorado.

Richard Maez

Monday, August 8th at 2:00 PM

Richard Maez is a class of 2015 Greenhouse Scholar. He is the director of Programs at Ednium: The Alumni Collective. He has a bachelor of Arts from the University of Denver.He is a site director for Minds Matter of Denver and board member for Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership Program of Colorado

Nick Tarleton

Monday, August 8th at 2:00 PM

Nick Tarleton is a class of 2016 Greenhouse Scholar, he graduated with a bachelors of science in Food Science and Human Nutrition from University of Illinois. He has gone on to work at the Kraft Heinz Company as a manager. He is a supervisor of U.S. supply chain management at McDonalds greater Chicago area. He is also the lead of cultural communications in McDonald’s African-American Council at the global headquarters level. Nick has stayed connected with the Greenhouse Scholars community as a mentor and volunteer. 

Adriana Gomez

Monday, August 8th at 2:00 PM

Adriana is a class of 2018 Greenhouse Scholar with an undergraduate degree in Public Health and Political Science from the University of Colorado-Denver. Adriana is a Science and Research Analyst at Abt Associates. She is a recent graduate of Georgetown University with a Master of Science in Microbiology and Immunology. As a first generation college graduate, she has dedicated herself to following her true passion in health care and consistently seeking opportunities that allow her to use her strengths to help create health equity.

Michelle Kruk

Monday, August 8th at 2:00 PM

Michelle is a proud class of 2016 Greenhouse Scholar and originally joined the family as part of the first class from Illinois. Passionate about the intersection of science and education, Michelle spent a year abroad in Poland after graduating through a Fulbright Fellowship. There, she taught English and Environmental Sociology to graduate students at the Politechnika Czestochowska. She returned to the States and continued her pursuit for equity in STEM by joining Teach For America as a San Antonio corps member.  Michelle taught middle school science and math in the Alamo City and spent her summers partnering with Kode With Klossy, a program that brings free coding camps to teenage girls across the nation. 

Saul Huerta

Monday, August 8th at 2:00 PM

Saul is class of 2011 Greenhouse Scholar. Saul graduated from the University of Denver with a degree in Finance and was named one of ColoradoBiz Magazine’s top 25 young professionals in 2020. Saul is the current Chief Accounting Officer for the Greenhouse Family of Companies.

Jamal Sims

Monday, August 9th at 2:00 PM

Jamal is originally from Illinois where he also attended undergrad and pharmacy school at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. After earning his PharmD, Jamal went on to complete a clinical pharmacy practice residency at Mountainview Hospital in Las Vegas, Nevada. He earned his Executive Master’s in Healthcare Administration from University of Nevada, Las Vegas. He also had the opportunity to serve as an oncology pharmacy specialist for the medical oncology team. Currently, Jamal works as an oncology medical science liaison for Bayer pharmaceuticals where he serves as a scientific resource and expert on  medications/research in relation to treating prostate cancer.

Ahnika Leroy

Monday, August 8th at 2:00 PM

Ahnika is an Offering Manager at IBM where she focuses on providing technology solutions for the Federal Government to better serve state/local and national communities. Ahnika studied Economics at CU Boulder and graduated magna cum laude in 2018. 

Tinisha Dorsey

Monday, August 8th at 3:15 PM

Tinisha Dorsey is a Principal of the Mercer Life, Absence and Disability (LAD) practice in the Central Region. Tinisha’s career spans more than 20 years of director-level consulting experience at such notable firms as MetLife and W.W. Grainger. Tinisha serves as a mentor to some of Mercer’s rising stars and she is active in a number of Business Resource Groups (BRG) and Professional Organizations. Some of her most notable roles include co-leading the Chicago & Milwaukee Racial & Ethnic Diversity BRG and serving as the LAD Carrier Relations Executive Sponsor. She is a Fortune Connect Fellow as well as an active member of the National African American Insurance Association (NAAIA). Tinisha volunteers serving on the Board of Directors as the Business Manager for The Spirited Pearls Foundation.Her hobbies are filmmaking, baking and fitness, and most importantly, she is a proud wife of 24 years and fan-mother of three college level and high school athletes.

Ben Bressler

Monday, August 8th at 4:00 PM

Ben was raised in New Jersey and received his higher education at Skidmore College in Saratoga, New York. In the past 35 years since, Ben has grown Nat Hab to become a global leader in nature travel, offering life-enhancing adventures to the world’s most wondrous wild places. He himself has journeyed to dozens of countries in search of spectacular nature experiences…and a good time, whenever possible. Aside from heading a meaningful company that provides “The World’s Greatest Nature Expeditions,” Ben’s professional ambition is to change the way people think about travel, from large group consumptive tours to small group, personal travel experiences that serve to protect the areas they visit and preserve the planet. When he’s not working, Ben rides his mountain bike, skis, smokes Cuban cigars and enjoys time with his family.

Pete Burridge

Tuesday, August 9th at 8:45 AM

Pete is the founder of Greenhouse Scholars and its sister companies, Greenhouse Partners and The18.com. An entrepreneur his entire career, he has been a part of starting seven companies. Pete founded Greenhouse Scholars in order to create a Whole Person program that makes a broad and lasting impact by helping students to become community leaders that create change that will last through the generations. He believes that each of us is accountable to give back to the community. Pete lives in Boulder with his amazing wife and four equally amazing daughters. He spends most of his free time watching his girls compete in soccer and basketball across the state and country. Occasionally, he can be found fly fishing, snowboarding, and running and biking the mountain trails around Boulder.

Jamie Clay

Tuesday, August 9th at 8:45 AM

Jamie is a senior associate at Greenhouse Scholars. Jamie is a first-generation college and post-college graduate. She received her bachelor’s degree in journalism and communications from Indiana University and master’s degree in nonprofit management from Case Western Reserve University (CWRU). Jamie is a results and mission-driven nonprofit leader, relationship and team builder, and project management ninja that brings 18 years of experience in the nonprofit sector to Greenhouse Scholars. She started her career in arts management at the Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh and after moving to Cleveland, focused primarily on education operations management, events and fundraising. 

La’Shanda Holmes

Tuesday, August 9th at 11:00 AM

La’Shanda R. Holmes is a Lieutenant Commander in the U.S. Coast Guard. She became the first African-American female helicopter pilot for the Coast Guard, and she has amassed over 2,000 flight hours conducting search and rescue, counter drug, law enforcement, and Presidential air-intercept missions. She was appointed as a White House Fellow in 2015 by President Barack Obama. From 2015 to 2016 she was the Special Assistant to the NASA Administrator General Charles F. Bolden. Holmes is currently finishing up a master’s degree in administrative leadership and plans to write a book.

Leon Burnette

Tuesday, August 9th at 2:45 PM

Leon Burnette is a Diversity and Civil Rights Activist, Tour Director, Educator, Author, Event Producer and Youth Mentor. Leon began his 45-year journey as a Tour Director and Music Executive working for A-list companies and recording. He is the owner operator of Civil Rights Trail Tours and the Director of The Diversity Project for Trip School. In addition he is the author of Trip Schools “Civil Rights Trail Tours-A Guidebook for Tour Professional and Teachers”. Leon is the Founder and CEO of The Media Arts Institute, a 501 c3 non-profits youth travel and leadership program that trains, mentors, and places youth in internships and permanent jobs in the Media, Travel, and Tourism Industries. The Media Arts youth travel program uses Civil Rights history tours to help inner-city youth become global travelers, confront prejudice and racism while empowering them with the decision-making skills to become adults who change the world for the better.

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Annual Inspire

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We’re so excited to announce that a record number of Scholars, as well as alumni and out-of-town supporters, are planning to attend Annual Inspire this year. We hope you will join us for an evening of engagement, conversation, and connection!

New Location: The Folsom Field Rooftop Terrace

New Time: 5-7 pm on Sunday, August 7th 2022

Reserve Your Complimentary Ticket Here

What is Annual Inspire?

It’s a gathering of the entire Greenhouse Scholars community including current and previous Scholars, volunteers, donors, and staff. Our intention is to provide an opportunity for this dynamic group to come together, learn from each other, and connect on a meaningful level. Annual Inspire is the ideal opportunity to invite friends, family, and colleagues who are curious about Greenhouse Scholars.

A look back at the 2021 Annual Inspire!

Our keynote speaker will be Dr. Isra Ahmed. Isra is a Greenhouse Scholar alumna from the class of 2011. She majored in Mathematics and Chemistry at the University of Colorado Boulder, attended the University of Colorado School of Dentistry, and completed a prestigious, 3-year prosthodontist residency at the University of Texas San Antonio. Doctor Ahmed now owns and runs 2 dental practices in Parker and Fort Collins, CO. 

Isra credits Greenhouse Scholars for helping her hone her skills in leadership, networking, and entrepreneurship — all qualities that were integral in her journey from Sudanese refugee to successful business owner. 

This year at Annual Inspire, we’re bringing back a popular activity from 2019, Community Conversations. We’ll facilitate as attendees discuss thought-provoking topics with over 100 current and former Greenhouse Scholars. We promise you’ll leave inspired!

Learn more at AnnualInspire.org

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