Boulder Chamber honors ‘Women Who Light the Community’

BOULDER — The Boulder Chamber Thursday honored six women at its 24th annual Women Who Light the Community event at the Jewish Community Center.

The event, organized by the Boulder Chamber Business Women’s Leadership Group, recognizes women who have made “significant contributions through innovations and a committed effort to address a meaningful business or non-profit, arts or community need, locally, regionally, nationally, or globally,” according to the Chamber’s website.

This year’s honorees included:

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• Stephanie Carter, founder of Wallaroo Hat Co. Carter is an award-winning entrepreneur, philanthropist and activist who launched Wallaroo in 2015. She has helped pioneer the sun-protection apparel movement.
• Rebecca Chavez, director of admissions and outreach at Front Range Community College’s Boulder County campus. Chavez has helped to establish and lead the Latinx Excellence, Achievement and Development Scholars program.
• Frances Draper, senior strategic adviser for public policy and community relations at the University of Colorado Boulder. Draper provides counsel to university senior leadership. 
• Geri Mitchell-Brown, director of employee experience at Namaste Solar. She has been a leader in the B Corp movement. At Namaste, she is a member of the executive leadership team responsible for companywide strategic decisions.
• Paula Nelson, co-founder of the Parent Engagement Network. Through her work with PEN, Nelson helped found the HOPE Coalition of Boulder County and the Boulder County Eating Disorders Coalition.
• Paola Garcia Barrón, Boulder High School — Emerging Youth. Barrón is a junior at Boulder High School who excels in academics and is part of various clubs and activities. She is part of Z Club, the Latino Student Organization, and Panther Pride. She also volunteers at the Family Learning Center.