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Bob and Judi Newman, retired business leaders and pillars of the Denver community, will mentor a winner of the 2020 Spotlight on YouthBiz Stars business competition.
Each year, the Spotlight on YouthBiz Stars business competition pairs three Denver-area business leaders with three up-and-coming youth entrepreneurs. The first mentors we are highlighting for this year’s 19th annual event are Bob and Judi Newman, retired business leaders and pillars of the Denver community.
Both Bob and Judi held long, successful careers in the computer industry and software development. They joke that they were the first “computer-dating couple” when they met at North American Aviation, now Rockwell International, out of college. Judi went on to work for United Airlines (26 years) where she held management positions in Computer Technology, Airline Maintenance, and the Apollo Reservation Divisions, providing, in Judi’s words, “A backbone for Bob to start his own business.” Bob co-founded J.D. Edwards (now Oracle) in 1976, which became the fourth-largest application software company in the world in the 1990s.
Now retired, Bob and Judi are heavily involved in fostering education and the arts. Notable projects include the Newman Center for Performing Arts at the University of Denver and the Newman Center for Performing Arts Education at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts. Their most recent project is the Freyer-Newman Building at the Denver Botanic Gardens, a center dedicated to science, art, and education.
Long-time supporters of Young Americans Center for Financial Education’s hands-on programs, Bob and Judi now have the unique and exciting opportunity to guide an up-and-coming young entrepreneur. “We’ve gotten where we are because of the mentors we had,” said Judi in a recent interview. Bob added, “It’s wonderful to be able to cultivate the next generation. We need to keep small businesses alive—the ultimate American dream.”
The Newman’s mentee, a winner of the Spotlight on YouthBiz Stars business competition, will be announced at the virtual awards ceremony on October 1, 2020. Limited sponsorships are still available.
