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Thrive Together Session Speakers
Keynote Speakers
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Founder & Principal Strategist, Northern Crown Media
Celeste Herron is a visionary brand strategist, storyteller, multidisciplinary designer, and evangelist for rural Colorado economic development. As the founder of Northern Crown Media and an experienced creative director, she brings over two decades of expertise in creating holistic brand ecosystems for startups, small businesses, and social impact organizations in western Colorado and worldwide. Known for her ability to blend creativity with strategic insight, Celeste empowers leaders to build resilient, future-proof brands that remain deeply human at their core. Her presentations offer practical wisdom for navigating the balance between technological advancement and authentic human connection in business. She is also the Program Development lead for West Slope Startup Week powered by Startup Colorado. -
Major General U.S. Army, Retired
Retired
U.S. Army Major General Mari K. Eder is a renowned speaker, author, and thought leader on strategic communication and leadership. She has served as Director of Public Affairs at the George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies and as an adjunct professor at the NATO School and Sweden’s International Training Command. Her extensive career includes senior positions in the Pentagon, Army Staff, Army Reserve, and the Reserve Forces Policy Board. General Eder's publications have appeared in USA Today, TIME Magazine, The Hill, and other outlets. Her book, The Girls Who Stepped Out of Line, received the People’s Choice Award from the Library of Virginia in 2022. The sequel, The Girls Who Fought Crime, is a finalist for the same award this year. In 2023, General Eder received the prestigious Daughters of the American Revolution Medal of Honor and was named the National Trust for Historic Preservation/Historic Hotels of America 2023 Historian of the Year. She was also selected for the Department of Defense Information School’s Hall of Fame in 2024. She holds degrees in English from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania, an MS in Strategic Studies from the U.S. Army War College, and an advanced certificate in mass communications from the University of South Carolina. After years of studying, in 2013, she was awarded a PhD (hon) in Humane Letters from Edinboro. -
LICENSED PROFESSIONAL COUNSELOR
Ashley Cornelius has dedicated the last three years at Denver Health to workplace resilience as the manager of the RESTORE department, providing confidential peer support to all Denver Health personnel. With a strong focus on diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging, she developed a Systemic Racism in Healthcare presentation and established Black, BIPOC, and LGBTQIA2 affinity groups. Ashley has also created and conducted presentations on Trauma Resilience Informed Systems, Stress Continuum, and Burnout as part of her advocacy work. She is a multi-award-winning, full-time artist and the Poet Laureate of the Pikes Peak Region. Additionally, she has won awards including the Prism Award from One Colorado, the Mayor’s Young Leader Award in Creative Industry, and the CBCA EY Next Wave Leadership Award. She continues to champion resilience in the workplace through the lens of creative arts and poetry workshops, keynotes, and consultation across multiple systems, locally and nationally.
Workshop Speakers
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Resident Senior Fellow - Criminal Justice & Civil Liberties, R Street Institute
Lisel Petis is a dedicated and passionate criminal justice policy expert with the nonpartisan think tank, R Street Institute. With a rich background in policy, leadership, and the justice system, she's on a mission to make the world safer and fairer. Previously, Lisel served as Executive Director of Better Tomorrow, where she led efforts to support survivors and prevent violence. During this time, she also helped establish the Child Advocacy Center, and worked with statewide coalitions and local organizations to develop and implement policies that better support and protect victims. Her legal career includes significant prosecutorial work, handling cases from attempted murder to sexual assault, distribution of drugs, and arguing pivotal cases before the Colorado Court of Appeals and the Colorado Supreme Court. Lisel also served five years on the Steamboat Springs City Council, focusing on affordable housing, DEI, and environmental issues. At R Street, Lisel creates comprehensive policy studies, writes persuasive op-eds, and collaborates with policymakers and coalitions to advance impactful legislation. Lisel's expertise is sought after at prestigious events such as the National League of Cities’ Mayoral Convenings on Community Safety and Violence Prevention, the Salzburg Global Seminar’s Whole System Approach to Justice, and the Association of Prosecuting Attorneys Leadership Institute, and she has been featured on outlets such as C-SPAN and Fox 31 Colorado. -
Owner & Principal, Emma Hudson Consulting, LLC
Emma Hudson Consulting, LLC, is a mission-focused communications and public affairs firm. With extensive experience in nonprofit and government sectors, Emma specializes in healthcare, business, and social justice policies. Prior to founding her firm, she served as Policy Director at the Wisconsin Alliance for Women’s Health and Director of Government and Community Relations at Alliance Colorado. As a contract lobbyist, she developed expertise in state policy, nonprofit advocacy, and state budget impacts on special populations. With more than a decade of experience lobbying at the state level, Emma’s work harnesses the combined power of storytelling, visual data demonstration, and relationship-building to advance even the most complex policy goals. Emma holds a Master of Public Affairs from the University of Wisconsin La Follette School of Public Affairs and a Master of Public Health from the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health.
Breakout Speakers
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Civil Rights Attorney
Kate Black represents children with disabilities in the foster care system in Texas. Her cross-system advocacy includes representing children in special education proceedings, Medicaid fair hearings, and child welfare placement hearings. Her civil rights work focuses on the ADA, the IDEA, and state laws protecting children with disabilities in the child welfare system. Prior to joining DRTx, Ms. Black spent ten years representing indigent death row inmates in post-conviction and clemency proceedings, with a focus on mental health and competency issues. She was part of the team that successfully argued Buck v. Davis in the United States Supreme Court. Her work has been featured by ABC News, Atlantic, Austin Chronicle, BET News, CBS News, Christian Science Monitor, CNN, Daily Kos, Dallas Morning News, Economist, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Guardian, Houston Chronicle, International Business Times, Los Angeles Times, Mother Jones, National Law Journal, New York Times, New Yorker, Newsweek, Politico, Root, Slate, Telegraph, The74, TIME, Texas Tribune, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, and the Washington Post. -
Family Practice Physician/Functional Medicine Practitioner, SteamboatFunctionalMedicine.com
Dr. Anna Lundeen is a board-certified family medicine physician and functional medicine practitioner with a deep commitment to personalized healthcare. She holds a degree in biological engineering from Cornell University and a Doctor of Medicine from Drexel University College of Medicine. After completing her residency at Poudre Valley Hospital in Fort Collins in 2009, Dr. Lundeen has been serving the community in Steamboat Springs, CO. Recognizing that one-size-fits-all medicine often falls short, she has embraced functional medicine to offer a more individualized approach. Dr. Lundeen focuses on uncovering the root causes of symptoms and crafting approachable and individualized health plans to help each patient achieve their unique health goals.
