Speaker Series

A free, engaging community experience.

Join us this summer for an ongoing opportunity to engage in dynamic discourse and community learning. We are hosting a series of lively conversations meant to challenge and grow our perspectives on topics that are often top of mind for us. Each convening will feature a unique panel of speakers from diverse backgrounds sharing their insights and experiences in a community conversation.

Thursday, June 15th | Topic: Identity
Thursday, June 29th | Topic: Community-Led Change
Thursday, July 13th | Topic: Equity

All convenings are from 4:00-6:00 PM with an extended happy hour featuring tapas and both alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages.

Location: 3636 Osage Street, Denver, CO 80211

Spark (noun) : Something that sets off a sudden force

Spark (transitive verb) : to set off in a burst of sudden activity

Spark… It’s that coveted moment where a notion you have been churning on finally clicks into place. It’s that visceral wave you experience when you are inspired. It’s the sensation you feel when a dream or ambition starts to come to fruition.

A spark’s impetus can be a new idea, a new relationship, or a new perspective. It can be drawn from an infinite pool of people, places, and experiences, and when it happens, it’s unmistakable in its power.

When we think about what ignites a spark in our own work, we continually come back to what happens when we gather a group of passionate humans and provide them with the time and space to surface their brilliance in proximity to others. We have seen, and felt, that spark in our Adult Learning experiences, like the Iterative Space Residency and Embark Learning Explorations. And, it’s a spark we are hoping to share and cultivate with you in a brand new offering.

The intention is for these conversations to be inherently reciprocal by nature; guests are encouraged to actively engage directly with the speakers, and one another, throughout each session. Our hope is that by holding space for challenging and spirited conversations, we’ll be empowered to learn from new perspectives, and perhaps even leave with a new perspective of our own.

Thursday, June 15th | Identity

Join our speakers on a series of provocations around identity: the identities we carry and how they inform the way we move through the world around us.

Tania Chairez is an undocumented immigrant with the privilege of DACA who was born in Chihuahua, Mexico and raised in Phoenix, Arizona.

For the past decade, Tania has prioritized her passion for the intersection of immigration and education as a grassroots community organizer for immigrant rights and as an educator in secondary and post-secondary spaces.

Mushin, MD, PhD

Monk. Husband. Father.
*Director -* *White Forest Sangha*

Mushin is a Zen Buddhist monk who lives outside of Idaho Springs. They are an avid tea drinker, a lover of calligraphy, and a self-proclaimed amateur Japanese zen text translator.

Dr. Zackarina Jenny-hoe (not a doctor) is a drag queen in Denver, CO who sits right at the intersection of activism and camp! Through shows, events, social media and more, she utilizes her platform to spark important conversations about Queer social justice throughout the region.

Thursday, June 29th | Community-Led Change

Join our speakers on a series of provocations on community-led change: how we center impact over intention in our work.

Cathy Phelps

Anthropologist. Leader. Dancer.
*Executive Director -* *The Center for Trauma & Resilience*

Cathy earned her Master of Arts in Medical Anthropology from CU Denver, graduated with her Master’s in Social Work from the University of Denver, and is affiliate faculty for Metropolitan State University. Cathy actively pursues her interest in African and Latin dance and is a licensed Zumba instructor. She is a member of a local book and bicycle club, a certified Hatha yoga teacher, an acudetox specialist, and a perennial student of Spanish and American Sign Language. She sets boundaries for her work which allows her to grow, and even flourish, in a field where burnout and vicarious trauma regularly take a toll on service providers.

Luis Antezana Alba was born in Bolivia, raised in Los Angeles, adopted by Colorado. He is an indigenous-descendant, undocumented entrepreneur, and an educator at heart. Today, Luis is founder and CEO of Juntos Community, a non-profit organization helping undocumented families access upward mobility through DACA work permit renewals. He also serves as a founding member of the New Americans Council Advisory Committee (NACAC) with the state of Colorado.

**Michael Gadlin**

Creator. Ambassador. Changemaker.
*Executive Director -* *Platte Forum*

Michael, a Denver-based artist and former Arts District TV host, has a long history with PlatteForum, beginning in 2009 when he was a resident artist. He became a board member in 2016 and was board vice chair for three years before becoming chair of the board in 2020.

Michael is passionate to learn, grow and serve the community through his principal value: human equity.

Thursday, July 13th | Equity

Join our speakers on a series of provocations on Equity: how we can move past equity as a buzzword and eliminate barriers to equity.

Bri Erger

Community Builder. Social Impact Real Estate Agent. Permaculturist.
*Broker Associate -* *Live Work Denver*

Bri is a cofounder of Skyland House, an intentional community located in northeast Park Hill, and also co-owns a home nearby. Following a career in the international nonprofit sector, she continues to work on community development and social justice by helping more people find pathways to homeownership, wealth building, and strengthening communities through real estate.

Paul Bindel

Community Connector. Book Reader. People Lover.
*Cooperative Development Director -* *Center of Community Wealth Building*

Paul is the co-founder of Queen City Cooperative and Colorado Solidarity Fund. He co-directs the Democratizing Ownership program at Center for Community Wealth Building.

Molina Speaks

Artist. Poet. Master of Ceremonies.

Molina’s mission is to unite the human spirit through radical imagination. He is the son of a Mexican immigrant father and a Chicana mother from Wyoming. Molina’s artistic legacy includes serving as Creative Director of Youth on Record during the establishment of its Youth Media Studio, being named a Westword Mastermind, and building a permanent installation at Meow Wolf Denver that commemorates the life and art of late Chicano painter Stevon Lucero. He is currently working with Warm Cookies of the Revolution on a rural+urban partnership model to inspire creative health and civic health outcomes in the American West.