Brandon Leuallen, The Business Times

A leadership and professional-development conference designed to bring nationally recognized speakers and practical business training to the Western Slope will return to Colorado Mesa University this fall.

Spark Summit is scheduled for Sept. 23 at CMU and will feature three keynote presentations, three rounds of masterclass sessions, networking opportunities and an evening reception.

To register or view the full agenda, go online to thecsi.biz or sparksummit.biz.

Organizers say the event provides local business leaders access to the type of training and connections often found at larger conferences in major metropolitan areas.

“We’ve designed Spark Summit specifically for the high-level leader or decision maker who is ready to level up their professional development,” organizer Kristin Donahue said.

Donahue said the summit is focused on providing practical tools that business professionals can apply immediately. She said organizers have continued hearing success stories from attendees since last year’s inaugural event. One attendee reported uncovering about $10,000 in previously overlooked revenue after attending Kelly Johnston’s financial-strategy session.

The conference returns after its inaugural event in 2025 drew more than 100 business leaders. According to organizers, attendees rated last year’s conference 4.8 out of five stars, and 95 percent said they would recommend it to colleagues.

Many of the elements that received positive feedback last year will remain unchanged.

The event will again feature three main-stage keynote presentations, three rounds of breakout masterclasses and the “playground,” a dedicated networking area where participants can continue conversations with speakers throughout the day.

“We’ll still have the playground,” Donahue said. “That was a popular part of last year.”

Sessions for leadership, AI, communication, business growth

In addition to the keynote presentations, attendees will be able to choose from three rounds of master-class sessions focused on practical business challenges.

Topics include leadership development, hiring and people management, communication, financial strategy, marketing and artificial intelligence. Sessions will cover subjects such as scaling a business, building leadership capacity, improving high-stakes communication, developing employees and strengthening financial performance.

Several workshops will focus specifically on artificial intelligence and its business applications. Topics include building an AI employee, using AI to document business processes and implementing AI tools to save time and improve efficiency.

Other sessions will explore leadership styles that drive performance, people development, executive support, digital marketing, financial strategy and conversational skills.

Donahue said organizers intentionally moved AI-related content from the main stage into breakout sessions this year, so attendees could choose more specialized and practical instruction.

“AI looks so different depending on what kind of company you run and what your business is and what your role in the company is,” Donahue said.

Returning speaker Kelly Johnston will again lead a financial-strategy session, while Carl Lubbe will present two workshops focused on communication and people development.

The morning keynote will feature Dr. Rick Perea of Think One, who has worked with professional athletes and served as a performance coach for the Denver Broncos organization. His presentation will focus on applying high-performance principles in business settings.

“He talks about how to take that high-performance mindset and transfer it into the work that you do in a company,” Donahue said.

The lunchtime keynote will feature Craig Weber, whose presentation will focus on communication and what he calls conversational capacity. Closing keynote speaker Denise “DT” Thomas will focus on helping attendees translate ideas into measurable action after returning to work.

“How do you turn around and actually make something happen when you get back to your office?” Donahue said of Thomas’s presentation. “What does that look like?”

Building long-term value for local businesses

Donahue said the conference is intended to create benefits that continue long after attendees leave the event.

Throughout the year following the inaugural Spark Summit, she said organizers have continued hearing from participants who implemented ideas from sessions, developed new professional relationships and generated tangible business results.

Attendees have reported continuing conversations and business relationships that began during the event.

“I feel like I’ve had Spark moments all year, because I will have people say, ‘I’m still talking to that person. I was just on the phone with so-and-so that I met last year at Spark Summit,’” Donahue said.

She said those stories reinforced the conference’s mission of creating connections and practical value for local businesses.

“The ripple impacted the community, which was awesome,” Donahue said.