7350 E. 29th Avenue #300, Denver, CO 80238

About Us

be well is a grassroots movement of communities coming together to take charge of their health and wellness. The mission of be well is to affect programs, policies and practices to create health equality and access for all people. be well’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, location, education or any other social barrier.

be well is guided by the be well Community Collaborative, which is a multisector partnership driven by residents that forms the guiding voice of the be well Health and Wellness Initiative. The group talks with people in their neighborhoods, sets annual goals, identifies potential barriers and monitors the use of be well funds. Key individuals leading this project are experts in engaging people that have been overlooked and most impacted by disparities.

Key Priorities

Grassroots Participation: A core component of the be well model is the belief that community members are more likely to sustain healthy living practices and maintain their involvement in community issues when they are mobilized through grassroots participation and community building efforts.

Health Promotion: The promotion of behaviors that advance wellness is essential to encouraging healthy lifestyles. be well engages residents and community stakeholders in the development, implementation and assessment of health promotion strategies to improve the health of individuals and communities. be well also educates and builds awareness around the social determinants of health using training and information dissemination.

Health Policy Education: Understanding how policy and systems impact the health of individuals and neighborhoods is vital to creating healthy communities. The be well Health and Wellness Initiative incorporates policy-related projects into multiple components of its activities. be well educates community members on health policy and systems through information dissemination, forums, and trainings. This includes collecting data on proposed changes to the built environment, spreading awareness about proposed policies that could impact health and informing residents of community engagement processes that exist for them to become engaged in the decision making process.​

Our Staff

Alisha Brown, Senior Vice President

Djuana Harvell, Director of Special and Innovative Projects

Shyretta Hudnell, Block Captains Project Director

Meredith Fast, School Wellness Project Manager

Ty Crawford, Centers Project Manager

Ruben Medina, Northwest Aurora Project Manager

Samuel Valeriano, Health Policy Manager

Yarkenda Payne, Director of Systems Change

Get in the Zone!


be well works to provide measurable and visible improvements in the health and wellness of the residents and businesses in six key Denver and Aurora Colorado neighborhoods. These neighborhoods make up the be well Zone.