Joelle Martinez: Think Bigger and Do More

[00:00:00] Hi, I'm Katie Kramer, President and CEO of the Boettcher Foundation. Welcome to Colorado Leadership Stories

[00:00:08] where we talk to everyday courageous leaders who have made transformational impacts in their communities and

[00:00:15] are building a better state for everyone.

[00:00:18] You'll hear from leaders and organizations and communities throughout the state as we explore the idea that

[00:00:24] leadership is an activity that anyone can do.

[00:00:27] Today we're excited to talk with Joelle Martinez.

[00:00:36] A friend of the Boettcher Foundation and to me.

[00:00:38] Joelle is a highly respected and accomplished strategist, speaker and facilitator who we know well from her work as president

[00:00:45] and CEO of the Latino Leadership Institute.

[00:00:48] The Institute is a grantee of ours and has led impactful work in Colorado and beyond.

[00:00:53] The organization, which is now 10 years old, aims to unlock the full economic and social potential of Latinos by

[00:00:58] preparing, connecting and elevating their leadership across industries and sectors.

[00:01:03] Prior to launching the Latino Leadership Institute, Joelle spent 15 years crafting communication, business development

[00:01:09] and public affairs strategies for clients in the public and private sectors.

[00:01:13] Her areas of expertise include civic engagement, workplace diversity and inclusion, neural leadership, Latino identity

[00:01:20] and demographic shifts to name just a few.

[00:01:23] We will discuss all of these important topics today and maybe a few more.

[00:01:26] Joelle is a Colorado kid.

[00:01:28] You grew up in the Denver area and has family roots throughout the state, which I know she'll talk about.

[00:01:33] With us, Joelle, it is great to have you here.

[00:01:35] I've been looking forward to this conversation for a while.

[00:01:37] Welcome.

[00:01:38] Thank you, Katie.

[00:01:39] And thank you to Boettcher and your leadership for all that you do in our community.

[00:01:44] Love it.

[00:01:44] All right.

[00:01:45] So let's start off with a little bit of the history.

[00:01:47] I know you are a ninth generation Coloradan.

[00:01:50] Share a little bit of your family's story and history with us.

[00:01:53] Ninth at least.

[00:01:54] I should put it that way.

[00:01:55] That is as far back as we've been able to track it thanks to ancestry and some genealogy work.

[00:02:02] But my family, like so many Latinos in Colorado and New Mexico and in the Southwest, have been on this land for generations.

[00:02:11] And for my family in particular, we were southern Colorado and northern New Mexico.

[00:02:17] And like many Latinos that have been around too, true mestizos meaning that we had indigenous roots.

[00:02:25] My great, great grandmother's family were native of the land.

[00:02:29] And then we have Spanish, even have some French in that part of Colorado.

[00:02:35] It was blended.

[00:02:36] My family was like many part of the land.

[00:02:40] My great grandmother's family were potato farmers and Alamosa and Del Norte and my other family on the other side, they were sheep herders and they had sheep.

[00:02:48] And so my family has a long legacy in this part of Colorado.

[00:02:54] In fact, my great, great grandfather was one of the first kind of elected, I guess, officials of Alamosa and Del Norte back in his day and really had roots there until it became necessary to leave that part of Colorado, which is truly beloved to the family.

[00:03:12] In large part because of economic issues and other things that were happening.

[00:03:17] Wow.

[00:03:17] Great.

[00:03:18] So, Joelle, you grew up in the 1980s and 90s in Metro Denver.

[00:03:22] What do you remember about that era when you reflect on your childhood and teenage years?

[00:03:27] You know, of course, 1983 was a big year.

[00:03:30] It was a historic year.

[00:03:31] We elected our first Latino mayor, Federico Pena.

[00:03:34] And, you know, I always had a front row seat to history in the making.

[00:03:40] And it really did start with that election.

[00:03:43] But my fondest memory, it was 1987.

[00:03:47] It was a hot July day on the steps of the city and county building.

[00:03:52] And I took for granted just how spectacular and important that moment was.

[00:03:57] But Federico was being inaugurated for his second term and joining him were Councilwoman Debbie Ortega and Councilwoman Ramona Martinez.

[00:04:07] And I remember I was wearing a blue dress that was brought back from Mexico for me to wear for the inauguration and hot, hot, hot July day.

[00:04:15] And just looking up and seeing the three of them together as elected officials in 1987 was something I think I took for granted.

[00:04:25] I didn't know that it would take us generations to get that kind of elected representative leadership again.

[00:04:31] But I had a front row seat.

[00:04:33] I saw Federico's imagine a better Denver come to life.

[00:04:39] And so many people talk about the visionaries of that time.

[00:04:42] And I like to think of the folks that executed against that vision, bringing Major League Baseball, reimagined what Loto was, rebuilding the Denver Broncos Stadium and then going on to win two Super Bowls in the late 1990s, which was, you know, obviously a high for Denver.

[00:04:59] Building the and remodeling the convention center.

[00:05:02] But, of course, what transformed this city and county of Denver at the time was Denver International Airport.

[00:05:07] And because of their leadership, we went from being a town between the airport and Vail to being a an economic hub, a cultural hub, a destination for not only individuals, but for companies.

[00:05:20] And it changed the economy.

[00:05:22] So for all the good that I saw, I also saw that during that time of rapid growth in the 80s and 90s, we also saw that the first part of that gentrification that took place in North Denver and in GES and some of our other neighborhoods, not all

[00:05:36] neighborhoods benefited from the growth and the prosperity that Denver saw.

[00:05:41] But I saw amazing leaders.

[00:05:43] We saw, you know, the pope come to town.

[00:05:46] And I think people forget that 1993 and the Pope Mobile and, you know, Denver became such a special place.

[00:05:53] And I'm just honored and privileged that I not only got to see that evolve, but I knew people who helped make it happen.

[00:06:01] So awesome.

[00:06:02] And those wonderful role models.

[00:06:04] And speaking of that, I know you've had some inspirational influences and mentors even in your own family, including your mom, who many people mistake as your sister, as well as your grandma.

[00:06:15] Talk about their influence on you and how they are still inspirational to you today.

[00:06:20] I am the most blessed person out there and would not be who I am and where I am today if it weren't for just an amazing family and not just the women, but the men in my family too.

[00:06:30] Starting back with my great grandmothers, actually, my great grandmothers were all forced to be reckoned with well before their time.

[00:06:38] When my grandmother wanted to run for city council, my grandfather wasn't necessarily on board with it.

[00:06:43] And my grandmother went to go tell her mother-in-law that she wanted to do this and that her son wasn't really supportive of it.

[00:06:51] And my great grandmother's there either said, go get me my checkbook.

[00:06:55] And my great grandmother wrote my grandmother's first check for her city council campaign.

[00:07:00] And it's that kind of, I think just, you know, they're natural born leaders.

[00:07:06] My other great grandmother really had a hand in raising me.

[00:07:08] I spent most of my early childhood at Grandma Weezy's house and Papa Frank's house.

[00:07:14] And, you know, she didn't work.

[00:07:15] She took care of us.

[00:07:16] She made sure that we had everything we needed for clothing and school and and really taught us what it meant to be dedicated to family.

[00:07:24] And then you meet my grandmother's and on the one end, you have the first Latina president of the city council.

[00:07:30] And on the other, you had this strong Irish woman who dedicated her life to the VFW and the ladies auxiliary because her husband, my grandfather served in the Korean War.

[00:07:42] And then, you know, you get to my mom and my mom was a teenage mom who married her high school sweetheart, didn't get a chance to go off to college, but ended up making an extraordinary career in the finance industry.

[00:07:53] Well, before, you know, became commonplace for women to do so, became a branch president, would end up going and working in the corporate office at U.S.

[00:08:02] Bank and really did everything before I did was on the L.A.

[00:08:06] F.

[00:08:06] Board was on the Hispanic Chamber Board back in the 1990s.

[00:08:10] And and I think what I've learned from all of them, including the men, my father, my grandfather is that it's not always easy.

[00:08:18] I mean, we didn't have all the advantages and we had to work extra hard, but it was hard work.

[00:08:24] It was determination, always giving back and being part of the community.

[00:08:28] It didn't matter how successful you were, how much money you made.

[00:08:31] You know, the community and family always comes first and you can never lose sight of who you are and where you come from.

[00:08:38] And and that's true no matter how far you rise in life.

[00:08:42] They keep you humble as much as they keep you inspired.

[00:08:45] Awesome.

[00:08:47] Yes, I can relate to that.

[00:08:48] Have just come from a wonderful family, too, and stand on their shoulders for sure.

[00:08:52] It makes all the difference.

[00:08:54] Joelle, your career has spanned the private public and nonprofit sectors.

[00:08:58] And today, leading the Latino Leadership Institute, maybe talk about what got you started in this work 10 years ago.

[00:09:06] You know, people who knew me and I quite frankly, I was at a time in my career where I needed to figure out what my next chapter was going to be.

[00:09:13] I spend a majority of my time in politics and doing political consulting and delayed having children so that I could stay in that campaign lifestyle.

[00:09:24] Once I had my kids, it was no longer ideal for me to get on airplanes and go back and forth to D.C.

[00:09:29] or traveling. At one point, I had offices all over the country and was on flights constantly.

[00:09:35] And that wasn't conducive.

[00:09:37] And I actually chose to stay home with my kids for the first three, almost four years.

[00:09:42] And that's a risk for some women and for some moms to decide that they are going to do that.

[00:09:47] But it was such a great opportunity for me because I started doing a lot of corporate consulting and some other type of consulting, which just expanded my work portfolio.

[00:09:57] But honestly, I was always going to go back into politics.

[00:10:00] The 2012 election came around and I had had offers to go and work directly on the Obama campaign and to do stuff.

[00:10:07] I was not going to move to Chicago to do that.

[00:10:10] So I was able to still do some stuff from Denver and fly as much as I could with small children.

[00:10:16] But right after the election in 2012, I had never taken my husband with me to Washington, D.C.

[00:10:22] After all these years of his support and me being on flights and doing my work.

[00:10:27] So I decided to take him for all of the holiday parties.

[00:10:31] And it was one of the first times we left my kids behind with my parents.

[00:10:36] And we went to the White House Christmas party.

[00:10:39] And the president and the first lady were actually late coming into the party, which is very unusual for them.

[00:10:45] And the reason why we later found out is that the president was in the situation room.

[00:10:49] And it was, you know, kind of whispers in the White House of individuals that finally told us that he was there because of what had taken place at Sandy Hook.

[00:10:59] The outside world knew more what was happening than we did because cell phone reception is horrible in the White House.

[00:11:06] But in that moment, I just remember I needed to get onto the phone and I needed to talk to my kids because they were with my parents.

[00:11:14] And as we walked to the hotel from the White House, I looked at my husband and I said, I'm done here.

[00:11:20] And I meant I was done with politics.

[00:11:22] It had already become toxic and there was no bipartisan.

[00:11:25] It wasn't fun anymore.

[00:11:26] I didn't feel like it had meaning anymore.

[00:11:28] But at the White House that day when people were talking about Sandy Hook, there were conversations about, you know, could we pass comprehensive gun reform?

[00:11:36] Someone said in deadpan and said, absolutely not.

[00:11:39] And I just knew that the work, my regardless of what I was doing, where I was doing, I always wanted to do something to leave something better for the next generation.

[00:11:48] And I thought I was going to do that for the rest of my life in politics.

[00:11:51] But in that moment, I just knew that it was time for me to make a change.

[00:11:55] I think politics had no longer been my passion.

[00:11:58] And as luck would play out, I get a phone call from Cindy Pena and Federico Pena who invite me to lunch with the other founders, Tim Marquez and Marco Abarca and others and said, we have this idea about building an institute.

[00:12:13] And I guess they say the rest is history.

[00:12:16] I didn't know what I was doing, didn't know what a leadership institute was, had never run a nonprofit.

[00:12:21] But my grandfather told me it was it was my time and it was my destiny to lead this effort.

[00:12:26] And I trusted him.

[00:12:28] He passed away a couple of days after that conversation.

[00:12:30] And I have carried all of that on for the last 10 years.

[00:12:35] Well, and then fast forward 10 years later.

[00:12:37] So tell us about the organization's evolution and what LLI is doing now and their impact.

[00:12:43] So for our first eight years, the LLI had a great partner at the University of Denver and we ran a really, I think, unrivaled fellowship program.

[00:12:52] And we graduated 232 extraordinary Latino leaders across all sectors and industries.

[00:12:59] And we're on track to continue that work.

[00:13:01] But in 2018, I brought the board of directors together and said, is there an opportunity for us to think bigger and do more?

[00:13:09] And that was the charge.

[00:13:10] How could we? Because the Latino potential, the demographics, the fact that we face the largest leadership and opportunity gap, the fact that statistically we're worse off in closing the wealth gap today than we were in the 1990s.

[00:13:24] You know, there's just too many problems and too many opportunities.

[00:13:29] So we decided to go down the road of expanding our work and expanding our reach.

[00:13:35] We are now a national organization that is bridging the burgeoning Latino talent with opportunity to advance their careers, to build their business and ultimately really achieve economic prosperity.

[00:13:49] And we're in 30 states.

[00:13:51] And I just found out yesterday three countries with our leadership development program.

[00:13:56] We are in our second cohort of our leap entrepreneurs.

[00:14:00] And now I get to the privilege of traveling the country and telling this story and helping people understand the true potential of Latinos, both as leaders in the C-suite and throughout their organizations, but also the economic and social impact that we are going to have now and for generations to come.

[00:14:20] Yes. And I wanted to talk about that specifically just on the demographics.

[00:14:24] We know that by 2050, Latinos will comprise nearly 30 percent of the U.S.

[00:14:29] population in Colorado.

[00:14:31] We know those projections are even more pronounced at close to 40 percent.

[00:14:34] So talk about Colorado's demographic future and why the Latino population is going to increase so dramatically.

[00:14:40] The first thing to think about when you think about the Latino population is the fact that the largest segment of the Latino population is under the age of five.

[00:14:49] So when we look around and we think, wow, this is already a diverse country, Latinos already have great prominence.

[00:14:56] Well, the truth of the matter is, is that that growth is actually just now really beginning.

[00:15:01] And so the future of Colorado and the nation as a whole will be forever defined by this demographic diversity.

[00:15:08] And Latinos are the second largest and the fastest growing segment of that.

[00:15:12] So Latinos are going to have an impact on every facet of life in Colorado.

[00:15:17] Colorado's GDP, Colorado's economy, Colorado's small businesses are going to rely on the Latino workforce and the Latino entrepreneur and the Latino employer and employee.

[00:15:28] So at the end of the day, Latinos, you know, in 2050 will be defining so much and impacting so much in the state of Colorado.

[00:15:35] And there is not going to be a part of Colorado that isn't going to see that kind of diversity for the foreseeable future.

[00:15:42] And the reason we know that to be fact is all you have to do is look at your K through 12 school system that are predominantly now minority majority, but most of that are Latinos.

[00:15:52] Good. And at Betcher, of course, we were investing in the Latino Leadership Institute.

[00:15:56] And part of our process is we are putting together a leadership framework.

[00:16:00] And one of the competencies in that leadership framework is civic engagement.

[00:16:04] And I know that, you know, having lived it, that goes way beyond voting and more deeply defied about raising your hand and getting involved locally in a community context.

[00:16:13] And so I wanted to ask you a little bit more about that when you think about your work at LLI, supporting those who are stepping into the activity of leadership.

[00:16:24] So talk about the training session that you are doing specifically in the in the civic leadership space at LLI.

[00:16:32] So we train Latino leaders across all sectors and industries.

[00:16:36] It's really agnostic the way that we approach it, because these leadership competencies transcend whether you want to run for elected office or you want to run for a position on a board of directors.

[00:16:47] A lot of those skills are the same.

[00:16:49] I will say, however, though, that 17 percent of LLI alumni have gone on to run for elected office, even though that is not necessarily one of the things we're driving towards.

[00:16:59] And the reason why is they get that passion.

[00:17:01] They are there's a catalyst for them to do more.

[00:17:04] Think bigger, do more as a constant.

[00:17:07] And they know that there's a need for us to be at the table.

[00:17:10] So you could look at the Denver City Council, for example, which now has six Latinas out of their 13 city council members.

[00:17:18] That is leadership change.

[00:17:19] That is leadership in action and that is reflective leadership that we've been working really hard towards.

[00:17:25] But our classes are really focused in at the end of the day of changing mindsets.

[00:17:30] We believe strongly that that it will take us really believing in ourselves to get into those positions and be effective.

[00:17:38] So we addressed issues around identity and what it takes for us to show up in our full, authentic self in the workplace and why that's of value and why we should never repress that.

[00:17:49] Despite the fact that statistically, 76 percent of Latinos do still repress part of their identity in the workplace.

[00:17:57] We deal not with just imposter syndrome.

[00:17:59] I am not an imposter.

[00:18:01] I am a product of imposterization.

[00:18:03] So when I face stereotypes, when I face microaggressions, when I'm told to take off my red lipstick if I want to be taken seriously, that's going to affect the way I think about myself.

[00:18:13] That's going to affect my confidence and my willingness to take on these leadership roles.

[00:18:18] So we address that.

[00:18:19] And then we address neuroleadership because we're not just training Latino leaders.

[00:18:23] We're training leaders for the 21st century who need to be more collaborative, more productive.

[00:18:28] And it's something I believe very strongly in.

[00:18:31] Well, and build on that a little about neuroleadership.

[00:18:34] This is something that you are expert in.

[00:18:36] And we brought you in here just to work with our staff on this as well.

[00:18:40] So share that a little bit more about what do you mean by neuroleadership and why is it important for leaders to grasp that today and in the future?

[00:18:49] Well, we can go to school and we can learn skills.

[00:18:52] I don't think we spend enough time learning about thinking.

[00:18:56] And thinking is really going to drive ultimately, I think, our ambitions.

[00:19:00] What we're willing to tackle and how we're willing to tackle that.

[00:19:04] And the brain is this amazing organ, has so much control.

[00:19:09] And most of that is on this unconscious side.

[00:19:12] And what really got to me was I read something that said, you know, we really are kind of hardwired by the time we're in middle school.

[00:19:20] And so whatever we're going to become, whatever we're going to do is really go back to your middle school self.

[00:19:26] And that's going to tell you a lot about yourself.

[00:19:28] Well, not all of us had a great middle school cell.

[00:19:31] Not all of us grew up with privilege and opportunity and we've had to overcome.

[00:19:35] And so I was fascinated about these leaders that go on to do extraordinary things and how they do so by rewiring the way that they think.

[00:19:45] And so I believe that believing in yourself, having having a real strong sense of value and integrity is the starting.

[00:19:55] It's the building block of everything that's to come.

[00:19:58] Neural leadership is a pathway to understanding that it's a pathway to understanding how our brain is wired, how our thoughts are formed, how habits are formed and perpetuated.

[00:20:09] And when you don't have good habits or you don't like the things that are going, it also teaches us how we can can retool and reinvent ourselves.

[00:20:17] I got into that and just said, this is exactly what the Latino leadership curriculum needs, because at the root of what we do is make sure that people truly have the ability to think bigger, to believe in themselves and ultimately be more productive and more collaborative.

[00:20:34] And that's what neuroscience gives you.

[00:20:36] Love that and powerful stuff.

[00:20:37] I can speak from just experience having you all come and train our team on that and work with our better fellows who are doers and difference makers fellowship.

[00:20:46] I wanted to ask you this question.

[00:20:47] We, as you know, we share a very close friend in common and colleague, and that's Curtis Escobel, who is was your deputy director at LLI and then has worked here at Becher for a number of years as and he leads our communications and community engagement work.

[00:21:02] And when preparing for this and asking him about what makes you unique as a leader, he said that you aren't afraid to give up your status and important moments, whether they are big defining moments or smaller interactions.

[00:21:14] So my question is, how do you gauge these situations or moments when you're going to give up your status?

[00:21:20] Because that can be risky.

[00:21:22] I never saw it that way.

[00:21:23] To be honest, I don't think that I give up status at all.

[00:21:26] And I think that that framework actually takes away from the extraordinary talent and bench that is standing next to me.

[00:21:33] And so I never feel like I'm giving anything up.

[00:21:36] I feel like sometimes maybe I'll share it.

[00:21:39] But to be honest, the Latino community as a whole is so talented.

[00:21:43] There is so much potential sitting there.

[00:21:46] Oftentimes, though, they only have a couple of our numbers or emails.

[00:21:50] It feels like.

[00:21:51] So I feel like it's a duty to say, no, not me.

[00:21:54] I'm actually not that good.

[00:21:56] These people are far better than I am.

[00:21:58] And I truly honestly believe that putting someone like Curtis, you can ask him to this day.

[00:22:04] I will still call or text him and say, hey, I got this opportunity for you to be great.

[00:22:09] That never ends.

[00:22:10] I want people to find opportunities because I believe in them.

[00:22:13] I see their value and oftentimes they don't see it.

[00:22:17] So I feel like I'm less about giving or sharing status and more just being a cheerleader and being maybe a mirror.

[00:22:25] I want them to see what I see in them, because the moment they do, training wheels are off.

[00:22:31] The ceiling is open and they go on to just do the most extraordinary things.

[00:22:37] And I just get out of their way.

[00:22:39] So I believe in them.

[00:22:40] And I think that that is that's it makes it really easy.

[00:22:44] I never feel like I give anything away.

[00:22:45] And I think even when I do get to turn something over, it comes back multiple times to you.

[00:22:52] It just feels so good to see someone else succeed.

[00:22:55] And quite frankly, I think Curtis knows me very well to know that I'd be completely content being in the back of the room and no one knowing my name.

[00:23:03] If if as long as our leaders were on the forefront doing all the amazing things that I know they can.

[00:23:11] That is so you, my friend.

[00:23:12] I mean, knowing you as I do, you are so humble and so inspirational and you believe in so many people reaching their potential.

[00:23:23] So you create I'm reflecting.

[00:23:25] I'm holding the mirror for you, girlfriend.

[00:23:26] You believe in people and then they believe in themselves and do incredible things.

[00:23:30] So how fun that we get to share this journey of helping to build Colorado leaders in all forms.

[00:23:36] So thank goodness for that.

[00:23:37] I love it. All right.

[00:23:38] So lightning round questions for you.

[00:23:40] And your first one is what is your favorite Colorado hobby?

[00:23:44] I know it's going to shock you, Katie, since I literally just drove down from the mountains.

[00:23:49] But skiing.

[00:23:50] I am a I'm a true skier.

[00:23:51] Got on the skis at a very early age and you will never get me off them, even if doctors tell me not to get on the slopes.

[00:23:58] I'm still going to get on the slopes.

[00:24:00] Indeed.

[00:24:01] OK.

[00:24:01] Favorite Colorado landmark?

[00:24:03] Red Rocks.

[00:24:05] I'm a huge junkie for live music.

[00:24:07] I love it.

[00:24:09] And that's just such an iconic place to hear music.

[00:24:12] Absolutely.

[00:24:13] OK.

[00:24:13] What action hero do you most identify with?

[00:24:17] Don't watch those kind of movies.

[00:24:19] And if I said something, I'd probably mortify my children because I'd be like, Mom, that doesn't even exist.

[00:24:24] So I'm going to have to go with real life action hero and someone like a Dolores Huerta who's done the hard work.

[00:24:30] I just I really respect people like that.

[00:24:34] Say more about that.

[00:24:35] So in case someone isn't familiar with her.

[00:24:37] Yeah.

[00:24:38] Dolores Huerta, you know, we're actually going to be celebrating on March 31st, Cesar Chavez Day.

[00:24:44] And that is an acknowledgement of his work leading the United Farm Workers, really galvanizing Latino communities, particularly those that were really being taken advantage is advantage of in California and a lot of the farming that was taking place.

[00:25:01] And they together, Cesar and Dolores, were really the ones who rallied the movement in order to push back against those policies and practices who gave voice to the Latino community.

[00:25:13] When Martin Luther King was in Washington, D.C., on the march, Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta were right there bringing our community in that civil rights movement.

[00:25:23] They are true heroes and Dolores Huerta, who I know and I've gotten to work with and have many funny stories and not well recording that I could tell about her.

[00:25:32] But she's just she does the work and she believes in it.

[00:25:36] And to this day, she's she's up there in age, but she is still out there doing the good work.

[00:25:43] Thank you for sharing that.

[00:25:44] OK, final question.

[00:25:45] What are you currently binging?

[00:25:46] Is there a show or a book or a podcast or something that you're just loving and listening to or watching right now?

[00:25:53] Tonight at eight o'clock, I'll be watching the Denver Nuggets and I cannot get enough basketball.

[00:25:58] I love basketball, too.

[00:25:59] Well, great.

[00:26:00] Well, thank you so much for coming on the podcast.

[00:26:02] Always great to hear your stories.

[00:26:04] You're such a wonderful storyteller.

[00:26:06] We are all just inspired by your leadership and your contribution.

[00:26:09] So thank you. Thank you so much.

[00:26:10] Thank you, Katie.

[00:26:11] Thank you for joining Colorado Leadership Stories, where we hope to inspire the next generation of Colorado community builders, doers and difference makers.

[00:26:21] Colorado Leadership Stories is presented by the Betcher Foundation.

[00:26:25] The Betcher Foundation supports Colorado by empowering leaders and communities with tools to tackle challenges and pursue opportunities, building a better state for everyone.

[00:26:37] With an 85 plus year legacy of giving back, we're committed to amplifying our impact for future generations.

[00:26:44] That's the spirit of Betcher.