Veronica Crespin-Palmer

Veronica Crespin-Palmer is the Co-Founder & LEO of RISE Colorado. RISE is centered around family engagement and community organizing as families and students of color lead the movement for educational equity. RISE works to Educate, Engage, and Empower low-income families of color to RISE as change agents for educational equity in our public school system. RISE has been awarded the Teach For America Social Innovation Award, Denver Business Journal’s 40 Under 40, Colorado’s MLK, Jr. Humanitarian Award, Education Leaders of Color Boulder Fund, Colorado Nonprofit Association’s Inclusiveness and Racial Equity Award, an American Civic Collaboration “Civvys” Award, and Veronica was chosen as an Inaugural Obama Fellow and a Pahara-Aspen Education Fellow. Veronica began her career in Los Angeles as a Teach For America corps member and has over sixteen years of experience as a community organizer, teacher, teacher coach, and social entrepreneur. She graduated with honors from Loyola Marymount University with a Master’s in Education and graduated with honors from CU Boulder with a BA in Political Science while serving as the University's first Latina Student Body President. Born and educated in Denver, Veronica is a 7th generation Colorado native, a proud Latina, military wife, and mother of two beautiful Afro-Latino children.