About Us

A little bit

Jovial Concepts

Jovial Concepts is a non-profit organization created in 2009 as a resource for community and stewardship. Since its inception, Jovial Concepts has worked with local communities in Colorado to raise awareness towards issues of social, economic, and environmental conflict, created forums for their peaceful resolve, and collaborated with like-minded organizations to further the effectiveness of current sustainability actions.

Jovial Concepts believes that the world is not sustainable until we figure out how to manage resources in a renewable manner, cease violence which threatens people’s livelihoods, and ensure access to an equal education, clean water, and shelter for all.

Mission

To empower under-served communities to thrive, by providing healthy food via sustainable, organic, urban agricultural activities.

Vision

To promote community and stewardship by providing children and the general public with education and resources. We support our local community by increasing access to food, nutrition education, seed-to-table programs, mentoring, and annual events. We support our local stewards by reducing organic waste, preserving fresh foods, and teaching organic gardening and the importance of compost.

Our Heart’s Work

We know everyone has the ability to make a difference and is making a difference everyday, whether they realize it or not. Jovial Concepts aims to inspire the community around us to be mindful of their footprint. By providing education and resources, we hope that our community will take ownership of its sustainable future.

Jovial Concepts

Manifesting a jovial future by creating a culture built on sustinability and stewardship.

Helping at-risk Individuals discover their potential and the positive impact they can have on their community.

Promoting both global and local unification and sustainabile communities.

Bringing together non-profits to increase effectiveness and outreach

Inviting all the people on earth to participate EVERYDAY in a more peaceful way of communicating, acting, and thinking.

Our Current Initiatives

22517_984107618306323_8021837010025800381_n — Workforce Development

Leading The Way! — Food Recovery Challenge

10686608_912546002129152_6103436015023152315_n — Youth Garden Clubs

“In the 21st century, I think the heroes will be the people who will improve the quality of life, fight poverty, and introduce more sustainability.”

Bertrand Picard

Meet the Team

Board of Directors

Kati Latulip

Chairman, Social Media and IT Director

Kati is a rock star volunteer who supports all of our programs and builds our media presence. She posts blogs, takes wonderful pictures, and helps with social media projects.

Kati has a BA in Marketing from Fort Hays State University in Hays, KS. She works as a Facilities Director and a consultant at a software company. Her background includes residential and commercial real estate, startups, and IT infrastructure.

Edwin Schmidt

Intern Relationship Manager

Edwin supports the relationship between local colleges and Jovial Concepts and is the main contact for Internships.

He is an avid outdoorsman with a passion for geology. It is his goal to help find more sustainable ways of living through his knowledge of the environment and experience in the field. He is working with Jovial to find more efficient ways to grow polycultures in our own backyard.

Yvonne Welch

Treasurer

Yvonne is in charge of the book keeping and funds management for Jovial Concepts.

Yvonne was educated as a Nurse in the US Women’s Army Corp, but she excels as an accountant, book keeper, and board member. She currently owns/operates a successful watercraft and condo rental company.

April Crumley

Board Member

Cindy has helped Jovial improve their volunteer appreciation and is a great community organizer for Jovial.

She is the founder of Jun-Key Super Foods where she lives out her passion of sharing and educating about healthy super foods. She will not stand for waste! You can often find her foraging and reclaiming food that would otherwise be thrown out. She teaches classes on dehydrating, freezing, and preserving fresh foods.

Travis Kemper

Secretary

Mike Geddes

Board Member

Kristina Welch

Board Member

Alisha Williams

Board Member

Key Support

Kristina Welch

Founder/ Executive Director

Kristina is the founder, event coordinator, and head organizer of Jovial Concepts.

After completing a four year degree in Philosophy and joining the working world, Kristina quickly realized that her aspirations are fixed in a life devoted to community service, education, and sharing in the joy of others.

Nikyla Wilkes

Volunteer Coordinator

Nikyla has a heart to serve from her experience in the Air Force to her time Managing the ACS Lift Food Bank.

If you call or write us to volunteer, you will likely get in touch with this wonderful community advocate.

Mike Geddes

School Programs Manager

Mike organizes the school gardens and clubs. As founder of Planting the Seed Project and his experience with OWL he is the perfect person to motivate kids to get involved in community projects.

With his Sustainability Studies Major and Environmental Design, Policy & Planning minor at Stony Brook University, Mike helped to develop a rooftop farm atop the university hospital. He has since bounced around gaining experience in organic farming, trail building, and environmental education. He is an advocate for developmentally appropriate outdoor education in public school.

Andrew Gillette

Edgwater Garden Leader

Andrew is a team lead who has been serving the community with Jovial Concepts since mid-2016.

He studied Fine Art at Metropolitan State College of Denver, and as is the trend of the modern art student, has since then cultivated a wide range of professional experiences that have very little to do with that field of study. Besides art and gardening, his current interests include barefoot running and promoting a more community-centered approach to serving those in need.

Rikki Ruben

Co-op at 1st Garden Leader

Rikki is managing the gardens at our new building! We are so excited to have her.

She is passionate about dirt and zero waste. She‘s a bilingual Social Worker, holds a Master Composter Certification from DUG and am a Master Gardener via CSU Extensions. I’m thrilled to be part of the Jovial Team as an educator and advocate for food security, zero waste, and easily attainable healthy habits.

Debra Dykstra

Edgewater Garden leader

Kirsten

Sunnyside Garden leader

Kirsten is the team leader for our gardens in Northwest Denver! A Colorado native and proud CSU Ram, she’s been gardening in Colorado soil as long as she can remember.

She has 10 years of experience in nonprofit Program Management and joined Jovial in alignment with her passions of sustainability, community engagement, and local food systems.

Julie Ethington

Belmar Garden leader

Di Collingwood

Lakewood Garden leader

Meghana Suchak

Stats and Analysis

Meghana helps with data collection, interpretation, and the evaluative aspects of the Jovial Futures program. She strives to understand how research and practice can work together to create sustainable educational programs.

Meghana currently lives in New York and is in the process of moving to Lafayette, Indiana to work for a community mental health center. She received a Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from Purdue University.

Joyce M. Oates

Research Scientist/ Analyst

Joyce is helping Jovial Concepts with experimental design, data analysis and interpretation. She has a keen interest in educational issues and believes that rigorous statistical methods can be used to benefit a broad spectrum of domains.

Joyce currently resides in Washington, D.C. with her husband and cat. She received her Ph.D. in Behavior, Cognition, and Neuroscience from American University.

Board of Advisors

Neville Teagarden

AI Capitol

Kris Teegarten

Mayor of Edgewater

Bonny McNulty

Mayor Edgewater, 2008-2016

Kimberly Weeks

L.C.S.W. Private Practice - Vibroacoustic Therapy

Thomas Slabe

Biologist EPA

Jane Ambrose

Founder One Sky, One World

Carrie Sonneborn, Ph.D.

Carrie is a fantastic community leader and brings people together to talk about ways to improve all of our lives!

Carrie is currently an engineering mentor at the Colorado School of Mines and is helping Jovial Concepts work with the students to develop sustainable products to help future generations! As a community leader, she always promotes the ideas of peace and ways to create truly sustainable communities.