Jewel Burgess, Director of Finance & Accounting, Mile High United Way
Jewel Burgess is a dedicated Director of Finance & Accounting with more than five years of experience in leading financial operations and driving strategic initiatives. Her expertise encompasses financial reporting, budget management, and risk assessment, enabling her to deliver insights that support informed decision-making. Jewel’s ability to adapt to changing market conditions has made her a key asset to her organization. Her analytical skills and mindfulness have played a pivotal role in streamlining financial processes and improving organizational efficiency. Jewel is known for her collaborative approach, working closely with cross-functional teams to align financial strategies with overall business objectives.
Outside of her professional role, Jewel is enthusiastic about community service and actively participates in various volunteer programs. She dedicates her time to mentoring inner city high school students through Minds Matter Colorado, sharing her expertise and providing guidance on post high school and career development. Through her work at Mile High United Way, she also volunteers for their various programs including the annual Children’s Christmas Party, Turkey Trot, and a variety of Bridging the Gap functions. She also sits on their internal United for Business Board Team. Additionally, in the past she has volunteered with Girl Scouts of Colorado, Dumb Friends League, and Family Tree House of Hope. Jewel passionately believes in the importance of fostering the next generation of leaders and works tirelessly to make a positive impact in her community.
City of Residence: Erie, CO
Maggie Dehn, Head of Sales Optimization, SVP, Fidelity Investments
Maggie has 20+ years of experience as a market leader in benefits and wellness business with a background in sales, finance, operations, and organizational development. She is based out of Denver, Colorado where she calls home with her husband and two daughters.
Maggie has her Masters in Communications from University of Denver and a Bachelors of Science and Business Administration from the University of Colorado Boulder – Leeds School of Business.
Maggie is passionate about creating an inclusive and welcoming environment. She leads Associate Engagement for WI Sales. She is also a member of Women’s Leadership Group (WLG) and Asian, Inclusivity, Multiculturism AIM ERG at Fidelity.
City of Residence: Denver, CO
Isaac Lodico, Partner, Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP
Isaac Lodico is a tax attorney in the Denver office of Taft. He holds a J.D. from the University of California College of the Law, San Francisco, and an LL.M. in Taxation from the University of Denver’s Graduate Tax Program at the Sturm College of Law. He taught tax law for 14 years before moving to private practice where he advises clients on a range of federal income tax matters.
City of Residence: Denver, CO
Richard Maez, Executive Director, Ednium: The Alumni Collective
A proud graduate of John F. Kennedy High School in southwest Denver, Richard is first and foremost a community advocate who believes that change comes from elevating and activating the voices of the most impacted. He currently serves as the Executive Director of Ednium: The Alumni Collective, a non-profit organization that partners with public school alumni to change the way cities educate and reinvest in their homegrown talent. Ednium develops and empowers public school Alumni in metro Denver to be change agents in their personal and professional lives, while also working to change education systems locally and statewide.
Prior to joining Ednium Richard served as IB Program Manager at George Washington High School, where he led school-wide professional development around equity and authentic student engagement and helped eliminate barriers to increase BIPOC student access and engagement in advanced courses. Additionally he served as the coach for the Student Board of Education team, a policy-focused student organization as well as the GW Powerlifting team. He is passionate about community engagement, volunteering with organizations such as Minds Matter Colorado, Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership Program and serves on his neighborhood organizations scholarship committee. Richard holds a bachelor’s degree in History and Spanish and a masters degree in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Denver, and a certificate in Educational Leadership from Colorado State University Global. Richard resides in southwest Denver with his partner and two rambunctious doodles.
City of Residence: Denver, CO
Mimi Patel Tameron, Education Manager, Cleo Parker Robinson Dance
Mimi Patel Tameron is the Principal at Connections 4 Good, providing consulting and contract work to organizations. As a dynamic leader with an entrepreneurial spirit, she has always had a passion for helping people, communities, and companies reach higher potential. She is committed to leveraging her sales/marketing, business development / fundraising, and relationship building experience to cultivate partnerships and engagement around Corporate Social Responsibility strategies. With a vision to collaborate with all stakeholders to achieve mission-driven growth and serve various populations, she strives to fuel meaningful work from local to international communities and drive positive impact. Outside of business, Mimi has dedicated time and energy in her community by serving as an Advisory Board Member and volunteer at Back on My Feet, as a volunteer at Denver Rescue Mission, and as a Mentor for A+ Angels.
After immigrating from India to Jersey City, NJ and being a high-achiever from a low-income household with wonderful teachers and mentors along the way, Mimi received a full academic scholarship to University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in Biology. After building professional experience and success in various industries, she earned a Certificate in Corporate Social Responsibility from the Leeds School of Business at University of Colorado at Boulder. Currently, Mimi lives in Denver and enjoys experiencing the abundance of all that the city, state, and world has to offer with her husband and two toddler boys. Fun fact: Mimi’s passion is traveling the world to photograph buildings designed by her favorite architect, Frank Gehry.
City of Residence: Denver, CO
Kari Schaller, VP of Operations, Scholarly Software
Kari Schaller is the Vice President of Operations at Scholarly Software, a VC-backed startup seeking to modernize faculty affairs software for higher education institutions. Prior to Scholarly, Kari led Strategy and Analytics teams at Vail Resorts and earlier in her career was a management consultant for Oliver Wyman, specializing in transformation projects for Fortune 500 companies. With over ten years of experience in strategic planning, marketing and analytics, Kari offers deeps expertise in organizational growth and long-term sustainability to the Minds Matter Colorado Board.
Kari has been involved in Minds Matter Colorado since 2018, bringing her passion for data-driven decision making and equitable access to higher education. She served on the Associate Board from 2022-2025 and joined the Board of Directors in 2025. Kari grew up in Durango, CO, and holds a BS in Finance and Marketing from the University of Virginia’s McIntire School of Commerce.
City of Residence: Denver, CO
