The Human Edge
2026 Colorado Inclusive Economy and Greater Arvada Chamber Annual Summit
Tuesday, October 20, 2026
7:30 am – 2:15 pm
Social Capitol Events
6543 Wadsworth Blvd, Arvada, CO
Tickets
Sponsorships Available
Meet the Summit Sponsors
What Is Your Human Edge?
As AI and emerging technologies rapidly transform the workplace, the organizations that thrive will be those that continue to invest in people, culture, adaptability, and connection. Join business and community leaders for a dynamic half-day summit exploring how organizations can embrace innovation while keeping people at the center.
Whether you’re a business owner, executive, HR professional, manager, or emerging leader, you’ll leave with actionable insights, fresh perspectives, and valuable connections to help your organization embrace innovation while maintaining the human edge that drives long-term success.
PRESENTED BY
Summit Agenda
7:30-8:30am
Check-In, Breakfast, Networking
8:30-8:45am
Summit Welcome from Colorado Inclusive Economy & the Greater Arvada Chamber of Commerce
8:45-9:30am
The Heart of Leadership: How Leaders Build Great Places to Work
As a leader, people rely on you for direction, safety, and enthusiasm and it’s more important than ever to lead with purpose and intention. It is up to the leaders in an organization to set the tone for a truly great place to work. A place in which people are utilizing their strengths, feel purpose in what they do and are doing it with people they love, trust and respect. During this talk, Anthony will share how he and his wife, April, have transformed a second-generation family business into one of the best places to work with heart leadership and an intentional approach to culture. Anthony will focus on the skills and mindset needed to be a heartfelt leader, how to foster a fun and engaging work environment, and how to stay energized when the responsibility of leadership gets heavy. You will come away from this session with tools to build more trust among your team and inspiration for how to be a more impactful leader.
Presenting speaker: Anthony Lambatos, Co-Owner/CEO, Footers Catering, Social Capitol Event Space, and MIBE
9:30-10:15am
The Power of Human Connection: From Culture to Action to What’s Next
experience. Through efforts such as the Talent Optimization Program, Being an Upstander, and Executive Fellowships, she helps create opportunities for people to grow, develop critical leadership capabilities, and build more inclusive workplaces. She believes the organizations that will thrive in the AI era will be those that continue to invest in uniquely human capabilities: connection, adaptability, critical thinking, empathy, inclusive leadership, and the ability to bring people together around change. Melissa brings a practical, people-centered perspective to conversations about leadership, inclusion, talent, and what it will take to help both people and organizations succeed in an increasingly AI-powered world.
Presenting speaker: Melissa McDonald, Director of Talent Mangement and Inclusion, UC Health
10:15- 10:30am
Break
10:30-11:15am
CU Denver: Fulfilling Our Obligation as the Denver Metro Area’s Anchor Higher Education Partner
Chancellor, Kenneth T. Christensen will discuss the university’s vision and priorities, including how CU Denver is working with and learning from employers, civic leaders, and community partners to strengthen the region’s talent and contribute to economic growth and prosperity.
Presenting speaker: Kenneth T Christensen, PhD, Chancellor, CU Denver
11:15-11:30am
Morning Wrap Up
11:30am-12:30pm
Lunch, AI to Empower, Not Eliminate: Turning Curiosity Into Clarity
In 2004, NASA landed a rover on Mars with a 90-day mission. She worked for nearly fifteen years — arguably the first true AI agent, and her story is a surprisingly useful guide to what’s arriving in every workplace right now. This talk gives leaders a clear, practical way to think about AI: not as a headcount question, but as a growth question. Drawing on 100+ conversations with the CEOs and scientists building this technology (including Sam Altman), Jeff shows how the organizations that thrive will be the ones that use AI to extend their people rather than replace them — and why curiosity, not technical skill, is the unlock. Attendees leave with a simple framework they can put to work Monday morning.
Jeff Wilser, AI keynote speaker and author
12:30-1:15pm
Vail Resorts – Speaker and Topic TBA
1:15-2:00pm
From Intent to Action: Building a Culture of Belonging
This session will share Ardent Mills’ journey from awareness to allyship to belonging through our ACT (Ardent Coming Together) approach. Rather than presenting a polished success story, we’ll offer an honest look at what inspired the work, lessons learned along the way, challenges encountered, and how leaders, team members, and ERGs have helped shape our culture. We’ll also explore what remains distinctly human in the future of work: trust, empathy, judgment, and connection.
Greg Garrett, Director, Inclusion and Belonging, Ardent Mills
2:00-2:15pm
Wrap-Up with Colorado Inclusive Economy and the Greater Arvada Chamber of Commerce
Sponsors
PRESENTING SPONSOR
COMMUNITY SPONSOR
COMMUNITY SPONSOR