When Pattie Money talks about her involvement with the CU Denver Business School, she rarely begins with her own story. Instead, she talks about students. She talks about their drive, their resilience, and the way many of them are balancing coursework with jobs, family responsibilities, and the financial realities of college. What stands out to her is students’ tenacity and drive to reach their full potential.

Helping Students See Bigger Futures

Pattie is a former CHRO, a business consultant, longtime Business School donor, and Advisory Board member who is highly involved in two of the Business School’s signature programs: the First-Generation and Multicultural Business Program (FaM) and Empowering Women in Business (EWiB). What keeps her engaged year after year is the students themselves. “The students are amazing,” she said. “They are driven and passionate about getting their college degree, but many of them are facing obstacles that could easily prevent them from graduating.”

That belief is especially visible in the FaM Program, where mentorship, scholarships, site visits, and leadership development create the kind of support system many students may not otherwise have. And the impact is already visible: FaM students maintain a 92% retention rate, showing how community and practical guidance can change a student’s trajectory.

For Pattie, the most meaningful shift happens when students begin to imagine themselves in spaces that once felt out of reach. “I want students to dream big,” she said. “Sometimes people from certain backgrounds do not always realize how much potential they really have.” This is particularly true among CU Denver’s many first-generation students, who develop the tools and mindset to aim higher thanks to programs like FaM and EWiB. 

Turning Confidence Into Leadership

Through Empowering Women in Business (EWiB), Money helps students move from potential into practice. Her support goes beyond philanthropic giving. She is the driving force behind the program’s curriculum excellence, and regularly leads workshops and mentor trainings on workplace relationships, feedback, and leadership dynamics, helping students develop the skills that are often learned only through experience.

Drawing on her own leadership career, she witnessed how representation narrows from entry-level roles to management and director positions. “You see women at one level, and then fewer and fewer as you move higher,” she said. For her, the goal is not diversity as a slogan, but better leadership in practice. She believes stronger teams and better business decisions come from having broader voices in the room and making space for perspectives that might otherwise be missing.

The moments that stay with her most are the ones where students begin stepping into executive spaces with confidence. “I love seeing the change in students,” she said. “When they start believing in themselves, that is when everything opens up.”

Investing in People, Building a Stronger Future

Pattie’s long-term commitment is also rooted in trust.

What first drew her to CU Denver was the opportunity to connect with students entering the business talent pipeline. Over time, what kept her invested was seeing how deeply the Business School’s leadership and staff care about student success. She has spoken about how much she values seeing strong ideas translated into real opportunities for students through mentorship, community-building, and professional preparation.  This shared sincerity continues to shape her belief that business leaders and universities must work together. “When businesses want students to come out of universities prepared, then we have to help those universities prepare them,” she said.

For Pattie, the work ultimately comes back to one message she hopes students carry with them: “Dream big dreams. Do not put yourself in a small box.”