Symposium Presenters and Sessions for 2025

Bring Your Brain to the Mental Health Game

Presenter: Lisa Marini, CBHC 

Session Description

Despite the growing investment in mental health initiatives, one critical aspect is often overlooked: the brain itself. As the source of all our thoughts, emotions, and behaviors, understanding how the brain works is essential to effectively manage stress and improve mental health, performance, satisfaction and retention. This talk will explore the profound impact of stress on the brain, why traditional approaches fall short without this understanding, and how embracing brain-based strategies can empower individuals and organizations to thrive.

About Lisa Marini

Lisa Marini, CBHC, is a brain-based performance coach and author. She helps individuals and organizations optimize their performance and well-being through applied neuroscience. With over 17 years in construction management, Lisa founded her own consulting practice in 2017 and now serves as a Learning and Development Manager, specializing in brain-based leadership training. A Colorado State University graduate, she holds a wide range of certifications in areas like Brain Health Coaching, NLP, and Brainspotting, which enable her to deliver tailored training and coaching. Fluent in Spanish, Lisa offers her services in both English and Spanish, helping diverse audiences unlock their full potential.

The Digital Revolution: How Tech is Shaping the Future of Work!

Presenter: Stu Crair

Session Description

Digital transformation is revolutionizing industries by integrating AI, automation, cloud computing, and other technologies, creating new opportunities while also disrupting traditional jobs. While it enhances productivity, flexibility, and skill development, it also poses challenges like job displacement, cybersecurity risks, and the need for continuous upskilling. Companies and employees must adapt by embracing lifelong learning, workforce planning, and collaboration between governments and industries. Case studies will illustrate how businesses are leveraging technology for innovation. Future trends include AI-powered assistants, hybrid work models, and green technology jobs. Ultimately, adaptability and proactive learning will be key to thriving in the digital era.

About Stu Crair

Stu Crair is the founder and director of the Digital Workshop Center (DWC). With over 20 years of experience in technology and higher education, Stu launched DWC in 2006 to offer private, customized, personalized training. He has taught as an adjunct instructor at Colorado State University's College of Business since 2014 and is passionate about helping students and instructors succeed. Stu focuses on providing personalized attention to every student, ensuring they leave with the skills needed to advance their careers.

Northern Colorado Workforce Profile and Talent Plan

Session Description

Provide business attendees with a dive into current labor market trends in Larimer and Weld counties, with actionable insights into workforce development initiatives across the region. Attendees will learn how regional collaboration is attempting to address talent gaps, enhance career pathways, and prepare the workforce to meet the evolving needs of local industries. With a spotlight on the updated 2025 T.I.P. Strategies labor market data analysis report, the presentation will also explore workforce trends, occupational demand, and education-to-employment alignment across Northern Colorado.

How Not to Be a Bad Boss

Presenter: Jason Pemberton

Session Description

This highly interactive discussion/workshop draws together real-life experiences of bad bosses, then connects these behaviors and traits back to psychological roots and leadership best practices. "How not to be a bad boss" is a fun and engaging experience that fosters a necessary open-minded approach to inclusive modern leadership and introduces participants to pathways and tools to advance their own professional leadership skills. How do bad bosses come to be? What does a bad boss look like vs a good one? How can we move from bad to good, or leapfrog straight to good?

About Jason Pemberton

In 2010, Jason started coaching bad bosses - people who were kept for their technical skills but almost fired for everything else.

In the intervening years, he has worked with hundreds of leaders across three continents, specializing in helping technically skilled professionals who struggle with leadership. With a background in psychology and human resource development, Jason is an accredited coach who helps clients step into the best version of themselves. Based in Denver, he is celebrated for his accessible and insightful style, working with leaders in a wide range of organizations, from social enterprises to large businesses.

The Changing World of Work

Presenter: Adam Crowe

Session Description

Northern Colorado has a very dynamic economy, which brings fast-paced growth and prosperity to our communities. Amidst this growth, local employers and workers are being pressured to keep up with changing technologies and workplace expectations. To help you adapt to these dynamics, this presentation will provide an overview of our current workforce environment and explore the current hiring climate in Northern Colorado.

About Adam Crowe

Adam Crowe is the Economic Development Manager for Larimer County Economic and Workforce Development (LCEWD), which connects people to meaningful work and businesses to talent. A Colorado native and Colorado State University alumnus, Adam holds a BA in History and an MA in Education. He is passionate about building a community that fosters business growth and meaningful employment, and he leads LCEWD's efforts to improve the region's economic well-being.

Hiring Untapped Talent: Workforce Solutions for a Changing Talent Landscape

Panelists

• Claire Callaway
• Mandy Casteel-Denney
• Zoe Deatherage
• Brittany Rose
• Sammie Stephens

Session Description

As today’s workforce evolves, employers face both challenges and opportunities in finding and retaining qualified talent. This panel explores how inclusive hiring practices can unlock the potential of underrepresented talent, including neurodivergent individuals, family caregivers, immigrants and refugees, justice-involved individuals, and those with lived experience. Through real-world insights and actionable tools, panelists will share how equitable practices strengthen recruitment, engagement, and organizational culture. This session provides innovative, equity-centered solutions to help your organization navigate the demands of a changing talent landscape while creating meaningful opportunities for underrepresented talent to thrive.

About the Panelists 

Claire Callaway is a passionate advocate for fair chance hiring and re-entry support, currently serving as the Re-Entry & EARN Program Manager at Homeward Alliance. In this role, she leads initiatives assisting individuals experiencing homelessness and those transitioning from incarceration. With a strong background in workforce development and social justice, Claire partners with employers to create inclusive hiring pathways that empower people to rebuild their lives through meaningful employment. She is deeply committed to advancing long-term stability for justice-impacted and unhoused individuals while helping businesses build stronger, more inclusive workplaces.

Mandy Casteel-Denney is a neurodivergent educator and speaker with professional and lived experience supporting neurodiversity in the workplace. As an autistic adult with ADHD, Mandy brings a unique and grounded perspective to her sessions.

Zoe Deatherage has been with Lutheran Family Services for four years, currently serving as a Youth Wellness Coordinator. In this role, she leads a Peer Mentor program that supports newcomer high school students and organizes college and career readiness workshops. With a Master's in Public Health, Zoe specializes in designing and implementing programs that help students and families gain confidence, build skills, and integrate into their new environments.

Brittany Rose has been dedicated to the social impacts within community programs of Larimer County since 2022. She has client management experience in the Child, Youth & Family, Work-Ender, Work Release, and Community Corrections departments, focusing on involvement with restorative justice culture change. As an Employment Specialist, she brings over 10 years of experience in small business ownership to developing positive employment skills through strength-based client advocacy and support. 

Sammie Stephens is the founder of Vivac Health. This consulting company helps working family caregivers navigate the healthcare system and advocate for their loved ones without sacrificing their health or careers. With more than 30 years of experience spanning clinical care and healthcare human resources, Sammie brings a unique perspective to the intersection of caregiving and workforce retention. She is an Adult-Geriatric Nurse Practitioner, former hospital recruiter, and trained health and wellness coach. Sammie now focuses on partnering with individuals and organizations to develop strategies that support family caregivers in the workforce while improving employee well-being and organizational resilience.

Future-Proof: Thriving in the Workforce of 2030 and Beyond

Presenter: Derrick Kuhn

Session Description

This session will explore why current corporate structures are failing the millennial, Gen Z, and future Gen Alpha workforce. Immerse yourself in the future of what corporations can look like through B-Corp and employee-owned business models, and what kind of corporate structures would appeal to the younger, more technologically advanced workforce participants. It will also explore why the short-term vision of prioritizing shareholder profit has led to longer-term economic workforce and labor discontentment. Finally, we will determine how teams can integrate new digital tools, such as AI, into their day-to-day work life. With the popularity of AI usage increasing rapidly, many people feel they are falling behind the times, but aren't sure how to converge with AI without losing access to their own brain power.

About Derrick Kuhn

Derrick Kuhn is a 12x serial entrepreneur, father of two, avid knowledge seeker, and founder and managing director of Brillity Digital- an audacious digital growth agency specializing in custom SEO, geofencing, PPC, social, email, web development, and CRO. Brillity turns its client's digital marketing opportunities into scalable profits, and is the culmination of everything he has learned from his previous ventures at other agencies, web development companies, and real estate. 

Derrick is an entrepreneur to the core. He has pursued business as a platform to bring his visions to life and opportunities to grow, explore, contribute, and chart his own course for over 20 years. He’s experienced success, failure, growth, and countless opportunities to learn in all areas of his life. Growth is a central theme in his life and approach, which allows him to not only improve himself but to help his clients and team members grow.

Remote, Hybrid and In Control: Setting Expectations for Success

Presenter: Tami Parker

Session Description

As remote and hybrid work arrangements grow, small businesses must establish clear policies, set expectations, and ensure compliance. This session will provide a sample Work from Home Policy and guidance on implementing a trial period to assess remote employee performance. We’ll discuss how to communicate remote work limitations fairly and transparently, ensuring employees understand why some roles require in-office presence. Additionally, participants will learn best practices for sourcing top talent nationwide through strategic remote job postings. Finally, we’ll cover multi-state employment compliance, highlighting key legal considerations when hiring employees outside of Colorado. Attendees will leave with practical tools to build a sustainable and compliant remote workforce.

About Tami Parker

Tami Parker is the CEO of UNIcycle Business Consulting, an HR consulting firm. With a strong background in business strategy and HR, she helps small businesses navigate complex challenges by breaking down issues into their impact on customers, employees, and owners. Tami takes a practical approach, translating intangible factors like "sweat equity" and "mental fatigue" into actionable, quantifiable adjustments that support businesses through legal compliance and improve their bottom line.

Registered Apprenticeship in Colorado

Presenter: Drew Grissom

Session Description

This presentation will provide an overview of the Registered Apprenticeship model and the landscape of Registered Apprenticeship in Colorado.  At the end of the presentation, participants will understand the benefits of Registered Apprenticeship and how it can be used as a tool for workforce development. The presentation will include tools and resources to engage in the Registered Apprenticeship system.  As well as ongoing training opportunities.

About Drew Grissom

Drew Grissom is a Career Services Specialist with the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment’s Office of the Future of Work. With a diverse background in social services, Drew previously worked as a Child Welfare Social Worker for the State of Idaho and as a Program Manager at the Denver Indian Center. Since joining the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment in 2019, he has become a subject matter expert in workforce development programs. Drew holds a bachelor's from The Evergreen State College and a master's in Social Work from Eastern Washington University.

Distracted and Disconnected: 3 Steps to Building a Culture that Thrives

Presenter: Lori Hanson

Session Description

How do you create a safe, supportive workplace where leaders are comfortable having difficult conversations, and employees have open, honest communication that facilitates collaboration and success? When your culture sucks, your productivity, expenses and profits suffer. Lori delivers truths and insights about culture killers and how to shift your culture with a strong ROI. She speaks to both the head and the heart of culture change.

Your audience will leave with five actionable steps that will help to reduce stress, improve energy, create space for honest conversation and increase trust. Get ready to lead a culture that thrives.

About Lori Hanson

Lori Hanson is a mindset and leadership speaker, business culture consultant, and executive performance coach. Often called 'The Success Whisperer,' she is known for her high-energy delivery and transparent approach. Having left a successful career in high-tech sales, Lori now specializes in empowering C-Suite executives and organizations to create thriving, high-performance workplace cultures. She is the author of six books, including her latest, Leading a Culture that Thrives in a Disconnected World.

Beyond the Resume: Hiring for Grit, Growth, and Game-Changing Talent

Presenter: Sarah Britton

Session Description

In this presentation, participants will explore how to refine their hiring approach to focus on the intangible qualities that lead to long-term success. They’ll learn how to craft interview questions that go beyond technical skills, uncovering traits like resilience, problem-solving, and emotional intelligence. We’ll discuss the importance of assessing cultural fit, adaptability, and mindset to ensure new hires integrate seamlessly into the team. Attendees will gain insight into behavioral interview techniques and practical evaluation methods that help predict job performance. By shifting the focus from just experience and credentials to identifying soft skills and character, businesses can build stronger, more engaged teams. This session will equip hiring managers with tools and strategies to make more informed, high-impact hiring decisions.

About Sarah Britton

Lori Hanson is a mindset and leadership speaker, business culture consultant, and executive performance coach. Often called 'The Success Whisperer,' she is known for her high-energy delivery and transparent approach. Having left a successful career in high-tech sales, Lori now specializes in empowering C-Suite executives and organizations to create thriving, high-performance workplace cultures. She is the author of six books, including her latest, Leading a Culture that Thrives in a Disconnected World.

Workforce by Design: Building Talent Pipelines with, not for, Industry

Panelists:

• Yvonne Myers, Fort Collins Chamber of Commerce Vice President of Strategic Initiatives
• Kevin Kujala, IMS Heating and Cooling
• Janel Highfill, Front Range Community College Associate Vice President of Workforce Development and Strategic Partnerships

Session Description

 In today’s rapidly evolving labor market, building workforce programs with industry—not for industry —is essential. This dynamic panel discussion will feature insights from the chamber of commerce, higher education, and employer partners. Panelists will explore how the Talent Pipeline Management (TPM) process and tools are used to convene industry partners in an under-recognized sector, identify hiring pain points and co-designing training and recruiting solutions aligned with real-time hiring needs and long-term economic trends. The conversation will highlight the HVAC Workforce Partnership—a collaborative group brought together by the Fort Collins Chamber of Commerce and Front Range Community College—to co-create a hands-on HVAC Bootcamp that responds directly to local workforce needs. Attendees will gain practical strategies and tools for engaging employers and building responsive, resilient talent pipelines. This session is ideal for educators, workforce professionals, and policymakers looking to strengthen regional workforce ecosystems through authentic cross-sector partnerships.

About the Panelists

Janel Highfill is the Associate Vice President of Workforce Development and Strategic Partnerships at Front Range Community College. With an executive career spanning education, government, and small business, she is a visionary leader who champions initiatives that bridge education, industry, and community. Janel has secured over $38 million in funding and led transformative efforts to revitalize and scale operations, resulting in substantial gains in workforce readiness and client engagement. Her leadership is marked by an unwavering commitment to creating bold, collaborative, and impactful partnerships.

Kevin Kuala has dedicated his career to the HVAC industry, rising from an apprentice technician to a respected leader and business owner. He gained extensive hands-on experience, eventually owning and operating his own HVAC company. In his current role as an HVAC Service Manager, Kevin has transformed his service department into a major revenue driver, growing the billable service division to five times its original size in just seven years. He prides himself on mentoring technicians, improving workflow, and fostering an environment of customer satisfaction and team performance.

Kevin believes that strong relationships and a focus on empowering his team are the keys to long-term success.

Yvonne Myers is the Vice President of Strategic Initiatives at the Fort Collins Chamber of Commerce. She is a dynamic leader who drives large-scale, collaborative efforts to advance economic prosperity and a thriving business environment across Northern Colorado. With a focus on workforce development, Yvonne leads initiatives that help employers attract and retain talent by building a resilient talent pipeline. She is recognized for her strategic thinking and commitment to bringing together business leaders, education partners, and government entities to ensure both businesses and individuals can thrive in the regional economy.