A Colorado Mesa University graduate and a Grand Junction-based tech startup are gaining global acclaim for their role in reshaping the future of artificial intelligence.

The Confluencial, co-led by Kyler Cheatham and powered by CMU alum Avery Kane, has been honored with two major global awards for developing a first-of-its-kind AI shortlisting tool for enterprise technology, according to a news release from the Grand Junction Economic Partnership.

The company’s work was spotlighted when Kyler Cheatham was named a 2025 #empowHERaccess Women in Cloud Global Prestige Awards Finalist, recognized for her role in building inclusive and ethical AI solutions that directly support enterprise decision-making, the news release said.

“This is a team award,” Cheatham said. “We built this tool to serve people, not sales quotas. That was only possible with the brilliance of Avery Kane, our head AI engineer and a proud CMU grad, and the leadership of our CEO, Adam Cheatham.”

The Confluencial’s partnership with Colorado Mesa University extends beyond alumni roots. As a guest lecturer in the CMU business school, Kyler Cheatham brings real-world enterprise tech and AI leadership directly into the classroom. This collaboration exemplifies what happens when industry innovation and academic preparation work together, the news release said.

In addition to the empowHERaccess recognition, Cheatham was named one of the Top 30 Voices Shaping the Future of Payments, Banking and Fintech by The Soltesz Institute, honoring her commitment to responsible technology leadership and values-first business strategy.

“Tech should be a place where we build boldly, think critically and support each other without pretense,” Cheatham said. “That’s always been the heartbeat behind our work at The Confluencial.”

According to the news release, River.AI is The Confluencial’s proprietary decision intelligence tool designed to streamline complex enterprise technology evaluations. Purpose-built to remove bias, reduce guesswork and elevate strategic alignment, River.AI helps organizations shortlist and select systems that actually fit their operational needs.

The tool reflects The Confluencial’s belief that great technology should serve people, not the other way around, the news release said.