On the Move in August: From Statewide Forums to Quantum Futures

July 31, 2025

We’re feeling the August energy – and it’s not just from the sunshine and farmers market bounty. As we get ready for the start of a new school year, we’re excited about the growing momentum across our beautiful state to reimagine education-to-workforce systems that truly work for learners and earners. 


This month, The Attainment Network team is heading into forums, learning tours, and convenings that focus on community collaboration, leadership, and future-facing innovation. We’re excited to listen, learn, and celebrate the incredible work happening across the state. 


Here’s where you can find us this month: 


🗓️ Tuesday, August 5 
🔹
Behavioral Health Sector Partnership All-Partner Meeting – Lakewood
Michelle will join partners at Red Rocks Community College to discuss workforce development in behavioral health. The agenda features the ColoradoFWD initiative’s test of a new digital credentialing solution to better recognize the skills, credentials, and lived experience of healthcare and behavioral health workers.


🗓️ Thursday, August 8 
🔹
Community Impact Forum: State of Education – Arvada
Michelle is joining this annual conversation hosted by the Greater Arvada Chamber of Commerce, where leaders will explore topics shaping the future of K–12 and postsecondary education in Jeffco – including school start time equity, mental health, career pathways, and business partnerships. 


🗓️ Tuesday, August 12 
🔹
HA.HA. (High Action. High Alignment.) Sisterhood Gathering – Denver
Rana is honored to join this bold panel of women leaders committed to solving complex challenges through collective action, shared leadership, and true alignment. This evening will spotlight what’s possible when Colorado’s women leaders lead
together – not in parallel. 


🗓️ Tuesday, August 12 

🔹 Quantum Workforce Collaborative meeting – Online
Rana and Michelle will join Elevate Quantum, NVIDIA, Spark Photonics, and the Colorado Governor’s Office for updates on quantum education initiatives. 
 

🗓️ August 13–15 
🔹
CO Project 2.0 Learning Tour – San Luis Valley
Ashley was invited to participate in this exciting initiative – led by the Scrivner Institute and the Josef Korbel School of Global and Public Affairs – to uncover and scale the most promising economic, workforce, and sustainability solutions emerging from Colorado’s rural communities. Ashley is excited to elevate the career-connected pathways partnership as a national model of innovation and resilience. 


🗓️ Wednesday, August 21 
🔹
Colorado Talent Academy – Vail Valley 
Libby and Michelle will join a statewide cohort of talent leaders to explore regional solutions and strategies for employer engagement, as part of a larger effort to align talent development across Colorado. 


🗓️ Tuesday, August 27 
🔹
State of the Data: Longitudinal Data System Convening – Virtual
Join us at 10 a.m. for a virtual session featuring state leaders sharing milestones and next steps for Colorado’s Longitudinal Data System. This is a key moment to learn more and engage with the future of education-to-workforce data.
Register Here. 


🗓️ Wednesday, August 28 
🔹
Quantum Commons Open House – Boulder
Rana, Michelle and Katherine are looking forward to celebrating the grand opening of the first major building on the Quantum Commons campus an emerging hub for innovation and workforce collaboration. This open house will bring together partners and community leaders from across the growing quantum ecosystem. 

We hope to see you at one of these events—or hear from you if you’re working on similar efforts in your region. We’re always looking to share ideas, elevate stories, and support the progress that’s already underway. 

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We are so excited about the month ahead! We have so many opportunities to connect with our brilliant partners here in Colorado and beyond to learn, explore, and design what’s next for preparing learners and earners for in-demand careers. And the biggest opportunity of all is our Career-Connected L/Earning Conference, Oct. 29-30 in Colorado Springs. We’ve been working on this conference all year, and we can’t wait to see you there! Here’s where you can find us this October: 🗓️ October 7 🔹 Boettcher State of Leadership: San Luis Valley Convening — Fort Garland Who will be the “Next Ten” leaders stepping up in the San Luis Valley? Ashley and Wes will join current and emerging community leaders for a conversation about strengthening the region’s leadership pipeline, building new connections and addressing the “Same Ten People” challenge identified through the Boettcher Foundation’s State of Leadership initiative. 🗓️ October 8 🔹 Postsecondary Talent Development System Transition Advisory Committee — Edwards Michelle Camacho Liu will reconvene with fellow committee members to continue developing recommendations that will guide Colorado’s new unified postsecondary talent development system. If you'd like to join sign up through the RSVP link . 🗓️ October 12-14 🔹 CFO Leadership Conference — Westminster Finance executives from across the country, including our own Michelle Payne, will explore emerging trends in leadership, AI and technology, economic conditions, and strategies for strengthening organizational performance. 🗓️ October 13 🔹 Superintendent Meeting — Monte Vista Ashley and Wes will connect with San Luis Valley superintendents to continue strengthening regional collaboration needed for pathways that lead to in-demand careers and economic mobility. 🗓️ October 14-16 🔹 Leading with Value, Building Trust: Lumina State Policy Retreat — Philadelphia Rana will join state teams from across the country for this invite-only convening focused on value-centered postsecondary attainment goals, better alignment between higher education and workforce needs, and how states define and measure credentials of value. 🗓️ October 20 🔹 Human Capital Summit — Arvada As AI and emerging technologies reshape the workplace, what human skills will matter most? Katherine will join employers, executives, HR professionals and community leaders for this Greater Arvada Chamber and Colorado Inclusive Economy event exploring how organizations are staying competitive by investing in people, culture, and innovation. 🔹 Making Pathways Data Useful: Pathways Impact Community Workshop — Virtual Michelle will join partners for a working session focused on making pathways data more useful and actionable. 🔹 CDE Technical Advisory Panel for PWR Accountability Metrics — Virtual Stefan will join his fellow TAP member to work on designing Colorado’s Postsecondary and Workforce Readiness accountability metrics. 🗓️ October 21 🔹 Postsecondary Talent Development System Transition Advisory Committee — Virtual The Transition Advisory Committee reconvenes. 🗓️ October 29-30 🔹 Career-Connected L/Earning Conference — Colorado Springs It’s the event we’ve been looking forward to all year! The entire Attainment Network team will join hundreds of leaders from education, workforce, industry, government, philanthropy and community organizations for two days of learning, connection and collaboration focused on building stronger education-to-career pathways. We hope you’ll join us!