CHAIR

Hashim Coates is a Denver native, U.S. Navy veteran, and longtime political strategist who has spent over a decade driving progressive change and empowering marginalized communities across Colorado. A proven leader and organizer, he is committed to advancing racial justice, LGBTQ+ equality, and economic opportunity through bold, grassroots action and effective policy advocacy.

A graduate of Metropolitan State University of Denver and a proud member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc., Hashim has led and advised successful campaigns for leaders such as Congressman Jason Crow, Attorney General Phil Weiser, CU Regent Wanda James, and Representative Steven Woodrow. He previously served as Executive Director of Black Brown Red Badged, where he championed racial equity in Colorado’s cannabis industry.

Hashim has served on the Aurora Citizens’ Budget Advisory Committee and was a featured commentator on “30 Minutes with Brother Jeff.” In 2024, he made history as the first openly gay Black man to run for Arapahoe County Commissioner. Though he did not win the primary, his campaign energized a diverse coalition and helped advance a bold, people-first vision for local government, encouraging people to live boldly and unapologetically. 

He co-hosted the podcast Dope Black Thoughts and continues to be a leading voice for inclusive, transparent, and justice-centered leadership. Hashim believes deeply in one guiding principle: we belong everywhere decisions are being made.

1st Vice Chair

TREASURER

She is a third-generation Denverite with Louisiana roots and a passionate advocate for community empowerment. She co-founded the Sisterhood of Philanthropists Impacting Needs (SPIN), a giving circle of Black women advancing equity through philanthropy.

A graduate of Montbello High School, Shayla completed the Urban Leadership Foundation Connect program (2010) and Emerge Colorado’s candidate training (2019). She holds a BA from the University of Denver, pursued an MPP at CU Denver, and earned a Web Development certificate from Galvanize.

She serves as Treasurer for the Colorado Black Democrats and as a Precinct Captain for HD7(B). Shayla also sits on the Women Uprising board and the Racial Equity Council via the Mayor’s Office of Social Equity and Innovation. Her civic engagement includes active membership in Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., Denver NAACP, Urban League Young Professionals, National Council of Negro Women, and Colorado Black Women for Political Action.

“You are alive, aren’t you? Well, so long as you have no grave, you are covered by the sky. No limit to your possibilities.” Zora Neale Hurston

2nd Vice Chair
Stephanie Elizabeth Claire Bowman is a Colorado‑based political strategist, coalition builder, and campaigns and training leader dedicated to strengthening Black political power and community infrastructure across the Midwest and Mountain West. Shaped by Kansas City, Kansas grit—from food justice work to union organizing to an HBCU‑rooted foundation—Stephanie has spent more than a decade designing campaigns, developing organizers, and building systems that help communities move from frustration to coordinated action.

She currently serves as the Campaigns and Training Manager for a Midwest coalition, where she architects movement messaging, facilitates multi‑state advocacy events, and builds operational systems that bring policy leads, grassroots members, and community partners into alignment. Her work centers clarity, capacity‑building, and principled unity—values she carries into every space she leads.

A former national campaigner with Mothers Out Front, Stephanie has trained thousands of volunteers and community leaders on organizing fundamentals, implicit bias, movement roles, and justice‑centered climate advocacy.

Stephanie also serves as the Chair of Congressional District 5 for the El Paso County Democratic Party, where she works to strengthen local infrastructure, expand voter engagement, and build durable coalitions across the broader Pikes Peak region. Her leadership is marked by operational discipline, narrative precision, and a deep commitment to bringing people together across identity, geography, and lived experience.