Founded in FoCo 2025: Full Schedule

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10:00am MDT

Winning with Clarity: How to Stop Confusing Your Customers and Start Building Trust SEATS AVAILABLE

Tuesday March 11, 2025 10:00am - 10:45am MDT

Brands of all kinds struggle to build trust and demonstrate authority to their customers, but in today’s crowded digital era, this is more important than ever. Effective communication about your products, services, or organization is what sets you apart from your competitors.

The human brain is drawn to CLARITY and away from confusion. Most organizations are confusing their customers, and they don’t even know it, causing them to lose sales, and donations, or be passed up by their competition. In this session, Ian will teach you how to tell your story using the StoryBrand framework, giving you the tools to clarify your message and get your customers, donors, event attendees, or audience to respond.
You will walk away with a plan to effectively communicate about your organization and be able to start applying what you have learned that day.

Speakers

Ian Stewart

Build Trust. Demonstrate Authority., Whole Brand Agency

With a team of experienced professionals, Ian Stewart supports local and national businesses in crafting branding, messaging strategies, and content to build client trust, demonstrate authority, and increase online visibility to generate leads and drive conversations. As the founder... Read More →

Tuesday March 11, 2025 10:00am - 10:45am MDT
Prairie Sage 1 1200 Raintree Dr, Fort Collins, CO 80526

Builder Track

Subject Sales, Growth, Strategy, Communication Skills, Creativity, Small & Medium Business, Solopreneur/Freelancers, Marketing, People, Leadership, Client Delivery
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11:15am MDT

Building Trust to Achieve Big Outcomes SEATS AVAILABLE

Tuesday March 11, 2025 11:15am - 12:00pm MDT

Sand Lily

Trust based philanthropy was one positive outcome of the COVID pandemic, where grant makers extended flexibility to nonprofits as we all adapted to challenging circumstances. The trust placed in us during that period allowed us to focus on the big picture, rethink our roles, and make investments in long-term outcomes rather than short-term outputs. The result was more durable solutions, driven by the communities we serve. Why is this not the norm? In this presentation I'll share why it should be and how we can get there.

Speakers

Sebastian Africano

Executive Director, Trees, Water & People

Sebastian has worked for Trees, Water & People for 20 years, including the last seven as executive director. During this last period his primary focus has been creatively improving the viability of nonprofit careers by reducing friction in the nonprofit workplace, from both internal... Read More →

Tuesday March 11, 2025 11:15am - 12:00pm MDT
Sand Lily 1200 Raintree Dr, Fort Collins, CO 80526

NonProfit Track

Subject People, Strategy, Growth, Communication Skills, Leadership, NonProfit, Mindset, Creativity
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11:15am MDT

Hit It Off: Connect, Create, and Celebrate! SEATS AVAILABLE

Tuesday March 11, 2025 11:15am - 12:00pm MDT

Prairie Sage 1

Meet other attendees by taking the plunge into this lively, fun-filled session! Break down barriers, make new friends, and have a blast together.

No stiff suits, trust falls, or awkward handshakes here! Play interactive warmups, exercises, and games designed to connect you with like-minded folks, laugh alongside each other, and celebrate each other's entrepreneurial spirits!

Whether you're a one-person powerhouse, a small business dynamo, or a nonprofit superhero, this is your chance to mingle, mix, and make memories that'll last long after the conference is over.

Speakers

Gus Vieweg

Professional icebreaker & friendmaker, Improvisational Thinking

Gus Vieweg is a writer, educator, and emcee with over a decade of facilitation experience. He facilitates workshops for entrepreneurs, business leaders, and students who want to improve their communication, adaptability, and listening skills in a fun and engaging way. Gus's refreshing... Read More →

Tuesday March 11, 2025 11:15am - 12:00pm MDT
Prairie Sage 1 1200 Raintree Dr, Fort Collins, CO 80526

Social/Networking Track

Subject People, Communication Skills, Creativity
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1:00pm MDT

Speak Inarguably: Leadership Communication for Psychological Safety and Business Success SEATS AVAILABLE

Tuesday March 11, 2025 1:00pm - 1:45pm MDT

Prairie Sage 1

Workplace conflict can arise even when everyone involved has the best of intentions. What's commonly considered "professional communication" encourages leaders to express their arguable opinions as inarguable facts. When combined with positional power, this style of communication creates a psychologically unsafe environment for all. In response, colleagues feel the need to defend, explain, and raise their voices to feel heard--increasing the chances of an unproductive conflict. Alternatively, colleagues can go silent and disengage from work. Both strategies--silence and violence--create an unhealthy work environment.

When leaders speak arguably, they get resistance. When leaders speak inarguably they get safety, engagement, and results.

Speakers

Christopher Arnold

Transforming managers into leaders for people-first companies., Care Deeply Consulting

Christopher Arnold believes the world needs force-for-good businesses to succeed. He founded Care Deeply Consulting in 2018 to transform managers into leaders so people-first companies can grow. As principal advisor, he teaches conscious leaders how to leverage their care to navigate... Read More →

Tuesday March 11, 2025 1:00pm - 1:45pm MDT
Prairie Sage 1 1200 Raintree Dr, Fort Collins, CO 80526

Builder Track

Subject People, Leadership, Communication Skills, Small & Medium Business, Mental Health, Mindset
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1:00pm MDT

5 Simple Techniques to Help With Startup Stress For You and Your Team SEATS AVAILABLE

Tuesday March 11, 2025 1:00pm - 1:45pm MDT

Foxtail 2

During the session I will be workshopping these 5 techniques in the following order, and the attendees will experience a measurable release in stress levels, while learning tools they can use themselves in their day to day challenges. First we will introduce the techniques, while also introducing concepts for perspective and reframing of their opportunities.

1. Breath exercise
A simple breathing exercise to help immediately calm the nervous system, reducing anxiety and stress while increasing focus and clarity.

2. Reframing/Take Two Exercise
A cognitive technique to help shift perspective by “reframing” stressful situations in a more positive or productive light.

3. EFT (Tapping)
EFT combines acupressure and neuro linguistic programming (NLP) to release emotional tension by tapping specific meridian points while focusing on stressors.

4. Hero’s Exercise
Participants identify three heroes or role models, focusing on the traits they admire. This exercise helps individuals recognize those same qualities within themselves.

5. Gratitude Exercise
A powerful tool to reduce stress by intentionally focusing on gratitude, promoting positive changes in brain function.

Concepts we will introduce:

Guided Neuroplasticity
A practice that intentionally rewires the brain by focusing on empowering thoughts and habits, improving stress resilience over time.

Guided Visualization
A relaxation technique where participants use mental imagery to reduce stress and enhance performance in stressful situations,

Wabi-Sabi and Kintsugi
Introduction to the Japanese philosophies of Wabi-Sabi and Kintsugi.
Wabi-Sabi teaches acceptance of imperfection, while Kintsugi is a pragmatic example of transforming perceived defects into new strengths, aesthetics and opportunities.

Speakers

Eliana Salter

I will help you "shift your heart and mind", Shift Your Heart Consulting and Coaching

In 1992, I was in a very horrible car accident, where my mother, father and first husband were all killed. I survived with some relatively minor physical injuries, but emotionally I was devastated and completely traumatized. Since then, I have been on a long healing journey, where... Read More →

Tuesday March 11, 2025 1:00pm - 1:45pm MDT
Foxtail 2 1200 Raintree Dr, Fort Collins, CO 80526

Mental Health Track

Subject Social, Communication Skills, Leadership, People, Creativity
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3:15pm MDT

Creative Creatures Colluding and Conversing SEATS AVAILABLE

Tuesday March 11, 2025 3:15pm - 4:00pm MDT

Stage

Three amazing entrepreneurs a shoe school dean, a rage roomer and a mermaid walk into a bar..... and have a conversation about how they took their wildest/weirdest idea and are making a living at it. Followed by an interactive brainstorm in an attempt to answer; if you could? Would you?

Speakers