Welcome to Strat Labs’ Changemaker Spotlight Series! This blog series is dedicated to showcasing the inspiring journeys of remarkable individuals who have transformed their passions into purposeful endeavors, leaving a significant impact on the world around them every single day. Join us as we delve into the heart of innovation and commitment, celebrating the extraordinary stories of those who are not just dreaming of a better future but actively shaping it in their journey as a Changemaker.

For the past twelve years, Maggie Drucker has advised individuals, families, and companies in financial services and is Co-Founder and CEO of ProsperBridge, PBC, a social impact public benefit corporation making financial progress accessible to all.

Maggie also serves as a Board Member of Colorado Companies to Watch (Strat Labs is a 2024 winner) and is the Chair of their initiative, Colorado Nonprofits to Know, serving alongside our teammate Candace, who is the Vice Chair. Through this leadership, she helps elevate and recognize organizations creating meaningful impact across the state.

1. What inspired you to become a Changemaker, and how has that purpose evolved over time?

Not only was I a near identical resemblance in my youth to Melissa Gilbert, the actress that played Laura Ingalls on Little House on the Prairie, but I had her same inquisitive nature, following my “Pa” around and offering to help with various projects. In reflecting, I didn’t stop to contemplate if I could do something, just that I should always try.

As the eldest of three, my responsibilities often included homework instruction and meal prep, so my skills expanded rapidly and therefore my confidence in my abilities also grew. I was Jesuit educated through college and to this day believe that each member of society has a duty to contribute to making our world a better place. My convictions are many and so is my willingness to help in addressing issues. From volunteerism, to years of board participation, to helping found a changemaking company, having a positive impact in our world is important. We all have an hour or two a month that we can dedicate to community involvement.

2. What’s a challenge you’ve faced in your journey, and how did it shape the way you lead today?

Shortly after moving to Denver some twenty-two years ago, I was introduced to Colorado Youth at Risk, a mentoring program for inner-city youth. Not only did I think that involvement could be a good way to give back to the community, but I also thought that I could recruit for my employer that was just a mile down the road. I thought I had all this great knowledge to share with the kids.

After doing some group mentoring, Manual High School closed and the structure of the program changed to one-on-one mentoring. Twenty adult women as well as twenty adult men were placed into pairings with young freshman high school students. My mentee and I are still in contact some 20 years later.

But the challenge I overcame was understanding the differences in opportunity and the resilience of these wonderful young adults. One young man, very large in stature for his age, was called upon to be an “enforcer” for a local gang that his parents led. He was extremely kind-hearted and much preferred the positive interactions of our group. He was eventually able to step away from gang life. Another was the oldest of five kids. She often missed school as she had to care for her younger siblings. Our collective group offered them beds and furniture, but they moved so frequently that they declined the offer as they would have no means to transport the furniture from place to place.

The experiences of so many of these kids were like nothing I’d ever encountered. It never occurred to me that people all had such different life situations to overcome. My own mentee was challenged with caring parents who didn’t see it as their responsibility to get her to school each day, nor did they take any action when she was raped her freshman year.

I was now seeing life through a different lens. We don’t all start the race from the same starting line or with the same skilled coach. Compassion swelled in me and, despite keeping many of my conservative values, I could now see that at various times in life we all need a hand up, and I so want to be a part of that change. My advocacy for social impact work has been strengthened and my judgments have subsided.

3. What does impact mean to you, and how do you measure it in your work?

Impact to me is an action or inaction that influences the direction of someone’s life, mine or another’s, and very often both.

An example: during the week of Thanksgiving, my spouse and I visited Open Door Ministries where we made and helped serve a Thanksgiving dinner. I still reflect upon this experience positively. Having not fed the homeless before, we were somewhat apprehensive about doing so. The smoked turkey and turkey soup were both well received.

But here is the learning experience / touching part: I have Essential Tremors and my left hand often shakes pretty badly. Well, guess who ladled the soup? And guess who had several people inquire about my shake? An even greater number offered personal suggestions for tremor relief! Everyone was helping everyone, and it truly felt like such a wonderful lesson. We all have something to give and our world can be a much better place when we are all called to do so.

4. Who has had a major influence on your leadership style or social impact work?

My dad, the fourth of six kids born to my delightful grandparents, an illiterate coal miner and his housekeeper wife, in the outskirts of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, was a beautiful soul. He led a Christian life by example by being kind, talented, and very giving. He also suffered from Parkinson’s Disease for 28 years.

In my youth, he would often ask who I was trying to be and prompted me to not be him, nor my mom, nor my girlfriends, but to explore life and be myself. Always willing to help someone move, repair a car, or cut a cord of wood, Dad never kept tabs; he just helped. He baked cakes for weddings, planted baby pheasants in farmer friends’ fields, and hosted homemade pizza parties for my friends and me. He taught me leadership through solid questions and listening. The listening part is so important, as is inclusion. He also encouraged me to know myself and to not be influenced by popular opinion. Often a collective decision is enhanced over the decision of one person, so I enjoy working in groups.

I was an HR leader for a good portion of my career and rarely did I enforce a company policy without questioning what in a person’s life was impacting their decision-making skills at the time. Imagine a world where we all give our best each day and have compassion for others!

5. What advice would you give to someone just beginning their changemaking journey?

Life isn’t about luck or chance; it is about a willingness to step in and get your hands dirty. It is about asking questions, assessing the situation, and offering a willingness to step in and help. I didn’t start in chair roles; I started by rolling up my sleeves and doing committee work or stepping in and going the extra mile in my job. Follow your passion and your moral compass; there are so many ways that you can make a difference.

I have many interests, so there have been many ways that I have been able to impact change. Sitting back and letting someone else do the work is not in my makeup. If I see a need for change or a need for help, I step up.

6. Your work with ProsperBridge focuses on financial education. What’s a story or moment that reminds you why this work matters?

Ever the Welcome Wagon person, one of my first jobs was at a printing mall that grew from 50 employees to over 150 employees in a short period of time. With numerous departments and positions to fill, I watched as an employee was hired and given little to no direction. I stepped in, provided tours, and made people feel welcome. I also negotiated employee benefits and set up the safety committee.

In those pre-HIPAA days, I introduced employees to their benefits and asked questions about their individual situation to assure their benefits worked well for them. This benefit education focus continued as I worked to grow my Human Resources career.

Fast forward 25+ years: I took a year off to travel and my financial advisor bought me a glass of wine before I headed off to walk the Camino de Santiago in Spain and take cooking classes at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris. He suggested that upon my return I should explore becoming a financial advisor. So upon my return, I did so and have worked as an advisor for twelve years.

I worked with a wonderful group at Rise Beyond Money where we collectively envisioned educating and advising clients. Let’s face it, we don’t learn personal finance in high school or college, so we wanted to create a safe place to do so. Unfortunately, financial advisor compensation isn’t aligned with education as much as it encourages selling products. People that already have good cash flow meet with financial advisors and receive investment suggestions, but where does this leave someone who needs help learning how to create a budget or save for emergencies?

ProsperBridge is just that place. We truly want to make financial access available to everyone. We work through employers who are prohibited by HIPAA from asking relevant questions of their employees to help them best decide on benefits and retirement investment tools, such as a 401(k) Plan. Employers and nonprofit agencies hire us to actively engage with their employees or participants in the financial process, helping them take action to maximize each paycheck. We do not do sales; however, we have over 280 organizations that we can refer to for further help.

7. In the current landscape of nonprofits, how is your organization adapting or leading change?

ProsperBridge, PBC is not presently a nonprofit, but we are structured to be in the future.

We work closely with nonprofit organizations that enhance the skills of their participants. Each of these organizations aligns with us as their participants are forecasted to improve their earning potential. We work with them to set budgets based on their new pay, help them create savings accounts, and eliminate debt. We are a safe place for them to ask questions about life insurance, debt elimination, and estate planning.

We focus on eighteen areas to enhance success rates and financial acumen. With over 73% of Americans stating finances as their number one stressor, we do our best to meet people where they are to address the issues keeping them up at night. No two families are the same, but increasing cash flow while eliminating debt and building savings are often common goals.

8. You recently were tapped to launch Colorado Nonprofits To Know. What impact are you hoping it will have, and how can the community support it?

I’ve been involved with Colorado Companies to Watch on and off for about 12 years. That award program recognizes top second-stage companies in our state, often the organizations with the largest job growth from year to year. They learn from one another and we help by addressing topics that lend to their continued development.

This will be the inaugural year for Colorado Nonprofits to Know, and I am thrilled to be part of it. Similar to the entrepreneurial spirit of for-profit companies, our nonprofit organizations strive to add to our economy too. Did you know there are over 34,000 nonprofit organizations in our state that help in so many ways? This year, we are starting with 501(c)(3) recognition and hope to expand the program in the future.

The expanse of nonprofit influence exceeds educating, housing, clothing, and feeding, but these areas alone help provide our for-profit companies with valuable employees. I welcome advocating for the shared social impact that can be attained by for-profits and nonprofits working together to bridge the needs of our state.

9. What’s something people often misunderstand about the community or issue you serve, and what would you want them to better understand?

JEDI (Justice, Equality, Diversity & Inclusion) needs to be a focus in our world. As I stated earlier, we don’t all start the race we call life from the same place, but we should all be afforded the same opportunity to finish it in a way that serves us best.

Each person reflects a beautiful kaleidoscope of experience, and each of us needs help from time to time but in different ways. It isn’t “someone else’s” job to offer that help; it absolutely does take a village. Everyone deserves to be seen and heard, and it is quite often our beautiful nonprofits that help people bloom. Let’s all help plant the seeds of success.

10. As a leader in Colorado, what gives you hope for the future of your community?

When I returned East after nearly twenty years in California, I was reminded of the warmth and kindness that Coloradans provide. I feel like we have our causes and we work to offer viable solutions.

The states that embrace diversity and work on inclusion will see the most enhancements to their economic success, in my opinion. I also welcome our for-profit and nonprofit organizations working together to fill the gaps that we need.

To get involved with ProsperBridge and support their mission, visit their website .

If you are interested in connecting with Maggie Drucker to learn more about her Changemaker journey, you can connect with her on LinkedIn.