Welcome the 2024-2025 YAD Ambassadors
The Young Adult Division (YAD) builds an inclusive and connected community of young Jewish Coloradans (aged 21-45) through fun, relevant, and meaningful volunteer, social, educational, and philanthropic activities.
Our Ambassadors cover a broad spectrum of demographics from single professionals to young parents and all sorts of other identities. They’re planning some super fun activities just for you! Look out for these get-togethers throughout the year on our YAD Facebook page, YAD’s newsletter, and in JEWISHcolorado’s weekly Upcoming email. You can sign up for our digital communications here.
Sarah Convissar
Sarah Convissar is a Denver native. She has been active in the young professional Jewish community since 2019 and is grateful for this ever-growing community. Sarah enjoys running, hiking, paddle boarding, reading and traveling. She is a cat lover and enjoys cooking up yummy vegetarian food. Sarah has been in education for 6 years and currently works as a reading specialist providing small-group support for elementary students with reading challenges. Sarah is excited for this opportunity to meet and help more Jews get connected and find their spot in the Denver Jewish community.
Alex Cowan
Alex was born and raised in Miami, Florida and attended Florida State University where he studied commercial entrepreneurship and economics. Upon graduation, Alex moved to Colorado and is now calling Denver home. He has a passion for real estate and is currently working for a commercial general contractor. Simultaneously, he is working on building a personal portfolio to help propel him toward his long term goal of being a real estate developer.
Outside of work, you will likely find Alex watching Florida State football games, hitting the slopes, and enjoying Denver’s best with his girlfriend and Bernedoodle Stella. Alex is very excited to help strengthen the Jewish community this year and into the future job!
Zack Flagel
Zack Flagel is originally from Atlanta and moved to Denver in June 2023. He is a sports lawyer by day and an adventure junkie by life. In his free time, you can find him hiking, camping, attending country concerts, and watching Survivor. Zack is excited for a great year ahead with YAD!
Erik Folkerts and Talia Brahms
Erik and Talia are a curious duo living on Green Mountain. Erik works from home making sure their three cats stay out of trouble while Talia works on a farm getting into TOO much trouble with the baby goats and bees! They both really enjoy cooking, a well-made cocktail/beer, staying active outdoors and continuing to grow their house plants. Erik and Talia are so excited to connect further with the Jewish community through this program!
Alana Goldberg
Alana’s family has been in the Denver Jewish community for generations. She is passionate about reading, writing, dance, and dogs. Alana worked in marketing for eight years and is currently in graduate school studying communication. She is also in training to become a crisis counselor, and dog sits regularly. Alana participated in Rose Community Foundation’s Roots and Branches program and appreciates this new opportunity to connect and contribute to the community!
George Krasnopolskiy
George Krasnopolskiy is a 37-year-old financial advisor who made the leap to Colorado Springs eight years ago and hasn’t looked back since. When he’s not helping clients navigate their financial futures, you can find him enjoying life to the fullest with his 8-month-old daughter, who keeps him on his toes and fills his days with laughter. George loves the thrill of a good poker game, the intellectual challenge of chess, and the friendly competition of pool. His love for these games perfectly complements his analytical mind and strategic thinking, both in his professional and personal life. George is also a devoted pet parent to a lively household that includes two dogs, two cats, and a bird.
Steven Solomon
Steven came to Denver by way of Ohio in 2016. He was fortunate enough to land in Denver for his Psychiatry residency and went on to specialize in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. While he came to Denver for work, it’s the mountains, especially skiing down them, that have won his heart! His other passions lie with his Ohio sports teams and mental health advocacy; he hosts a podcast called “Get in Fellas, We’re Going to Therapy” that targets young adult men and teaches them the emotional skills and themes needed to create “kinder, more gentle bros”. After 8 years as a YAD participant, Steven is stoked to become a YAD ambassador!
Zach Souser
Zach Souser grew up in Denver’s Jewish community and has spent the last 10 years working as a Software Engineer for local startups. In his spare time, Zach likes to play chess, poker, and golf, and is excited to build connections within the Jewish community this year with YAD as an Ambassador!
Jillian Strober-Horowitz
Jillian (please call her Jill or Jillian but not Jilly!) is from Long Island NY. Between her family, synagogue, Solomon Schechter schooling, neighborhood Shabbat/Yeshiva friends and Camp Ramah, she grew up in a vibrant Jewish community. Professionally she works as an occupational therapist, and has developed side gigs as an adaptive ski instructor and performance mermaid! Jillian has lived in Colorado for almost 8 years, and moved out from NY for mountain adventures. Her passions include live music (Red Rocks is her second home), travel, skiing, swimming, paddle boarding, and food. Jillian is excited to become a YAD ambassador to connect individuals in the young Jewish community in Denver with similar passions. Two years ago she met her boyfriend at a YAD Jewish Historical Bike Tour event, and hopes to put on events like this where other connections can be made!
William Weiner
William moved to Denver in 2014 with nothing but a fully packed Ford Taurus and a job offer. When looking to make friends, the first place he turned was volunteering with JEWISHcolorado, which led to joining a softball team, which has led to… now. William has been participating in different organizations since he moved here and is now eager to take on an Ambassador role. When he’s not taking his dog to the park, you can find him baking up a storm in the kitchen, moseying along a trail, or telling jokes at an open mic…because his mom thinks he’s funny.
Thanks to our 2023-2024 Ambassadors: Jack Brooks, Zack Flagel, Avital Jacobs, Ikey Mamiye, Daniel Pitrone, Omer Shachar, and Lauren Stern.