CU Denver Alumni

10/14/2026

For Benny Panklang '18, coffee sits at the intersection of business, craft, culture, and human connection. ☕️

After earning his business degree from CU Denver and spending several years working in finance and data analysis, Benny traded the corporate world for entrepreneurship and opened Carbon Coffee in his hometown of Aurora.

He built the shop with community in mind. Carbon Coffee partners with local bakeries and roasters, employs a team largely made up of Aurora natives, hosts pop-ups highlighting local vendors and Asian-owned businesses, and incorporates cultural storytelling into its menu.

The business also puts Benny's CU Denver education and finance background to work behind the scenes, where data and financial modeling help guide everything from pricing and inventory to staffing and the menu.

Now, Benny hopes to bring his journey full circle by mentoring CU Denver students considering entrepreneurship themselves. "Never wait until you're ready, or else you'll be too late."

Consider stopping by Carbon Coffee to support a fellow Lynx.

Coffee is one of the few things that needs no introduction. Across cultures, backgrounds, and time zones, it is part of millions of people’s morning routines, it’s the quiet constant … Continue reading "Poured with Purpose: Carbon Coffee’s Recipe for Community-Centered Business"

10/12/2026

For Brett Engle '14 and Penpa Dolma, the idea behind Innovative Yogis began while they were studying psychology at CU Denver.

As they started practicing yoga outside the classroom, they recognized how naturally the two disciplines complemented one another. After graduation, they turned that experience into a business designed to make those tools available to others.

Today, Innovative Yogis creates elevated wellness experiences for conferences, conventions, retreats, and executive gatherings throughout Colorado. Their customizable offerings include yoga, meditation, sound baths, massage lounges, brain breaks, mindful hikes, and complete wellness zones.

If you're planning an upcoming conference, retreat, or gathering, consider bringing a little wellness to the experience while supporting an alumni-owned venture.

Innovative Yogis is providing private yoga, meditation, & soul work for individuals and groups. Practice in our space or we can bring the yoga studio to you.

10/10/2026

Mandatory Colorado Fall Leaf Peep Pics 🍂

📍 Cottonwood Pass

10/09/2026

What do you want from CU Denver as an alum? We want to hear from you! Take 15 minutes to share what you value, how you want to stay connected, and what you'd like to see from CU Denver Alumni in the future. Your feedback will help shape how we engage with and support our alumni community.

📅 Share your feedback by Oct. 9: https://martsandlundy.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_8pNV42NAbD9QAWW

10/08/2026

Ready for your next career move? Come back to campus and see what opportunities are waiting for you at CU Denver’s Fall Job Fair.

Connect with employers from a variety of industries, explore current job openings, expand your professional network, and learn more about organizations that are hiring.

📅 Wednesday, October 21
⏰ 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
📍 Lola & Rob Salazar Student Wellness Center

The Fall 2026 All-Majors Internship & Job Fair is open to CU Denver alumni, and alumni can create a Handshake account for free.

Register and explore participating employers: app.joinhandshake.com/stu/career_fairs/66649

10/07/2026

Peek-a-boo

10/04/2026

We love a branded pet.

10/02/2026

When Marlon Sango MA ’23, discovered counseling, he found a profession that combined his interests in psychology, sociology, anthropology, and philosophy with something even more important: the opportunity to serve others.

Today, Marlon is clinical director at Advance Pathways, where he helps lead a multidisciplinary team connecting people experiencing homelessness with mental health care, housing assistance, food resources, transportation, and other services. The clinical program now serves more than 1,000 clients each week.

Marlon credits his CU Denver faculty and supervisors with helping him grow into the clinician and leader he is today. Now, he’s paying that mentorship forward by supervising CU Denver Counseling and Couple and Family Therapy students as they develop their own clinical skills.

“Everybody poured into me,” Marlon said. “I was all in for it.”

Read how Marlon is creating pathways to healing while helping prepare the next generation of counselors.

Alum Marlon Sango Expands Care for People Experiencing Homelessness

10/01/2026

Vivian Vien ’25 put her own spin on the CU community this summer, designing four original Pokémon-inspired cards for FAN EXPO Denver. The professional illustrator created a unique “mon” for each CU campus, including a tech-inspired take on Milo for CU Denver, bringing together skills from her illustration degree and business minor.

Artist Vivian Vien remembers participating in her first major convention in 2024. She sat at a table covered in colorful keychains, stickers, and prints