All summer long, we’re featuring Boulderites who are innovative in their industry during our #MyBoulderSummer series. This week, we want to highlight our community members who are contributing to Boulder’s philanthropic scene. The women and men on this list are dedicated to improving the lives of people in local communities, as well as all over the world…and for that, they deserve to be celebrated.
Jennifer and Jason Mendelson
Jennifer and Jason Mendelson are committed activists through the University of Colorado Boulder. They started an endowment at CU Boulder in honor of beloved business school professor Brad Bernthal. Together with their friends, they donated over 1.5 million dollars for the endowment. In addition to that, they funded the DACA Initiative at the law school to fight Trump administration policies. Finally, they co-founded the New Venture Challenge, a launching platform for entrepreneurs.
Dave Query
Chef and restaurateur Dave Query is the mind behind the Big Red F restaurant group. He is the owner of Boulder (and Colorado) staples Zolo Grill, Jax Fish House, Lola Coastal Mexican, Centro Mexican Kitchen, West End Tavern, and The Post Brewing Co. Dave utilizes his impressive network of restaurants to fundraise for numerous organizations a year. His philanthropic endeavors focus on groups that make direct impacts on people in Boulder and beyond. From food drives to charity events, in the last year the Big Red F has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for charities like Brent’s Place and Intercambio.
Hugo and Becci Matheson
As co-owner of The Kitchen, Next Door, and Upstairs, Hugo has established himself as a dedicated advocate for American farmers. Each of his restaurants features farm-to-table ingredients sourced as locally as possible. It is this ethos that led him to co-found Big Green, an organization seeking to establish learning gardens in schools all over the country. The nonprofit currently teaches over a quarter million students each day how to grow and care for their own food. Becci Matheson is just as committed to philanthropic causes as her husband. She currently serves on the boards of Art Boulder and the ALS Association Rocky Mountain Chapter. Art Boulder aims to provide emerging artists with the tools and support necessary to turn their passion into a full-time business. The ALS Association funds research into treatments and possible cures for ALS.
Kimbal and Christiana Musk
Entrepreneurial masterminds Kimbal and Christiana Musk are constantly finding new ways to positively impact communities around the world. Kimbal is the other co-owner and co-founder of The Kitchen Bistros and Big Green. Along with those endeavors, he is also a co-founder of Square Roots, an organization working on educating the next generation of agricultural entrepreneurs. Square Roots aims to help community leaders learn sustainable ways to farm real, nutritious food year round in urban spaces. In addition to her own activism around agriculture and sustainability, Christiana Musk is a philanthropic entrepreneur. She currently serves as a curator for the Near Future Summit and a board member for the Unreasonable Group, two communities dedicated to innovating solutions to the world’s problems.
One of the best aspects of Boulder is how kind and generous its citizens are. The folks mentioned in this blog go above and beyond their duties to ensure that they make the world a better place, which is why they’re featured in our #MyBoulderSummer series. Stay tuned for future articles, and be sure to post photos on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter with the hashtag #MyBoulderSummer for the chance to win prizes all summer long!