Our Team

Leadership built for the last mile.

HighView's staff and board bring deep experience across education, talent, technology, finance, entrepreneurship, and community-building, all focused on helping Colorado students move from college persistence to career launch.

Staff

Nicole Sherman Baraff

Founder & CEO

Prior to starting HighView, Nicole helped build two of Denver's "unicorn" tech companies, most recently as Vice President of Retail & Mobile Commerce Partnerships at Ibotta. As one of Ibotta's early employees, she launched the company's Retail vertical in 2014, establishing it as a leading player in the affiliate space. Earlier, she led business development at PaySimple (now EverCommerce), was an Associate at TCV, a $15B Silicon Valley private equity firm, and an Analyst at UBS Investment Bank. Nicole graduated with Honors from Princeton University with a major in Economics and Certificates in Finance and French. Originally from Pittsburgh, she lives in Denver with her son. Her experience mentoring a student from East High School led her to start HighView. Nicole has received the Denver Business Journal's "40 Under 40" and "Outstanding Woman in Business" awards, and the DEI & Talent Champion of the Year award from the Colorado Technology Association.

Alexis De La Rosa

VP of Programs

Alexis leverages more than a decade of experience in higher education and the nonprofit sector to lead transformative programs that expand access and opportunity. As VP of Programs at HighView, she directs the organization's strategic vision for student development, mentorship, and career advancement, empowering first-generation and low-income students to achieve lasting economic mobility. Previously, Alexis served as Assistant Director of Development at the University of Pennsylvania, advancing initiatives focused on access and affordability for first-generation college students. A civically engaged leader in Philadelphia, she was named a 2021 Al Día 40 Under Forty nominee. Alexis earned her bachelor's in Psychology with a concentration in Latin American & Latine Studies from Bryn Mawr College, where she received the Dr. Haley S. Thomas Prize in Diversity, and her master's in Higher Education from the University of Pennsylvania.

Alison Meadows

College Success & Talent Partnerships Lead

Alison brings a passion for unlocking potential and creating meaningful connections to her role at HighView. With a distinguished career as a Chief People Officer, she has spent years perfecting the art of matching exceptional talent with transformative opportunities, a skill that translates seamlessly to HighView's mission. Throughout her HR leadership journey, Alison discovered that the most rewarding moments came from watching individuals realize their potential and find environments where they could truly flourish. She's channeling that expertise into helping HighView students navigate their academic and professional journeys with intentionality and care. When she's not connecting students with life-changing opportunities, Alison can be found on the sidelines of her sons' soccer games, running the trails of Louisville, or trying out a new recipe. She is also pursuing a certificate in Independent Education Consulting.

Alana Selkowitz

Director of Development

Alana is a marketing and partnerships leader with a career spanning technology and social impact. An immigrant from the former Soviet Union, she brings lived experience in equity and access to her work. Previously, Alana was Senior Director of Partnerships at Games for Change and led the Unity for Humanity Program at Unity Technologies. Before social impact, she worked in sales marketing at AdColony, iHeartMedia, and AOL Advertising. Across roles, Alana has built strong networks, cultivated lasting partnerships, and connected diverse stakeholders around shared goals. She is known for deepening donor and partner relationships, creating pathways for collaboration, and driving initiatives that expand opportunity.

Leslie Castrejon

Systems & Data Senior Manager

Leslie brings extensive experience in education, college access, and program development with a strong focus on supporting first-generation, low-income, and historically underrepresented students. She has led initiatives across Princeton University, Villanova University, Bryn Mawr College, and most recently Haverford College, where she served as Associate Director of the Chesick Scholars Program. At Haverford, she launched the Chesick Launch program, advancing career and professional development for juniors and seniors. Throughout her career, Leslie has built alumni programs, shaped student retention policies, and advocated for first-generation and low-income students, all while centering equity, access, and student success.

Board of Directors

Danielle Moffat

Board Chair

Danielle is a Managing Director at Accenture, where she leads client relationships and helps organizations navigate growth, operations, and technology-driven transformation. She brings deep experience in strategy, sales, customer operations, and executive leadership, with a focus on helping companies adapt to changing markets and customer needs. As Board Chair of HighView, Danielle supports the organization's work to help first-generation and low-income students build the skills, networks, and workplace experience needed to launch high-opportunity careers.

Chris Henderson

Board Member

Chris is a Managing Director for Class VI Partners, which provides investment banking and financial advisory services to middle-market businesses and entrepreneurs in Colorado and across the United States. Previously, Chris served as Chief Operating Officer for DHI Group and ASI Government, and CEO of Universal Service Administrative Co. (USAC). Chris also served as Senior Advisor to the Secretary at the U.S. Department of the Interior, and Chief Operating Officer of the City and County of Denver. Chris was also a Managing Director at Vestar Capital Partners for nearly 13 years.

Adam Burrows

Board Member

Adam is the Co-Founder of Range Ventures and a driving force in growing Colorado's tech ecosystem. His passion for ensuring that wealth creation extends to Denver's local community, especially for individuals from low-income and first-generation backgrounds, aligns perfectly with HighView's mission. With a proven track record of scaling several of Denver's most successful tech companies and a deep commitment to empowering future generations, Adam brings invaluable expertise as we work to launch our students into transformative careers.

Sima Ali

Board Member

Sima Ali, Esq. is the owner and principal attorney of Ali Law Group, a boutique firm providing the full range of representative services in labor and employment law. Sima received her B.S. from Cornell University's School of Industrial and Labor Relations and her J.D. from George Washington University School of Law. She launched Ali Law Group in 2011, incorporating a remote work concept into the practice. HRtelligence is Sima's newest venture, launched in 2023, a platform for HR professionals seeking support and solutions for today's challenging workforce environment. Sima has received numerous honors including the Long Island Business News Leadership in Law Award and Top 50 Women in Business Award. She is a board member of the Townwide Fund of Huntington and a member of SHRM.

Terrence Cummings

Board Member

Terrence is the CEO of Packaging Serendipity, a coaching and consulting practice that helps leaders and organizations recognize and act on the opportunities that luck, timing, and chance so often present. Before founding Packaging Serendipity, Terrence served as Chief Opportunity Officer at Guild, where he helped design and scale education, coaching, and career mobility programs. Over his eight years at Guild, he led teams across client success, strategy, and student services, building partnerships that transformed how leading companies invest in talent. Earlier in his career, Terrence was a consultant at McKinsey & Company and an executive at multiple startups across technology, healthcare, and education. He began his professional journey as a research associate with Jim Collins, author of Good to Great. Terrence lives in Denver with his wife and son.