Theme: Flourish

Join us for an evening of thought provocative talks as we explore our theme of Flourish. Tickets are on sale now

Poudre High School Auditorium
201 South Impala Drive
Fort Collins, Colorado, 80521
United States

Dr. Chrissy Chard

Founder, Courageous Parents & Director, Advanced Leadership Training Program at RIHEL

Dr. Chrissy Chard (she/they) is a leader grounded in the values of courage, connection, and love. She wears many hats, including being the founder of Courageous Parents, a Colorado-based parent coaching practice. Through an individualized, values-based approach, she supports parents in their own healing journey so they may do the important work of raising the next generation of social change agents. Chrissy also directs an Advanced Leadership Training Program where they support public health and environmental health leaders to develop heart-centered leadership skills. She is also the co-founder of Smart Fit Girls, a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting the health and well-being of adolescents. Among her many leadership roles, none is more important than being “mom”. She views parenting as a frontline for social justice work and continues to be humbled by the lessons her children teach her. You can find her at www.courageousparents.com

Dr. Sonja Gedde

Assistant Principal

Dr. Sonja Gedde is a progressive high school administrator in Poudre School District and affiliate professor at Colorado State University who teaches courses in educational philosophy, pedagogy, and communication sciences. She is fortunate to have served every educational context from elementary to graduate level as a classroom teacher, schoolwide interventionist, administrator, and professor. With a Doctorate in Education and Human Resources and a Specialists degree in Educational Policy, Sonja’s speaking, research and writing focuses on the intersections between identity and context. An avid traveler, she has visited over 80 countries and relishes opportunities to understand and immerse herself in new cultures. In her spare time, she trades the classroom for the gym and teaches fitness classes specializing in martial arts. Follow Dr. Gedde on Instagram: @theprinciplesoffice

Gabrielle Judge

CEO and Content Creator of Anti Work Girlboss

Gabrielle Judge is more commonly known as Anti Work Girlboss online. After coining the term lazy girl jobs in May 2023, her ideas received 10,000's of features in media all around the world. Her ideas center around work life balance, employee branding, and the future of the workplace with a Gen Z perspective. Gabrielle is the CEO and content creator of Anti Work Girlboss, published author, contributor for Entrepreneur, and podcast host.

Iris Radin

Student

Iris Radin is a senior at Poudre High School in the International Baccalaureate (IB) Program. Iris grew up in a family that focused on emotional literacy, active listening, and open communication. Iris has since translated those skills into her own relationships, both personal and professional. This background has allowed Iris to notice the difference between conversations that are more or less fulfilling and mutually beneficial. Her goal is to help others, especially those her age, develop stronger emotional intelligence and communication skills in order to have more connecting conversations, especially during challenging times. Iris currently explores these passions through peer mentoring and leadership at her school and in her job at Ben & Jerry’s. She hopes to continue that focus in college with an interest in organizational psychology.

Kyrstin Askew

Student

Kyrstin Askew is a Senior at Rocky Mountain High School and the president of EDA (Eating Disorder Alliance). She has accumulated many skills such as art, dance, rock climbing, and makeup artistry. She has suffered from anorexia for most of her life and has made it a goal to share her experiences with the world. She does public speaking in her school to initiate more meaningful and positive conversations about eating disorders. Kyrstin is the creator and president of the Eating Disorder Alliance at Rocky,- a student initiated group with the goal of supporting students and fighting the stigma surrounding eating disorders. She is very passionate about making the world a better place and encouraging love, kindness, and understanding. Ultimately, she strives for compassion and positivity and is passionate about improving the world through sharing her personal experience with an eating disorder.

Susan Blanco

Chief Judge of 8th Judicial District of Colorado

Susan Blanco is the first female to serve as Chief Judge of the 8th Judicial District of Colorado (Larimer and Jackson Counties) and was appointed to the bench in January 2017. She has presided over criminal, civil, probate, domestic relations, and terminations and adoptions. Prior to the bench, she served as a Deputy District Attorney followed by over a decade in private practice with a focus on criminal defense, juvenile delinquency, and dependency and neglect. Chief Judge Blanco developed the first Competency Court in Colorado and the Latinx Task Force in Larimer County. For the judicial branch, she serves on the Chief Judge's Council, chairs the Pathways to Access Committee, co-chairs the Information Technology committee, and is a commissioner on the Colorado Access to Justice Commission. She currently serves on the Colorado Bar Association’s Executive Council, Criminal Law Executive Council, and COBALT program for leadership development.

Tom Lockridge

Prosecutor and Screenwriter

Tom Lockridge served as the elected Commonwealth Attorney for the 13th Judicial Circuit in Kentucky for more than 26 years and has well over 30 years-experience as a violent crime prosecutor. He received the Carroll M. Redford Award as “Outstanding Kentucky Prosecutor” and was named “Outstanding Commonwealth’s Attorney” by the Kentucky Attorney General. He has served as a member of the Prosecutors Advisory Council, The Governor’s Task Force on Sexual Assault, and served as chair of the Kentucky Multidisciplinary Commission on Child Sexual Abuse. In his second career, Tom is the co-founder and President of Lucky Day Studios. He served as a writer/producer on "Unrequited" (Lionsgate) and "Faith, Love, and Chocolate" (Pure Flix/Amazon Prime). Most recently, Tom wrote & produced "Midway to Love" (Hallmark Movies and Mysteries Channel). In 2022, Tom was a a Top 10 Finalist in the Emerging Screenwriters Comedy Contest with the screenplay, "A Bourbon Tale".