In honor of Corona’s 20th anniversary, we are celebrating the outstanding people and organizations making a positive contribution to our community.

Each month, Corona is making a $500 donation in honor of a member of our team. For August, Jamie Blair selected the Bikes Together. We chatted with Jam to learn more about this organization and her relationship with them.

Bikes Together is a nonprofit bike shop with the primary goal of getting more people on bikes—particularly kids who might otherwise find it difficult to buy and maintain a bike. The organization helps to provide low- or no-cost bicycles to those who need them by taking in bikes in need of repair or refurbishment, then giving them new life. In addition, bike owners can come to Bikes Together and use their shop and tools to repair their bike (for free). The organization even has volunteers in the shop to help people learn about bicycle maintenance and assist with repairs. In addition, the organization provides a wide variety of classes and summer camps to help both kids and adults learn about bicycles, with topics ranging from maintenance, to safety, to communication and teamwork, and much more.

This entry in our blog series is submitted with a bit of sadness, as Jamie Blair, our office coordinator for the past two years, will be moving to Hawaii in October, and therefore will be moving on from the Corona team. Even so, we like to think of the Corona alumni network like distant members of the family, so her departure is no reason not to learn a bit more about her anyway!

Jamie (who tends to prefer the simpler “Jam”) came to Corona on Halloween of 2017. I wanted to make some clever joke here about that somehow foreshadowing her time at Corona, but to the contrary, her time at Corona has been a delight for all of us. Jam came to us with a background in bookkeeping and social work, making her a perfect fit to run “Mission Control” here in the office as someone who understands our passion for working with purpose-driven organizations.

Empowered cities and towns, united for a strong Colorado.

That’s the vision for Colorado Municipal League (CML), a member organization and long-time client of Corona Insights, that provides services, resources, and advocacy on behalf of Colorado municipalities, big and small. And one resource they provide to empower members is research.

I recently sat down with Kevin Bommer, Executive Director, and Melissa Mata, Municipal Research Analyst, to catch up and learn about how they’re using data and research to benefit their members.

In honor of Corona’s 20th anniversary, we are celebrating the outstanding people and organizations making a positive contribution to our community.

Each month, Corona is making a $500 donation in honor of a member of our team. For July, Karla Raines selected RedLine Contemporary Art Center. We chatted with Karla to learn more about why she selected this organization for her donation.

RedLine started in 2008 with the goal of “support[ing] emerging artists and provid[ing] creative opportunities for local residents.” The organization exists to “foster education & engagement between artists and communities to create positive social change.” RedLine’s two-year residency program offers artists a one-of-a-kind environment to develop and thrive with the tools and the support they will need for creative discovery.

RedLine’s artist-focused and community-responsive approach speaks to Karla. An artist herself, Karla knows firsthand how people benefit from the act of creating. Karla also values the deep impact that the organization has in the community and what they do to extend the power of art to those who might need it. Not only does RedLine provide equitable access so everyone can enjoy their space, they go out of their way to respond to the needs of their surrounding neighborhoods. Play Space, for example, is a project that RedLine runs with artists to design safe public spaces for Five Points neighborhood children, where they can play and create.

True to their mission, the current exhibition at RedLine views art through the lens of social change. D | Vision explores the relationship between social, cultural, or political division and artistic vision.

Head on over to 24^th Street and Arapahoe and check out what makes RedLine extraordinary.

Throughout 2019, to help celebrate our 20^th Anniversary, we are profiling our staff and select clients. Corona is also donating $500 on behalf of each staff person to a charitable organization of their choice. Click here to view all of our interviews. 

To stay up to date on all Corona news, and receive useful insights into the world of research, evaluation, and strategy, subscribe to our newsletter.

The story of Corona Insights is one intertwined with the story of the Raines; Kevin started the firm in 1999, with Karla joining him shortly after in Corona Year One. The two of them, in Karla’s words, went “all-in” on the company from the very beginning by investing everything (e.g. money, time, energy) they had—a daunting risk for a married couple of engineers looking to build their lives in Denver, Colorado. That defining experience of committing to Corona taught Karla the value of perseverance, a characteristic that proved critical during the early years of Corona.

It certainly paid off, as Corona hits its 20^th anniversary and its impact grow deeper every year. Just like the house they’ve been in for all those 20 years, the impact of the Raines has been a stable fixture in the purpose-driven community of Colorado; a community Karla has been a part of since she moved to Denver after earning her MBA.

Twenty years ago today, Kevin turned the lights on at Corona. We’ve been proud to call Denver home and even prouder of our work in our local communities.

We’re also proud to receive a Mayoral Proclamation from the City of Denver to celebrate our work, team, and community successes.

In honor of Corona’s 20th anniversary, we are celebrating the outstanding people and organizations making a positive contribution to our community.

Each month, Corona is making a $500 donation in honor of a member of our team. For June, Kevin Raines selected the Center for Visual Art. We chatted with Kevin to learn more about this organization and his relationship with them.

The Center for Visual Art is a unique entity, operating as the off-campus art gallery for Metro State University. In addition “to serv(ing) as an interactive art laboratory for MSU Denver students and the larger community,” the CVA hosts internationally renowned exhibitions such as Suchitra Mattai’s Sugarbound; the photography-based Gravity of Perception; and Pink Progression, a series of exhibitions “commemorating and celebrating the solidarity established during the women’s marches in 2017 and 2018.”

The exhibition currently featured at the CVA captures the relationship between the CVA, MSU, and the local arts community nestled alongside the building off of 10^th and Santa Fe. From now till July 24^th, the CVA is featuring The 10th Biennial MSU Denver Art Department Exhibition, which “offers a peek into the studio art and design practices of MSU Denver’s art faculty and staff and celebrates our vibrant visual art community.”

Kevin chose to donate to the Center for Visual Art primarily because of his affinity for visual art and the meaningful role that the CVA plays in showcasing student art and training teachers while also connecting the local community to the art happening inside the building. Kevin also serves in a leadership role with the CVA as a member of the Leadership Advisory Council.

Throughout 2019, to help celebrate our 20^th Anniversary, we are profiling our staff and select clients. Corona is also donating $500 on behalf of each staff person to a charitable organization of their choice. Click here to view all of our interviews. 

To stay up to date on all Corona news, and receive useful insights into the world of research, evaluation, and strategy, subscribe to our newsletter.

Every story has a beginning, and for Corona Insights, the story begins with Kevin Raines. After working in economic research and government consulting, Kevin decided to strike out on his own and founded a market research company called Corona Research in 1999. Leveraging connections and experience gained from previous work experience, Kevin quickly set out to carve a niche for Corona Research to thrive in the Denver market. And thrive it has.

Since its start as a one-man show, Corona Research has evolved and grown. In 2009 the name was changed to Corona Insights to better align with the full scope of services offered at Corona. In addition to market research, Corona established itself as industry leading experts in evaluation and strategic consulting. This expansion of services has enabled Corona to serve as a launching pad for many peoples’ careers over the past twenty years—something Kevin hopes will continue long after he retires.