Daniel Hanson
Tree Trust Program Manager -Community Forest Corps

After high school, Daniel took a gap year and spent three months traveling, volunteering, and exploring Latin America through a gap year program. During this program, Daniel found his passion for the environment after witnessing the wonders of nature - but also its neglection and destruction. This realization led to his commitment to the University of Colorado, Boulder, and his decision to pursue a degree in Environmental Studies and a minor in Geography. After his graduation in the spring of 2022, Daniel served as an AmeriCorps CivicSpark Fellow, placed with the City of Boulder, Nature-based Climate Solutions team and Cool Boulder Campaign. During this service with the City of Boulder, Daniel began to focus more on urban forestry initiatives, particularly initiatives centered in community mobilization and empowerment.

In the spring of 2024, Daniel joined the PLAY Boulder Foundation to lead the newly launched Community Forestry Corps, after helping to design and launch the program with partners from the PLAY Boulder Foundation, the City of Boulder, Boulder County, and Classrooms for Climate Action. Daniel is excited to be a part of a program that offers local youth an opportunity to take part in actions that build community resilience through the planting, growth and care for urban trees. Although much needs to be done to prepare our communities for the escalating impacts of climate change, Daniel is inspired by the dedication of everyday people to learn about and take part in climate action, and is honored to have the opportunity to support the growth and empowerment of future climate ambassadors!

Sophia Zisook
Internal Consultant - Strategy & Operations

Sophia is a strategic leader in the social sector with partnerships, strategy, programs, and management experience spanning more than a decade. Her focus has been on equity and access to opportunity. From her work at collaborating with governments and corporations to make a more inclusive economy for entrepreneurs, to the small business - Negotiate with Sophia - she runs that leverages social science research to support women, Queer folk, BIPOC folk, and others to negotiate higher incomes, to her work advocating to change tech policies to be inclusive of women's health, Sophia devotes all her energy and expertise to building a more equitable future for everyone.

Sophia is a Licensed Social Worker who graduated Summa Cum Laude with her Master's in Social Work from the University of Chicago. She is an Ariane de Rothschild Fellow at the University of Cambridge, an Accenture Innovate for Good finalist, an #EmpowerHerAccess awardee from Women in Cloud, and a recipient of DePaul University's Women of Spirit and Action student award and the Women of Substance alumni award.

Through each of her ventures, Sophia works to dismantle the systems that disenfranchise communities.

Paola Garcia Barron
PLAYpass Outreach Intern

Meet Paola, a passionate advocate for equity and social issues. She is a Colorado native, born and raised in Boulder, forty-five minutes northwest of Denver. Currently taking a gap year at The University of Denver, Paola's sights are set on returning as a junior to complete her degree in Sociology and Socio-legal Studies and use her education to make a positive impact. In her free time, you will find her lacing up her running shoes, volunteering for the causes close to her heart, diving into a good book, or cherishing moments with her family. Paola has great enthusiasm as she embarks on her internship with PLAY Boulder. She is eager to bring her perspective as a Boulder native with bicultural and bilingual skills to the table, act as a bridge-builder, help expand the organization's reach, and ensure that recreation opportunities are accessible to all.