Alisha Brown (Photo courtesy of Alisha Brown)

Alisha Brown, senior vice president at the Foundation for Sustainable Urban Communities (formerly called the Stapleton Foundation), has been named one of Colorado’s “Most Influential Young Professionals.” She says, “My passion my entire career has been around engaging people and creating solutions to address the challenges found in our community.”

Brown has headed up the be well Health and Wellness Initiative since it began in 2003 under the name Healthy Neighborhoods Initiative. The name changed in 2006 to be well. The organization’s vision is for a “culture in which all people have an equal opportunity to achieve the health they desire, regardless of their race, income, gender, or location.”

be well’s staff of 10 provides services in six neighborhoods: Stapleton, NE Park Hill, Greater Park Hill, East Montclair, NW Aurora and Montbello. be well’s “signature program” is the Block Captain program in which adult and youth volunteers receive training in how to advocate for health equity within their communities. be well has centers in area four public recreation centers where they provide programs and services that include cooking and nutrition classes, fitness programming, health screening fairs and enrollment assistance for food (SNAP) and health (Medicaid).

With a budget exceeding $850,000, be well is a major part of the Foundation’s total program. be well is funded almost entirely by grants from organizations such as the Colorado Trust, Piton Foundation and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.