Alan Cogen | Founder

In 2014, Alan Cogen created a grant for the express intention of supporting jazz musicians to create albums. The grant was initially only available to Colorado residents, and over time, it helped to foster a thriving local jazz scene. In 2019, Alan opened the grant to any US applicant and as of 2022, Pathways To Jazz has given grants to 93 musicians from states across the nation.

Alan also supports musicians, music educators and children eager to learn music through his philanthropic support of music education. He is passionate about the power of music and is the Executive Producer of the film Mixtape Trilogy: The Story of the Power of Music, a documentary that examines the relationship between music artists and their fans, featuring Indigo Girls, Vijay Iyer, and Talib Kweli.

Sarah Goodroad | Program Manager

Sarah Goodroad helped Alan Cogen begin Pathways To Jazz in 2014, and continues to build and expand the grant program. Sarah is a classical cellist by training, played bass guitar in rock and punk bands, and was a DeeJay at KUNC 91.5 FM in Greeley, Colorado and Hot 93.1 FM in Rapid City, South Dakota. One day, she found a ukulele in her Grandparents' basement and that started her on a new journey. She began learning and then teaching ukulele and in 2010, she founded the Boulder Ukulele Group, a community group of musicians who met once a month to sing and play. She led the group for ten years.

Sarah is a Colorado native and is passionate about the power of music to transform lives and create friendships among unlikely friends. Through her work as a music educator and as the Program Manager for Pathways to Jazz, she has witnessed firsthand the power in believing in someone’s dream.