Meet Our Team

Pronouns: They/Them

Favorite Vegetable: Mulberry

Pronouns: Vanessa/Vanessa

Favorite Vegetable: Calabacitas

Vanessa holds two Bachelor’s degrees from Arizona State University in Sustainability and Spanish and is currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Sustainable Development Practice from Regis University. Vanessa has a passion to eradicate environmental injustice and ensure a sustainable future for all. During Vanessa’s professional career there has been many opportunities to work with youth who have inspired lifelong curiosity and a desire to learn every day. At DUG, Vanessa hopes to promote autonomy in the young people of Denver and empower them to bring positive transformation to the systems that affect them. During personal time, Vanessa enjoys dancing, cooking, spending time with family, and appreciating nature.

Fun Fact: Vanessa’s favorite animal is the Orca!

Pronouns: She/Her

Favorite Vegetable: Broccoli

Although my mother wasn’t an active gardener, I think that sometimes interests skip generations. I remember my grandmother saving seeds of her treasured cleome (we called them ‘spider flowers’) whose pods we would lovingly ‘pop,’ and if we opened them at just the right time, you could stick them on your nose and create wonderful garden ‘creatures.’ She was a marvelous cook & baker and she shared stories of bringing special flours and seeds from Russia to use in her culinary dishes and share with others.

Working in the garden with her, I became enamored with how she carefully created specific areas to walk so as not to impact the soil. From that moment, a special seed was planted in me to learn as much as I could about tending the soil, realizing the amazing treasures of food, herbs, and flowers it yielded. I was just grateful to take part in the stewardship process.

Being involved with DUG for over 20 years, I have quietly listened as people from diverse countries shared their stories of bringing their own treasured seeds to plant, nourish both body and soul, and to help us understand that in our differences, there is a strong opportunity to learn, grow, and appreciate our diverse talents.

I’ve had the privilege of working with amazing staff, educating children and adults, leading the Master Composter program, and watching the seasons’ ebb and flow. As time goes by, I am inspired by the wisdom of the Earth, gathering all together to pause in wonder at the unfolding of each sunrise and its new possibilities for quiet reflection and growth. DUG is a web of interconnected voices, more than individual gardens: each voice giving strength to our vision of community, of strength in diversity, of sharing the stories of our home.

Pronouns: She/They

Favorite Vegetable: Beet

Kristi’s love of growing food stemmed from helping her Finnish-Canadian grandmother garden on a small plot of land in Vancouver where she grew up. Her academic journey sprouted at the UBC Farm and led her to study biochar and carbon sequestration in soils at Florida’s A&M University. Kristi’s passion for nurturing community in building sustainable food systems blossomed from her involvement with the Damayan Garden Project and Florida Farm to School Team in Tallahassee. With the mountain life calling, she settled in Colorado and found her community once again at Denver Urban Gardens in the compost training program. Her composting knowledge and expertise has been put into action as a Garden Leader at Greenway Community Garden, and she is officially a converted ‘worm nanny.’ In her free time you’ll find Kristi hiking in aspen groves with her wife JJ and pup Kona, biking through Central Park, practicing yoga at Root to Rise, or dancing with blissful abandon at a Red Rocks concert.

Fun Fact: Kristi’s birthday is New Years’ Day!

Pronouns: He/Him

Favorite Vegetable: Winter Squash

Creighton Hofeditz is an educator, designer, and organizer who has spent almost fifteen years working towards a future where communities can provide more of their own essential needs and be a part of healing the earth at the same time.

Although he went to university for theater, he switched paths dramatically when he came upon permaculture design. He worked on The Permaculture Handbook with Peter Bane, and was a contributing author to The Forest Garden Greenhouse by Jerome Osentowski. He spent two years apprenticing at Bullocks’ Permaculture Homestead in Washington State, and then came back to Denver, where he taught at a public farm school for six years, organized permaculture classes for adults, and kept up a private tree care business on the side. At DUG, he established the Food Forest Program, and is regularly stunned that he gets to do this as a job.

At home he enjoys playing music, homesteading, building things, and spending time with his wife, daughter, dog, and 7 chickens.

Fun Fact: While teaching in Japan, Creighton appeared in a local newspaper photo dressed only in a loincloth.

Pronouns: She/Her

Favorite Vegetable: Asparagus

Niko Kirby is an educator, program designer, and communications strategist whose work centers on inclusive communication, facilitation, and helping ideas take root.

With a Master’s degree in Instruction and Curriculum Design, she has built her career at the crossroads of education, marketing, and event facilitation. For more than a decade she taught English as a Second Language on four continents, creating cross-cultural programs that deepened understanding between students and communities. She has also served as a marketing and communications strategist and event facilitator for several nonprofits, sharpening her ability to make complex ideas clear and bring diverse groups together.

The granddaughter of Kentucky farmers, Niko spent a year working on organic farms and studying permaculture, reconnecting to her agricultural roots and adopting a regenerative systems lens that inspired her shift into environmental education.

Today, as Senior Director of Education & Engagement at Denver Urban Gardens (DUG), she designs scalable programs, crafts mission-aligned content, and facilitates learning spaces focused on equity, collaboration, and real-world application. She has led educator trainings, nurtured partnerships, guided organizational brand and culture alignment, and blended her expertise in curriculum design, communications, and facilitation to grow DUG’s education programs over the last two years.

Fun Fact: She plays a mean egg shaker (yes—the musical kind 🥚🎶).

Pronouns: she/her

Favorite Vegetable: Carrot

Marisa is a passionate advocate for intersectional environmentalism, community organizing, and sustainable agriculture. Hailing from the Garden State of New Jersey, she found her way to food systems work while studying Cultural Anthropology and Global Studies at the University of Vermont. At Denver Urban Gardens (DUG), Marisa has the privilege of working alongside DUG’s incredible Community Garden Leaders, supporting their efforts to build vibrant, resilient communities through gardening. In her free time, you can find Marisa outdoors reveling in Colorado’s natural beauty while hiking, biking, climbing, and painting.

Fun Fact: Every Fall, Marisa coaches field hockey at East High School! Go Angels!

Pronouns: Osiris/Osiris

Favorite Vegetable: Garlic

Osiris is originally from Jacksonville, Florida and has lived all over the country (and even a few places overseas). And while Osiris moved for work, they stayed for the snowy mountains of Colorado. Osiris enjoys bridging their passions for language, community, and stories at DUG and is newer to gardening! When Osiris is not working, they’re sipping tea, reading a cheesy romance book, or teaching their dog, Dorothy, tricks!

Fun Fact: Osiris speaks Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese!

Favorite Vegetable: Okra

Nessa is a natural connector with a deep curiosity about the world and a passion for building relationships. She thrives on creating strategic partnerships that bring funding to community-driven projects while engaging and educating stakeholders about food systems, community building, and climate resiliency.

When she’s not forging connections, you’ll find Nessa traveling, birdwatching, gardening, or hiking with her wife and their pups. A lifelong learner, she loves reading autobiographies, watching documentaries, and cheering on her favorite sports teams. She also plays the piano and is currently working on her skateboarding skills—because why not keep learning new tricks? Nessa holds a Master’s Degree in Environmental Health from CU Denver and is always looking for new ways to make a meaningful impact.

Fun Fact: Nessa won a Sea Kayak on the Price is Right in 2011

Pronouns: She/Her

Favorite Vegetable: Bitter Melon

Nicole is originally from the Chicago suburbs. She graduated from Loyola University in Chicago with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology with a focus on Human Services, and minors in Women and Gender Studies and Music and holds a Masters in Critical Ethnic Studies from DePaul University.

Nicole is passionate about collective healing and liberation, permaculture ethics, and healing arts. She has written about outer space as contested space, space exploration as an opportunity for healing, and ecological justice as social justice, as well as co-curated the Space Ethics Library. Nicole is an avid fan of Pretty Lights, soaking up sunshine, and dabbling with flow arts.

Fun Fact: Nicole is a professional tarot reader

Pronouns: she/her

Favorite Vegetable: Snap Peas

Brit has over 10 years experience in food systems work and began volunteering with DUG in 2014. She is deeply passionate about localizing our food system and deepening knowledge around growing food. Brit holds a Master’s Degree in International Development from the Josef Korbel School for International Studies at the University of Denver. Brit enjoys yoga, hiking, reading and gardening with her two daughters, Willa and Indigo, and pup, Max.

Fun Fact: Brit has over 50 first cousins!

Pronouns: She/Her

Favorite Vegetable: Pineapple Tomatillo

Lara has first-hand experience with the healing power of nature and gardens. In her role as Director of Therapeutic Gardens, she is able to share this passion and provide that experience for others. Lara oversees DUG’s therapeutic gardens from the initial build and planting to training the onsite staff and working directly with participants. Lara has a Biology/ Pre-Med degree from Colorado College, is a Licensed Massage Therapist specializing in trauma-informed care, holds certificates from the Naropa Institute’s Authentic Leadership Program and the Sustainable Leadership Program with the Alexander Association, and is a trained Horticultural Therapist.

Lara first joined the DUG network in 2011 as a Master Community Gardener Program student and as a volunteer Garden Leader at a local elementary school garden. Lara joined the DUG staff as the Director of Garden Support in 2015 and has worked across most of DUG’s program areas.

Fun Fact: Lara lived on Grand Cayman Island for 4 years