Dr. Lisa Calderón, MLS, JD, EdD, has extensive experience leading the nonprofit, city government, and education sectors. She has taught in academia for over 20 years on Women’s Studies, Ethnic Studies, Sociology, and Criminal Justice. Her 30+ years of public service include being a trainer, justice reform advocate, and nonprofit executive. As a victim services and reentry provider, she successfully implemented evidence-based programs that addressed the intersections of homelessness, poverty, and incarceration for Denver’s most vulnerable populations, especially women of color.

Dr. Calderón is the Executive Director of Women Uprising, which trains progressive women for public office. She is also a founding member of the Denver Task Force to Reimagine Policing and Public Safety. Dr. Calderón holds a bachelor’s, master’s, law, and doctorate in education degrees. She has received several awards for inspirational leadership and community work.

The Honorable Candi CdeBaca represented Denver City Council District 9. Candi is a policy expert, social worker, community organizer, and the co-founder of Project VOYCE, Cross Community Coalition, and Tierra Colectiva/GES Land Trust. She is a proud fifth-generation native of northeast Denver and is the first LGBTQ Latina to serve on the Denver City Council. As an elected official, Candi successfully led the charge to divest from halfway houses run by private prison companies, co-sponsored the Eviction Defense Right to Counsel ordinance, and co-sponsored a charter amendment to bring balance between the branches of government when it comes to mayoral appointments.

Candi has continued to be a fierce advocate for housing as a human right, food as a utility, environmental justice, and preservation/stabilization of Denver’s Black and Brown communities. Looking forward, she will continue to center the margins of society, and infuse city government with policy expertise, a lens for justice, and ancestral wisdom.

Pastor Terrence H. Hughes better known as Pastor Big "T" is a family man first, he is married to Rachel Romano Hughes and they have 4 children and seven grandchildren all residing in Denver Colorado. Pastor Hughes is the Founding Pastor of Alpha and Omega Ministries with his wife Rachel, and current Co-Pastor of the New Covenant Christian Church Alpha and Omega Ministries.  The Church is planted in the Historic Five Points neighborhood where “Serving the Least” is their mission.  

Pastor Hughes is a human rights and social justice advocate for the people of Colorado.  He presently serves on as the Interfaith and Legislative Engagement Coordinator for the Task Force to Reimagining Policing and Public Safety, Faith Coordinator for the Colorado Poor Peoples Campaign, Denver Branch.   Pastor Hughes is a National Speaker/Trainer and Activist on HIV/AIDS, Health Disparities and Social Justice in the African American Community.   He is the past President of the Greater Metro Denver Ministerial Alliance (2016-1018).  

An equity-centered public health strategist with over a decade of experience, this dynamic leader is also a licensed social worker, therapist, educator, and policy advocate committed to advancing racial justice and health equity across Colorado. With extensive clinical experience supporting marginalized populations—including veterans, youth, and justice-involved families—she brings deep expertise in developing and implementing multi-level strategies that center community voice, systems thinking, and data-driven solutions. A proven capacity builder and cross-sector collaborator, she translates vision into action to drive systemic change within health, mental health, and community settings.

Samantha Carwyn is a dynamic equity-driven educator, strategist, and advocate with over 15 years of experience advancing social justice across education, public health, and community systems. With a background in teaching, ministry, reproductive justice, and nonprofit leadership, she has trained professionals, supported youth and families, and led equity initiatives across Colorado and beyond. Sam’s work centers racial and disability justice, community engagement, and trauma-informed care, combining clinical insight, policy advocacy, and educational leadership. She is a sought-after speaker and facilitator, known for turning complex systemic challenges into actionable, inclusive strategies for lasting change.

Joanne Belknap received a Ph.D. in Criminal Justice from Michigan State University in 1986. She is a Professor of Ethnic Studies at the University of Colorado and Past-President of the American Society of Criminology. She is also an adjunct professor on the faculty of law at Queensland University of Technology, School of Justice, in Brisbane Australia.  Her research is primarily on gender-based abuse and the trajectory of trauma to offending among women and youth, the intersections of marginalization and oppression, and social justice. Dr. Belknap is working on the fifth edition of her book, The Invisible Woman: Gender, Crime, and Justice (under contract with Sage). Her most recent research work includes jail-to-community reentry and implementing college courses in prisons (following her training by Temple University’s Inside-Out Prison Exchange Program).