A Seat at the Table with Debbie Brown

Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade with Pat Meyers

Pat Meyers is Chief Economic Recovery Officer and Executive Director for Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT). OEDIT creates a positive business climate that encourages dynamic economic development and sustainable job growth. 

In December 2017, Pat was appointed the Chief of Staff to Colorado’s Governor John Hickenlooper and served in the role until the Governor’s term ended in 2019. Pat is a senior advisor to now Senator Hickenlooper and was a board member of his Senate campaign. In March 2020 Pat was appointed the Constrained Medical Supply Team Leader for the State of Colorado’s Covid Innovation Response Team, where he led the team obtaining PPE and other medical supplies for the State. In 2021, Pat was awarded the Colorado Governor’s Citizenship Award for his work on the Covid Response Team.

Pat’s practice has included securities and franchise compliance, finance transactions, tax, mergers and acquisitions, employment matters, litigation, license and distribution, and general corporate law. He has written numerous articles and has taught various continuing legal education courses.

Pat discusses all of this plus Colorado Forward, where you can learn more about the work of Governor Jared Polis and the General Assembly to save Coloradans money, support economic recovery and resilience, and build a Colorado for all, and Opportunity Now Colorado, an $85 million grant program catalyzing transformative change for Colorado’s workforce.

Hosted by Colorado Business Roundtable President Debbie Brown.

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For more of our events, podcasts, and news, please visit the Colorado Business Roundtable website.

The Future of Education and Workforce Development with Colorado Succeeds

Colorado Succeeds was founded in 2006 by a group of CEOs who saw the need for a non-partisan business advocacy organization focused solely on education and workforce development. As end consumers of the education and talent development system, Colorado Succeeds members advocate for policies that improve outcomes for learners, and support innovative programs in and out of the classroom. They shape and advocate for public policy that removes barriers to innovation, incentives best practices, measures outcomes, and places the learner first. They supercharge policy implementation by providing technical assistance and support to education providers and employers. And they fund education and workforce development best practices to bring them to scale.

On this episode, Debbie is joined by Katie Zaback, Vice President of Government Affairs and Ben Gerig, Senior Manager of Strategic Partnerships to discuss how post-secondary education continues to evolve, where the business community can be involved, and what the future looks like for workforce development. 

Hosted by Colorado Business Roundtable President Debbie Brown.

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For more of our events, podcasts, and news, please visit the Colorado Business Roundtable website.

The Continuing Evolution of Education and Business with Don Haddad

The future of education is frequently at the forefront of our policy discussions, and it's not hard to understand why. Our children are our future leaders in business, government and every other sector of society, so it is imperative that the education they receive prepare them effectively for the future. Dr. Don Haddad has been a leader in this space for a long time, and he joins A Seat at the Table to discuss the innovations, partnerships, and evolutions he has been a part of over his impressive career.

Dr. Don Haddad is the Superintendent of the St. Vrain School District and has an impressive career spanning 37 years where he has benefited from a broad range of experiences in several school districts while working in various teaching, coaching and administrative positions at every level, PK-12. You can read more about St. Vrain School District here, and Dr. Haddad's bio here.

Hosted by Colorado Business Roundtable President Debbie Brown.

Rate, review and subscribe on your favorite podcatcher.

For more of our events, podcasts, and news, please visit the Colorado Business Roundtable website.

Verizon’s Remarkable DEI and Community Outreach Initiatives with Josh Miller

Josh Miller is Manager of Community Engagement-Colorado, Kansas and Kansas City, MO for Verizon. He is part of a team that designs, implements, and executes company programs pertaining to everything from diversity, equity and inclusion to addressing climate change to equitable digital inclusion for all. Verizon has a multitude of programs designed to ensure the highest satisfaction from its four identified stakeholder groups: customers, employees, shareholders, and society as a whole. 

On this episode of A Seat at the Table, Josh shares his journey through the world of politics that ultimately led him to Verizon, discusses what it was like to have his first day coincide with Colorado's shutdown order related to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, how virtual programs translate to the real world, and a lot more. It's a jam-packed episode that paints a detailed picture of Verizon's robust initiatives. 

Hosted by Colorado Business Roundtable President Debbie Brown.

Rate, review and subscribe on your favorite podcatcher.

For more of our events, podcasts, and news, please visit the Colorado Business Roundtable website.

Abolishing All Types of Poverty with CrossPurpose Founder Jason Janz

Jason Janz co-founded CrossPurpose with Juan Pena in 2008, influenced greatly by spending his childhood and adolescence in poverty. With the goal of abolishing relational, economic, and spiritual poverty through career and community development, Jason’s passion for social entrepreneurship and serving the poor is satisfied through his role as CEO where he builds the team, sets the organizational culture, and raises funds.

On this episode of A Seat at the Table, Jason joins Debbie Brown for an energizing chat about the innovative model of CrossPurpose, why there needs to be 10 more organizations like his, why poverty isn't just what you see on the streets and much more. 

Rate, review and subscribe on your favorite podcatcher.

For more of our events, podcasts, and news, please visit the Colorado Business Roundtable website.

Disrupting the Health Care Space with Peak Benefits Owner Bryan Perry

Bryan Perry is the Owner of Peak Benefits, a company that builds premium benefits plans at budget prices. In Bryan's own words, "The healthcare industry employs armies of consultants whose entire job is to maximize their company’s revenue from your healthcare plan. Business leaders are frustrated because they don’t have more tools when they get their annual 6% increase. We think it is wrong that your rate increase is someone else’s profits." 

On this episode of A Seat at the Table with Debbie Brown, Bryan discusses his journey in business and the founding of Peak Benefits. He talks at length about the opacity of healthcare pricing, why and how he's dedicated to creating "win-win-win" solutions for businesses, consumers and providers, and where the healthcare industry goes from here, plus a lot more.

Hosted by Colorado Business Roundtable President Debbie Brown.

Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser

Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser was sworn in as the State’s 39th Attorney General on January 8, 2019. As the state’s chief legal officer, Attorney General Weiser is committed to protecting the people of Colorado and building an innovative and collaborative organization that will address a range of statewide challenges, from addressing the opioid epidemic to improving our criminal justice system to protecting consumers to protecting our land, air, and water.

Attorney General Weiser has dedicated his life to the law, justice, and public service. Before running for office, Weiser served as the Hatfield Professor of Law and Dean of the University of Colorado Law School, where he founded the Silicon Flatirons Center for Law, Technology, and Entrepreneurship and co-chaired the Colorado Innovation Council.

On this episode of A Seat at the Table, AG Weiser discusses his journey to becoming Colorado's Attorney General, shares his vision for the role his office plays, discusses recent initiatives on which his office has partnered with the business community (such as opioid addiction and support) and much more. 

Hosted by Colorado Business Roundtable President Debbie Brown. 

Biennial of the Americas featuring Executive Director FloraJane DiRienzo

FloraJane DiRienzo is Executive Director of Biennial of the Americas, which creates connections, builds community and inspires change across the Americas. They envision Denver as a global city that fosters collaboration and partnership across borders and Colorado as a state that is deeply connected to the Americas.

On this episode of Profits & Purpose, FloraJane explains the origins and goals of Biennial of the Americas, and discusses at length their recent trip to Mexico City. She and Debbie talk about what parts of the trip were most impactful, the insights they gained by visiting our neighbors to the south, and what goals they have taken away from the trip. It's a fascinating look at one of Denver's most unique organizations.

Hosted by Colorado Business Roundtable President Debbie Brown. 

Denver Economic Development and Opportunity featuring Stephanie Garnica

Stephanie Garnica is Director Global Business Development for Denver Economic Development and Opportunity whose mission is "leading an inclusive and innovative economy for all Denver residents and businesses by supporting local and global business development, workforce development programs, and stabilization efforts in diverse neighborhoods."

On this episode of Profits & Purpose, Stephanie shares with us her career journey that led to her landing here, the recent renaming of her office, why Denver is such an attractive destination for businesses from all over the world, where Denver currently stands in attracting new companies to our city post-pandemic, and a lot more. 

Hosted by Colorado Business Roundtable President Debbie Brown.

Workforce Development and Immigration featuring Brock Herzberg

Brock Herzberg is the Coordinator for the Colorado Business Coalition for Immigration Solutions (CBCIS) in their daily efforts to assist Colorado business to find workable solutions on immigration reform. He is also a Principal owner of Capitol Focus, LLC, a government affairs firm in Denver. A native from Akron, Colorado, Brock graduated from Colorado State University in 2000 with a Bachelors degree in Speech Communications with a minor in Political Science.  Brock received his Masters degree in Communications from Colorado State University in 2002.

On this week's show Brock discusses how the workforce crisis of the last three years intersects with a perpetual discussion about immigration and the impacts on the business community. He shares the work of CBCIS and others in evolving the conversation and finding solutions that work for the largest amount of Coloradans. 

Hosted by Colorado Business Roundtable President Debbie Brown.