Welcome to the CU Denver Change Makers Alumni website

This newly designed space helps you connect across cohorts with other like-minded individuals who have also completed the fellowship program. We hope you’ll visit regularly to stay informed about future events, learn more about your fellow alumni and stay connected with the Change Makers community.

Explore the site
This site offers a range of features aimed at building connection and community. These include:

  • Events: Stay informed about upcoming events
  • Forum: Engage with other Change Makers alumni through general dialogue or topic-driven exchanges
  • Directory: Access information and profiles about your fellow Change Makers alumni
  • Volunteer: Volunteer with fellow alumni to strengthen connections and help others continue their Change Makers journey

These features will appear as Tabs at the top of the screen after you’ve registered as a site user. To do this, scroll down to the “How to Get Started” section below.

Stay up to date
You’ll also notice posts on the home page to the right of this welcome section. These will be updated regularly to include alumni profiles, inspirational quotes, links to timely resources and updates on the Change Makers program. We encourage you to check back often to stay in the loop.

Note: This is a private site for CU Denver Change Makers alumni. Access to the directory, forum, and other features is available only to registered alumni users

How to get started
To access and use all the site’s features, you’ll need to first register and log in.

  • Register by clicking on the “Login” button in the top right. On the Login page, click “Register” and create a username and password for logging into the site.
  • Build your profile: After logging in, you’ll be taken to a user page where you can add a photo and provide a little information about yourself by clicking on the gear button.
  • Access your account: Once complete, you’ll see your name and photo appear at the top right
  • Return home: To get back to the home page, click on “CU Denver Change Makers Alumni” at the top.

And if you’re looking for information about the Change Makers program itself, visit https://www.ucdenver.edu/change-makers

ALUMNI UPDATES

Stories, resources and news from the Change Makers community

  • Are you looking for your next read? Here are just a few suggestions.
    • “Next! The Power of Reinvention in Life and Work” by Joanne Lipman
    • “It’s Never Too Late to Begin Again: Discovering Creativity and Meaning at Midlife and Beyond” by Julia Cameron
    • “The Great Work of Your Life: A Guide for the Journey and Your True Calling” by Stephen Cope 
    • “WISER: The Definitive Guide to Starting a Business after 50” by Wendy Mayhew
    • “Aging Sideways: Changing Our Perspective on Getting Older” by Jeanette Leardi
    • “Healthy to 100: How Social Ties Lead to Long Lives” by Ken Stern

    These recommendations come from the book list compiled for the 2026 Change Makers cohort.

  • Getting to know Lisa Talucci

    This is an ongoing series of Change Makers alumni profiles — a chance to get to know one another a little better through stories, reflections and glimpses into life after the program. We’re looking for more alumni to feature, so if you’re willing to be profiled in a future post, please reach out to our site editor, Lisa Schlichtman, at lschlichtman@gmail.com.

    Q. What are your hobbies and interests?

    A. Gardening, art making, bike riding, photography, traveling.

    Q. What’s something meaningful you’re currently working on or are involved in (professionally or personally)?

    A. My work is meaningful to m,e and I have been taking illustration classes that are helping me to slow down and look at things more closely.

    Q. What is something about you that would surprise people?

    A.  I like to roam hardware stores as a sensory experience. And, I won’t leave empty-handed. 

    Q. What about Change Makers had a lasting effect on you?

    A. Change Makers helped me do some perspective-taking about the future. I am letting everything be an experiment from now on. 

  • Change Makers alum is front-page news

    Denver’s historic neon signs are in danger. And these are the people trying to save them.
    Todd Matuszewicz is leading the charge with the help of a small but dedicated group of neon enthusiasts

    An excerpt from the story by Noelle Phillips of The Denver Post

    “Meanwhile, Matuszewicz had enrolled in CU Denver’s Change Makers program, in which participants explore new career options later in life. At first, he said he tossed out the idea of becoming a world-renowned busker of murder ballads. His classmates scoffed.

    Then, once again, his background in neon shone. Everyone loved the idea of a historic preservationist who specialized in neon.

    “The stars aligned,” he said.

    Now that Matuszewicz has his master’s degree in historic preservation from CU Denver, his crusade is getting more attention. He’s become an in-demand speaker at historic preservation conferences around the United States.”

    Read the full article here.

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