The Power of Every Business to Address Society's Biggest Challenges

When businesses and organizations commit to ethical practices, the impact reaches far beyond the bottom line. The Ethical Leadership Forum brings together owners, managers, and professionals to exchange ideas that:

  • Drive profitability while strengthening teams

  • Foster collaboration across industries and sectors

  • Create lasting benefits for society and the environment

Through open dialogue and real-world strategies, this year’s Forum highlights how ethical leadership can inspire engaged employees, resilient organizations, and partnerships that ripple outward to create positive change.

Business Session Sponsor

I. 9:30 –11:00 AM: Business Session — The Power of 4: How ‘BoomingGenxMillenialZ’ Teams Win Together

Produced in partnership with Vail Valley Works

When generations collaborate instead of colliding, innovation rises, culture thrives, and the bottom line grows.

Session led by:

Barbara Brooks

Age Positive Speaker, Consultant & Founder of SecondActWomen

Katy Anthes, PhD

Director of the FORWARD initiative at the Public Education and Business Coalition (PEBC)

Age diversity isn’t just a buzzword, it’s a business superpower. In today’s workplace, Baby Boomers, Gen X, Millennials, and Gen Z each bring distinct perspectives and strengths to their teams. By 2030, five generations will share the workplace - the opportunity to innovate, collaborate, and succeed has never been greater. But ageism still lingers, holding organizations back - ignoring it isn’t an option.

This session explores how leaders can harness generational differences to build stronger teams, improve collaboration, and create workplaces that attract and retain talent. In this energizing keynote-meets-workshop, pro-age speaker, media contributor and SecondActWomen founder Barbara Brooks has the secret sauce to flipping the script on generational divides. Through real stories, data, Return on Experience Method, and a dose of cheeky real talk, Barbara shows leaders and teams how to turn age diversity into a business advantage.

II. 11:15 AM – 1:30 PM: Keynote Session (Includes Lunch):

MIKE JOHNSTON

MAYOR OF DENVER

Leading Ethically in an Age of Division

When values collide, truth is contested, and divides deepen, ethical leadership requires more than quiet consensus. It demands:

  • Moral courage to face conflict

  • Compassion to hear those we oppose

  • Integrity to hold fast to what is right — even at great cost

At the heart of this year’s theme are two guiding truths:

  1. The highest form of leadership is bringing people together.

  2. Unity is not the absence of disagreement but the triumph of shared purpose over division.

In an era when democracy’s strengths can also be its vulnerabilities, we’ll explore how leaders can transform ethical challenges into fuel for progress — moving beyond polarization toward a future where differences sharpen our vision rather than shatter our bonds.

Keynote Spotlight: Mayor Mike Johnston
 A former educator, state senator, and now Denver’s Mayor, Mike Johnston has earned national recognition for his ethical leadership and innovative responses to complex challenges — from homelessness and housing to human migration. With roots in Vail, Colorado, Johnston returns not only as a national leader but also as someone shaped by the very community hosting this year’s Forum.

Enjoy this inspiring keynote session over lunch, and reserve your place for an unflinching exploration of leadership at its most challenging — and most necessary.