FEATURING KEYNOTE SPEAKER
DR .THOMAS CECH, NOBEL PRIZE IN CHEMISTRY
Boulder Economic Summit Our Evolving Economy October 19, 2023
UCAR Center Green | 7:30 A.M. – 12:00 P.M. 3080 Center Green Drive, Boulder, CO 80301
PRESENTED BY
AGENDA
7 :30- 8 :15 AM R e gist r at ion and Br e akfast in Ce nt e r Gr e e n Lobby
8 :30 - 8 :45 AM We lcome and Int r oduct ion t o t he 2023 Economic Summit
8 :45 - 9:15 AM Ope ning Se ssion
9:15 - 10 AM Ke ynot e Spe ake r : Dr . Thomas Ce ch, Ce nt e r Gr e e n Audit or ium
10 - 10:30 AM Ne t wor king Coffe e Br e ak, Ce nt e r Gr e e n Lobby
10:30 - 12 P M Updat e s fr om ar ound our Economy
CLOSI NG
THANKS CO-PRESENTING SPONSORS:
ECONOMIC VITALITY SPONSOR:
COMMUNITY SPONSOR:
COMMUNITY SPONSORS:
SUPPORTING SPONSORS:
MEDIA SPONSORS: MEDIA SPONSORS:
CONTRIBUTING SPONSORS:
SPEAKERS Dr. Antonio Busalacchi • President, University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR) Antonio J. Busalacchi became president of UCAR in August 2016. An expert in Earth’s climate system and ocean-atmosphere interactions, he helps guide NCAR’s world-leading research into the Earth system sciences and its support of the research community through supercomputing, observing instruments, and community models.
John Vahlenkamp • Senior Editor, Boulder Daily Camera John Vahlenkamp is Senior Editor of the Boulder Daily Camera, Longmont Times-Call and Loveland Reporter-Herald. He holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of North Texas. John has worked in the newspaper business for more than 35 years as a reporter, editor and columnist.
Chris Heinritz • Co-Owner, The Sink Chris Heinritz has built an impressive career in the restaurant industry. He pursued his education at the University of St Thomas, earning a degree in General Business with a minor in Marketing. In 1992, Chris became a part owner of The Sink alongside his brothers Mark and James, and their friend Cameron Stainton. Chris's passion for business led him to leadership roles for various projects such as Red Fish New Orleans Brewhouse and Noodles & Company. Chris continues to make a lasting impact on The Sink and the vibrant dining scene of Boulder.
SPEAKERS Dr. Thomas Cech • Distinguished Professor and Nobel Laureate, CU Boulder Dr. Tom Cech is a Distinguished Professor of Biochemistry at CU Boulder. He shared the 1989 Nobel Prize in Chemistry with Sidney Altman, for their independent discoveries of the catalytic properties of RNA. As president of Howard Hughes Medical Institute, he was a staunch advocate for science education. In 2009, Dr. Cech stepped down as the president of HHMI to return to teaching and research. Returning to Boulder, Cech became the first executive director of the BioFrontiers Institute, a position he held until 2020. His current research aims to understand various roles of RNA in cancer.
Jessica Erickson • Director of Business Development, Sun Construction Jessica Erickson received her BS in Business Management from the University of Phoenix and is a Certified Economic Developer (CEcD). She has spent over twenty years in the Denver Metro Area holding a variety of economic development positions including those in Broomfield, Thornton, The Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) and the City of Longmont. In her current capacity, Jessica serves as the Director of Business Development at Sun Construction & Facility Services, a 35-year-old, locally owned company dedicated to creating highly technical commercial environments for a wide range of industries.
Chris Heuston • Director of Apprenticeships, Front Range Community College Chris Heuston has been working in Career and Technical Education for over 20 years at Front Range Community College. In 2020, FRCC had the opportunity to use a federal grant to promote apprenticeships in healthcare. Chris focused on building the seamless connection from education to employment and found that the apprenticeship model resulted in increased enrollment for the college, better completion rates for students, an increase in diversity in our students, and stronger workforce connections for our community.
SPEAKERS Bhavna Chhabra • Senior Director (Engineering), Boulder Site Lead Bhavna Chhabra grew up in India and Dubai before moving to the US to graduate with a Computer Science degree from CU Boulder. After graduation, Bhavna worked as a software engineer, spending 17 years at Qualcomm and eventually becoming a Senior Director of engineering. She joined Google in early 2016 as an engineering manager on the Payments Platform team, and today is a Senior Director leading Drive’s Engineering organization. Bhavna is also the Google Boulder tech site lead, overseeing operations and employee satisfaction for the Google Boulder site.
Becky Gamble • President, Dean Callan and Company A former All-American Collegiate tennis player and touring professional, Becky Callan Gamble redirected her competitive nature into her father’s commercial real estate company in 1992. Using the same fundamentals that Dean Callan portrayed for forty years, integrity, honesty, creativity, and hard work, Becky has established herself as one of the top performers in Boulder’s commercial real estate market. As a lifelong resident of Boulder, she leverages her local market knowledge to establish long-term relationships with owners and users of commercial space. She has built up a clientele list which includes international and domestic pension funds, national tenants, and local individual companies requiring commercial representation.
Trent Hein • Co-CEO, Rule 4 Trent R. Hein is Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Rule4. He is recognized as one of the world’s leading experts in infrastructure cybersecurity and automation. Prior to Rule4, he co-founded and served as CTO of XOR Inc. (now part of FICO) for more than a decade before co-founding and serving as Co-CEO of AppliedTrust (now part of Flexential). A technology entrepreneur and winner of the CTA Colorado Entrepreneurial Excellence award, Trent has built an impressive track record of successful bootstrapped startups and has lifted other entrepreneurs and engineers along the way. Bedrock to all his ventures is helping clients maximize their IT investment in the areas of security, performance, and availability, and he champions practical cybersecurity and automation: “Don’t automate what you don’t understand.”
SPEAKERS Steve Ouellette • President, The ROI Alliance Steven Ouellette received his undergraduate degree in Metallurgical and Material Sciences from the Colorado School of Mines and his master’s degree in engineering with a focus on applied research from CU Boulder. He has been consulting in business process improvement and management since 1996 in a variety of industries and has been an instructor at CU Boulder in the Leed’s School of Business. He is a prolific author whose books include Business Performance Excellence and Galileo’s Telescope. His upcoming book, Data-Driven Leadership, shows managers how to decipher statistical analyses, ask the right questions, and glean meaningful insights that propel their organization forward.
THE BEC TEAM
Scott Sternberg
Executive Director of the Boulder Economic Council and Associate Vice President for Economic Vitality
Matt Wiggins
Workforce Development Director
Louis Rosner
Economic Development Analyst
OCTOBER MEMBERSHIP CAMPAIGN THIS IS YOUR CHANCE TO GAIN BUSINESS
CONNECTIONS, VISIBILITY & SUPPORT WHILE ACCESSING A NETWORK OF OVER 1,200 ORGANIZATIONS Enroll in the month of October to receive a $25 gift card to several local businesses and the opportunity to be entered into a drawing for our grand prize! GRAND PRIZE: A Specialized Globe Haul GT eBike from Full Cycle valued at $2,800 PRIZES: One Night Hotel Stay, Spa Package, or a Boulder Star Wine and Card Bundle, 2 Tickets to the Colorado vs. Arizona football game on November 11 SPECIALIZED GLOBE HAUL GT EBIKE
$25 GIFT CARDS (FOR ALL NEW MEMBERS JOINING IN OCTOBER): River & Woods, Gelato Boy or A Big Red F Restaurant
WHY JOIN?
Build strong business connections and relationships Gain visibility and recognition for your business Support your local community through business Receive exclusive Boulder business information and insights Engage decision-makers in the public policy process on issues that matter to you Connect with resources for business retention, expansion, and relocation
READY TO BEGIN YOUR MEMBERSHIP JOURNEY?
Fill out an application today at BoulderChamber.com or contact Lindsey Sharp, Member Development Partner, at lindsey.sharp@boulderchamber.com.
Special announcement Boulder Chamber AVP for Economic Vitality and Boulder Economic Council Executive Director Scott Sternberg to assume role with University of Colorado Boulder as Executive Director for the CUbit Quantum Initiative It is with appreciation for all he’s contributed over the past three years that the Boulder Chamber announces its Associate Vice President for Economic Vitality and Boulder Economic Council Executive Director will depart to assume a prestigious position with the University of Colorado Boulder as Executive Director for the CUbit Quantum Initiative. The attached CU Boulder announcement explains the important leadership role Scott will be playing to advance quantum research and commercialization at CU Boulder. During this transition period, the Boulder Chamber reflects on the critical role Scott has played in helping to lift the Boulder regional economy out of the COVID-induced disruption through his guidance of research and support programs. This included a stronger translation of economic data into actionable workforce development, business guidance and policy initiatives. “Scott’s unique background as both a scientist and business leader, in companies ranging from small entrepreneurial startups to global development and manufacturing corporations, made him a valued link between local company needs and the Boulder Chamber’s economic vitality and business support efforts,” said Boulder Chamber President and CEO John Tayer. “I can’t thank him enough for his thoughtful leadership of our economic vitality programming during a turbulent period for Boulder businesses and industry sectors.” “While it doesn’t escape me that the University of Colorado is absconding with yet another one of our talented Boulder Chamber staff team members,” John offered in jest, “I am excited about the application of Scott’s talents to this important new endeavor and the value that will have to advancing quantum science discovery, with positive economic ramifications for the Boulder regional economy.” “As I’ve said on other occasions, I was like a kid in a candy store in my BEC Executive Director and AVP for Economic Vitality roles, with the chance to learn about the operations and ingenuity in Boulder’s diverse businesses,” offered Scott. “The work was difficult but fun, and I have immense respect for the positive impact the Boulder Chamber has on our economy and community. And though I will miss engaging with my wonderful Boulder Chamber staff team members on a daily basis, I know we will find many ways to partner in my new role on behalf of our region’s economic vitality.” “In just three short years at the helm of the Boulder Economic Council, during a very disruptive period, Scott has strengthened the structure of the Boulder Economic Council and developed a line of economic research tools, highly valued workforce development programming and generally elevated the meaningful impact of the BEC,” said Gretchen Wahl, BEC Advisory Committee Vice Chair. “We are thankful for the platform he laid for continuing to advance the BEC’s economic vitality mission.” The Boulder Chamber, in consultation with its BEC investors and other stakeholders, will take a short period to reflect on the strong talent Scott has developed among his staff team and the emerging needs for Boulder businesses and our economy before deciding how best to fill any new leadership role for the BEC and the Boulder Chamber’s economic vitality functions.
DECEMBER 6 | 5:30 - 7:30 P.M. | NICHE EVENT SPACE
Presenting Sponsor:
Star Lighting CEREMONY
NOVEMBER 11 | 6:00 P.M. | Boulder Chamber YouTube Please note: No hiking or gathering is permitted in the area around the Boulder Star for the protection of the environment.