Meet Djenita Svinjar | Attorney & Entrepreneur

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

Hi Djenita, how has your background shaped the person you are today?
I was born in Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina and came to the United States in 1994 as a child refugee during the Bosnian War. My family and I arrived in the United States with two bags of luggage and had to work our way up from rock bottom. Growing up, I witnessed my mom, a single mother, work numerous jobs at a time to ensure that we had food on the table each and every night. Looking back on the sacrifices that were made, the blood, sweat, and tears that went into getting me to where I am today, and the endless devotion from my mom helped mold me into the person I am today- one driven by a hunger for more knowledge, experiences, and successes.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
What sets each of us apart is how a person not only handle their successes but how they also handle the failures that inevitably happen in life at one point or another. I am always eager to hear about setbacks one may have experienced and to learn how they bounced back from this. I love stories of resilience and am consistently in awe of what we can accomplish when we set our minds to it!

If I were to tell the world one thing about my story, it’s simply that life goes on. Life moves forward regardless of what may have happened to us in the meantime, and we continue to evolve on a daily basis, learning something new every day as we continue along our journey. I encourage people to relish in the present, but to plan for the future.

Given my own background and having lived through a war at such a young age, I’ve consequently witnessed many of my loved ones (understandably) grasping onto something that is no longer there or being so absorbed in what happened in the past that they forget to be present in the moment, and because of this, they let opportunities pass them by. Life is so short, and we have to cherish every moment, for we never know what the future has in store for us.

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?

Denver has so many incredible spots, it’s hard to narrow them all down! It also depends on what area of the city you intend on visiting and what a visitor may like to do. I generally enjoy hiking, shopping, trying new dining options, and catching a show in my free time, so these are reflected in my suggestions below.

Downtown- Stop at McGregor Square before or after a Rockies Game. Some good spots here include Tom’s Watch Bar, the Rally Bar, or Carmine’s Italian Restaurant. The Brown Palace Hotel is a great historic spot, and they have good food and some fun tea hours that I highly recommend trying, especially during the holidays! Their spa is also my favorite in town! I also love catching a show at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts whenever I get a chance. The Denver Botanic Gardens is another great spot to visit. Finally, Union Station has a number of good food and drink options as well, including my favorite bar in town, The Cooper Lounge.

Thornton- Orchard Town Center has some great shopping and good food options within it. Some of my favorite restaurants in the Thornton/Westminster/Broomfield area include Vinca, Big Mac & Little Lu’s Seafood, Yak & Yeti, Bopp Kitchen, and Scalzotto,

Greenwood Village- YaYas Euro Bistro, Dionysus Food & Wine Bar, and Ocean Prime are all fantastic food and drink options in this area.

Morrison- Red Rocks is a must, not only as a concert venue, but for other events too.  I love doing “yoga on the rocks” there in the mornings when the weather heats up! It’s an incomparable way to begin your day and the views are one of a kind. There are also some great hiking areas in the nearby area. I also really like The Fort Restaurant; it’s a one-of-a-kind experience with an ambience like no other and some incredible steak. Red Rocks Beer Garden is also a favorite in our house!

Littleton- Aspen Grove Shopping Center has a number of cute shops and restaurants in an open-air shopping area. This is ideal for just about anyone and you can’t go wrong here.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?

There are so many amazing people and organizations that helped get me to where I am today. I have fantastic male and female mentors, attorneys and non-attorneys alike that guide me based on their experiences and careers. I want to thank my incredible colleagues at Beltzer Bangert & Gunnell LLP (BBG Construction Law) for providing an environment in which I am challenged, supported, and mentored.

I also attribute a lot to numerous organizations that have taken me in, provided an incredible network, and helped me grow. These include the Bosnian American Genocide Institute and Education Center, the Boys and Girls Clubs of Weld County, WorldDenver, the Future Leaders Forum of the Colorado Associated General Contractors, the Law Committee of the Colorado Supreme Court, the National Association of Women in Construction, and Women for Women International.

When it comes to the incredible people in my life, I am truly blessed. I have incredibly supportive friends and family. The biggest thank you of all goes to my husband, Charles Crouse, for being by my side through it all.

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/djenitasvinjar/

Image Credits
-AGC Colorado Future Leaders Forum -Denver Business Journal -WorldDenver