Gloria J. Higgins

Gloria J. Higgins is an advocate of early childhood education and was instrumental in the establishment of the Denver Preschool Program. Higgins grew up in Wyoming and moved to Colorado to attend the University of Denver majoring in accounting. As one of the first women to graduate from the University of Denver with an accounting degree, Gloria began her journey of opening doors for women from all walks of life. Higgins and her husband launched together their own public accounting company, at the same time, as starting a family. Higgins then went on to help run Captiva Corporation which shifted her life from a bright businesswoman to one of the top women leaders in Colorado. Born with the gifts of a driven leader and mentor, Higgins made a lasting impact in both Colorado and nationwide on matters such as early childhood education and equal rights for women.  

Higgins went on to own another prestigious financial company, Synectics. With the help of Higgins’ son Rick, they started Digital Partners and WealthTouch. These two findings helped bolster new technology in the finance industry. Higgins’ accomplishments made her a heavy contender twice for the Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award and once for the Denver Business Journal, Outstanding Women in Business Award. In all of Higgins’ businesses, she gave women opportunities to prove to the world that women can be successful business owners too. Those efforts of mentorship helped mold some of Colorado’s top businesswomen. 

After selling her businesses, Higgins worked on stressing positive changes in her passion for early childhood education. While helping the Denver Preschool Program (DPP), Higgins gave 50,000 children a preschool education and used around $100 million of sales tax money to help families pay preschool tuition. That today has gone up to $250 million thanks to Higgins’ work with the DPP. In 2010, Higgins was awarded The Mayor’s Office for Education & Children Heavy Lifting Award. The DPP named a conference room after Higgins in respect of her achievements. Also, October 2, 2013, was named Gloria Higgins Day by Governor John Hickenlooper, for all the programs and policies she implemented to help early childhood education. 

Higgins was one of the Executives Partnering to Invest Children (EPIC) leaders. There, Higgins led Colorado to see through the differences between early childhood education and business which led to the creation of new educational policies to stress the importance of funding early childhood education. Governor Jared Polis made October 29, 2019, the second-ever Gloria Higgins Day for her dedication to what’s best for the children and families of Colorado. Higgins created Springboard Child Care, in 2020, where she changed the narrative of child care professionals. Higgins mentored women childcare business owners by raising over $1 million, assisting them with the complicated licensing process, and how to build a financially sound business. Gloria Higgins’ story is one of integrity, ingenuity, insight and relentless pursuit of educational excellence. Her contributions to early childhood education impact and support Colorado children, helping them to reach their full potential.