A leader with experience spanning the public, private, and social change sectors, Denise understands the power and possibility of cross-sector collaboration.

Globally recognized for her expertise in creative youth development (CYD), she has contributed more than a dozen publications to the field of CYD and is author of the National Blueprint to Advance Creative Youth Development. Her work has been covered by National Public Radio, The Washington Post, and Youth Today, among other media outlets.

Denise is currently advising a multi-year, global creative youth development initiative. In 2025, she gave the first global, public address on creative youth development at the Marconi Institute for Creativity Conference in Bolzano, Italy. In 2026, Denise will serve as Guest Editor of a creative youth development-themed issue of the publication of the Global Extended Learning and Youth Development Association.

Through her consulting practice, CultureThrive, Denise works with arts and culture, youth development, foundation, corporate, and public sector partners and clients. She is skilled at coming into complex spaces, conducting analysis, and developing actionable insights and thoughtful strategy. She draws on her experience across the public, private, and social change sectors to inform her involvement in cross-sector collaboration, strategy, systems change, advocacy, and policy.

Denise helped secure passage of California's landmark $4 Billion investment in expanded learning. She has spent more than two decades working to improve equitable access to and participation in the arts and to out-of-school time programs at both the systems and program levels. Her interest in youth program design is driven by the link between youth program quality, engagement, and outcomes.

During her tenure as director of the Denver Office of Cultural Affairs, RAND ranked the agency as one of the top two municipal arts agencies in the United States. Denise founded the Biennial of the Americas and played a pivotal role in securing the bequest of the Clyfford Still collection and establishing the Clyfford Still Museum.

Denise is an invited member of World Education Resource Association's Task Force on Extended Education and a founding member of the Global Extended Learning and Youth Development Association. She serves on the National Advisory Group of the 3C Data Alliance and is an education advisor to the National Museum of the American Latino. Active in expanded learning advocacy and in grantmaking affinity groups, Denise is involved with Grantmakers for Thriving Youth, the Creative Youth Development Funders Forum, and Grantmakers for Education's out-of-school time impact group.

Denise is guided by the fundamental beliefs that all people deserve to thrive; strengths-based approaches bring out the best in people and collaborations; relationships are built on trust; and by ways of working that center equity, inclusivity, listening, learning, and creativity.

Denise serves on the boards of the New Children’s Museum, California School Age Consortium (CalSAC), SDArtMatters, and Teen Volunteers in Action. She has volunteered more than 3,000 hours with youth and youth programs in San Diego, California, where she lives with her family.