Women We Admire is pleased to announce The Top 50 Women Leaders of Colorado for 2022. This state, known for its gorgeous landscapes, wildlife, and adventure, is home to countless women who are bringing success to the organizations they serve. This year’s awardees hold valuable leadership roles and are champions of change across numerous industries including healthcare, education, IT, hospitality and more. Their passion goes beyond the workplace and is embodied in their every endeavor.
Among this year’s awardees is Christina Allyn, Chief Counsel Data Aviation and Analytics for Boeing, who uses her two decades of experience to guide the company and its leaders through a wide range of domestic and international legal issues; Yuko Aoyagi, Vice President of Product Finance for Equinix, who leads a team driving and refining the company as they transform to a digital infrastructure services platform; and Connie Brenton, Vice President of Law, Technology, and Operations at NetApp, who helped build an innovative and award-winning legal department that is recognized internationally for its groundbreaking work in the areas of strategic planning and digital optimization.
Coming from varied professional backgrounds, these women are leaders of the highest caliber. Please join us in celebrating the accomplishments of The Top 50 Women Leaders of Colorado for 2022.
1. Dominique Dubois
VP & Senior Partner, Strategy & Offering Leader, Business Transformation Services, IBM
Dominique Dubois is the Strategy and Offerings Executive for IBM’s Business Process Transformation (BTS) unit. She has spent the last 20 years focused on partnering with clients to deliver innovative solutions in business process redesign and managed services. Most recently, Dubois has focused on her passion to help companies build agility and intelligence into their operations through the targeted application of automation, data, and AI applications. Dubois brings over 15 years of experience in consulting and business process outsourcing. Most recently, she led Offerings and Methods for the Global CPS team and was an integral part of the Cognified and Automated BPO launch in 2017.
Previously, Dubois was part of the Concentrix, IBM Global Business Services, IBM Global Technology Services and Price Waterhouse Coopers Corporate Strategy practice. She brings significant experience in cross-functional, global transformation engagements with a focus on user experience redesign, business process reimagination, and consult to operate. Early in her career she worked as an Intelligence Officer focused in South America and in Policy & Research for the non-profit sector. Dubois holds her BA in economics and international relations from American University and her MBA from Georgetown’s McDonough School of Business. She and her husband reside in Colorado and are the proud and busy parents of triplets.
2. Christina Allyn
Chief Counsel Data Aviation and Analytics, Boeing
Christina Allyn is the Chief Counsel Data Aviation and Analytics for Boeing. Boeing is the world’s largest aerospace company and leading provider of commercial airplanes, defense, space and security systems, and global services. Allyn draws on over two decades of experience guiding the company and its leaders through a wide range of domestic and international legal issues, including complex commercial transactions, regulatory compliance, data privacy and security, general corporate and strategic matters, and more.
Prior to joining Boeing, Allyn served as a partner with Moye White and before that, as an SVP and general counsel for Quiznos. She has previously served in executive leadership roles with IBM, InfoPrint Solutions, and DigitalGlobe. Allyn graduated from the University of Denver with an undergraduate degree in journalism and accounting, and from the University of Texas at Austin with a JD in law.
3. Jeanette Dern
Partner, PwC
Jeanette Dern is a Partner in PwC's Denver office with over 20 years of experience serving multi-national public and private clients, including those reporting under US GAAP and IFRS. She has extensive experience leading and managing audits of public and private equity owned companies through various stages of maturity. Dern is also integral in transforming the audit experience by leading enhancement efforts around accounts receivables, accounts payable, and property, plant, and equipment and supporting the on-going execution procedures within PwC’s Center of Excellence (COE). She brings a collaborative mindset to helping companies navigate through complex business issues and her relevant experience includes supporting companies through acquisitions, divestitures, impairments, restructurings, and establishment of principal structures.
Prior to joining PwC's US National Office, Dern spent over four years in PwC's London office providing ongoing consultation to companies. She was also involved with advising on the preparation of carve-out financial statements for two large multinationals. She currently sits on the Board of Trustees for PwCs Charitable Foundation and the Board of Directors for a local Denver organization - A Precious Child. Additionally, she serves as a diversity partner champion at PwC to help drive equity of opportunity and parity within her team. Dern graduated from Bentley University with an undergraduate degree in accounting.
4. Kim Wilmsen
VP & CIO of Global Application Services, Arrow Electronics
Kim Wilmsen is a Vice President and CIO of Global Components at Arrow Electronics. She is an experienced and accomplished business leader with outstanding achievements in the management and operations of information technology systems that delivered cost savings, increased profitability, on time project management and improved customer satisfaction. Wilmsen is part of the effort to build a global IT organization and define global service offerings to her customers.
Prior to Arrow, Wilmsen was a CIO at Arcadis and before that, a director of IT Bill Barrett Corporation. She was also previously a VP for IT at IHS. She founded and led the Women in Leadership organization at IHS. Before IHS, Wilmsen was a director IT at Oracle. Dern holds an undergraduate degree in business administration from the University of Missouri.
5. Ariel Dalton
SVP of Commercial Leadership, Danone
Ariel Dalton is the Senior Vice President of Commercial Leadership for Danone. She first joined the company in 2009 as category analyst. Danone, based in Paris and founded in Barcelona, is a multinational food and beverage company building on health-focused and fast-growing categories in 3 businesses including essential dairy & plant-based products, waters, and specialized nutrition. With its ‘One Planet. One Health’ frame of action, which considers the health of people and the planet as intimately interconnected, Danone aims to inspire healthier and more sustainable eating and drinking practices. To accelerate this food revolution and create superior, sustainable, profitable value for all its stakeholders, Danone has defined nine 2030 Goals, and paved the way as the first listed company to adopt the “Entreprise à Mission” status in France.
In her role, Dalton is responsible for leading the convenience, drug, export, commercial restaurant, healthcare, travel & leisure, B&I, K-12, C&U and military channels. Previously, Dalton was a strategic sales coordinator at Valassis. Dalton earned an undergraduate degree in journalism from Azusa Pacific University.
6. Jeannie Renné-Malone
Vice President of Global Sustainability, VF Corporation
Jeannie Renné-Malone leads global sustainability at VF Corporation, overseeing all aspects of VF’s sustainability strategy across its brands, operations, supply chain, materials, and products. Renné-Malone has extensive experience in the development and implementation of sustainability goals and strategies, stakeholder engagement, and tracking and reporting of sustainability/ESG results. At VF, she has led various strategic initiatives, including the development of VF’s Science-Based Targets roadmap and its Green Bond Framework, which resulted in the first green bond issuance in the apparel and footwear industry. Under her leadership, VF has integrated circular design, sustainable materials, and innovation across its portfolio of brands from farm to cradle, reducing energy, waste, carbon emissions and water usage, encouraging regenerative farming practices and embedding renewable energy and sustainability priorities across its operations and supply chain.
Renné-Malone has a master’s degree in international finance and development from the Josef Korbel School of International Studies at the University of Denver, an undergraduate degree in Spanish from the University of Washington and holds several sustainability credentials and certifications. She sits on several committees for environmental and apparel industry organizations. She is a Board Member of the Mile High Chapter of the American Red Cross, and a Board Member of the University of Denver’s Josef Korbel School of International Studies Social Science Foundation. She is fluent in Spanish.
7. Yuko Aoyagi
Vice President of Product Finance, Equinix
Yuko Aoyagi is the Vice President of Product Finance for Equinix. As the world’s digital infrastructure company, Equinix is a US-headquartered, public enterprise enabling many of the digital experiences that define our everyday lives through their globally distributed infrastructure platform.
Aoyagi joined Equinix 2 years ago from Boulder’s Zayo Group. She has vast professional experience in digital strategy and SaaS. Aoyagi leads the team driving and refining the product finance workstreams for Platform Equinix® as the company transforms from a data center-driven infrastructure provider to a digital infrastructure services platform. She is a passionate advocate for DIB initiatives and is an active voice in the company’s award-winning culture with the Equinix Women’s Leadership Network, Allies Council, and Finance People Development Council. Born and raised in Japan, Aoyagi holds several degrees across a variety of disciplines including Japanese cultural history and education, computer science, math, international business, accounting, and finance as well as an MBA from Regis University.
8. Connie Brenton
VP of Law, Technology and Operations, NetApp
Connie Brenton champions innovation and transformation at the intersection of business and law. She founded and served as CEO of CLOC (Corporate Legal Operations Consortium), the non-profit that fundamentally changed the legal operations profession globally. With more than a decade of legal operations expertise at major enterprises such as Oracle Corporation and Sun Microsystems, Brenton currently serves as Vice President of Law, Technology, and Operations at NetApp, Inc. During her tenure at NetApp, Brenton has helped build an innovative and award-winning legal department that is recognized internationally for its groundbreaking work in the areas of strategic planning and digital optimization.
Previously, Brenton served as a managing counsel of operations with Oracle Corporation, and before that, she served as a senior director, deputy general counsel, and chief of staff with Sun Microsystems. Brenton holds a JD from the University of Denver, an MBA from Regis University, and an undergraduate degree in economics.
9. Allie Kirby
Owner & Principal Agent, Compass
Allie Kirby is the Owner and Principal Agent of Compass. Compass is a real estate technology company with a powerful end-to-end platform that supports the entire buying and selling workflow. The company delivers an incomparable experience to both agents and their clients all in service of the Compass mission to help everyone find their place in the world. Founded in 2012 by Ori Allon and Robert Reffkin, Compass now operates in 22+ regions across the United States. Kirby has 10 years of experience in the real estate industry. She began her career in 2012.
Before joining Compass, Kirby was a real estate broker at Keller Williams Avenues Realty. Earlier in her career she worked with Care.com as an early childhood care provider. Kirby graduated from the University of Kansas with an undergraduate degree in elementary education and teaching.
10. Deboleena Bose
Chief Human Resources Officer, CoBank
Deboleena Bose is the Chief Human Resources Officer of CoBank. CoBank is a cooperative bank serving vital industries across rural America. The bank provides loans, leases, export financing and other financial services to agribusinesses and rural power, water and communications providers in all 50 states. The bank also provides wholesale loans and other financial services to affiliated Farm Credit associations serving more than 75,000 farmers, ranchers, and other rural borrowers in 23 states around the country.
Prior to joining CoBank, Bose served as the VP of human resources at Whirlpool Corporation, and before that, she served as the head of HR at GE Renewable Energy. Bose graduated from Jadavpur University with an undergraduate degree in English and from Xavier Institute of Social Service with an MBA in human resources and industrial management.
11. Michele Mayes
Partner, Guidehouse
Michele Mayes is a Partner of Guidehouse, a leading management consulting firm currently servicing the public and commercial sectors. Mayes is an executive leader with substantial consultative sales and delivery experience in the realm of margin improvement and clinical care redesign. Her expertise and passion lie in health-systems and she is passionate about working to solve big problems and design for new, transformative ideas that are robust, easily deployed, and sustainable.
Prior to joining Guidehouse, Mayes was an SVP with Quorum Health Resources and before that, a VP with The Advisory Board Company. She also previously served as a director with Premier. Mayes graduated from the University of Florida with a master’s degree in industrial systems engineering with a concentration in health systems, and from Florida State University with an undergraduate degree in industrial engineering and a minor in physics.
12. Emily Mallett
Vice President of Talent Management, CoorsTek
Emily Mallett began her professional career over 32 years ago. Today, she is the Vice President of Talent Management of CoorsTek. CoorsTek is the international partner of choice for companies requiring the unique, high-performance properties of products manufactured from engineered technical ceramics and advanced materials. CoorsTek delivers outstanding value through unsurpassed expertise in materials engineering, broad research, development, and manufacturing capabilities, collaborative relationships, and operational excellence.
Mallett first got her start in 1990 as a consultant at IOLAB Corporation of Johnson & Johnson. From there, she went on to Beckman Coulter, before eventually rising to become an executive director of talent and organization development at Ingram Micro, her most recent position prior to joining CoorsTek. Mallett graduated from Pepperdine University with an MBA and from California State University, Long Beach with an undergraduate degree in organizational communication.
13. Kathryn Stalmack
General Counsel, Cloudmed
Kathryn Stalmack is a General Counsel for Cloudmed. Cloudmed is a leading revenue intelligence technology platform that helps healthcare providers get paid for the services they deliver. Cloudmed partners with over 3,100 healthcare providers in the United States and recovers over $1.5 billion of underpaid or unidentified revenue for its clients annually. Stalmack has over 20 years of experience in healthcare and technology and has worked at fast paced organizations leading legal and compliance teams with a focus on being the company's strategic business partner to drive growth.
Stalmack’s dedication and focus on the company’s strategic growth has gained her recognition and awards, including “Largest Organizational Impact” and “Top General Counsel.” She has proven experience in building strong teams, leading companies top strategic initiatives, and serving as a trusted advisor to the CEO and Boards. Before joining Cloudmed, Stalmack was a SVP, general counsel, and corporate secretary at ModivCare. Before that she served as SVP, general counsel, and secretary at BioScrip, Inc. Ms. Stalmack was also a Partner at the nationally recognized healthcare firm Polsinelli PC. Stalmack graduated from Loyola University School of Law with a JD and from Miami University with an undergraduate degree in education.
14. Nancy Chisholm
President, Western Colorado University
Nancy Chisholm began her professional career over 26 years ago. Today, she is the President of Western Colorado University. Western Colorado University delivers career preparation, engineering, computer science and a liberal arts curriculum to 3,000 intellectually adventurous students in the heart of the Rocky Mountains. Chisholm is a senior global business executive with over 20 years of experience in general management, functional, and operational leadership roles.
Chisholm has led large businesses and functional organizations both domestically and internationally. Her career highlights include driving profitable growth, transforming businesses, talent development, organizational effectiveness, executing strategic M&A, and innovation management. She has demonstrated exceptional results through progressive levels of management and is an enthusiastic leader with a commitment to excellence. Chisholm graduated from Western Colorado University with an undergraduate degree in business administration and management.
15. Heather Sinclair
Founder & Managing Partner, The Agency RE
Heather Sinclair is the Managing Partner of The Agency RE. She first joined the company in 2019. The Agency is a full-service, luxury real estate brokerage and lifestyle company representing clients worldwide in a broad spectrum of classes, including residential, new development, resort real estate, residential leasing, and luxury vacation rentals. Since its inception in 2011, The Agency has redefined the business of real estate, modernizing and advancing the industry by fostering a culture of partnership in which all clients and listings are represented in a collaborative environment by all of its agents.
Prior to working in real estate, Sinclair was in hospitality management at the Michelin Five Star Hotel, The Little Nell, and advanced sales for many notable real estate developments in the area, including Dancing Bear Aspen, one of the most successful projects in Aspen. She earned an undergraduate degree from The Wharton School.
16. Tamarah Saif
SVP of Human Resources, CorePower Yoga
Tamarah Saif is the SVP of Human Resources of CorePower Yoga. Founded in 2002 in Denver, they create intensity for the body and presence for the mind. They live their power by showing the world the incredible life-changing things that happen when you root an intensely physical workout in the mindfulness of yoga. Whether a beginner or a seasoned yogi, they believe in working every muscle and every emotion. Saif has over 24 years of experience. She began her career in 1998.
Before joining CorePower Yoga, Saif was a VP of human resources at Charlotte's Web and before that a VP of people at Green Chef. Earlier in her career she worked with PricewaterhouseCoopers as a consultant. Saif graduated from The George Washington University with an MA in human resources management and from the University of Virginia with an undergraduate degree in environmental science.
17. Kelly Crabb
Senior Vice President of Sales, Mainstay
Kelly Crabb has over 18 years of experience as a leader partnering with higher education institutions to deliver on the mission of equitable student access, support, and successful transition to workforce. Crabb currently serves as the Senior Vice President of Sales for Mainstay. Mainstay’s AI powered conversational platform leverages behaviorally intelligent, empathetic, and contextually relevant communication to bolster proven student enrollment, retention, and workforce outcomes at scale.
Crabb previously served as VP of global sales for ExamSoft (acquired by Turnitin). She has extensive experience leading enterprise sales teams and developing business partnerships with higher education institutions, international governments and corporate clients in the U.S., Europe, APAC, and the Middle East. Crabb has also held progressive senior leadership roles in new partner development and in student enrollment during her tenure at Wiley Education Services. Crabb is a member of Chief, a private network to connect and support Executive Women and she has been selected to join the September 2022 cohort of Exceptional Women Awardees (EWA). Crabb earned an undergraduate degree in English, secondary education from the University of Iowa and has a master’s degree in human resources management.
18. Kerry Siggins
Chief Executive Officer, StoneAge
Kerry Siggins is the Chief Executive Officer of StoneAge. She first joined the company in 2007 as director of operations. StoneAge is the world’s leading manufacturer of waterblast tools and automated solutions for pressures ranging from 2,000 psi to 40,000 psi. StoneAge has over 150 dealers in 47 countries offering products for industrial, sewer, and coiled tube cleaning as well as custom engineered equipment for application-specific challenges.
Previously, Siggins was an account manager at Yoh Company and before that, an operations coordinator at Eaton Corporation. Siggins earned an undergraduate degree in business economics and general engineering from Colorado School of Mines.
19. Ellen Hamilton
Vice President of Data & Technology, SmartyPants Vitamins
Ellen Hamilton is the Vice President of Data and Technology of SmartyPants Vitamins. SmartyPants is an LA based preventative health company focused on providing premium all-in-one vitamins for kids and adults. SmartyPants believes in making it easier to stay healthy by providing best-in-class products that also taste great. Hamilton has over 36 years of experience. She began her career in 1986.
Before joining SmartyPants Vitamins, Hamilton was an information technology consultant at Peak Technology Solutions. Earlier in her career she worked with the National Security Agency as a computer scientist. Hamilton graduated from The Johns Hopkins University with an MS in computer science and from Virginia Tech with an undergraduate degree in mathematics and computer science.
20. Kelly Martin
Vice President, ISEC, Incorporated
Kelly Martin is Vice President at ISEC, Incorporated, a solutions-driven construction company laser-focused on delivering a world class customer experience. She leads all aspects of corporate preconstruction including VDC, engineering, estimating and procurement services. Her degree in environmental design and construction management, bolstered by her executive JD and her relational approach position her perfectly for forming strategic and lasting partnerships with hundreds of domestic and international manufacturers. Martin also leads the marketing, communication, and organizational development teams. Her advocacy for personal growth opportunities is a driving force in executing the company’s goal to be an industry leader in people development. With her passion for construction, it’s no surprise that she was instrumental in articulating and trademarking ISEC’s mission statement “We build for life’s most important events”™.
Fueled by a strong desire to give back and create opportunity for others, Martin guided the creation of the ISEC Foundation and served as VP of the Board of Directors for seven years. She currently represents Women in Construction Operations (WiOPS) as Board Vice President, sits on the Board of Trustees for the National MS Society and serves as Chairman of the Board for the Seaside Aquarium in Oregon, overseeing the mission to provide public awareness of the Pacific Ocean environment while creating a network supporting marine life sanctuaries.
21. Elaine Fischer Hungenberg
Head of Data Analytics and Impact Measurement, Visit.org
Elaine Hungenberg the Head of Data Analytics and Impact Measurement for Visit.org. She first joined the company in April. At Visit.org, they deliver a purpose for a more engaged workforce by connecting corporations and their employees to causes they care about. The platform and service help HR, CSR, and Diversity & Inclusion teams in enterprise companies enter the new world of online employee engagement through meaningful virtual social impact experiences.
A proven leader of strategy and research, Hungenberg is a results-oriented executive with an ability to revitalize programs, identify and eliminate unproductive programs, conceive and implement new strategies, and support business divisions via empirical evaluation. She leads teams responsible for applying innovative statistical techniques to draw conclusions and make insight-to-action recommendations to support business objectives, scale service delivery to achieve systemic impact, and increase client satisfaction. A professionally trained statistician with 15+ years of experience, Hungenberg gathers, manipulates, and synthesizes data to draw conclusions resulting in implementable strategies. With unmatched energy, unending passion to do better, and a unique combination of academic, public policy and corporate experience, Hungenberg has pioneered social change for communities across the country. Hungenberg graduated from the University of Colorado Boulder with an MA political science, statistics, and research methodology and from St. Michael's College with an undergraduate degree in political science, English, and Spanish.
22. Amy Smith
Chief Learning Officer, StraighterLine
Amy Smith is the Chief Learning Officer of StraighterLine. She first joined the company in 2020. StraighterLine is a student success and college readiness company focused on helping institutions improve retention and admit more college-ready students. Their pathway programs help pre-college, at-risk, and stopped-out students save money, return, and persist to graduation. StraighterLine offers self-paced online college courses that start at $59 with a $99 month membership. They serve over 30,000 students a year, combining its low-cost course subscription with guaranteed credit pathways at accredited degree programs. StraighterLine courses have been accepted for credit at more than 1,000 schools.
Previously, Smith was an associate provost at Colorado State University and before that a dean for the School of Education at Capella University. Earlier in her career she worked with Adams County School District 14 as an English department chair. Smith earned a PhD in educational leadership from the University of Denver, an MA in public administration and supervision from National Louis University, and an undergraduate degree in English literature from the University of Colorado Boulder.
23. Giovanna Carriero-Contreras
Founder and CEO, Cesco Linguistic Services
Giovanna Carriero-Contreras is the Founder and CEO of Cesco Linguistic Services. She conceptualized and launched the company as a foreign language agency and a conduit between Colorado's Limited English Proficiency residents and the service providers who tend to the needs of this growing population. Cresco provides linguistic services to many of the well-known and respected Colorado businesses in the legal, medical, insurance, workers compensation, and community-based industries. They lead and manage a pool of over 200 language professionals covering a wide range of languages from the most common to the most exotic.
Previously, Carriero-Contreras was a senior project manager at Lionbridge Technologies and before that a linguistic tester at SDL International. Earlier in her career she worked with J.D. Edwards (now Oracle) as a translator. Carriero-Contreras earned an undergraduate degree in English and French literature and languages from Istituto Universitario Orientale di Napoli.
24. Brenda Reyes
Vice President of Business Development, Rizing
Brenda Reyes is the Vice President of Business Development for Rizing. Rizing provides best-in-class solutions to meet the global client demand for SAP consulting, implementation services, and products by leveraging industry expertise to help companies run better, while optimizing their SAP experience. They do this for human capital management, enterprise asset management, consumer industries, and geospacial solutions with leading SAP technologies and their own deep industry experience. Reyes is an experienced HCM leader with a demonstrated history for successful project delivery since 2010. In her role, she directs the Rizing HCM Business Development team to ensure high-quality care for key customers within consumer industries and regulated industries.
Prior to joining Rizing, Reyes served as a senior director for /N SPRO and before that, she served as an assistant director for communications and strategy for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Ms. Reyes graduated from Liberty University with an undergraduate degree in business and communications.
25. Tammy Montero
Partner and Director of Latin America, The Partnering Group
Tammy Montero began her professional career over 35 years ago. Today, she is a Partner and Director of Latin America for The Partnering Group. The Partnering Group (TPG) is an international strategy and general management consulting firm whose mission is to build sustainable value for leading consumer product companies worldwide. Montero serves clients in the top 100 global companies, as well as leading Latin American corporations. Since joining TPG in 2002, she has led hundreds of transformational engagements at the most successful consumer goods suppliers and retailers around the globe. The result of her engagements have enabled her clients to reframe their strategies, transform their brands and categories, and build sustainable cutting edge capabilities for which her clients have been recognized in the industry. In addition, Montero has led development of awarded blended learning that has thousands of global participants.
Montero first got her start in 1987 as an account executive at Procter & Gamble. From there, she went on to Diageo, before eventually rising to become a director of category management at Minute Maid, her most recent position prior to joining The Partnering Group. Montero graduated from California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo with an undergraduate degree in business administration and marketing.
26. Monica Engler
VP of Finance & Administration, Mantis Innovation
Monica Engler began her professional career over 19 years ago. Today, she is the VP of Finance & Administration of Mantis Innovation. Mantis Innovation delivers smart, sustainable solutions to improve facility performance from any starting point along this journey. They provide managed facility services and turnkey program management with technology-enabled solutions that target the entire building footprint from roofs, walls, and pavement, to HVAC, lighting, and power. Mantis offers a comprehensive and strategic set of solutions for managed facility services.
Engler first got her start in 2003 as a controller at Tectonic Network. From there, she went on to AECOM and worked in project controls, her most recent position prior to joining Mantis Innovation. Engler graduated from Fairfield University with an undergraduate degree in accounting and finance.
27. Amanda Peters
Senior Vice President, Vectra Bank Colorado
Amanda Peters is a Senior Vice President of Vectra Bank Colorado. She first joined the bank in 2007 as CRA administrator. At Vectra Bank, they practice “proactive relationship banking,” which means they get to know their clients well, and they use that knowledge to vigorously discover opportunities to grow their business. They’re passionate about helping clients who are passionate about their business, and its expert bankers serve them in 35 bank locations across the Rocky Mountain region. Vectra combines sophistication with personalization to offer a truly unique service experience.
Peters earned an MBA and an undergraduate degree in economics from the University of Colorado Denver.
28. Laurie Lyons
Vice President of Business Development, Pegasus
Laurie Lyons is an executive industry expert that brings nearly 30 years of multifamily experience spanning over 28 years to Pegasus. Graduating from the University of Wisconsin with a bachelor’s degree, she began her multifamily career in acquisitions and asset management for BH Equities. She went on to be the co-founder and CEO of BH management. As CEO, she scaled the organization from a few thousand apartment homes to over 45,000. She also was the first female CEO to ever be featured on the NMHC’s Top 50 Managers ranking.
Prior to joining Pegasus, Lyons served as the SVP of business development for The Bainbridge Companies, director of asset management for MIG Real Estate, EVP for US Residential Group, and was a partner at the Cardinal Group. She is an active industry speaker, serves in multiple advisory and committee positions with the National Apartment Association (NAA), is a PAC contributing member for NMHC and contributes to a multitude of industry publications.
29. Jennifer Mravich
Vice President of Marketing, Premier Members Credit Union
Jennifer Mravich is the Vice President of Marketing at Premier Members Credit Union with over 77,000 members, $1.5 billion in assets and 15 retail branches throughout Colorado. For eleven years, Mravich has held several leadership roles within the Credit Union Industry concentrating on a variety of strategic initiatives. At Premier Members Credit Union, she leads a talented team responsible for brand reputation, analytics, media, digital and growth marketing strategies.
Throughout her career, Mravich’s efforts have been recognized with top awards in leadership, corporate identity, portfolio growth, and digital strategies, including Finalist for CUES Next Top Credit Union Executive, CUES - GMA Top Honors Rising Star Award, 1st Place Trellance Optimize Performance Award - Portfolio Growth, Telly Award - Film/Video Corporate Image, Gold Award Marketing Association of Credit Unions - Image Enhancement, Diamond Award CUNA Marketing & Business Development Council – Brand & Corporate Identity, Category’s Best Award CUNA Marketing & Business Development Council – Website Redesign, and Silver Award Marketing Association of Credit Unions - Website Redesign. She earned her dual Bachelor of Science degrees in finance and marketing and an MBA from Colorado State University in Pueblo.
30. Jenna Noem
Co-Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Nuclear Care
Jenna Noem is the Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Nuclear Care. She founded the company in 2011. Nuclear Care is an enrolled medical provider under the U.S. Department of Labor Programs. They work exclusively with former DOE workers who have been diagnosed with work-related illnesses and consequently qualify for no-cost in-home medical benefits. At the heart of Nuclear Care is its commitment to improving the lives of the populations they serve by providing high-quality patient-centered care. The foundation of Nuclear Care is nursing, partnering with families to foster a culture of mutual trust, friendship, and compassion which enables families to live well at home.
Previously, Noem was a nurse case manager at National Home Health Care Organization and before that an intensive care nurse at Community Hospital. Noem earned an undergraduate degree in nursing from Colorado Mesa University.
31. Emily Mears
Executive Director & Shareholder, Client Advisory
As an Executive Director of Client Advisory and Shareholder of Crestone Capital, Emily Mears serves as a trusted advisor to entrepreneurs and executives and helps provide the best solutions to meet clients’ unique financial and personal objectives. Mears provides clients with customized and integrated wealth management solutions, including holistic balance sheet advisement, investment strategy development and implementation, concentrated position management, and wealth preservation and transfer planning.
Prior to joining Crestone in 2011, Mears was a senior manager at Clayton Consulting Services in Denver, Colorado, providing distressed asset advisory services to several prominent Wall Street investors, private equity firms, international financial firms, and central banks. Before this, Mears was a consultant at Navigant Consulting Inc. in Chicago, Illinois where she coordinated with clients' legal counsel on SEC investigations and Fortune 100 merger and acquisition transactions. Mears received her Bachelor of Science in finance from Miami University. She serves on the Crestone Impact Committee and Diversity and Inclusion Committee. Apart from Crestone, Mears serves on the Board of Trustees and is Co-Chair of the Investment Committee for the Boulder Community Foundation. She is also an Advisory Board Member of O44 Method.
32. Mary Szela
CEO and President, TriSalus Life Sciences
Mary Szela began her professional career over 37 years ago. Today, she is the CEO and President of TriSalus Life Sciences. TriSalus Life Sciences is an immunotherapy company on a mission to extend and improve the lives of patients living with liver and pancreatic tumors. TriSalus' organ-specific platform integrates novel therapeutics and innovative drug delivery technology to address the dual challenges of immune response suppression and ineffective drug delivery due to high intratumoral pressure, two of the most significant barriers that limit the effectiveness of therapeutics for liver and pancreatic tumors.
Szela first got her start in 1985 as a staff nurse at the University of Illinois Hospital. From there, she went on to Abbott Laboratories before eventually rising to become the CEO at Novelion Therapeutics, her most recent position prior to joining TriSalus Life Sciences. Szela graduated from the University of Illinois Chicago with an MBA and an undergraduate degree in nursing.
33. Deidre Johnson
CEO and Executive Director, Center for African American Health
Deidre Johnson is the CEO and Executive Director of The Center for African American Health, a community-based organization dedicated to improving the health and well-being of Black/African Americans. The Center works toward health equity through community engagement, research, and advocacy and by offering culturally responsive health education and outreach that empowers community members to overcome the root causes of health problems, maximize their own individual health and access health and support services.
Johnson is an ASCEND Aspen Institute Fellow, a Transformative Leadership for Change Fellow, a Bonfils-Stanton Foundation Livingston Fellow, and an Adjunct Professor in the University of Denver, University College Nonprofit Leadership Program. A results-oriented executive, Johnson has an extensive background in strategic planning, grant making, grants management, fund raising, program development, project management, strategic learning, and systems evaluation. She has been recognized among peers as an exceptionally creative, innovative, collaborative, adaptive leader who consistently achieves professional and organizational goals. Johnson currently serves on the following boards and steering committees: Rose Community Foundation Community Grantmaking Committee, Colorado School of Public Health Advisory Board, Transition Advisory Group (TAG) for the new Colorado Department of Early Childhood, Colorado Behavioral Health Task Force, Mile High Health Alliance, Yale Philanthropy Conference Advisory Board, Ascend at the Aspen Institute 2Gen Prenatal – 3 Learning and Action Community (2Gen P3 LAC) and Colorado State Senator James Coleman’s Health Care Policy Cabinet. Johnson graduated from St. Mary’s Academy, holds a bachelor’s degree in English from Princeton University, and an MBA from the Yale School of Management.
34. Abby Barlow
Executive Director of Investment Research & Shareholder, Crestone Capital
As an Executive Director of Investment Research and Shareholder of Crestone Capital, Abby Barlow plays an integral role in the firm's overall investment research strategy. With more than a decade of investment experience, Barlow guides the team’s investment process to source new investment opportunities and to monitor current investments across all asset classes. Specifically, she leads the firm's efforts in investment manager search, selection, monitoring, asset allocation, and market analysis. She interacts with clients to educate them on Crestone’s research process and their portfolio of investments.
Prior to joining Crestone, Barlow was an actuarial intern at Milliman Consultants and Actuaries in Denver, Colorado. She was responsible for performing analysis of risk, premium levels, break-even probabilities, and general reserving practices for clients. Barlow received her Bachelor of Arts in mathematics and economics, Phi Beta Kappa, from the University of Colorado. She is a CFA® charterholder. Barlow serves on the Crestone Investment Committee and Impact Committee. Apart from Crestone, she serves on the Investment Committee for The Colorado Health Foundation which brings health in reach for all Coloradans by engaging closely with communities across the state through investing, policy advocacy, learning and capacity building. Barlow is a Member of both CFA® Institute and CFA® Society Colorado and serves as a Limited Partner Advisory Committee Member for multiple funds.
35. Allyson Downey
CEO and Founder, weeSpring
Allyson Downey is the CEO and Founder of weeSpring. weeSpring is a platform that helps share advice with friends about baby essentials, like bottles, strollers, and diapers. Users can compare products within a single category, like highchairs, or browse a trusted friend's favorites. Expecting parents use weeSpring to ask their friends about the things they couldn't live without, and find out what they wish they'd never purchased. Downey has over 19 years of experience. She began her career in 2003.
Before joining weeSpring, Downey was an executive director at New Leaders and before that, she worked in private banking at Credit Suisse. Earlier in her career she worked with Random House as an editorial assistant. Downey graduated from Columbia Business School with an MBA and from Colby College with an undergraduate degree in English.
36. Gloria Winters
Chief Medical Officer, YMCA Managed Service Organization
Dr. Gloria Winters is the Chief Medical Officer of the YMCA Managed Service Organization, consultant to the YMCA of the USA and YMCA Alliances. She has over 22 years of healthcare experience. As Chief Medical Officer, Winters supports the innovation of the YMCA in communities around the country as they improve the continuum of healthcare by linking the clinic to the community to affect the health of the whole person.
In this role at the YMCA, she is responsible for the development, advancement and implementation of industry-leading models that will standardize how communities can improve health equity, health outcomes and provide interventions to connect individuals to community and social services through local and national strategic partnerships. Winters received her doctorate in physical therapy from University of Southern California. She is certified in manual therapy, orthopedics, dry needling, sports medicine, and nutrition.
37. Caroline van Vloten
Chief People Officer, SKAEL
Caroline van Vloten, MA, LMHR, is a Dutch-American HR executive and currently the Chief People Officer at SKAEL, Inc. SKAEL is a fully remote global technology start-up with a mission to fundamentally change the way people interact with software, driving toward a world where every aspect of work is purposeful. SKAEL’s no-code low-code Digital Workforce Platform helps companies of all sizes automate across disparate applications, data sources, and documents while engaging users where they are - email, text, voice, and video communication channels. At SKAEL, van Vloten is focused on culture and building an incredible company that is changing the way of work. Aimed at positively impacting an organization's most differentiating assets - its people - van Vloten helps leaders optimize themselves, their business, and their talent base. Van Vloten enjoys thinking out of the box and coming up with innovative and creative solutions to drive change and results.
Prior to joining SKAEL, van Vloten held senior and executive HR positions at global technology companies such as Sterling Commerce, Dimension Data and NTT while working and living on three continents. Van Vloten also consulted with a wide array of organizations and taught at the ABA Stonier Graduate School of Banking. Van Vloten graduated from the University of Amsterdam with a master’s degree in French and a postgraduate degree in International Relations and Business, and graduated from The Ohio State University with a Master’s degree in Labor and Human Resources. Van Vloten is passionate about her work and is always focused on making the difference where it matters.
38. Kait Feeney
Chief Operating Officer, Tilt
Kait Feeney is the Chief Operating Officer of Tilt. Tilt is a modern leave of absence management platform. Tilt makes it easy for people to take time away from work when life happens. Tilt's revolutionary approach helps companies balance empathy with economics in a simple, secure, and scalable way. To broaden access to well being, Tilt is bringing the human back to leave which improves the employee experience and mitigates risk to employers.
Before joining Tilt, Feeney was an Associate in the Labor and Employment practice group at Michael Best & Friedrich. Prior to that she worked as an employment attorney with Modus Law. Earlier in her career she served as an attorney for Robert Half Legal. Feeney also worked at another Colorado tech startup where she managed all of the company's legal and HR operations. Feeney has a JD in international law and a BA in communication and sociology from the University of Illinois Chicago.
39. Andrea Giersdorf
Executive Vice President of Internal Operations & Innovation, Carbon America
Andrea Giersdorf began her professional career over 22 years ago. Today, she is the Executive Vice President of Internal Operations & Innovation for Carbon America. Carbon America is the first vertically integrated company in the industry, a one-stop-shop of engineers, project managers, developers, and financiers focused on capturing more CO2 in shorter amounts of time and at lower costs.
Giersdorf first got her start in 2000 as an assistant general manager and event coordinator at
Applewood Golf Course, American Golf Corporation. From there, she went on to Smart Path Systems before eventually rising to become an SVP of data strategy & analytics at Zayo Group, her most recent position prior to joining Carbon America. Giersdorf graduated from the University of Colorado Denver with an MBA in corporate financial management and from Colorado School of Mines with an undergraduate degree in economics.
40. Pam Bard
CEO and Founder, Harmony 783
Pam Bard is the Founder and CEO of Harmony 783, a grounded footwear company launched in 2020 to provide active people the health benefits of being connected to the Earth while wearing shoes in their daily routines. She is also the President of Bard & Co., a diversified investment management company with assets in both real estate and operating entities, including a residential and commercial interior design firm. Her career focus has been in real estate development and management, both commercial and residential. She is a co-investor with her husband, Richard, in Bard Capital, a private equity firm.
Bard has a passionate interest in whole person health and focuses her time and energy on investments, projects and organizations that promote integrative health and wellness. Through the Bard Family Foundation, she sponsors health retreats at her mountain estate in Evergreen, Colorado, as well as integrative health seminars for medical students and professionals. She is an active philanthropist and has served on numerous non-profit boards. In 1997, through the Bard Family Foundation, the Bards endowed the Center for Entrepreneurship Development at the University of Colorado at Denver. Bard graduated with an undergraduate degree in accounting from the University of Denver in 1979 and received her CPA designation the same year. She was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters by the University of Colorado in 2001.
41. Leenda Nicole
Founder, CEO and Executive Producer, Cathexis Talent
Leenda Nicole is the Founder, CEO and Polymath of CatheXis Talent. She founded the company in 2014 and is an Executive Producer in the film and entertainment industry. Cathexis Talent was developed with the belief that Talent has much more to offer than staffing fulfillment alone. Through personal mentoring, professional development, and community outreach, Cathexis trains and invests in talented individuals to make an unlimited positive impact in any area they choose to pursue. Cathexis is committed to the brand integrity of their client corporate partners. They understand that when a company hires their talent, they place a great deal of trust in them. They take this responsibility seriously and have developed a talent mentorship program to prequalify then cultivate impressive individuals to represent a clients' brand. The name was born from the idea of inspiring young adults to transmutate emotional frustrations through definitely planned work, using the fire from the struggles of life to fuel their careers and serve the world.
Prior, Leenda was the yoga teacher for the Denver Nuggets NBA team, volunteer teacher at the Denver women's prisons, MTV celebrity host with Inertia Tours, model and a dietary aide for St. Joseph Hospital. She graduated from Metropolitan State University of Denver with a bachelors of science in Nutrition and dietetics.
42. Cordy Rierson
Partner & COO, Humanoid Studios
Cordy Rierson is an entertainment industry veteran spanning film, animation, television, mixed reality, and interactive. She has held executive leadership positions at Dreamworks, Foundation 9 Entertainment, Microsoft, and Skybound Entertainment. She is currently Partner and COO of Humanoid Studios.
Cordy is a graduate of University of Central Florida and Full Sail University where she studied communication, film, video, radio & TV. Cordy is a 2009 inaugural Hall of Fame Inductee at Full Sail University for outstanding contributions and achievements in the entertainment industry and has been honored with a Congressional Recognition Award for dynamic digital visual effects in the film industry.
43. Nichole Wiley-Marks
Vice President & Head of Go-to Market Operations, Included Health
Nichole Wiley-Marks is Vice President & Head of Go-to-Market Operations at Included Health. In her current role, Wiley-Marks leads sales, marketing, and revenue operations, along with responsibility for overall GTM strategy and effectiveness. Included Health is a healthcare company, delivering integrated virtual care and navigation. Their mission is to raise the standard of healthcare for everyone, breaking down barriers to provide high-quality care for every person in every community.
Prior to joining Included Health, she led sales operations for the enterprise computing solutions segment of Arrow Electronics, Inc., leading the operations and customer experience organizations for the Americas & ANZ lines of business. With over twenty years of IT, sales, and business operations experience, Wiley-Marks has successfully led business transformation, data integration, and governance programs, implementing continuous process improvement, and directing supply chain and operations for fortune 100 enterprises.
44. Audrey Robertson
CFO & Co-Founder, Franklin Mountain Energy
Audrey Robertson’s professional career began over 20 years ago and has been focused on Finance, Energy, Real Estate, and private investing. She Co-Founder of Franklin Mountain Energy in 2018 with the former management team from Western Refining and serves as Chief Financial Officer. Franklin Mountain Energy (FME) is a Denver-based energy company focused on the acquisition and development of oil and gas properties in the Permian Basin. Audrey and her team built FME from minimal operations to running 4 rigs and producing over 25,000 boe per day. In addition to her day job, she has served as an outside Director on numerous public company boards, including Extraction Oil and Gas, LLC, Bonanza Creek Energy, LLC and she currently serves as a Director at Liberty Energy, LLC.
Robertson worked as a Partner and Managing Director at Kayne Anderson Capital Advisors, LP for 13 years and prior to that, was an investment banker at Goldman Sachs & Co. In 2016, she went out on her own to launch a 100% women owned Private Equity Firm called Copper Trail Partners, LLC, where she served as Managing Partner. Robertson graduated from the University of Southern California with a master’s degree in Accounting and from Cornell University with an undergraduate degree in Applied Economics and Management. She is a CPA and a Certified Sommelier from the Court of Master Sommeliers. Robertson is a proud single mom with two sons, Will and Wyatt, who keeps her on toes every day of the week.
45. Nicole Glaros
Chief Investment Strategy Officer, Techstars
Nicole Glaros is the Chief Investment Strategy Officer of Techstars. Founded in 2006, Techstars began with three simple ideas; entrepreneurs create the future, collaboration drives innovation, and great ideas can come from anywhere. Today their mission is to make innovation accessible to everyone, everywhere. They do this by connecting startups, investors, corporations, and cities to create a more sustainable and inclusive world. Glaros was a key catalyst in growing the organization from 2 people to a global powerhouse with 47 programs worldwide, events in over 500+ cities, and a market cap of over $77B with over $750M under management.
Glaros spent over 15 years working with and funding early-stage web software companies. She's an expert in growing global organizations, building startup ecosystems, working with early-stage startups, venture capital, and more. She sits on boards, has invested in over 90 companies. She currently sits on the Board of Directors for the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City Denver Branch, the National Venture Capital Association, One Way Ventures, Greater Colorado Venture Fund, the University of Colorado Leeds School of Business, Ordermark (Nextbite), and Greathorn. Glaros graduated from the University of Florida with an MS in sport psychology and exercise science and an undergraduate degree in psychology.
46. Chloë Villano
President and Founder, Clover Leaf University
Chloë Villano is the President and Founder of Clover Leaf University. Clover Leaf University (CLU) is the cannabis industry's leading multi-spectrum educational institution with a fundamental commitment to setting the bar in the industry for best practices, corporate business standards, professionalism, integrity, and technological innovation. They are focused on providing an educational standard for training entrepreneurs, business owners, legal professionals, medical professionals, management, and cannabis industry workers. CLU works to establish best practices for regulatory compliance and creating educational standards with attention to public health and consumer safety. They support research and development concerning cannabis and strive to raise awareness around the potential it has to benefit society through research, regulation, and education.
Prior to founding CLU, Villano was the CEO of Lion Order by Rohan Marley and also of Cannabis VIP Social. Villano earned an associate’s degree in film and business communication from UNC.
47. Marisol Larez
Chief Administrative Officer of Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies
Marisol Larez is the Chief Administrative Officer of the Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA) and a member of the department's executive management team. As the Chief Administrative Officer, Larez oversees several critical functions that provide strategic counsel, enable business performance for the agency, and support the department’s ten distinct divisions, including the nearly 600 members of Team DORA. She provides departmental oversight to the operations, budget, accounting, strategic planning and process improvement, and human resources functions of the department. As the CAO, Larez has also served as DORA’s interim executive director.
Prior to her role as the Chief Administrative Officer, Larez served as DORA’s director of HR, where she was responsible for the development, management and delivery of HR services, policies, and programs. In this role, she transformed many of DORA's human resources efforts including hiring, leadership training and development, and employee engagement. She began her state career in 2006 at the Department of Personnel & Administration as an HR consultant, providing guidance to state agencies on the State of Colorado's selection processes and procedures, personnel rules interpretation, human resource audits, performance management, and statewide model practices.
48. Danielle Lammon
Agency Owner, Danielle Shannon Agency
Danielle Lammon is the owner of the Danielle Shannon Agency - Allstate Insurance. Starting from scratch in 2015, she has grown her business to more than $3 million, serving Colorado customers out of her two office locations. Allstate provides a wide range of insurance products and financial services to individuals, families, and businesses. Lammon is consistently ranked in the top 5% of agents across the country. Her mission is “to create a relationship-based agency that personalizes coverage and protects you from financial burden through education and tailored service.” Every day, her focus is on three key areas where she can make a difference: helping customers, building a solid small business, and investing in her local community. With her experience owning several successful businesses, she brings her clients a wide array of knowledge.
Lammon is an appointed board member and vice chair for the City of Aurora Citizens Advisory Budget Committee. She also serves as president of the Rotary Club of Aurora where she is the program director of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library Aurora. Serving on the board of Directors for the Imagination Library Colorado Statewide program, Lammon works to expand equal access to books in the home, promoting early childhood literacy and kindergarten readiness. In the last five years, Lammon created and built the only Sensory Garden in Aurora with her leadership team and staff. As part of her work with her Rotary club, they built the first Inclusive Playground in the City of Aurora that serves children with disabilities and adults and veterans. She earned a BA in biology with minors in psychology and project management.
49. Alyssa Hetschel
Executive Director, Behavioral Treatment Services
Alyssa Hetschel is an Executive Director at Behavioral Treatment Services (BTS). She first joined the organization in 2014 as a jail-based clinical therapist. BTS was founded to provide quality clinical services to the criminal justice community. They primarily hire master’s level clinicians with specific training in addictions, mental health, and criminal justice issues. With over 50 staff, BTS provides a range of clinical services to the community. They strive to challenge and engage clients to examine behaviors, beliefs, thoughts, and emotions in order to effect desired change.
Prior to joining BTS, Hetschel was an adjunct professor at the University of Denver teaching human behavior and social environment. She graduated from the University of Denver with a master’s degree in social work and from Azusa Pacific University with an undergraduate degree in social work.
50. Myranda Roys
Senior Vice President, i3screen
Myranda Roys is the Senior Vice President of i3screen. She first joined the company in 2010 as a medical review manager. i3screen offers the most innovative technology available today for CRAs and TPAs to provide drug and alcohol testing program management, random selection, and occupational health screening services. At the core, i3screen provides its partners with outstanding service from its full-service team of Medical Review Officers and support personnel to laboratory and provider management services.
Prior to her current role, Roys served in several roles with i3screen including VP of operations and director of operations. Previously, Roys worked in medical review with CoreLogic.