Legacy Award winner Barbara Grogan, a champion for first-generation and undocumented students, headlines the chamber’s 14th annual gala
DENVER — Twenty-five of Colorado’s most influential women leaders will be celebrated this Friday, October 2, when the Colorado Women’s Chamber of Commerce (CWCC) hosts its 14th annual Top 25 Most Powerful Women in Business Awards Gala at the Hyatt Regency at the Colorado Convention Center.
The event, presented by KeyBank, runs from 5:00 to 8:30 p.m. and recognizes women who are shaping Colorado’s economy across healthcare, education, technology, government, nonprofits, and small business.
Honorees were selected by past Top 25 recipients based on four criteria: civic and community engagement, proven leadership, a passion for promoting women in business, and perseverance.
“Each of these women has driven meaningful change in her field and her community,” said Simone D. Morrison, CEO of the CWCC.
A Legacy of Opening Doors
This year’s Legacy Award, the chamber’s highest honor, goes to Barbara Grogan, whose story is a true entrepreneurial journey.
In 1982, Grogan launched Western Industrial Contractors with $500, a used pickup truck, and three employees. She grew it into a nationally recognized $400 million industrial construction firm before selling her interest in 2004.
Grogan went on to become the first woman to chair both the Denver Branch of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City and the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce.
Today, her philanthropy focuses on access to higher education, including scholarships she established for undocumented and first-generation students at Metropolitan State University of Denver, where she also chairs the Board of Trustees.
That commitment speaks directly to the families and future leaders HispanicBusinessTV serves.
Leaders Across Colorado’s Communities
This year’s class includes leaders whose work reaches deep into Colorado’s diverse communities.
Among them are Rachel Garcia, Executive Director of the Mexican Cultural Center; Marielena DeSanctis, Chancellor of the Colorado Community College System; Kayla Garcia, President and CEO of Girls Inc. of Metro Denver; and Emily Trujillo, Chief Operating Officer of HCA HealthONE Centennial.
The 2026 Top 25 Most Powerful Women in Business
- Andrea Albo — Scientific & Cultural Facilities District
- Karen Bigelow — Government & Community Affairs
- Stephanie Bivins — Mesa County Partnership for Children and Families
- Jennie Bjorem — Bjorem Speech Publications
- Marielena DeSanctis — Colorado Community College System
- Bianka Emerson — Colorado Black Women for Political Action
- Brig. Gen. Kathleen Flarity — CU Anschutz Marcus Institute for Brain Health & Center for COMBAT Research
- Kayla Garcia — Girls Inc. of Metro Denver
- Rachel Garcia — Mexican Cultural Center
- Adrina Gibson — City and County of Denver
- Terri Jackson — African-American Trade Association & Empowercom, Inc.
- Ceneé LaTulippe — 5280 PMO
- Kathleen Lockhart — Zayo Group
- Becky Miller Updike — Colorado Association of Family & Children’s Agencies
- Shannon Montour — Sky Blue Builders
- Sara Moore — Colorado Dragon Boat
- Kate Siegel Shimko — Colorado State University System
- Stacey Stegman — Denver International Airport
- Kelly Stevens — Align Society
- Emily Trujillo — HCA HealthONE Centennial
- Hannah Ulbrich — Copper Door Coffee Roasters
- Colleen Walker — Auraria Higher Education Center
- Kami Welch — Greater Arvada Chamber of Commerce / Jeffco EDC
- Danaya Wilson — BetterCertify
- Shira Zimmerman — ZIM Consulting
Attend the Gala
Tickets and tables are available through the Colorado Women’s Chamber of Commerce. The gala typically sells out, so early reservations are encouraged.
HispanicBusinessTV congratulates this year’s honorees and the Colorado Women’s Chamber of Commerce on 14 years of celebrating women in business.
Look for our post-gala coverage next week.
