We will examine the realities of life in Boulder after the shooting, staying mentally healthy during a pandemic, the hard realities of being a startup founder and much more in this one hour panel.

People starting new businesses in the US today are much more likely to be Black, brown, female, and older than most people realize. And yet our systems of finance and support are doing a terrible job of supporting these New Builders. Join us as Makisha Boothe - founder and Head Coach of Sistahbiz, a network for Black, female founders - and Seth Levine - co-founder and partner at Foundry Group and the co-author of the newly release book, The New Builders, talk about the changing nature of entrepreneurship in the US and urgent change is needed if we are to keep our entrepreneurial edge as a country. This session will surprise and challenge you. Most of what you think is true about the entrepreneurial landscape in the US is wrong.

Come join your (new) friends at the WILD council and create connection through shared laughter! This informal happy hour is open to anyone and everyone. The fun folks from Laughter on Call will show you how to take care of your own health and well being while strengthening your RESILIENCE, just as they have for well known clients; Deloitte, Harvard Business School, Microsoft, Salesforce, and the list goes on and on.

Coworking or flex office space currently represents less than 5% of the commercial office sector in the U.S.  but by 2030 it is expected to represent roughly 30%.  Coworking is not a new concept but comes at a time when multiple trends are driving new demand to flex office or coworking.  The modularity of business, lifestyle aspirations of millennials, and the ever-increasing need to compete for talent in tech are some of the drivers.    

Coworking can also help with speed to market.  Startups can quickly connect with fellow founders and experts to solve problems and refine their products. Coworking also increases connectivity to others overall and makes it possible to create groups and clubs where bonds and relationships can be formed.

Listen to thought-leaders in the local coworking and real estate scene discuss these dynamics and more.

Get to know Aaron Clark- the former developer and the force of nature behind Justice Reskill, several local DEI initiatives, the Colorado Black Business Coalition, being an advisor to a local VC firm and MUCH more. This will be a super candid discussion on what it's like to be a Black man in the Colorado tech scene, his vision for helping people affected by the criminal justice system find new opportunities in tech and any questions you may have!

Startup professionals are being confronted by a wholly different way of operating and producing value for their organizations. This new way of engaging with personal and professional reality evokes resistance which then leads to a sense of pervasive struggle.

In our discussion we will address the notion that unorthodox arenas demand unorthodox solutions. The modern professional is not a monastic and has an array of responsibilities that don't always accommodate long periods of sitting meditation.

We can explore mindfulness methods that get us from sensations associated with the ability to stay alive (fight, flight, freeze, please) to tolerating contradictory experiencing and uncertainty. Finally, we can discuss the value of the practice of unconditional kindness to the full range of our experience.

How Boulder activists are using the world’s first digital ballot measure petition system to expand access to housing.

Do you say yes when you really mean no? Do you struggle to share difficult news? Do conversations about race, politics, gender, or climate make your blood boil?

All of these topics are difficult. Talking about them is difficult. Difficult conversations are, well, difficult. They make us feel uncomfortable, awkward, or anxious. A lot of times it feels easier to avoid them.

Avoiding them comes at a cost. Nothing changes. No one learns or grows. Instead, you grow [insert appropriate negative emotion] as you are caught with the same problem over and over and over. There is a better way!

Come learn the 5 step approach in this workshop.

Andrew Wien is a keynote speaker and trainer who works with corporations, individuals, and groups to help them turn toward difficult conversations with confidence.