Travis Leiker

Travis Leiker is the Senior Director of Development at the University of Colorado. In this role, he has developed public-private partnerships resulting in more than $20 million in investments benefitting one of the nation’s leading public universities. Recent notable accomplishments include developing vaccine programs to combat COVID-19 in underserved communities, establishing new diversity scholarships supporting the next generation of healthcare leaders, and expanding CU’s reach into rural and frontier communities throughout the Rocky Mountain region.

Concurrent with his time at CU, he has served as president and executive director of Capitol Hill United Neighborhoods (CHUN) for nearly six years. CHUN is one of Denver’s largest, oldest neighborhood advocacy organizations. Once facing bankruptcy, Travis led the organization through an extraordinary transformation. The group has turned its attention to impact investments, a robust progressive policy agenda, and collaborating across neighborhood boundaries to get important work done.

Travis Leiker fights for policies resulting in greater equity and opportunity. He has never backed down from a challenge. Travis has led programs to be more effective. When organizations have been on the brink of failing, he has turned them around.

Prior to joining the University of Colorado, Travis was Associate Director of Development at Conservation Colorado—a statewide nonprofit dedicated to environmental policy and advocacy—where he managed all fundraising and relationships associated with individual and institutional donors. His other past work experiences include serving as National Development Director at the White House Project, and four years as an aide to philanthropist, businessperson, and now Governor Jared Polis.

Travis is a Kansas native and holds a bachelor’s degree in political science and a master’s degree in public administration, both from the University of Colorado. Outside his professional and academic endeavors, he enjoys many civic and volunteer activities including tenure as past chair of the board of directors for the NARAL Pro-Choice Colorado Foundation, service on the Dean’s Advisory Board at Colorado Women’s College, and volunteering for a variety of animal welfare groups.

Travis is a 17 year resident of Denver and lives with his partner David Proper and their dog Eleanor Roosevelt Leiker-Proper.