2026 9NEWS Nonprofit Leader of the Year Finalist Elycia Cook
Leading Colorado honors leaders who are shaping the future of our state through innovation, service, and impact across every sector. This year, we are proud to recognize finalists across three categories: For-Profit Leader of the Year, Nonprofit Leader of the Year, and Public Sector Leader of the Year.
The Nonprofit Leader of the Year award recognizes nonprofit executives who lead with purpose, build strong partnerships, and deliver measurable impact while addressing some of Colorado’s most complex social and environmental challenges.
Elycia R. Cook is a nationally recognized nonprofit CEO, global mentor, and community builder whose life and leadership are rooted in resilience, purpose, and the transformative power of relationships. Born during the 1967 Detroit riots to a 16-year-old mother, Elycia grew up navigating tremendous adversity—including abuse, instability, and the loss of loved ones to violence. Although statistics predicted a very different life outcome, mentors intervened and changed her trajectory. Their belief in her gifted her with the grit, courage, and vision that define her leadership today.
Those early mentors—women who looked like her and understood the realities of her community—helped Elycia become the first in her family to graduate from high school and college. Her life changed again at 21 when Dr. Vivian Carpenter connected her with Susan L. Taylor, the iconic Essence magazine editor. Taylor encouraged Elycia to take a bold leap and study abroad in Japan, telling her, “Your wings will have spread. Go, my sister, go.” That affirmation propelled Elycia into a yearlong exchange that sparked her healing, strengthened her voice, and ignited her lifelong passion for mentoring.
Over the next decade, Elycia lived and worked in Japan—ultimately spending seven years abroad—mentoring women from around the world, supporting youth, and becoming fluent in Japanese. She later returned to Japan a third time, this time with her two young daughters, modeling global citizenship and courage for the next generation.
Professionally, Elycia has spent more than 17 years transforming youth-serving organizations and building thriving communities. As President & CEO of FRIENDS FIRST, she scaled the organization nationally, growing its budget from $1.2M to $2.4M, raising more than $8M in long-term funding, and launching the STARS peer-mentoring program in 20+ states—including in her hometown of Detroit. Under her leadership, STARS has shaped hundreds of young leaders, many of whom continue to credit her mentorship as life changing.
In 2021, Elycia became the first Black CEO in the 108-year history of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Colorado (BBBSC). She has led the organization through a dynamic period of expansion—securing the largest unrestricted gift in its history, increasing youth served by more than 21%, growing donor diversity, launching innovative college and career readiness initiatives, and acquiring FRIENDS FIRST to ensure youth are supported both in schools and in the community. Her bold leadership has earned BBBSC numerous national awards, including Agency of the Year and Board of the Year.
As a strategic visionary, Elycia mobilizes cross-sector partners, Fortune 500 companies, government leaders, and grassroots communities to build equitable pathways for youth and families. She serves on national leadership bodies—including the Big Vision Accelerator CEO Team and the Large Agency Alliance—and is a sought-after speaker on mentoring, resilience, equity, and transformational leadership. Her honors include Titan100 CEO, Most Admired CEO, Top 25 Influential Women in Colorado, and the National Mentor Lifetime Achievement Award.
Despite her executive achievements, mentoring remains her heart work. Elycia is a proud Big Sister to Tay—born to a 16-year-old single mother, just as she was. Her life philosophy, MENTORLIFE™, captures her belief that we all thrive when someone invests in us—and we pay it forward by investing in someone else.
Today, Elycia is known as a powerful storyteller, bridge-builder, global thinker, and community advocate. She continues to mentor emerging leaders, elevate underrepresented voices, and use her own journey—from Detroit’s Black Bottom to leading multimillion-dollar organizations—to inspire others to rise, heal, and lead.
