Denver, CO
Here’s the group that owns Denver’s pro women’s soccer team, from investment firm execs to sports stars
The Denver National Women’s Soccer League team has finalized its ownership group, which includes investment firms, high-profile business executives and Colorado sports icons.
Rob Cohen, the CEO of IMA Financial Group, is the club’s controlling owner. In the months since Denver landed the NWSL’s 16th franchise for a record-setting $110 million expansion fee, several other names have been added to the group, most recently Colorado-based skiing star Mikaela Shiffrin and Broncos legend Peyton Manning.
The club on Thursday announced the final five members that round out its ownership group: Cordillera Investment Partners, The Soin Family, Brooke Woody, Randi Borgen and For Denver FC Capital Partners.
Cordillera adds another sports venture to its diverse portfolio of investments, which already included the Professional Triathlon League and a list of other projects ranging from apple orchards to wireless spectrum to environmental grants.
Raj and Vishal Soin both serve as executives with investment firms – Soin LLC and Varis Holdings, respectively.
Borgen, a Colorado native who was a three-sport letterman at Middlebury College, joins her siblings, Jon-Erik Borgen and Kaia Borgen Mortiz, who were already members of the ownership group through their investment company, FirstTracks Sports Ventures.
Woody already held a minority ownership stake with the NC Courage and is, along with her husband, John, “dedicated to investing in organizations that lift up women and build up communities,” according to a bio provided by Denver NWSL.
For Denver FC is a volunteer group that was founded in 2022 and was “instrumental” in the early stages of Denver’s bid for a women’s pro soccer team, according to the club. It should be noted that, while Denver FC is among the finalists for the team’s yet-to-be-announced permanent name, “For Denver FC” is a placeholder name for the volunteer organization, according to its website. “Once the team joins a league, community input will help guide the team’s eventual name and identity,” the site reads.
“It’s an honor to be joined by such an accomplished and passionate group of individuals,” Cohen said in a Thursday press release. “Each investor brings a unique perspective and deep commitment to supporting women’s sports. Together, we’re building something that will reflect the values and spirit of Colorado and have a lasting impact in our community.”
The other members of the ownership group who had been on board prior to Thursday’s announcement are:
- Rob Cohen, CEO of IMA Financial and a Denver-based business executive for more than 35 years
- Ariel Investments, a Chicago-based asset management firm whose co-CEO is Mellody Hobson, a Denver NWSL alternate governor and minority investor in the Denver Broncos
- FirstTracks Sports Ventures, a branch of Denver-based venture capital firm FirstTracks Ventures
- Neelima Joshi & Dhiren Jhaveri, Colorado residents and pioneering minority owners of NBA and WNBA franchises. Neelima has served on the board for several Colorado nonprofits, including her current position with Food Bank of the Rockies. Dhiren is the founder of the global financial services platform Kuvare.
- Molly Coors, who spent 14 years with the investment management firm AllianceBernstein and is married to David Coors, a fifth-generation member of the Coors family and an executive with the beverage giant
- Mikaela Shiffrin, the most accomplished alpine skier of all time who is now involved in several philanthropic efforts
- Peyton Manning, the NFL Hall of Famer and Super Bowl 50 champion with the Broncos
Read more on the ownership group at the Denver NWSL website.
The City of Denver is moving forward with plans to invest $70 million up front to build a 14,500-seat NWSL stadium at Santa Fe Yards, an investment the city and the club say is the largest ever in a women’s pro sports team. Last month, Denver7’s Brandon Richard dug into whether that cost will be worth it to taxpayers. Read his reporting here.
Denver NWSL has gained instant traction with the city’s prospective women’s soccer fanbase, selling 10,000 season ticket deposits at a league-record pace.
Denver, CO
Cheapest gas prices in Denver hit less than $2 Sunday ahead of Thanksgiving weekend
Where to find the cheapest gas prices in Denver
DENVER (KDVR) — Gas prices in Denver are trending down just in time for the busy Thanksgiving travel weekend, with one station in the city even hitting less than $2 on Sunday, according to GasBuddy.
Just in the last week, gas prices in Denver have fallen 14.5 cents per gallon, hitting a $2.47 per gallon average Monday morning, Gadbuddy reported. That number is lower than the national average of $3.03 per gallon, and it is even nearly 30 cents lower than Denver’s average prices a year ago.
This is the lowest average gas price for this day, Nov. 24, in Denver since 2020, according to GasBuddy, and omitting the 2020 dip caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the last time Denver saw this or a lower average price on Nov. 24 was in 2017.
Monday’s $2.47 average price per gallon is also the lowest average so far this year.
Here’s where the cheapest gas prices were in Denver on Sunday and Monday:
- Shell, 7273 E. Evans Ave. – $1.94
- Sinclair, 2101 S. Holly St. – $2.03
- QuikTrip, 6477 E. Evans Ave. – $2.03
- Murphy Express, 4990 E. Evans Ave. – $2.03
- Conoco/7-Eleven, 7080 Tower Rd. – $2.05
The Shell station on Evans Avenue was also the lowest gas price in the state at the time, GasBuddy reported. the most expensive gas price in the city at the time was $1.35 higher at $3.29 per gallon.
Neighboring areas and the state as a whole are also seeing lower average gas prices.
Fort Collins’s average was $2.59 per gallon, down 7.3 cents from the week before; Colorado Springs had a 14.7-cent drop to an average of $2.49 per gallon; and Colorado as a whole had a 12.8-cent drop to $2.71 per gallon.
Denver, CO
Denver Public Schools swears in new board members, delays officer elections amid questions of transparency
Denver Public Schools officially has a new school board, but not a new board president or vice president, despite attempts to vote on leadership on Friday.
Four newly elected board members took the oath of office: DJ Torres, Monica Hunter, Amy Klein Molk, who won the at-large seat, and returning member Xóchitl Gaytán. The ceremony met the state’s 10-day requirement following election certification.
“We have a lot of staff gone for the holidays, and we also have board members traveling,” Gaytan said. “We were able to bring our new incoming colleagues together for this ceremony.”
But for some community members, the concern wasn’t the swearing-in; it was the plan to elect new officers. Under state law, school boards have 15 days after certification to select officers, which aligns with the already scheduled Dec. 2 meeting.
“There’s a lack of transparency from the top down in our world right now,” said Rosemary Rodriguez with EDUCATE Denver, a civic coalition for DPS students. “It’s really important that our trusted institutions, like our school system, be as transparent as possible.”
Torres said his focus is on rebuilding trust.
“Given the community feedback, and given that some of us are new to the role, if people feel we’re not being transparent enough, I felt confident saying: let’s pause,” he said.
A few board members were unable to attend because of the holiday. The board ultimately decided to hold the officer elections on Dec. 2, allowing the full board and community members to participate.
The district says this is one of the most diverse school boards in DPS history.
It includes leaders from Black, Latine, LGBTQ+, immigrant, and multilingual communities, reflecting the lived experiences of the students and families the district serves, the district said in a press release.
Denver, CO
Rodney Rogers, the ‘Durham Bull’ who was drafted by the Denver Nuggets, dies at 54
By AARON BEARD
Former Wake Forest star and 12-year NBA player Rodney Rogers has died. He was 54.
The school announced Saturday that Rogers had died on Friday. Rogers — the No. 9 overall NBA draft pick in 1993 — had been paralyzed from the shoulders down since a dirt bike accident in November 2008. Rogers died of natural causes linked to his spinal cord injury, according to a statement from the National Basketball Players Association on behalf of Rogers’ family.
“The last 17 years have been both challenging and profoundly blessed,” the NBPA statement said. “Through every moment, Rodney remained a light — positive, motivated, and full of the quiet strength that inspired everyone around him.”
Rogers was the Atlantic Coast Conference rookie of the year in 1991 and player of the year in 1993 whose No. 54 jersey was retired by the Demon Deacons. The burly 6-foot-7 forward with powerful athleticism earned the “Durham Bull” nickname during his prep career, then went on to score nearly 9,500 points in the NBA while being named league sixth man of the year in 2000.
Rogers’ injury led to the establishment of a foundation bearing his name, with Rogers encouraging people with spinal cord injuries while promoting resilience and personal growth in the face of those challenges. The school honored him with its Distinguished Alumni Award in 2022 along with an honorary degree.
“Rodney is the strongest person I have ever met — physically and mentally — and his resilience was evident in the fight he showed every single day,” program great and former teammate Randolph Childress said in a statement released by the school. “I’ve said this before and I still mean it today: he was the best athlete ever to walk onto Wake Forest’s campus. He meant so much to so many people, and I feel profoundly blessed to have been with him yesterday.”
Rogers played three years at Wake Forest, averaging 21.2 points in the 1992-93 season that saw Wake Forest reach the NCAA Tournament’s Sweet 16, before entering the NBA draft as a junior. He started his NBA career with the Denver Nuggets and went on to play with the Los Angeles Clippers, Phoenix Suns, Boston Celtics, New Jersey Nets, New Orleans Hornets and Philadelphia 76ers.
“It’s easy to focus on his extraordinary talent, but what stood out to everyone who knew him was that he was every bit as remarkable as a human being,” said Dave Odom, Rogers’ coach at Wake Forest. “He loved his teammates, he loved his family, he loved Wake Forest and he loved the game of basketball. He loved playing for Wake Forest.
“Every time we visited him, I walked away reminding myself never to complain — because he never did. He faced life exactly as it came and made the very best of every moment. He was a joy to watch as a basketball player, but he was an even greater man. He shared his strength, his spirit and his life with everyone around him.”
According to the NBPA statement, Rogers is survived by wife, Faye; daughters Roddreka and Rydiah; sons Rodney II and Devonte; his mother, Estelle Spencer; and Eric Hipilito, embraced as a son by Rogers.
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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA
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