Matthew Telles

“I do not to change the world, but to change the world for one person at a time”

My name is Matthew Telles and I have led my life with this quote since I began community organizing in high school. I am a proud product of the Northeast Region of Denver, Colorado, and attended the DSST Public Schools: Green Valley Ranch from 6th to 12th grade. In 2017, I ventured to Portland, Oregon to study at Lewis & Clark College as a First-Generation college student, and in 2022, I acquired my Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and Anthropology with a focus in Entrepreneurial Leadership and Innovation.

I currently work as a Senior Program Associate with El Pomar Foundation, one of the largest funders in Colorado and have become heavily involved in grant-making and program management. Through this experience, I have developed a deep passion for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusive advocacy work in philanthropy with the goal of making the grant-making/funder sector more accessible to all.