Staff

Ellen Braun

Chief Operating Officer

ellen@dpp.org

720.287.5055 ext. 170

Ellen Braun (she/her) joined the Denver Preschool Program in 2010. In her tenure, she has worn a variety of hats, from managing the preschool provider community to special events, bookkeeping, project innovation, family enrollment and eligibility, operations, community outreach, strategy planning, program implementation and communications. Through her dedication and deep commitment to DPP she has championed the evolution of the organization’s communications strategy, was a key visionary to launch a new tuition credit scale, continuously manages a $30 million annual budget, led the transition to build the latest DPP staffing team and so much more.

As the Chief Operating Officer, Ellen is responsible for the overall management of the Denver Preschool Program under the guidance of the Board of Directors. Key duties include operational and fiscal management, communications oversight, quality program development, executive staffing transitions and upholding the direction and leadership of the organization’s philosophy, mission, strategy, and annual goals and objectives.

Ellen embodies the qualities of leadership and accomplishment, and she represents everything we should value in a leader. We ask Ellen to handle the most challenging issues facing DPP because we know she has the focus, drive and intellectual capacity to achieve results. She has been the catalyst behind a number of our most impactful innovations and advancements over the past decade.

Ellen holds a Master of Arts in Educational Psychology, Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from the University of Colorado. Due to her work with the DPP, Ellen has received the Segal Education Award from AmeriCorps. She is a 2014 graduate of the Denver Metro Chamber Leadership Foundation’s, Impact Denver, a 2019 Civic DNA Fellow and a 2023 Leadership Denver alumni. Ellen is also a proud recipient of the Denver Business Journal 2021 C-Suite Award.

Ellen is originally from Minnesota but is proud to call Colorado home. She lives in Observatory Park where she relentlessly attempts to keep up with her two girls and wild Australian Labradoodle. She enjoys spending time with friends and being outdoors in the beautiful Colorado landscape.

More about Ellen

  • Hometown: Chaska, Minnesota
  • Education: M.A. in Educational Psychology, B.A. in Psychology and B.A. in Sociology
  • First job: Cleaning Houses for my Dad’s construction company
  • What do you do in your spare time: I love to ski, read, hang out with my friends and spend time with my husband, daughters and dog
  • What do you like best about living in Denver: The proximity to the mountains and the adventures that await, the great weather and four seasons
  • Favorite song to sing in the car: whatever is on the radio
  • Weirdest thing you have ever eaten: Surf Clam or Beef Tongue – I don’t recommend either
  • Childhood nickname: Eddie, Edgar, E.J., Elle Belle
  • Favorite subject in school: Science – even though I was not good at it
  • What did you want to be when you grew up: A meteorologist
  • If you were a crayon, what color would you be: blue, 90 percent of what I own has blue in it