2026 Talent Summit

NoCo Talent in Action: Regional Collaborations, Skill Building, and AI

The Talent Summit actively supports employers in attracting, recruiting and retaining the talent they need. The morning will focus on strengthening partnerships between employers, education, and government, human skills in AI, and connecting education to careers.

Educators, government agencies, businesses, and community providers are wanted for the vendor fair. We sell out early, don’t wait!

• Breakfast is provided
• Cost is $45

Keynote Speaker – Jana Sanchez, Chief Alchemist, Alchemy With Words

Humans Still Required: Understanding and Building the Skills AI Can’t Replace

AI is here, and it’s changing how we work faster than most of us can keep up. But technology alone won’t build strong teams or better results. AI simply amplifies what’s already there. If communication is weak, it spreads confusion faster. If collaboration is strong, it multiplies results and success. The organizations that thrive in this new era won’t be the ones that automate the fastest, but the ones that know how to get humans and machines to actually work well together.

In this keynote, leadership communication expert Jana Sanchez unpacks what that partnership really looks like. You’ll learn how the most effective teams blend human judgment with machine precision. You’ll hear what happens when people stay curious and bring emotional intelligence and ethical awareness to artificial intelligence. And you’ll walk away ready to build the kind of workplace where AI works for people, not instead of them.

Learning Outcomes

• Understand how AI is reshaping skill demand and why human capabilities like empathy, curiosity, and judgment are increasing in value
• Learn how to turn AI from a threat into a teammate by strengthening distinctly human skills
• Identify three “AI-complementary” skills that help any team stay adaptable, connected, and ready for the future

2025 Talent Summit

The Talent Summit actively supports employers in attracting, recruiting and retaining the talent they need. The morning will focus on strengthening partnerships between employers, education, and government, human skills in AI, and connecting education to careers.

Educators, government agencies, businesses, and community providers are wanted for the vendor fair. We sell out early, don’t wait!

• Breakfast is provided
• Cost is $45

The Fort Collins Area Chamber of Commerce hosted its 8th Annual Talent Summit and 2nd Annual NoCo Sector Academy at the Pedersen Toyota Event Center.

Two hundred attendees gained insights into the regional labor market, heard from an inspiring national speaker on working with the new generations in the workplace, workforce challenges and initiatives, and the expanding opportunities of modern youth apprenticeships.

The morning began with a presentation from Tom Stellman, founder and CEO of TIP Strategies. TIP has compiled workforce data, along with Talent 2.0 insights to create a Talent Supply and Demand Analysis, culminating in a labor market profile for Larimer and Weld Counties. This data will assist regional partners in Northern Colorado to establish a shared understanding of the region’s labor market, workforce challenges and opportunities, and existing programs and initiatives. Slides from the presentation can be found [here], and the full report will be released in June 2025.

Keynote speaker Mark C. Perna—an international speaker, bestselling author, and CEO—delivered a dynamic presentation on how to engage younger generations in the workforce, classroom, and the household. He shared proven strategies and personal success as a performance consultant and generational expert for education, economic and workforce development across North America.

Resources from Perna’s presentation, along with a link to his book, are available below:

• Mark Perna’s Presentation Slides
• Mark Perna’s Gift: Reflective Guide on Today’s Presentation
• Parent Masterclass | Mark C. Perna
• Competitive Advantage Track | Mark C. Perna
• Answering Why: Unleashing Passion, Purpose, and Performance in Younger Generations

Attendees also had the opportunity to visit 16 resource booths, connecting with education providers across K–12, community colleges, and higher education. They learned about the local workforce center offerings, explored the six sector partnerships in Noco and obtained resources from NoCo Works, our two-county workforce effort. They discovered resources available for hiring veterans and those with disabilities.

Kelsey Baun, regional talent program manager for Larimer County Economic and Workforce Development and lead program manager for NoCo Works, provided an update on the upcoming 2025 NoCo Works website launch. The updated site will serve as a dynamic tool to connect businesses, job seekers, and resource providers. It aims to support regional workforce development by elevating existing resources, showcasing subcommittee work, and fostering meaningful connections that drive economic growth in Northern Colorado.

Slides from Baun’s presentation can be found [here].

The Talent Summit concluded with an apprenticeship panel facilitated by Heather Everett, work-based apprenticeship manager at the Fort Collins Area Chamber, and Stephanie Klein, senior director of business partnerships at CareerWise.

Panelists included:

• Charles Countee – Executive Project Manager, Sunrise Medical
• Ariel Friese – Owner and Clinical Supervisor, Northern Colorado Counseling, PLLC
• Barb Harris – HR and Talent Acquisition, Sage Hospitality
• Link Holmgren – Production Maintenance Supervisor, Tolmar
• Chris Renn – Operations Manager, Phase 2 Company
• Mike Weiss – Corporate EHS Manager, PTA Plastics

Each panelist shared insights into developing apprenticeship programs and the long-term benefits for both their businesses and their workforce.

The 2nd Annual NoCo Sector Academy featured a recap of data presented by Tom Stellman of TIP Strategies from earlier in the morning.  Bobbie Wolfe, Colorado Workforce Development Council, Mark Johnston, Larimer County Economic and Workforce Development and Tami Grant, Employment Services of Weld County then provided context for the seven Regional Talent Summits occurring across Colorado this year.  They spoke as to how the local Workforce Development Boards will be partnering with the goals determined at the Summits.

Nonprofit and Financial sector-specific discussions were facilitated by The Attainment Network. Bobbie Wolfe supported the hospitality sector in their conversation. Discussions in the construction, health, and manufacturing sectors reviewed the report and draft goals from the conversations initiated during the Opportunity Now Regional Talent Summit held at the University of Northern Colorado in February.  Facilitators then worked with attendees on next steps.