Our Team
BuildStrong Academy of Colorado

Allison is a Michigan native and studied geology at Grand Valley State University before going to work as an exploration geologist at a gold mine in Alaska. She moved to Colorado in 2013 when she began working in the homebuilding industry in customer service, working her way up to operations manager for a local Colorado builder. She joins the BuildStrong Academy with a broad set of management skills and a passion for homebuilding and community impact. She hopes to lead the BuildStrong team to success by elevating their passion and experience with operational excellence and joining them in making a meaningful impact on the skilled labor workforce and the local Denver Metro community.  Outside of work, she enjoys hiking with her little dog Kevin, camping, going to concerts, painting, spending time with her partner and his two kids, and neglecting her many, many houseplants.

Corey has a passion for stories, and it is his goal to help grow the story of those around him. He has spent his career working through public service, recruitment and management, and has always been looking to help other people ignite their passions to build a better quality of life. Being community driven, making a connection with others has always been at his core. At BuildStrong Academy of Colorado, Corey is excited to help others build a solid foundation for their futures. When not at work, Corey can usually be found at home, spending time with his spouse, Luka, and their five cats, playing D&D, designing a board game, or working on building new fantasy worlds.

Kristin Davenport is a native Coloradan and graduated from the Art Institute of Colorado with a Culinary Arts degree. Kristin has spent much of her career working in Corporate America as a recruiter for several Fortune 100 Companies (IBM, Comcast, UnitedHealthcare). Kristin previously worked for the City and County of Denver on the WIOA (Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act) Grant where she worked with employers all over the Denver Metro area to find the youth of Denver sustainable employment. Kristin has been a recruiter in the construction field for the last several years and looks forward to assisting BuildStrong Academy students/graduates with networking, resume building, interviewing skills and making introductions to employers in the BuildStrong Academy network. In her spare time, Kristin enjoys going camping, fishing and attending rock concerts with her husband, she is also known to throw dinner parties from time to time.

After graduating from the University of Denver with a B.A in Sociology and Spanish, Irazu began her career in Community Engagement. After traveling to the heart of Community Organizing, San Jose, California- for a 9-month activist training, she soon realized that her passion was rooted within her community and the people. As a young immigrant Latina growing up in West Denver, she understood the importance of becoming the voice of those who do not have one. Irazu now supports students at the BuildStrong Academy of Colorado achieve their construction career goals by breaking down any social and economic barriers. Irazu enjoys exploring nature’s hidden gems while backpacking with her soulmate.

Caleb is a native Coloradan, hailing from Thornton. An undeniable people person, he loves to tackle creative challenges and spreads the Academy’s mission through videography and social engagement. Growing up surrounded by immigrant culture, Caleb developed a strong belief in the dignity of labor and the importance of hope. This led him to Cornell University’s ILR School, where he studied the connection between people, work, and storytelling. In 2022, a fellowship offer from Lead for America enabled him to return to Colorado and begin work with BuildStrong. Caleb is beyond grateful to be back home and finds continual inspiration in the student-centered heart of the BuildStrong team. On weekends, you can find him on long drives/walks, spending time with family, or playing D&D with friends.

John has been married for 36 years and currently has 3 adult children and 3 grandchildren. He is a life-long building contractor and he custom-builds homes from the ground up. He is also a life-long missionary and has been involved in inner-city missions as well as overseas. John has been a teacher for many years, including vacation bible school, Bible College, youth, adults, and carpentry. Since being involved in the Academy, he’s been able to pass on his experience and skills to help carry on a building legacy within the community and help students to join a exciting new career in construction.

Mark has been an Academy instructor from the very beginning. Hailing from Canada, Mark has owned many construction businesses and his passion is in teaching the younger generation the necessary skills to cultivate successful careers in the construction industry.

Dave Lowrey is a Colorado native. After attending university for a couple of years, he left to enter a union cabinet-making apprenticeship program. After completing the program, he migrated to Houston where he eventually owned and operated a custom cabinet shop for 7 years, and met his lovely wife of 36 years. Throughout Dave’s extensive career, he’s gained experience in vertical wall concrete form design, concrete forming, supply sales, homebuilding, and home remodeling. 

Dave joins the BuildStrong Academy after working as a residential general contractor in the Denver Metro and surrounding areas for the last 22 years. Since moving back to Colorado, Dave has been fortunate to have raised six beautiful children and to be able to donate his time to several construction projects for religious organizations. In his spare time, Dave enjoys family gatherings, golfing, fishing, and hiking (to mountain lakes to fish, of course).

Joe Otumfuor is a US Navy Seabee veteran. He graduated from Redstone College with a degree in Avionics and advanced electronics. Then pursued another degree from Ecotech Institute for Electrical Engineering Technology. As a Seabee Joe brings a “Can Do” attitude to the team as well as over 19 years of electrical experience. His devotion to learn and succeed has helped him elevate throughout the different aspects of electrical careers.

Ed is an experienced trainer and teacher as well as a small business owner in Colorado Springs who is eager to use his knowledge and skills to train, empower and mentor the future workforce of Colorado’s Construction Industry.