Single in the City

The Sophisticate
Tasha L. Jones, 38 (top left)
Director of marketing, Forest City Stapleton, Inc.

Secret talent: I make pretty creative cupcakes. Martha Stewart awarded me a prize!

I’m a sucker for: A deep, sultry voice.

Part of my charm: I mix up common quotes and phrases all the time, like “pulling the cat out of the hat” and “letting the rabbit out of the bag.”

Childhood crush: Donnie Wahlberg of New Kids on the Block fame.

Biggest fear: Letting my ego get in the way. I like to keep it in check.

Dream vacation: A week at the Ritz in Paris.

What I look for in a significant other: A thoughtful and humorous gentleman who is tenaciously successful.

Great night out: A concert at Red Rocks or at a park.

My hero(es): Empowering women such as Jill Scott, Oprah Winfrey, and Condoleezza Rice.

You’d never guess: I was a really good sprinter. Well after I graduated college, I still held the record for the 100-meter dash at my junior high school in Fort Collins.

Guilty pleasure: Cold Stone Creamery’s banana caramel crunch with extra almonds.

TiVo embarrassment: I’m unapologetic about my TiVo.

If I had one wish: Knowing that I’d be able to care for my parents, that they’d be OK as they grow older.

The Musician

Matthew Moon, 40 (top right)
Singer-songwriter

I can’t live without: My Australian labradoodle, Charlie.

I’m a sucker for: A girl who knows how to cook.

Part of my charm: I’m an excellent listener.

Great night out: Good friends, dinner at Carmine’s on Penn, and home before midnight.

Favorite musician: Paul Simon.

On the bucket list: Living on a tropical island where I can walk out my door 100 yards and sit on the beach and swim in the ocean.

iPod embarrassment: The Bee Gees.

Biggest accomplishment: Completing my fifth studio album.

What I look for in a significant other: Somebody caring, thoughtful, and nurturing.

Guilty pleasure: Popcorn.

When I’m not working, I am: Doing something outside, like hiking or skiing.

Dating deal-breaker: A girl who talks too much.

Dream vacation: With my girl traveling through Austria to Vienna and Salzburg.

The Gal Pal

Sally Walker (left), 33, & Bre Ortola, 26 (bottom right)
Co-owners, Alchemy Mineral Blends

Sally

I can’t live without: GPS on my phone.

I’m a sucker for: Sour Patch Kids.

Rainy-day activity: Oil painting.

What I look for in a significant other: Connection, chemistry, and a good sense of humor.

You’d never guess: I’m a really good cyclist. I can ride some of the hardest climbs in Boulder.

Dream vacation: Southern France.

Secret talent: Making a good Irish stew.

Great night out: Having someone cook me dinner and take me to see one of my favorite bands.

On the bucket list: A scuba diving trip to Belize.

Nickname: Skallywag.

Childhood crush: River Phoenix.

When I’m not working, I am: Cooking, cycling, climbing, hiking, or listening to music.

Bre:

If I could have a superpower: I’d read minds.

On the bucket list: I really want to be on Wheel of Fortune.

I can’t live without: Pizzeria Locale pizza and Champagne.

What I look for in a significant other: A witty personality, honesty, and a sexy smile.

Biggest accomplishment: Starting Alchemy on a shoestring with Sally.

Rainy-day activity: Baking and eating it all.

Celebrity crush: Ryan Reynolds.

Guilty pleasure: Anything and everything that is salted caramel.

I’m a sucker for: Dessert. And my niece and nephew. Anything they ask me for, they get.

Dating deal-breaker: Selfishness and not opening the door for me.

Dream vacation: Thailand or Croatia.

You’d never guess: I was on Escape Routes, a reality show on NBC.

What I’m reading: I’m rereading The Alchemist.

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The Humanitarian

Dave Sevick, 53 (bottom left)
Director of marketing and communications, Tennyson Center for Children

If I could have a superpower: I’d see into the future.

Dream vacation: New Zealand.

Dating deal-breaker: Whiners and complainers.

Guilty pleasures: Politics, college football, and vodka martinis.

What I’m reading: Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim by David Sedaris.

Rainy-day activity: Cleaning and hanging with my dog.

Part of my charm: My humor. I play pranks on my friends.

I’m a sucker for: Tearjerker movies.

What I look for in a significant other: A guy who makes me laugh, wows me, and makes me antsy until I can see him again.

Find me here on a Saturday night: In the summer, I’m camping in the mountains. Otherwise, I’m hanging out with friends.

You’d never guess: I write “adult” Dr. Seuss–style poetry for my friends’ birthdays.

I’m so over: Political divisiveness.

If I had one wish: I would have 30 more minutes with my mom and dad.

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The Extrovert
Michele Goodman, 49 (top left)
Executive director, Insight Oncology, Inc.

I can’t live without: My sons, Sinjin and Sean.

I’m a sucker for: Bald men and biceps. I love a man with the confidence to just shave his hair off.

Part of my charm: My distinctive laugh.

You’d never guess: I throw a better spiral than Peyton Manning any day.

Biggest accomplishment: Finding a really good balance between work, play, and family.

Dating deal-breaker: Someone who doesn’t ask questions or texts while on a date.

Guilty pleasure: Lemon-drop martinis.

Celebrity crush: Jon Hamm.

What I look for in a significant other: Energy that equals mine, intelligence, and compassion.

Favorite band: Fitz and the Tantrums.

Once-in-a-lifetime moment: I just ran my first marathon. It’s going to be my last.

Rainy-day activity: Reading or cleaning out my closet for Goodwill.

Secret hobby: Kickboxing.

On the bucket list: Finding a soul mate.

If I could have a superpower: I’d touch my nose and make things appear and disappear, like in Bewitched.

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The Boy Next Door

Yoni Geffen, 27 (top right)
Student support specialist, Denver School of Science and Technology: Green Valley Ranch High School;
co-founder, First Ascenders

Guilty pleasure: Good Times drive-thru for a milkshake after a soccer game.

If i could have a superpower: I’d read animals’ minds.

Secret talent: I can do a front handspring. And I’m really good at remembering people’s names.

You’d never guess: I’m afraid of heights.

iPod embarrassment: Annie Lennox’s “Walking on Broken Glass.”

Biggest fear: Not becoming a father.

What I look for in a significant other: Someone intelligent, active, good at communicating, and thoughtful.

Great night out: Dinner with friends at an amazing ethnic restaurant (Ethiopian, sushi, or Indian), drinks at a local, hole-in-the-wall bar, then a game of Bananagrams.

Childhood crush: Danielle Fishel [Topanga on Boy Meets World].

Favorite movie: The Princess Bride.

If I had one wish: I would wish every kid growing up in Denver could have the opportunity to experience the outdoors in the way I have been lucky enough to.

I can’t live without: The mountains, my dog, dark chocolate, and purpose.

I’m so over: Social media.

I’m a sucker for: Someone who can kick a soccer ball.

Biggest accomplishment: My time spent in the classroom as a teacher, the day-to-day accomplishments with students.

The Fitness Buff
Emily Schromm, 24 (bottom right)
Owner/founder, Unleashed Fitness; CrossFit coach, CrossFit Park Hill

Rainy-day activity: Running. I’m from Missouri. I love the rain.

Secret talent: Knitting scarves—although they never get very big, out of impatience.

On the bucket list: Getting my pilot’s license.

I can’t live without: Bacon, a barbell, and my Steve Madden motorcycle boots.

You’d never guess: I’m obsessed with Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, and John Coltrane.

TiVo embarrassment: Shark Tank.

What I look for in a significant other: I’m a personality girl. I want someone funny and interesting, enough to where I can’t figure them out on the first date.

Dream vacation: A two-month motorcycle road trip of the West Coast.

Great night out: Lots of tequila and lots of dancing.

Find me here on a Saturday night: Breckenridge, waiting for the snow.

Dating deal-breaker: People who are too needy.

Guilty pleasure: Really long bubble baths while watching shows on Hulu.

Biggest fear: Limiting myself. Not living or experiencing enough.

My hero: My mom.

The Athlete

Steward Ceus, 25 (bottom left)
Goalkeeper, Colorado Rapids

Celebrity crush: Alicia Keys.

I’m a sucker for: A girl with really good style, top to bottom.

Favorite movie: Any sports movie based on a true story.

Secret talent: Bowling.

On the bucket list: Skydiving.

You’d never guess: I’m an underground video gamer.

Dating deal-breaker: Clinginess.

Guilty pleasure: All types of bread, especially Irish soda bread.

Biggest fear: Failure.

What I look for in a significant other: An independent woman who is intelligent, has a good sense of humor, can appreciate my sarcasm, and who I can have a conversation with.

Nickname: Stew.

Dream vacation: Somewhere that has a lot of history, where I could see the sights and learn a lot. Maybe China or Japan.

If I had one wish: To see all of my good friends and family succeed.

TiVo embarrassment: Jersey Shore.

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The Wine Guy 

Jason Strauss, 37 (top left)
Executive producer, Colorado International Wine Expo; owner, Strauss Productions

Great night out: Dinner at Wazee Supper Club followed by a Nuggets game and dancing.

You’d never guess: I grew up working at our family-owned salvage yard dismantling old trucks.

On the bucket list: Riding in a fighter jet and taking a trip with my dad to a Duke-North Carolina basketball game.

If I could have a superpower: I’d be able to transport myself and others to any location instantly.

Secret talent: I throw really great themed birthday parties.

Part of my charm: I never want to lose the kid side of me.

Nickname: White Chocolate.

What I look for in a significant other:

Someone kind, genuine, and respectful with a smile and eyes that light up a room.

When I’m not working, I am: With my doberman at Wash Park or at a Nuggets or Broncos game.

I can’t live without: My family, friends, dog, and the 1972 Ford Bronco I’ve had my whole life.

What I’m reading: Daily sports updates.

Dating deal-breaker: Rude, flaky girls and girls who don’t like kids or dogs.

Guilty pleasure: Ending a good night at the Denver Diner with a buddy of mine.

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The Explorer 

Claudia López, 44 (top right)
Photographer

I can’t live without: Coffee.

I’m a sucker for: Fast cars.

Part of my charm: My accent.

Biggest fear: Losing my eyesight.

Biggest accomplishment: I was the first Latin American (man or woman) to summit Ama Dablam in the Himalayas.

When I’m not working, I am: Planning adventures to far-flung places.

What I look for in a significant other: An intellectually curious, progressive thinker who’s open-minded, embraces differences, has a witty sense of humor—and, if he can’t cook, has excellent takeout on speed dial.

Great night out: A farm-to-table dinner followed by dancing.

Biggest influence: My grandfather. He was the most eccentric, witty, creative person I’ve ever met.

If I had one wish: Safer times in Colombia, my country.

You’d never guess: I know how to kill a chicken, old-style. I had to learn when I was nine years old.

iPod embarrassment: Sir Mix-a-Lot.

Guilty pleasure: Mochi ice cream.

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The Techie

Quincy Dancer, 35 (bottom right)
Enterprise cloud engineer, Dell

I can’t live without: Snowboarding.

Secret hobby: I throw the biggest flip-cup tournament in the United States.

Guilty pleasure: Strawberry Pop-Tarts.

Nickname: Q-Ball.

I’m a sucker for: A big booty and a smile.

You’d never guess: I was a band nerd and went to band camp—and loved it.

Biggest accomplishment: Having a successful, self-taught career.

What I look for in a significant other: Someone intelligent, open-minded, and laid-back, who has a sense of humor and loves the mountains.

If I had one wish: To time travel.

Find me here on a Saturday night: In the winter: a club in Breckenridge. In the summer: camping, at a concert, or on a bar crawl.

Biggest fear: Not finding love.

What I’m reading: SuperFreakonomics.

Dream vacation: Surfing in Australia.

If I could have a superpower: I’d be immortal.

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The Joker
Heather Snow, 33 (bottom left)
Senior business analyst, PropertyInfo Corporation; comedian

I’m a sucker for: Karaoke and broad shoulders.

Nickname: Six feet of snow.

Childhood crush: Bill Murray in Ghostbusters.

I’m so over: Mustaches.

You’d never guess: I drew caricatures and portraits at amusement parks for 12 years. I was basically a carny.

Secret hobby: Poker.

On the bucket list: Doing a comedy tour for the troops.

Dating deal-breaker: Bad manners.

What I look for in a significant other: I’m an old-school girl. I like when guys open the door for me. I want someone adventurous and motivated with a sense of humor.

When I’m not working, I am: Skiing, at an open mic, doing yoga, or working in my garden (I’m a community garden leader).

Dream vacation: The coast of Italy, like Naples and Pompeii.

What I’m reading: A People’s History of the United States.

Biggest fear: Bombing on TV. I have a little bit of stage fright.

TiVo embarrassment: Glee.

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The Thespian
Jose Antonio Mercado, 38 (top left)
Actor; director; professor of theater and film, University of Colorado Denver

I’m a sucker for: Nice legs.

Secret talent: I’m a pretty damn good salsa dancer.

Guilty pleasure: Tequila.

On the bucket list: Doing a movie with Jack Nicholson and starting an acting studio.

You’d never guess: I was raised in the projects north of Greeley.

Biggest fear: Immobility, physically and professionally.

Find me here on a Saturday night: At a play, movie, or cultural event that will hopefully lead to
La Rumba.

What I look for in a significant other: Someone who’s spontaneous, passionate, physical, has a sense of humor, and is comfortable in her own skin.

Biggest accomplishment: As an educator: graduating 97 percent of the students in my theater program at North High School. As an actor: performing in the Pulitzer Prize–winning play Wit and seeing my mom sitting next to Tom Hanks on opening night in Los Angeles.

Once-in-a-lifetime moment: Meeting author Gabriel García Márquez in Mexico. It was like meeting Jesus.

Dream vacation: I’d start in Barcelona, then travel south to Grenada and experience all the flamenco, wine, poetry, love, and passion that land has to offer.

If I could have a superpower: I’d breathe underwater like Aquaman. He was my favorite comic book character as a kid.

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The Dream Maker

Mary U. Stein, 43 (top right)

Owner and director, Dream Big Day Camp

Guilty pleasure: Half-and-half in my coffee, spicy bean burritos from Taco Bell, and Nutter Butter cookies.

Secret talent: I’m a really good snow shoveler.

Dream vacation: Tahiti, where they have those huts in the water with glass floors.

Rainy-day activity: Popcorn, a cuddly blanket, my DVR list, and the phone on vibrate.

Biggest accomplishment: Being the mother of my twin boys.

Biggest fear: Not living my life with integrity.

What I look for in a significant other: Kindness, patience, faithfulness, wit, chivalry, athleticism, sex appeal, and a man who can laugh at himself and ask for directions.

Celebrity crush: John Travolta in the Welcome Back, Kotter days.

I’m a sucker for: Getting coffee delivered in bed.

I can’t live without: Alba moisturizing lotion and Burt’s Bees fig lipstick—Colorado is so dry!

When I’m not working, I am: With my children on the lacrosse field, skiing, playing tennis, cycling, or putzing around in my backyard.

Part of my charm: The ability to problem-solve creatively. I can always turn a negative into a positive.

On the bucket list: Taking the year off to travel the world with no agenda—just wherever I end up going next.

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The Up-and-Comer
Andrew Freedman, 29 (bottom left)
Chief of staff to Lieutenant Governor Joe Garcia

Nickname: Chief.

Part of my charm: Looking like I’m 12 but talking like I’m 40.

I’m a sucker for: Staying for “one more drink” at an event.

On the bucket list: Seeing the Northern Lights from the hot springs in Iceland.

Dating deal-breaker: Lack of passion.

Great night out: Starting early with a play or musical or something cultural, then meeting up with a big group of friends, staying out way too late, and having to catch a taxi home.

What I look for in a significant other: Someone to have a great conversation with, who’s funny, genuine, and really kind.

I can’t live without: Reading political blogs.

Rainy-day activity: I’m trying desperately to learn how to play guitar.

You’d never guess: I live in a converted church.

iPod embarrassment: I have way too many Disney songs.

Find me here on a Saturday night: The governor’s mansion for an event.

Biggest accomplishment: We just won $30 million to make sure kids in need have access to high-quality early childhood education.

Dream vacation: I did it. I once spent 14 months traveling around the world.

The Baker
Joanna Powell, 24 (bottom right)
Pastry chef, Cafe Aion

Guilty pleasure: Gambling.

Rainy-day activity: Listening to vinyl.

I can’t live without: Bourbon.

On the bucket list: I’d like to see somebody from Led Zeppelin perform live before they all die.

Dating deal-breaker: A Raiders fan.

Find me here on a Saturday night: In bed. Sunday is brunch day.

Biggest influence: My dad. I’m still rocking all of his jokes.

Dream vacation: Anywhere in South America.

What I look for in a significant other: A good sense of humor, a mellow personality, and someone who’s not too similar to me.

Biggest accomplishment: Getting a double double bull’s-eye (two double bull’s-eyes) playing darts with friends.

Great night out: A comedy show or dueling piano bar.

If I could have a superpower: Invisibility.

TiVo embarrassment: Law & Order: SVU.