Meet Debbie Kunz | Non-Profit Executive Director and Principal

We had the good fortune of connecting with Debbie Kunz and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Debbie, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
We are actually expanding our business, so the process started organically from parents of children in our preschool asking us to expand and grow into the elementary space.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I am currently the Executive Director of Bal Swan Children’s Center, an inclusive and nationally recognized early childhood center in Broomfield, CO. We are planning a large expansion to build a new building that will house a private early childhood center and pediatric therapy clinic as well as an elementary school. All of the businesses will be grounded in the values of inclusion and social-emotional teaching.
The core values of Bal Swan Children’s Center are: interdisciplinary teaming; individualized education; inclusion and LOVE!! To work for an organization that prioritizes love and inclusion is extremely compelling.
Bal Swan Children’s Center began in 1963, long before I was involved. The journey has not been easy, as the organization was started as a grassroots efforts of parents to provide a safe, local, educational home for their children with disabilities. The challenge has always been funding. Providing individualized, inclusive education is costly and yet we know that the research points to incredible return on investment. Many people still do not prioritize early childhood education and do not want to make the human investment even though we know it reaps dividends.
I want the world to know the Bal Swan is the real deal! While many businesses might have similar core values, Bal Swan truly lives them out. We create authentic relationships with families and children, and they truly feel a sense of belonging in this space.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I am an outdoorsy person, so I would always take a friend to the mountains. If we had a few hours, I would take them to Chataqua Park in Boulder or to one of the many open space trails in Boulder County. After we had hiked hard, we would go to one of the many local breweries. I love the Rayback Collective in Boulder because it has a great ambience, lots of outdoor space, allows dogs and has great food truck options.

If we had a full day, I would most likely take a guest to Rocky Mtn. National Park. Living so close to this amazing park is a gift! The drive over Trail Ridge Road, the highest continuous highway in the country, is nothing short of breathtaking. Guests would certainly see elk and marmots, and maybe moose and other wildlife.

If we did not want to be outside, I would choose the theatrical scene. Whether it’s a Broadway show at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts or a production at the Curious Theatre, there are many theatre options.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Ultimately, the biggest Shoutout goes to children – all the children I ever babysit, my own children and all the children in our care right now. You are such an incredible inspiration and I am driven to make the world better for you!

In our efforts to expand from an inclusive preschool to a full elementary school, I cannot share enough gratitude to the women who chose to be on the Founding Board for the elementary school. Despite being full-time professionals and mothers, these women selflessly gave of their time, talent and pocketbooks to design a school that would offer all children a sense of belonging. This process is the most intense and rewarding professional process I have ever undertaken; it is a true start-up and we were a group of people with incredible passion and content knowledge but not necessarily the business acumen to start a new business. We slowly learned how to operationalize procedures and became a cohesive machine. It was a transformation beyond anything I have ever witnessed.

Website: https://www.balswan.org

Facebook: Bal Swan Children’s Center

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/balswanparent