
She is the Co-Founder & former CEO of Teatulia Organic Teas, a universally-respected brand known for doing things better: From the 3,000-acre regenerative garden itself to Teatulia’s stunningly sustainable packaging, Linda's focus has always been to use business as a force for good. In 2012, Linda also started the mama 'hood (a resource for new & expecting moms & their families) and opened Teatulia Tea & Coffee Bar, next door to Teatulia’s Denver Headquarters.
A Denver Native, she earned her Bachelor's Degree in Political Science from Columbia University in New York City and her MBA in finance and organizational management from NYU’s Stern School of Business before moving to Washington, DC, London, Los Angeles then back to Denver. She also completed her Permaculture Design Course with the Denver Permaculture Guild in 2019.
Linda currently lives in Downtown Denver with her filmmaker husband and her 14 & 12 year old children. In her spare time, Linda hangs with her kiddos, escapes to the mountains, devours movies & books and runs, practices yoga and gymnastics to keep her head & heart clear.
Email: linda@dug.org
Ext: 100

Between 2017 and 2019, Hannah worked as DUG’s Food Access Intern and Administrative Assistant. She joined the DUG staff full-time as Project Coordinator in 2020, and started in her current role as Project Manager in 2021.
Hannah earned her B.S. in Psychology with a minor in Sociology from Tulane University’s School of Science & Engineering in the culturally-rich city of New Orleans. She brings a strong background in research, customer-relations, neuroscience, and mental health.
Hannah has a love for all-things gardening and the microcosms of community and meaning it creates. Storytelling is her passion, and she loves exploring the importance of place-making, mental health and wellbeing, and other life-enhancing benefits of community gardening. Hannah enjoys spending time with her large, blended family and little brothers, traveling, skiing, cooking new gluten-free recipes, trying new restaurants, and reading to expand her knowledge. She loves animals, and is searching for a puppy to call her own.
Email: hannah@dug.org
Ext: 110

Laura is always finding ways to reduce waste and loves engaging the community in environmental projects. She loves traveling and adventures! 2020 was her first season gardening at a community garden and she and her family are loving it! Her 3-year-old daughter is a master weed-puller already!
Email: laura@dug.org
Ext: 110


Email: judy@dug.org
Ext: 906

Lara joined the DUG staff as the Director of Garden Support in 2015 and brings her passion for giving back to the community to her role supporting DUG’s over 500 volunteer Garden Leaders.
Lara earned her BA at The Colorado College in Colorado Springs, she completed Naropa Institute’s Authentic Leadership Program in 2018 and the Sustainable Leadership Program with Alexander Association in 2019. When not gardening at Rosedale, her current community garden, Lara enjoys playing outside with her family, doing taekwondo, and drawing.
Email: lara@dug.org
Ext: 105

In her free time, Eliza is most likely going for a walk in nature with her rescue dog Jasper, lost in a good book, or attending a community event.
Email: eliza@dug.org

Email: creighton@dug.org

In her free time you can find her out on the water in her inflatable kayak, singing angsty folk music with her band, chasing butterflies with her kitties, or making a big dinner for her six-person intentional community house.
Email: niko@dug.org
Ext: 103

He believes major systemic changes need to take place in order to alter the oppressive food regimes many of our most vulnerable citizens live within. Agriculture has the power to effectively enhance urban resilience and adaptive capacities, while also addressing critical issues such as social empowerment, food security, ecological regeneration, and climate change adaptation.
There are few solutions that work across such a wide spectrum of influence when it comes to addressing the urgent needs facing urban communities. It is his great hope that cities across the planet, with the help of organizations like DUG, will begin to see the true potential of agriculture and work diligently to expedite the development of robust and equitable urban food system networks.
When he’s not working he can be found running around the mountains, traveling with his wife, and tending to his home garden.
Email: dylan@dug.org
Ext: 910

Email: niko@dug.org
Ext: 103

Before joining DUG, Rob was the teacher programs coordinator for the Denver Museum of Nature and Science (DMNS), serving there for ten years in that role with an emphasis on bringing local and national partnerships to the museum and supporting teachers with trainings on the latest trends and approaches in effective science teaching. Prior to that, Rob also served as Outreach Programs Manager for DMNS, extending the museum’s reach out into the community.
Email: rob@dug.org
Ext: 101

Brittany has worked extensively in shifting urban agriculture toward food justice and equitable food access for all, and seeks ways to deepen connection to community through growing good food. Brittany leads DUG’s metro-wide Grow a Garden program, water conservation efforts, community connections and public gardening classes. Mother to Willa and Indigo, Brittany enjoys trail running, yoga and supporting young families as a birth doula.
Email: brittany@dug.org
Ext: 108

This journey took me to the University of Gastronomic Sciences in Pollenzo, Italy, where I received a Master's degree in World Food Cultures and Mobility, and also had the opportunity to work at the Slow Food International headquarters connecting with leaders across the world.
I've had the fortune to work with communities at the local and global level, promoting community-based programs that support food sovereignty and environmental justice. I have visited farms in Mexico, Colombia, Greece, The Philippines, and many European countries, to understand diverse methods of food production with an emphasis on the connection between our food and the environment.
I'm endlessly curious about food origins, the mobility of ingredients, the cultures built around them, and our modern outlook of food, the nostalgia of food rituals and traditions, and the socio-economic and environmental aspects of the way we eat [and drink].
Email: paula@dug.org

Shelby holds a B.S. in Mass Media and Communications, with a focus on art criticism completed during studies at Florence University of the Arts.
Her portfolio of work includes Directing Marketing and Resource Development for Boys and Girls Clubs, Special Projects and Marketing at the Downtown Denver Partnership, Event and Marketing Management with Denver Startup Week, and PR/creative content for Great Outdoors Colorado and the Generation Wild movement.
In her free time, Shelby likes to find a way to be outside with a good book.
Email: shelby@dug.org
We work with a variety of contractors to ensure all our projects are staffed appropriately.
Please direct all finance inquiries to finance@dug.org.
If you are interested in working with DUG, please visit www.dug.org/employment.
Meet Our Board

Le`alani holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Environmental Design and a Master’s Degree in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Colorado. She is a certified planner of the American Institute of Certified Planners and a Senior Fellow of the Environmental Leadership Program.
Le`alani loves hiking, camping, gardening, playing piano and ukulele, singing, and dancing hula or anything that gets our hips moving. She lives in Denver with her husband and partner, Whitney, and kitten, Kamana`oulu.

Diana serves on the Board of Directors for Colorado WaterWise, a local non-profit focused on water conservation. She loves identifying plants on hikes, cooking and eating, and tracking down water leaks. Diana lives in Aurora with her husband, Adam, and cat, Callie.

Andrew has called Colorado home for 22 years and currently lives in Denver with his wife, Allison. Together they enjoy traveling the globe, skiing, and anything else that takes them outside with their dog, Lilly.

Throughout her career, Brooke has mobilized internal and external teams to produce small networking events to large-scale summits and media productions, from national media productions to HomeAdvisor thought leadership forums to Guild Education's inaugural FUTURE19 Summit.Presently speaking:In 2018, Brooke founded PennStreet Communications, a strategic marketing communications firm, specializing in public relations strategy and event management. Tailoring her expertise to the specific needs of her clients, she brings unmatched drive, unrelenting passion and a wealth of experience to every table.

has worked on a variety of transportation projects including Corridor visioning and planning for Brighton Boulevard, Federal Boulevard and Washington Street, City coordination for CDOT’s I-70 East EIS, Federal Boulevard’s NEPA, 14th
Street Project as well as the Strategic Transportation Plan.
Karen serves on the 14 th St and Brighton GID District Advisory Boards in her role with the City and is a Garden Leader at the Shoshone Garden and Secretary for the Denver Urban Gardens board, as well as serving as Vice Chair of the WTS
International Foundation.

Chloe moved to Colorado from the east coast about 4 years ago. She loves living near the mountains with her husband, Clint, 3-year old son, Parker, and two French bulldogs, Professor Bonsai and Quinn.


In 2013, she became the President of this growing transportation consulting business and they are thriving at over 50 employees. She is married and a mother to two children, ages 15 and 12. She enjoys traveling with your family, reading and is a houseplant hobbyist. In terms of community and civic engagement, she believes strongly in community involvement and her passion lies in education as shown in her volunteer work for various organizations.

She volunteers her time and effort as lead of a donation based garden. This multiple bed garden space in Golden grows fresh produce
and donates all the harvest to the local food bank. Each year presents both challenges and successes. This garden space has provided hundreds of pounds of food each year.
Melinda Was born and raised in rural Iowa spending her formative years enjoying the lessons learned from living the midwest lifestyle of hard work and love of community. Melinda graduated from the University of Iowa with a BBA in Finance and Economics. She worked as an accountant and leasing agent for many years. She then found herself enjoying the restaurant industry learning the tricks and tips of customer service. Melinda met her husband, Chris, while living in Annapolis, MD. Melinda and Chris moved to the west Denver area 10 years ago. They have a daughter, Wendy. Melinda loves to garden, spend time outdoors hiking, walking, and jogging, doing yoga and other fitness, reading books listening to podcasts, and simply sharing time in community with others. Melinda believes the community garden is a space that can bring peace, calm and friendship.

He has participated in various programs within the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce, including Leadership Denver, the Public Affairs Council, Impact Denver and the Chamber 100 Program. In 2009, Way was named one of the Denver Business Journal’s annual Forty under 40 winners. This award recognizes dynamic business leaders whose efforts in the office and in community are shaping the future of the Denver area.
Way served as an officer in the United States Army Reserves for 13years. He was deployed to Afghanistan from 2005-06 as part of Operation Enduring Freedom.Way has a degree in marketing from the University of Notre Dame and an MBA from Colorado State University. He is a member of the Beta Gamma Sigma honor society for graduating in the top 20 percent of his MBA class.
Interested in joining the DUG board?
We accept applications year-round.
Email us to learn more.