Member Spotlight | Ballpark Ambassadors – General Improvement District

Member Spotlight | Ballpark Ambassadors – General Improvement District feat. Luke McCarthy
In this month’s Member Spotlight, we’re highlighting Luke McCarthy and the incredible work being done through Ballpark Ambassadors in the Ballpark General Improvement District (GID). Since launching in March 2025, Luke and his team have been a vital presence in Downtown Denver—delivering hospitality, safety, outreach and beautification services that enhance the urban experience for everyone. From offering friendly guidance and cleaning public spaces to connecting unhoused individuals with essential resources, Ballpark Ambassadors are redefining what it means to serve a community. Thrive is proud to support this mission and the people behind it.

THRIVE: Tell us about what your company does.

LUKE: Ballpark Ambassadors provide many services throughout the Ballpark GID. We provide Hospitality to all patrons and customers of our community. This could be general directions, a suggestion on a good place to eat or drink, as well as a welcoming conversation. We also provide cleaning services that enhance and supplement the public space. This is anything from cleaning gutters, sidewalks, and public access ways of any socially unacceptable behavior. We also provide non-violent, hands-off deterrent safety patrols throughout the district. This includes mounted and dismounted safety ambassadors that observe and report on the same socially unacceptable behavior. Finally, we also offer outreach services, our outreach ambassadors are the eyes and ears of the ballpark district, acting as a conduit for connecting members of the unhoused community with established resources and programs in and around Denver.

THRIVE: How long have you been in business?

LUKE: Our company has been around since 1995, HQ officially located in Louisville, KY we now have 160+ contracts across the US. We officially launched in Ballpark GID on March 10th, 2025.

THRIVE: What inspired you to create your business?

LUKE: The gaps in coverage for care of the public space and enhancements to the beautification of downtowns called for a need to provide a service for all members of the community to feel safe and see a clean neighborhood.

THRIVE: What was your biggest success in the past year?

LUKE: [Our] Biggest success has honestly been the launch of the new program in Downtown Denver, Ballpark GID. 

THRIVE: How has Thrive supported your business?

LUKE: Thrive has provided multiple offices, training spaces, interview spaces, and office supplies for operations (Paper, printing, wifi, hole punches, stapler, etc.) as well as a Headquarters for our street staff to come back and take breaks or lunches while utilizing full service amenities in the kitchen. The coffee keeps me going personally, and the monthly events keeps my ambassadors involved as community members.

THRIVE: What recent challenge did you face?

LUKE: I recently faced an issue with how my staff was to be trained by DPD and Denver Harm reduction. Thrive provided training room space and supported the training of our staff with external entities using the office spaces.

THRIVE: What’s your favorite piece of advice?

LUKE: “Grow where you’re planted”

THRIVE: How did you implement that advice into your business?

LUKE: I try to do my best no matter where I am or what position I am serving in. I use this advice to know I may not always like where I am at everyday, but I can always try to do something with it and make it better than when I got there.

THRIVE: What’s your favorite quote that would inspire other entrepreneurs and business leaders for 2025?

LUKE: “Sometimes having nothing can be a real cool hand.” – Paul Newman