COLORADO WOMEN’S CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Denver

News: Marielena DeSanctis, chancellor of the Colorado Community College System; Terri Jackson, executive director and co-founder of the African American Trade Association and Emily Trujillo, chief operating officer at HCA HealthONE Centennial, are among the 2026 Top 25 Most Powerful Women in Business.

They, and the entire Class of 2026, will be honored at an Oct. 2 fundraising gala hosted by the Colorado Women’s Chamber of Commerce and held at the Hyatt Regency Denver at the Colorado Convention Center. KeyBank is the presenting sponsor.

Tickets are now on sale and may be purchased by visiting cwcc.org

“This year’s honorees reflect the depth and range of women’s leadership across Colorado,” said Simone D. Morrison, the chamber’s chief executive officer. “Each honoree has driven meaningful change in her field and her community, and together they represent the momentum we’re building toward a more equitable future for women in business.”

Others in the Top 25 are:

• Andrea Albo, executive director of the Scientific & Cultural Facilities District
• Karen Bigelow, a former member of the Thornton City Council who is an advocate and lobbyist focused on government affairs, corporate social responsibility and communications
• Stephanie Bivins, director of the Mesa County Partnership for Children and Families
• Jennie Bjorem, chief executive officer of Bjorem Speech Publications
• Bianka Emerson, president of Colorado Black Women for Political Action
• Brig. Gen. Kathleen Flarity, executive director of the Marcus Institute for Brain Health & Center for COMBAT Research on the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus
• Kayla Garcia, president/CEO of Girls, Inc. of Metro Denver
• Rachel Garcia, executive director of the Mexican Cultural Center
• Adrina Gibson, deputy mayor and executive director of general services for the City and County of Denver
• Cenee’ LaTulippe, founder and CEO of 5280 PMO
• Kathleen Lockhart, senior vice president/deal management for Zayo Group
• Becky Miller Updike, executive director of the Colorado Association of Family & Children’s Agencies
• Shannon Montour, chief strategy and growth officer for Sky Blue Builders
• Sara Moore, executive director of Colorado Dragon Boat
• Kate Siegel Shimko, vice chancellor for administration and government affairs for the Colorado State University System
• Stacey Stegman, senior vice president/communications, marketing and customer experience for Denver International Airport
• Kelly Stevens, founder of the Align Society
• Hannah Ulbrich, chief executive officer of Copper Door Coffee Roasters
• Colleen Walker, chief executive officer of the Auraria Higher Education Center
• Kami Welch, president and CEO of the Greater Arvada Chamber of Commerce and interim CEO of the Jefferson County Economic Development Corp. 
• Danaya Wilson, CEO and co-founder of BetterCertify
• Shira Zimmerman, CEO of ZIM Consulting

In addition, the event will also celebrate Barbara Grogan, recipient of the CWCC’s highest honor, the Legacy Award.

Grogan, the first woman to chair both the Denver branch of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City and the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce, was the founder of Western Industrial Contractors, building it from a used pickup truck and three employees into a nationally recognized, $400 million industrial construction firm. 

She sold her interest in the company in 2004 to focus on her dedication to expand higher education access, including the establishment of scholarships for undocumented and first-generation students at Metropolitan University of Denver, where she chairs the school’s board of trustees.

Chamber CEO Morrison points out that “Barbara Grogan has spent more than four decades proving what’s possible when vision meets grit. She broke into an industry that wasn’t built for her and then spent her career making sure the doors she opened stayed open for the women who came after her. Her commitment to opportunity embodies exactly what the Legacy Award was created to celebrate.”

About the organization: The Colorado Women’s Chamber of Commerce is a Denver-based nonprofit organization that supports women in business through networking, education, mentorship and advocacy, with the goal of making Colorado the No. 1 state for women in business.

Website: cwcc.org

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