Description

Your Invitation to the 2025 Boulder Economic Forecast

Join us to gain insight and resources that will increase your Center of Influence amongst your peers. As a prominent business leader, this is your chance to understand the numbers behind the news, hear directly from key industry experts, and make informed decisions that will shape the future of your organization in 2025 and beyond.

This year’s event will feature a National Economic Forecast by Dr. Richard Wobbekind, a Local Economic Forecast by Brian Lewandowski, and new this year, a panel highlighting Innovation and Technology Shaping the Future Economy.

Why Attend?

• Get the Facts: Explore key economic statistics, projections, and emerging trends impacting your community
• Actionable Insights: Learn how marketplace shifts affect your business and discover strategies to stay ahead
• Networking Opportunities: Connect with professionals, business leaders, and community members at the networking reception

Program:

• Registration: 4:00 PM
• Welcome & Presentations: 4:20 PM
• Networking Reception: 6:30 PM
• Adjournment: 7:30 PM

Register now to secure your spot - this event sold out last year!

The theme for the panel is Innovation and Technology Shaping the Future Economy:

Leadership Panel:

Ali Minnick, Global Leader of Business Advisory Services and Gen AI at Slalom 

Ali leads Slalom’s efforts to integrate AI with business strategies, with a deep understanding of how companies apply AI in real-world scenarios. She is a recognized leader in the business applications of AI, helping organizations leverage its potential to drive impactful results and measurable ROI. Her expertise spans multiple industries, where she guides businesses in using AI to optimize operations and enhance overall performance.

David Cohen, Founder and CEO, Techstars 

David Cohen is the Founder and CEO of Techstars, a pre-seed investor that provides access to capital, programming and connections to early-stage entrepreneurs. Since founding Techstars in 2006, the company has invested in more than 4,000 startups, including notable investments in over 20 unicorns such as Alloy, Chainalysis, Classpass, DataRobot, Digital Ocean, Outreach, Pillpack, Remitly, SalesLoft, SendGrid and Zipline. David is a life-long entrepreneur. Prior to Techstars, he was the Founder and CEO of earFeeder which was later sold to SonicSwap. Before that, he was a co-founder of Pinpoint Technologies which was acquired by Zoll Medical Corporation (NASDAQ: ZOLL). David is active with several non-profit organizations, including his work as a founding Board Member of Endeavor Colorado and as a co-founder and Advisory Board Member of the Techstars Foundation. He is also an Advisory Board Member of the Silicon Flatirons Center for Law, Technology and Entrepreneurship at the University of Colorado.  

Jonathan Lantz, President, La Sportiva N.A., Inc.

Jonathan Lantz started working for La Sportiva in 1996, when he moved to Colorado and and landed a job as a shipper hand-writing shipping labels. He quickly progressed to become the warehouse and warranty manager. During this time he learned the fine art of forecasting orders and eventually managing the purchasing department. After seven years of working in the warehouse, Lantz was offered the opportunity to move into the Marketing Department and he took a position as Marketing Manager. Here is where he truly began to excel in the face of new challenges that allowed him to utilize his artistic background through art direction. Within a short time he moved into the role of Marketing Director. While in this position, La Sportiva N.A., which was organized as a distribution company and owned by private shareholders in North America, was acquired by La Sportiva Italy and became the North American subsidiary. Following four years as Marketing Director, Lantz was promoted to the President of the company in 2007.

This event combines traditional economic insights with expert perspectives from cutting-edge industries to deliver a comprehensive outlook on the future economy

Lance Carl, Director of Player Development/Alumni Relations at the University of Colorado Football

Lance Carl, who participated in one of the key plays on the football field as a player for the University of Colorado in the mid-1980s, returned to his alma mater for the fourth time in his career when he was named associate athletic director for business development and the sports supervisor for the football program on November 5, 2013.   Carl, remains CU’s liaison to the National Football League and its member teams with scouts and personnel staff, having worked as a scout in the late 1990s himself.  In addition, he has long been active and on the board of directors with Buffs4Life, an organization of former CU athletes that help former Buffs in need.  Thus his new title fits perfectly with some of what he has been coordinating since he rejoined the program in 2013.  

Keynote Speakers:

Richard Wobbekind Associate Dean for Business & Government Relations, Senior Economist, and Faculty Director of the Business Research Division, University of Colorado Boulder.

Brian Lewandowski Executive Director of the Business Research Division, Leeds School of Business, University of Colorado Boulder.