Our Board
Tiera Brown
Board Chair
Tiera Brown, a dedicated public servant, was recently selected as the 2022 Gault Center Fellow where she helped strengthen the quality of legal representation for system-impacted youth. Tiera previously worked at the Colorado State Public Defenders Office, defending youth with felony and misdemeanor cases. Tiera initially worked as an intern for the Transformative Justice Project (formerly Colorado Juvenile Defender Center), where she defended individuals charged with youth sex offense crimes in their expungement and deregistration hearings. She also supported legislative policy efforts related to youth restitution and fines and fees.
Tiera currently serves on the Coalition for Minority Youth Equity, a long-standing state advisory committee that aims to address racial and ethnic disparities in the youth justice system. She is also volunteers for Learn Your Rights in the Community (LYRIC), a new program of TJP’s; LYRIC is led by passionate attorney volunteers that donate their time to educate and empower Colorado youth to exercise their constitutional rights. Tiera graduated from the University of Denver Sturm College of Law in 2020 after receiving her bachelor’s from Boston College.
Tiera lives in Denver, Colorado with her son, their ball python, Kyle, and their growing collection of over fifty houseplants.
Dr. Amy Pickens
Board Vice Chair
Dr. Amy Pickens is a dedicated advocate for equity, wellness, and transformative justice. As the Consultant – Founder and CEO of Aligned Purpose Coaching & Consulting, LLC, she specializes in helping organizations align their equity goals with meaningful, sustainable actions. With a deep commitment to centering community and fostering systems rooted in justice, she brings a unique intersection of strategic planning, healing justice, and advocacy to her work.
Dr. Pickens has extensive experience in education, social justice, and leadership development. She has worked with youth, educators, and organizations to create inclusive spaces that honor humanity and well-being. Her approach integrates healing justice into institutional change, ensuring that those most impacted by systemic harm have a voice in shaping solutions.
A certified wellness practitioner and 200-hour certified yoga teacher, Dr. Pickens is passionate about the connection between individual and collective healing. She believes that true justice requires not only policy change but also a shift in how we care for ourselves and each other.
As a board member of the Transformative Justice Project, Dr. Pickens is committed to disrupting inequities, amplifying underrepresented voices, and advocating for approaches to justice that prioritize healing, dignity, and community care.
Taylor Schafbuch
Board Treasurer
Taylor is a nonprofit leader and Certified Public Accountant with over a decade of experience working in the nonprofit sector. Her work is guided and driven by her personal values centered around helping people, particularly those most vulnerable and/or facing systemic barriers to access, opportunity, and equality. She’s excited to join a passionate team of individuals at TJP guided by similar values to abolish the school-to-prison pipeline and help our youth succeed.
Taylor is from Iowa where she received her B.B.A. degree in accounting and finance from the University of Iowa. She started her career in public accounting at CliftonLarsonAllen LLP, providing audit and tax services to a variety of nonprofit clients. She spent 5 years working with nonprofit organizations in Washington, D.C., including Catholic Charities USA and the USO, before moving to Denver in March 2023. Taylor currently serves as controller at The Colorado Trust, a private foundation which funds health equity initiatives throughout Colorado serving under-resourced and historically disadvantaged communities.
Taylor loves traveling and the outdoors. In the summer you can find her hiking, camping, going to concerts, or on a patio enjoying good food and brews with friends. In the winter, she’s either trying her best not to get injured on the ski slopes or cozying up with a good book.
Nicole Duncan
Board Member
Nicole Duncan is a former State Public Defender and is the founder of The Duncan Youth Legal Services, LLC. Through her firm, founded in November 2022, Nicole serves youth both in and outside the courtroom through direct defense and policy and legislation. Nicole’s primary focus is racial justice, centering raising race and disrupting “business as usual” in all aspects of youth defense; this focus continues to better honor her clients and their stories and goals.
Nicole defends youth charged as adults, youth facing the threat of being charged as adults, and youth involved in emerging adulthood cases. She also gives trainings on raising race, utilizing data in practice, and other strategies to address systemic oppression. She uses a holistic model of defense by connecting and actively participating with local youth organizations in Denver. Not only does she continue learning from them, but she connects them with her clients and their families.
Nicole joined Transformative Justice Project (TJP) board in January 2023. She also serves as a board member for Bread and Roses Legal Center, which supports social movements by working with activists and local community groups. During the 2023 legislative session, Nicole served as the Youth Policy Council for the ACLU-CO. She was also recognized as TJP’s (formerly CJDC’s) Juvenile Defender of the Year in 2020. Finally, she is Georgetown Law Ambassador for Racial Justice Alumni, and is JTIP certified twice through the Gault Center.
Lindsey Sandoval
Catie LePage
Board Member
Catie LePage is a leader in special education with extensive experience in supporting students with mild to severe disabilities. She currently serves as the Director of the Multi-Intensive Special Education Center Program at South High School in Denver. With a passion for inclusive education, Catie has developed comprehensive strategies for staff development, student support, and family engagement, driving systemic improvements in educational practices for students with special needs.
Catie was born in Portland, Maine, and relocated to Denver in 2011. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from St. Lawrence University, a Master’s degree in Teaching with a concentration in Special Education from Metropolitan State University of Denver, and a Special Education Director Licensure from the University of Northern Colorado.
Catie is committed to fostering strong partnerships with a wide range of local organizations, including Special Olympics, Advocacy Denver, Dirt Coffee, Rocky Mountain Human Services, Ready to Achieve Mentoring Program (RAMP), In (Pathways to Inclusive Higher Education), the School to Work Program (SWAP), Coats 4 Kids, Denver Public Library, Brewability, Cafe 180, and the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR). Through these collaborations, she has successfully brought valuable resources and programming to students and families, creating inclusive opportunities such as internships, job placements, and access to higher education.
With a deep commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion, Catie leverages her extensive experience to lead teams, promote inclusive environments, and advocate for systemic change within education. She is dedicated to advancing policies and practices that ensure all students, regardless of background or ability, are given the support they need to succeed and thrive in an inclusive educational setting.
Andy Ogide
Board Member
Andy Ogide is a Financial Advisor with Edward Jones, a retired 12-year overseas professional basketball player, and a Rio 2016 Olympic Games participant. Having lived all over the world, he brings a unique perspective to investing, helping clients navigate their financial futures with a human-centered approach. His ability to communicate effectively across diverse personalities and demographics has been instrumental to his practice.
Committed to making a meaningful impact, Andy has always sought to contribute to every community he has called home. Joining the Transformative Justice Project represents a significant step in furthering this mission. TJP’s dedication to giving back and dismantling systemic issues aligns with his values, and while there is still much work to be done, Andy is honored to contribute his time and resources to support and advance this critical mission.
Nikki Duffney
Board Member
Nikki Duffney (she/her) has 15 years of membership management experience from several industries to grow membership, increase engagement, and improve retention. She is passionate about building communities and connecting people to resources to support their goals. Nikki is invested in fostering relationships that create lasting partnerships. Throughout her career, Nikki continues to value sharing best practices, gathering resources, and collaborating with communities to deliver on their needs. Nikki has supported and developed membership programming for the Independent Natural Food Retailers Association, the Marine Retailers Association, and Nurses for Sexual & Reproductive Health. Currently, she is the Senior Membership Manager at Public Justice.
Nikki graduated with a bachelor’s degree from the University of Minnesota-Morris in business management with an emphasis in human resources. She is a disabled queer that believes justice starts before harm is done. Nikki is committed to dismantling oppressive systems and has been an active participant in mutual aid, harm reduction, and education in the Denver community.
