Few people volunteer; even fewer dedicate their lives to the service of others — but Samantha Chapman is doing just that. At 33, she’s one of the youngest-ever nominated president-elects of the 145-year-old Rotary Club of Colorado Springs.
Four years into his prison sentence, Phoenixx Ugrilla decided to throw himself into the world of business.
Over the six years that Hannah Gingrich worked retail Downtown, she gradually noticed a market need that was not being met.
Dayton Romero gravitated toward helping seniors at a young age. His childhood included regular visits to his grandmother’s nursing home in his hometown of Trinidad, where he learned how to mingle with the other residents. Those early interactions shaped his perspective on aging and seniors, …
Chloe Henry got an early start in service work, doing community service projects with her mother throughout middle school, as part of the National Charity League.
Hurricane Katrina hit two months after Alana Lipscomb graduated high school, right as she was getting ready to start college in Mississippi. It changed her perspective on everything.
Lauren Reece has found her niche as marketing director for Axe and the Oak Distillery, but it’s not that long since she had her heart set on a career in medicine.
Brittany Nunez Olvera was still in high school when she went on her first humanitarian mission — an early sign of her drive to help people.
Michael Garner was living in Denver and working for ADT Home Security when a car accident and 40,000 lbs. of crane weights changed his life.
Jeresneyka Rose always has wanted to be identified as an artist first, the creator of colorful caricatures and social-activism portraits that have garnered her a bevy of customers and enthusiastic reviews on her Art by Rizzo website. But it is Rose’s community activism in feeding and housing…
Christine Costa is an architect from 9-to-5 and a woodcarver after sundown. She works in the Downtown office of RTA Architects on Tejon Street, and prior to her arriving in Colorado Springs, she earned both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in architecture from Lawrence Technological Unive…
Raised in Tompkins County, New York, in the Finger Lakes region, Ashley Klein eventually made her way to Colorado Springs, where she now lives and works in real estate as a new-build sales consultant. Klein is the daughter of a taxidermist who owned an archery shop for 15 years. Her mother w…
When Jesse Davila left Wyoming’s Bighorn Basin for Colorado Springs in 2006, he saw his future in music.
Paula Andrea lives on the Southside of Colorado Springs and is passionate about human beings and their quality of life — simply, their joy. Andrea’s seemingly meandering journey took her from South America to the East Coast of the United States — to Hawaii, South Korea and eventually here to…
Laetitia Ouadah was born and raised in Strasbourg, France, on the border with Germany. She grew up trilingual — French, German and English — and studied at the Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers, earning a master’s in human resource management before moving to the United States in 2016.
Lauren Ripko has coordinated some of the Front Range’s biggest festivals: Rocky Mountain Showdown, Denver’s Big Air, People’s Fair, and the Colorado Restaurant Association’s Taste of Pikes Peak.
Bonnie Singleton grew up in rural Wisconsin, in a town so small it made Colorado Springs seem startlingly large.
Tyler Burley is a Colorado Springs native, and now he’s helping to light up the city in which he was born.
Abragail Kappel worked in evening news production in laid back Grand Junction, and in bustling Albany, New York, before settling in Colorado Springs in 2016. Journalism was one of her first passions, Kappel says, but she’s starting a new chapter. This week, she’s taking on the role of market…
Alexandra Poelstra is a jack of all trades, and that’s been the heart of her business from the start.
Ethan Everhart is on a mission to foster the “unconscious, unspoken” bond between the audience and the actors in the world of theater.
If you’re a new employer in the Colorado Springs business community, Emma Mitchell can help you find your place.
Harrison Hunter’s on a mission to build better lives for the people around him, and to make more inclusive paths into the world of finance.
Cory Liese started The Squeaky Cleaning Company in December — but unofficially, she’s been in the cleaning business more than a decade.
When Elena Salinas moved from Aurora to Colorado Springs in 2016, she became a stay-at-home mom — and faced some unexpected realities.
A transformational coach and author, Amber Turner strives to help people move from unconscious to conscious mindsets so they can become the best version of themselves.
Jessi Summers has a passion for helping others, particularly those with disabilities. As the administrative aide for Councilwoman Yolanda Avila, she goes by the nickname “Eyeballs.”
Registered dietitian Jenna Moore knows what it’s like to be on both sides of the issue when it comes to nutrition.
For Dre Wheaton, a picture is about more than just looks.
Joshua Stensrud sees a bright future for Legacy Bank, but he started with the bank at a particularly dark moment in the financial world — and right after he and his wife were hit hard by the 2008 financial crisis.
Paul Brueggemann is no stranger to the Springs — he’s been here 20 years — but his borderline obsession with the art of brewing coffee is still relatively new. He started working at Loyal Coffee in August 2018, and this week was promoted to assistant general manager of the company’s Downtown…
Loan officer Scott McBride has always had a knack for numbers. A native of Dallas, Texas, McBride’s father worked in finance, and while not every kid picks up the family trade, McBride has found it a good fit.
Jessica Beecham’s personal journey as a blind woman combined with her work with individuals with disabilities showed her that there is a need to break down barriers so that everyone has access to a healthy lifestyle.
Joshua Barrett didn’t think he’d ever be in a management position for a Comcast help desk call center in Colorado Springs. The 30-year-old began his professional life working in retail in Minnesota. But for the last 2½ years, he’s led a team of employees for the telecommunications conglomera…
Landscape architect Brooks Swenson has a passion for helping people turn their landscape dreams into reality.
When children crawl through the artificial caves that Dave Jackson has created, they’re able to have a hands-on learning experience in both science and how to safely explore caves.
Maudeleine (Molly) Olson enjoys traveling the world, studying the architecture of different countries, and then applying what she learns in Colorado Springs.
When Leah Baldwin’s husband, Luke, passed away in April 2019, she didn’t know how she was going to pick herself up again.
Mandy Frogner is from Milbank, South Dakota, and if that name sounds unfamiliar, she wouldn’t be surprised.
After earning her bachelor’s in history from Regis University, Colorado Springs native Lauren Shakes had the opportunity to move to a town in Brazil and teach English. Then 22 years old, she jumped on the opportunity. But six months in, she was given a choice: The school needed a full-time t…
Located in Southeast Colorado Springs, Kingdom Builders Family Life Center is a nonprofit that provides education and support to victims of domestic violence. Founded in 2013 by executive director Lisa Jenkins, who is herself a survivor of domestic violence, the organization has grown from a…