About the Denver ESE Collective

Denver is home to a growing number of employment social enterprises!

These organizations are incredible and powerful. They generate revenue, create real jobs, and strengthen our communities.

The Denver Employment Social Enterprise Collective exists to strengthen, connect and grow this ecosystem.

We believe that when employment social enterprises are more visible, more connected, and better supported, more people can access meaningful work and long-term stability and the entire community benefits.

What We Hope to Accomplish

The Collective is focused on three core goals:

1. Strengthen organizations
Support ESE leaders with shared learning, coaching, technical assistance, and ecosystem coordination so they can grow responsibly and sustainably.

2. Increase visibility and awareness
Elevate the employment social enterprise model across Denver, helping funders, partners, employers, and community members understand and engage with this high-impact approach.

3. Build shared infrastructure
Reduce duplication, streamline tools and reporting, and create stronger collaboration across organizations so that the ecosystem as a whole becomes more resilient and effective.

The Larger Vision

We envision a Denver where employment social enterprises are not niche or isolated, but recognized as essential contributors to our local economy. We fully believe that Denver can be the leading community in the country when it comes to quantity and quality of opportunities for folks who are seeking supportive workforce services.

In this future:

• ESE’s are strong, sustainable businesses serving more and more people across the city.

• Workers have access to paid pathways that lead to long-term stability.

• Public and private partners engage ESE’s as preferred vendors and workforce partners.

By investing in the ecosystem itself, we can increase the return on existing workforce efforts and create a beautiful reality that strengthens both people and businesses.

Collective Leadership

The Collective is co-led by Andy Magel and Steph Frances, experienced employment social enterprise founders and practitioners with deep roots in Denver and a love for the people and the work in the ESE space.

Their role is straightforward: amplify and grow what is working, support leaders navigating complex operations, and help the ecosystem rise together all for the purpose of creating more work opportunities in our community. Steph and Andy draw both inspiration and ongoing support from REDF and others around the country who have been leading this work for a long time.