Just two years shy of his first visit to The Other Side Academy in Salt Lake City, Andrew Schmidt and a team of Leadership Foundation alums closed on a property that will be the home of this transformative program in Denver.
It was a Leadership Exchange trip to Salt Lake in 2016 that created the spark to replicate The Other Side Academy (TOSA) – a two-year residential program that offers vocational training, education, peer counseling and mentoring, leadership training and transitional services as an alternative to incarceration – after meeting its graduates, students and TOSA board chairman Joseph Grenny.
The shared experience of LEX has activated action by alumni that can be seen across the region, from the founding of the Denver Schools of Science and Technology to FasTracks.
“The power of the relationships and network that is fostered on LEX, combined with the common vision that's formed while experiencing innovation in other cities, presents a wonderful opportunity to effect positive change here in Denver,” Schmidt said.
TOSA is a social enterprise that is self-sustaining, and the group is targeting Jan. 1, 2019, as the TOSA: Denver opening.
“I was definitely a bit naïve, when I raised my hand that day, as to what we were taking on.” Schmidt said, laughing. There have been plenty of peaks and valleys in that time, but he’s remained committed. “As I reflect on the last two years, persistence is the word I keep coming back to. Anything can be accomplished if you just keep fighting for what you believe in.”
But, Schmidt is clear that this is by no means a project he took up on his own. He, along with fellow LEX delegates, formed the initial advisory committee following an impassioned town hall on the last day of LEX: Salt Lake City where Mayor Michael B. Hancock asked the business community to help replicate this model.
Among alumni who have worked with Schmidt on this project are:
- Kelly Brough, Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce
- Sean Campbell, Formativ
- Bob Deibel, OfficeScapes
- Anthony E. Graves, Office of Denver Mayor Michael B. Hancock
- Brad Fentress, Studio Como
- Denver City Councilman Chris Herndon
- Bruce James, Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck
- Kittie Hook, Newmark Knight Frank
- Regina Huerter, Denver Office of Behavioral Health Strategies
- Margie Mauldin, Executive Forum
- Kirk Monroe, Vectra Bank
- Ceyl Prinster, Colorado Enterprise Fund
- Amy Venturi, State of Colorado
- Kirsten Vermulen, Denver Metro Chamber Leadership Foundation
- Beth Wolfson, Leadership Consulting Services
- Andrea Young, Colorado Technology Association
“The power of our network (of Leadership Foundation alumni) and the constant support and enthusiasm of TOSA Salt Lake City is really what got this done,” Schmidt said.
Through major supporters, including the Colorado Health Foundation, Daniels Fund the Anschutz Family Foundation and the Denver Office of Economic Development, along with support from a number of individuals and businesses, TOSA Denver has raised about $2.6 million of the $2.8 million needed to purchase the property and get the program off the ground.
“The ball is definitely moving … and now we’ve got momentum on our side,” Schmidt said. “When people rally together and commit to a common purpose, amazing things can happen quickly. I am simply overwhelmed with gratitude toward the response of our community.”
Interested in getting involved? In addition to funding, TOSA Denver is seeking in-kind donations of vehicles, including cars, trucks and moving vans, as well as kitchen equipment. Learn more at tosadenver.com and theothersideacademy.com.
Sara Crocker is the communications manager for the Denver Metro Chamber.
