Dear GBC Members, Supporters, and Community Partners,

When I reflect on my journey as a community organizer, champion for economic justice, non profit director, and now entrepreneur, I am reminded of the countless moments in the trenches when I witnessed, first hand, the powerful impact and voice of GBC members throughout the years. Starting with the fight to increase state minimum wage in 2016 and then later with paid family medical leave, I remember witnessing GBC members advocating at coalition meetings, the state capitol, press conferences and many other places about why these kinds of policy changes were vital for them to be values centered business leaders. I found GBC members to be so inspirational, because they were so consistent in how they showed up for these campaigns, sometimes year after year, until these important policies were made into law and then implemented. That is why it was so effortless for me to become a member when I launched my coaching and consulting business Celestial Alegria in June 2020, because I knew GBC is where I could truly make an impact for the better in our state.

This is also why it was an easy yes for me to join the Board of Directors and accept the nomination to serve as the current Chair. The innovation and tenacity of our membership gives me hope that we can have equitable communities, a sustainable environment, and a prosperous economy despite all odds.

Thank you to Our Departing Board Members

As we move forward into 2025 I want to express my deepest gratitude to our departing Board members, Carol Cochran, Edwin Zoe, and Sarah Marcogliese. These amazing human beings have committed the last several years to board service! Your leadership, dedication, and contributions to GBC have been invaluable and we are incredibly grateful for all you’ve done to help shape our community and mission.

Welcoming New Leadership

As Board Chair, I am overjoyed to update you on the results of our board recruitment process. I am happy to announce that both Katherine Knarreborg and Pete Turner will be staying on through 2025. At the same time, we are excited to welcome Alisha Harris, Brian Loma, Helena Karchere, Jervis DiCicco, Laura Morocco, Rachel W. Robinson, and Sandy Lane as new members to the Board! These dynamic GBC members bring fresh perspective and expertise that will strengthen our organization as we continue our important work.

We are thrilled to welcome such a robust cohort of members and business leaders to our Board of Directors. Get to know them more by visiting our website here and meet them at Level Up Academy this January!

Our First Steps Toward the Future

To kick off our next chapter, our Board recently attended a training designed to help strengthen our leadership and ensure we are fully prepared to drive our mission forward. We are also ending the year with a Board and Staff retreat where Yolanda, our Executive Director, and I will begin to set the stage for GBC’s first strategic planning process in the coming year. We are more energized than ever to build stronger support for our members and enhance our voice at the Colorado legislature.

As an initial step of our planning, Yolanda has conducted a thorough analysis of how we’re doing operationally and provided the Board with a gap assessment report. This assessment has illuminated the areas we’ll need to focus on to improve our impact and better serve our members. If you haven’t been keeping up with our progress over the last several months, here are a few links to get you up to speed:

If you have been thinking about becoming a member of GBC, now is the time! I invite you to take that action by joining us today!

BECOME A MEMBER

Another great way you can support GBC as we evolve is by making a donation to us this Colorado Gives Day on Tuesday, December 10th. Right now, we have set a goal of raising $5,000 from our members, supporters and community partners. GBC’s Board of Directors are actively raising an additional $5,000 to match community donations. Can we count on your donation?

GIVE TODAY

Every dollar counts and empowers GBC to further our mission!

On behalf of GBC, I want to wish you happy holidays this season and lots of rest as we head into 2025. I cannot wait to see you virtually and in person at Level Up Academy in January!

Celesté Martinez

Board Chair

Good Business Colorado

Pronouns: she / her / ella

board@goodbusinessco.org

A Letter from our Board Chair, Celesté Martinez