Barbara Myrick’s father couldn’t read, but as a builder, he could understand blueprints. He never had the opportunity to start his own business, but today, as president of B&M Construction, Barbara’s the builder, keeping track of schedules, expenses and managing projects. She’s also ment…

Kristen Faith Sharpe’s identity has evolved far beyond her achievements as a domestic violence prevention advocate and survivor.

Zuleika Johnson has dedicated her career to diversifying philanthropy — as a university staff member, as a nonprofit board member, and as the founder and CEO of her own company.

It was in the early weeks of the COVID pandemic that Natasha Hutson really felt the importance of her work hit home.

Jessica Fierro is a champion of women, nonbinary and Hispanic individuals in the craft beverage industry. And she brews a mean beer.

Meghan Stidd came to UCCS as a freshman in 2000 and essentially never left.

In her six years as executive director of Safe Passage, the children’s advocacy center for Colorado Springs that helps abused children begin to heal, Maureen “Mo” Basenberg has transformed the agency.

As the CEO of Forge Evolution, Morgan Mote is driven to help as many local struggling youths as possible — because she was one herself. 

At UCHealth, Ann Cesare’s official title is senior director of community and government affairs for the Southern Colorado region. It’s a job that is perfect for her, because it allows her to build programs and affect policies that benefit her beloved home town.

If you’re at all familiar with Colorado Springs’ government, City Clerk Sarah Johnson is likely a name you’ve heard. To those who know her, Johnson is an unsung hero, a critical figure in how the city operates. Born and raised in Kentucky, she’s also the only one in her immediate family to h…

Shirley Stewart has utilized her professional background in health care and a passion for education to create change in the Springs.

When Stephanie Edwards first met Colorado Springs in 2005, the city seemed to lack a defined character, a shared and celebrated past.

Nilaja Montgomery will tell you: We still don’t know how to talk about suicide. 

When asked about her greatest accomplishments, Geri Johnson’s answer is a little surprising.

There aren’t many Springs natives who stick around long enough to be highly visible members of the community. Shannon Coker is one of the few. Coker has called Care and Share Food Bank for Southern Colorado her professional home since October of 2007; she currently works as chief operating officer.

Melissa Burkhardt-Shields, originally of Pueblo, began her career in education from a place of adversity. She took a job teaching second grade at now-shuttered Helen Hunt Elementary School, in Colorado Springs’ Hillside neighborhood, which at the time was one of the lowest performing student…

Susan DiNapoli does the kind of nonprofit work that nobody hopes they’ll need. Sue’s Gift, formerly the Sue DiNapoli Ovarian Cancer Society, supports people who’ve been diagnosed with gynecologic cancer.

Dr. Sandy Ho (she/they), Assistant Dean in the UCCS College of Education, has been teaching since 2006, but she didn’t start out wanting to be an educator. “I wanted to deliver babies,” Ho says. “That was my goal.”

For 20 years, Dr. Kenya Lee worked in pediatrics, both at the Air Force Academy and in private practice. But after two decades as a pediatrician (a board certification she still holds), something wasn’t right.

Crystal LaTier, executive director of El Paso County Economic Development, has always been very community-minded. 

Ellie Red Cloud wants to leave a mark on her community by helping social impact companies generate millions of dollars that will, in turn, allow them to help others.

In Erin Miller’s childhood, technology was a mainstay — and it’s easy to draw a line from that start to the work she does today. 

Stephany Rose Spaulding recalls one of her first in-person interviews 10 years ago for her teaching position at UCCS. The Chicago native was told of all the living things that make the area home, including plenty of deer — and the occasional mountain lion.

Throughout her decades-long career leading independent living centers, Patricia Yeager has fought to change public perceptions and empower those with disabilities.

Jessica “Jessie” Pocock was homeless at 13. She couch-surfed in unsafe places while struggling with substance abuse. At 17, she got sober, and this year she’s celebrating 20 years of sobriety.

Carrie McKee enjoys being a part of Coloradans’ lives and being trusted to share their stories with thousands of people around the state.

After more than 21 years climbing the ladder in the insurance industry, Debra Dean’s career was a picture of corporate success.

If you ask Dr. Detra Duncan what her full-time job is, she’d likely tell you she’s a public health officer with Spectrum Healthcare Partners. The licensed dietitian and Fountain resident consults local health care providers to ensure nutritional services are up to par.

When Yolanda Avila moved home to Colorado Springs in 2011, she was struck by the lack of public transportation, sidewalks and businesses in the Southeast. So she jumped in to make a difference and give back to her community.

During her 14 years with Visit Colorado Springs, Amy Long has earned a reputation as someone who is able to handle a crisis in a calm, professional and effective manner.

Susan Wheelan, director of El Paso County Public Health, has been in crisis mode since the COVID-19 pandemic hit the United States.

As former business relations and employment development director for the Pikes Peak Workforce Center, Dana Barton made a difference in the lives of job seekers. Now, as director of the Rocky Mountain ADA Center, she’s making a difference in the lives of people with disabilities and their families. The common thread: affecting numerous lives for […]

If you don’t ask, the answer is no. If you have a chance, take it. If it changes your life, let it. That’s the advice Kristen Christy’s mother gave her years ago, and it’s the way she’s lived her life ever since. It hasn’t been easy. Christy has seen far more than her share of […]

Torie Giffin’s dream of founding and operating a cycling-centric lodge began as just that — a dream. “I always wanted to do my own thing,” Giffin, owner of the Buffalo Lodge Bicycle Resort, told the Business Journal. “Two nights in a row I had a dream about a hotel that would cater to bicyclists. It […]

Native Coloradan Amber Coté has been a go-to person in the Colorado Springs nonprofit world for more than 20 years — and she’s far from finished. So extensive is her resumé that it might be that of someone a generation older, about to enter a well-deserved retirement. She’s served on the boards of the Fine Arts […]

Not long after Cynthia Chung Aki retired from the military and moved to Colorado Springs, she felt a need to give something back to her new community. Since her arrival 21 years ago, she’s volunteered her time serving on numerous boards and committees for city and county government initiatives, as well as for local businesses […]

Chamisa MacIndoe knew she wanted to be a physician when she was a teenager. Growing up in a small, rural southern Colorado community with a single mom and three sisters, she had to work harder than most to achieve that goal. “I grew up very poor and had to work from a young age,” said […]

As a child in Upper Michigan, Shawna Kemppainen was always aware of her privilege. But it wasn’t until her time volunteering for Care and Share Food Bank in 2004 that she came face to face with it. While manning the food bank’s phone lines, Kemppainen answered a call from a woman in her 60s. The […]

Stella Hodgkins knows the importance of preparing for the future — and not just because of her background in sustainability. As a sustainability specialist for GE Johnson Construction Company over the past six-plus years, Hodgkins led the company’s efforts to meet the needs of its clientele through ecologically, socially and financially responsible means. Hodgkins moved […]