Renae Bellew
Sr. Program Director, Denver Scholarship Foundation

For over 17 years, Renae Bellew has been a standout leader in the Denver community by championing equity in access to educational opportunities. She was born and raised in Denver and is honored to serve the City and County of Denver and Denver Public School students through her strategic leadership at the Denver Scholarship Foundation as the Senior Program Director.

In her current role she provides leadership for a department of 40 team members with an operating budget of over $7 million including the College Access, Scholarship, College Success and Community Engagement team annually serving more than 5,000 DPS students, awarding over $4.5 million in scholarships to 1,700 Scholars who boast a college success rate of 83 percent.

Previously, she was a College Advisor for six years at John F. Kennedy High School, her alma mater, and received recognition from Stanford University for her outstanding achievements in that position. Ms. Bellew began her career in the University of Colorado at Boulder's Office of Admissions playing a lead role in the effort to increase the enrollment of underrepresented students. In 2006, she completed the competitive Color of Justice, Inc. Urban Leadership Institute; in 2012, she completed the year-long Denver Leadership Initiative; in 2016, she completed the Education Pioneers Impact Fellowship; and in 2022 completed the competitive Leadership Denver program with the Denver Metro Chamber Leadership Foundation. She uses the skills she gained to be an effective advocate for social justice, donating much of her time to local community organizations.

She is regarded as an intentional, thoughtful and strategic leader who collaborates closely with colleagues, students, partners, funders and other stakeholders in driving systems change. Staying power and her ability to be a visionary and executor have been hallmarks of her leadership having been a leader and involved with several organizations since their founding.

Renae earned her undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of Colorado Boulder in sociology and educational practices and policies, respectively, finishing graduate school with highest distinctions. Her graduate research focused on issues related to college access and success of underrepresented students, and parent engagement. In 2000, Renae was named to the inaugural class of Daniels Fund Scholars, a full, four-year scholarship based on character, leadership, academic promise and community service and in 2022 was selected by the Denver Business Journal for a Top 40 Under 40 award.