2019 Summit: Denver, CO
On October 10, 2019, more than 150 women in business came together at RISE Collaborative in Denver for an evening of community, education, and straight-talking entrepreneurial advice.
Presented with support from Bank of America, the free gathering was designed for women at every point in the business journey, from those still shaping an idea to founders actively growing established companies. The goal was simple: create a space where women could learn from one another, make meaningful connections, and leave with practical ideas they could apply to their own work.
The program began with a fireside chat between Ladies Who Launch Co-Founder Sarah Friar and Teresa Elder, CEO of WOW! Elder brought more than two decades of experience growing companies, leading teams, and guiding organizations through periods of transformation. Together, she and Friar set the tone for an evening grounded in both ambitious leadership and real-world execution.
The first entrepreneurial panel, “A Passion for Business: Building and Nurturing Your Brand,” examined how founders could create brands that felt distinctive, authentic, and relevant to the people they wanted to reach.
The speaker lineup included Olivia Omega Wallace, branding consultant, TEDx speaker, and Co-Founder of Wallace Marketing Group. With two decades of experience across branding, advertising, social media, and digital marketing, Wallace brought a clear understanding of how strategy, identity, and messaging work together.
Makisha Boothe, Founder and Head Business Coach of Sistahbiz Global Network, contributed her experience helping Black women entrepreneurs rethink their revenue strategies, brands, systems, and resource allocation. Stacy Taubman, Founder and CEO of RISE Collaborative, brought a community-building perspective shaped by creating workspaces where women could develop both business relationships and social capital.
The conversation then moved to the money.
“Show Me the Money: Business and Financing Strategies for Founders” brought financial expertise into the room without treating capital as a one-size-fits-all proposition. Krista Morgan, Co-Founder and CEO of P2Binvestor, shared insight from building a commercial lending platform designed to help growing companies access flexible lines of credit.
Cristina DeVito, Co-Founder and CFO of Collective Retreats, brought experience spanning investment banking, private equity, management consulting, operations, and high-growth entrepreneurship. Stacey Hadash of Bank of America contributed the perspective of a financial leader who had worked with companies ranging from emerging brands to large public businesses.
The evening closed with a fireside chat between DeVito and Danielle Hill, COO of The Riveter. Hill’s experience scaling teams from 10 people to more than 500 provided a fitting bridge between the night’s conversations about leadership, brand, funding, and organizational growth.
The program featured an impressive range of additional Denver-area and national leaders, including Veronica Collins of Havenly, Nina Sharma of Project X-ITE, Sara Sutton of FlexJobs, and Sarah Friar.
But the night was never intended to be a parade of polished success stories. It was an opportunity to make business knowledge more accessible and to put founders in the same room with people who could offer ideas, resources, introductions, and perspective.
After the formal program ended, attendees stayed for bubbles, bites, and conversation with fellow women in business. Because sometimes the most useful part of an event happens after the microphones are turned off, when someone shares an idea, makes an introduction, or says the two words every entrepreneur needs to hear once in a while: Keep going.