Team
Courageous Colorado is led by a team with deep experience across education, social impact, democracy, policy, and community-driven change. Landon, Jamie, and Amy bring distinct perspectives and expertise to the work, united by a shared commitment to strengthening Colorado’s democracy and building lasting change alongside communities across the state.
Dr. Landon Mascareñaz is the founding Chief Executive Officer of Courageous Colorado and Courageous Colorado Action. A lifelong coalition builder, he leads the organizations’ vision, strategy, and statewide efforts to strengthen Colorado’s democracy through community-driven change.
Landon has worked across education, democracy, and economic development throughout his career. He began as a teacher on the Navajo Nation through Teach For America and later led family and community engagement for Denver Public Schools. He has helped build initiatives focused on rural economic mobility, civic leadership, and democratic innovation, and has worked on efforts to expand participation and representation across Colorado.
Landon is co-founder of The Open System Institute and co-author of The Open System, published by Harvard Education Press. He currently serves as Chair of the Colorado State Board for Community Colleges and Occupational Education and serves on several nonprofit boards supporting education, community development, and opportunity across Colorado.
Landon holds a doctorate in Education Leadership from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. With family roots stretching back generations in Colorado and New Mexico, he brings a deep commitment to the state and its communities.
Chief Executive Officer
Chief Partnership Officer
Jamie Engel is the founding Chief Partnership Officer of Courageous Colorado. An educator, strategist, and civic innovator, she leads strategic partnerships, coalition development, and statewide engagement efforts that bring together leaders and organizations committed to strengthening Colorado’s civic future.
Jamie began her career as a middle school teacher before moving into civic engagement and social impact. She helped launch Democracy Entrepreneurs, a national network of civic entrepreneurs, and later served as Director of Programs and Civic Community at the National Conference on Citizenship, leading programs for a network of more than 5,000 civic and community leaders. Most recently, as Principal Consultant at Knight Impact, she advised nonprofit and philanthropic organizations on strategy, program development, and field building, including leading national youth civic engagement initiatives with the YMCA of the USA.
Jamie holds degrees from Boston University and a Master of Public Administration from Harvard Kennedy School. A Denver native, she is grateful to be back in Colorado with her husband, John, and enjoys reading, hiking, and watching women’s sports.
Dr. Amy Spicer is the Chief Impact Officer at Courageous Colorado, where she leads strategy, learning, and impact across the organization’s work to strengthen democracy and advance community-driven change. She focuses on translating vision into action by connecting research, policy, community insights, and partnerships.
Amy brings nearly 15 years of experience leading complex initiatives across education, workforce development, youth well-being, and systems change. Prior to joining Courageous Colorado, she served as Vice President of Implementation and Design at the Colorado Education Initiative, where she led statewide and regional efforts helping communities turn ambitious ideas into action.
Amy holds a Master of Public Policy from the University of Denver and a Doctorate of Education from the University of Colorado Denver. A connector and synthesizer at heart, she is energized by collaborative problem-solving and building stronger systems with communities rather than for them.
Chief Impact Officer