CWCC Announces 2026 Top 25 Most Powerful Women in Business

Colorado Women’s Chamber of Commerce Announces 2026 Top 25 Most Powerful Women in Business and Legacy Award Winner Barbara Grogan

DENVER (July 22, 2026) – The Colorado Women’s Chamber of Commerce (CWCC) is pleased to honor the positive impact of 25 local women leaders at its 2026 gala on October 2, 2026, marking the program’s 14th anniversary.

The CWCC Top 25 Most Powerful Women in Business Awards Gala, presented by KeyBank, recognizes the accomplishments and community involvement of 25 individuals and one Top 25 Legacy Award winner, Barbara Grogan. The CWCC Top 25 Legacy Award is CWCC’s highest honor, recognizing a woman whose lifetime contributions have made a lasting impact on Colorado’s business landscape and opened pathways for future generations of women leaders.

Join us to honor them!

2026 Top 25 Legacy Award Honoree

Grogan’s career includes founding Western Industrial Contractors Inc. in 1982 with $500, a used pickup truck, and three employees, and building it into a nationally recognized $400 million industrial construction firm before selling her interest in 2004.

She was the first woman to chair both the Denver Branch of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City and the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce, and she has since focused her philanthropy on expanding higher-education access, including establishing scholarships for undocumented and first-generation students at Metropolitan State University of Denver, where she also chairs the Board of Trustees.

“Barbara Grogan has spent more than four decades proving what’s possible when vision meets grit,” said Simone D. Morrison, CEO of the CWCC. “She broke into an industry that wasn’t built for her and then spent her career making sure the doors she opened stayed open for the women who came after. Her commitment to opportunity embodies exactly what the Legacy Award was created to celebrate.”

The CWCC Top 25 Most Powerful Women in Business Gala, presented by KeyBank, will be hosted at the Hyatt Regency at the Colorado Convention Center on Friday, October 2 from 5 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Tickets and sponsorships typically sell out quickly and can be purchased at CWCC.org.

The annual gala event profiles powerful and impactful women in Colorado and the work they are doing to advance and promote other female leaders. Winners are selected by past Top-25-honorees based on four criteria: civic and community engagement, proven leadership, passion for the promotion of women in business, and perseverance.

“This year’s class of Top 25 honorees reflects the depth and range of women’s leadership across Colorado, from healthcare and tech to nonprofits, and small businesses,” said Morrison. “Each of these women has driven meaningful change in her field and her community, and together they represent the momentum we’re building toward a more equitable future for women in business.”

CWCC Top 25 Most Powerful Women in Business Honorees

• Andrea Albo — Executive Director, Scientific & Cultural Facilities District
• Karen Bigelow — Vice President, Government & Community Affairs
• Stephanie Bivins — Director, Mesa County Partnership for Children and Families (MCPCF)
• Jennie Bjorem — CEO, Bjorem Speech Publications
• Marielena DeSanctis — Chancellor, Colorado Community College System
• Bianka Emerson — President, Colorado Black Women for Political Action (CBWPA)
• Brig. Gen. Kathleen Flarity — Executive Director, CU Anschutz Marcus Institute for Brain Health & Center for COMBAT Research
• Kayla Garcia — President & CEO, Girls Inc. of Metro Denver
• Rachel Garcia — Executive Director, Mexican Cultural Center
• Adrina Gibson — Deputy Mayor and Executive Director of General Services, City and County of Denver
• Terri Jackson — Executive Director & Co-Founder, African-American Trade Association (AATA); Co-Owner & VP, Empowercom, Inc.
• Ceneé LaTulippe — Founder & CEO, 5280 PMO
• Kathleen Lockhart — Senior Vice President, Deal Management, Zayo Group
• Becky Miller Updike — Executive Director, The Colorado Association of Family & Children’s Agencies (CAFCA)
• Shannon Montour — Chief Strategy & Growth Officer, Sky Blue Builders
• Sara Moore — Executive Director, Colorado Dragon Boat
• Kate Siegel Shimko — Vice Chancellor for Administration and Government Affairs, Colorado State University System
• Stacey Stegman — Senior Vice President, Communications, Marketing and Customer Experience, Denver International Airport
• Kelly Stevens — Founder, Align Society
• Emily Trujillo — Chief Operating Officer, HCA HealthONE Centennial
• Hannah Ulbrich — CEO, Copper Door Coffee Roasters
• Colleen Walker — Chief Executive Officer, Auraria Higher Education Center
• Kami Welch — President & CEO/Interim CEO, Greater Arvada Chamber of Commerce/Jeffco EDC
• Danaya Wilson — CEO, Co-Founder, BetterCertify
• Shira Zimmerman — CEO, ZIM Consulting

About the Colorado Women’s Chamber of Commerce

The Colorado Women’s Chamber of Commerce (CWCC) is a member-based 501(c)(6) nonprofit organization that cultivates a business community that is more inclusive of and empowering for women in Colorado. With programs designed to support leadership advancement, community connections, access to resources and advocacy, CWCC is driving work that works for all. Learn more at www.cwcc.org.

Tickets and sponsorships to the gala can be secured at www.cwcc.org/top25.