Brendan Greene is a Co-Founder of the EC3 who was raised in the East Colfax Corridor who has built his career around creating grassroots models of community-centered decision making.
Brendan graduated with a degree in Latin American and Latino Studies from the University of California at Santa Cruz and received a Masters in Public Affairs from the Lyndon Byron Johnson School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas, Austin.
Trained as an organizer in the farm worker movement as the National Boycott Director for the United Farm Workers in California (2000-2004) and the Farm Labor Organizing Committee in North Carolina and Monterrey Mexico (2004-2007), Brendan brings more than 24 years of community organizing experience that focuses on challenging power to create space where impacted leadership is respected and in control of decision-making power over campaigns and policies.
Carson joined the EC3 team in 2023 with a background in urban planning, housing policy, and real estate, as well as experience with a variety of local organizing efforts centered on housing justice. Carson brings both a passion for housing justice and expertise in affordable housing to EC3.
Through his professional and organizing work, Carson has recognized the central role of stable, dignified housing in community health and is committed to creating durable housing solutions while building community power.
Daniela Hernandez is a Housing Organizer with the East Colfax Community Collective, passionate about helping others and serving communities in need. She is happily married and has four beautiful children. Originally from California, she holds associate degrees in Science for Medical Administation and as a Medical Assistant. Growing up in a low-income household and her medical background instilled in her a deep care for others. She is proud to share her passion in combating against injustice in the community with her amazing colleagues in EC3.
Don Deih, serves as a Housing Navigator at EC3. Originally from Myanmar (Burma) and joining EC3 in July of 2023, Don Deih is driven by a deep passion for aiding individuals and families, ensuring their housing stability and fostering community connections. Witnessing the profound impact of preventing displacement fuels Don Deih’s commitment to her work.
With a solid background in office management and a strong tie to the Burmese community, Don Deih is focused on expanding her reach within East Colfax. She is determined to utilize her expertise to empower and serve the Burmese community, striving to make a meaningful difference in the lives in the East Colfax community.
Emily Goodman is a Colorado native, spending her childhood enjoying the diverse and beautiful atmosphere of Denver, including East Colfax. Through Emily’s personal experience with housing instability, she understands the importance of affordable housing, which fuels her excitement to be part of our community’s advocacy working to create a sustainable and equitable future for all that call East Colfax home.
Helen Tekle, born in Ethiopia, resettled in the United States as a refugee at age 12, settling in East Colfax, Colorado. She attended Regis University, earning a Bachelor’s in Business Administration and a Master’s in Nonprofit Management.
With a background in marketing, she serves as Community Representative at Garden Plaza of Aurora and Outreach Manager at the African Community Center. Co-founder of Taste of Ethiopia, she hosts a Denver Day event with 15,000 attendees and leads a youth cultural dance group. In her free time, Helen enjoys family moments with her three children.
Lidia was born in Khartoum, Sudan, and came to the U.S. in 1993 with her parents, who are originally from Ethiopia and Eritrea. She is passionate about advocacy and fighting injustice in the community. She previously served as the Refugee Program Coordinator at the Colorado Department of Public Health. Her drive to support others is deeply rooted in her own refugee experience. She is married with four kids.
Two fun facts:
I love listening to podcasts and I enjoy short hikes.
Connection to the East Colfax Corridor:
When I was younger I would visit East Colfax for all our shopping needs.
Mohammad Shafiq Nickzad is a seasoned Operations Manager with extensive experience in nonprofit management, currently based in Chantilly VA. He is fluent in multiple languages and brings a unique multicultural perspective to his roles. As the former Country Director for Women for Women International in Kabul, Afghanistan, he oversaw operations, human resources, and finances, managing a team of over 150 staff members. Mr. Nickzad holds a BA in Administration & Management and is known for his strong leadership, communication skills, and commitment to justice advocacy. Currently he is working as Operation Director of East Colfax Community Collective
Nadeen M Ibrahim joined EC3 in 2021, and has more than a decade of community organizing experience, largely in the Muslim community and its intersections. Her passion for community organizing is driven by her immigrant, Palestinian, Muslim, and rural identities.
Nadeen holds a Bachelor of Science in public health from the University of Colorado – Denver and a Masters of Public Policy from the University of Oxford, England. Her passion for organizing has always aimed to better understand and recognize social determinants of health, especially around housing, in hopes of driving policy change.
Nate Kassa is a community organizer with the East Colfax Community Collective. He began organizing in East Colfax after he saw the neighborhood he grew up in increasingly struggling against gentrification and how the ultra-wealthy and powerful preyed on the increasing poverty and hardship in the community, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Wanting to fight for systematic change in the economy and housing system and to build a movement that could turn the tides of displacement, Nate became a tenant organizer fighting against gentrification by building collective tenant power. He studied Geography and Environmental Science at the University of Colorado Denver, earning a certificate in Geographic Information Science.
Olivia Sanders joined the East Colfax Community Collective as a Community Organizer in July 2023. Olivia is from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and discovered her passion for social justice and community organizing throughout her time in high school and college. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Louisiana State University and a Master of Social Work with a concentration in Organizational Leadership and Policy Practice from the University of Denver Graduate School of Social Work.
Alex represents housing authorities and nonprofits that develop and operate affordable housing throughout Colorado. He volunteers for various legal aid organizations and political campaigns and serves on an advisory committee to Mayor Michael Hancock. He previously served as the Chair of the Denver Bar Association’s Access to Justice Committee and President of The Conflict Center’s Board of Directors. Before attending law school, Alex earned a master’s degree in economics from the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa, where his research was funded by the Rotary Foundation.
Alex is passionate about community economic development, individual dignity, and social and economic justice.
My family hails from New Orleans, Louisiana. Both of my parents and sister were born there. We also have an older brother. They are children of an Air Force Senior msgt. We’re from Victorville, California originally, but lived in Louisiana, Germany, Minnesota and Denver which ultimately brought me to the East Colfax Community.
I graduated from Smoky Hill High School, attended Northeastern Junior College as well as Pickens Technical College in Aurora, CO.
I’ve been a Barber Hairstylist in the East Colfax Community for over 20 years and that career brought me back full circle to the same college I attended. I was the evening Hair Instructor for 7 years where I also served on the Barber Board at Pickens Technical College. Through all this I’ve always been a staple in the East Colfax community as Owner and Operator of Precision Kutz and Stylze. It’s a Community I’m really proud to be a part of. The true fabric of this community is the diversity it displays on a daily basis and there is no street like Colfax in the US.
Like many in the community, Nebiyu is passionate about East Colfax, where he has served the community in different capacities for two decades; including being a proud co-founder of the East Colfax Community Collective (ECCC).
Nebiyu is a Senior Business Operations Leader at Verizon Business Group, a division of Verizon Communications that provides services and products for enterprise and government clients around the world. In addition to his leadership role in Global Operations, Nebiyu is an active contributor to Verizon’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programs, where he actively volunteers and facilitates activities to give back to society through Digital Inclusion, Climate Protection, and Human Prosperity.
Nebiyu has the passion to help his community locally and globally through organizing and policy advocacy to improve conditions for immigrant and underserved minority groups. As a native of Ethiopia, Nebiyu emphasizes the rich cultural landscape of his community as co-founder of the Taste of Ethiopia Festival; one of Denver’s largest summer festivals. Nebiyu is also a proud member of “Denver’s 100 Men Who Cook” where he volunteers as a Chef to help raise education funds for local African-American youth.
Nebiyu is also co-founder of the Ethiopian American Development council that works to advance the human rights, political, educational, social, and economic interests of Ethiopian-Americans and Ethiopians. Nebiyu also serves in several community advisory roles, including Governor Jared Polis’ Community Engagement Team, Congressman Joe Neguse’s Immigration Stakeholders team and the Community Police Advisory Team (CPAT) for Aurora Chief of Police Vanessa Wilson; where he contributes in the effort to improve police-community relations.
For his contribution to the community; Nebiyu was awarded the “African Americans Who Make a Difference” award in 2019 from the Denver Urban Spectrum; a Congressional Recognition from the United States Congress in 2018, and a “Life Time Achievement” award in 2017 from the East Colfax St. Mary Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church.
She holds a bachelors’ degree in Mass Communications/Journalism. She has several years of community outreach/engagement experience through her work with several nonprofit organizations, Denver Public Schools, and businesses.
