This week on Connect & Collaborate, we’re focusing on Transportation updates in and around the Denver metro area. We’ll start with an overview of the Central 70 reconstruction, from the design to contracts and construction, and what we can expect. We’ll hear from Tony DeVito, Central 70 Project Director.

Peter Moore, President and CEO of VITAL for Colorado joins us to discuss the importance of energy production in our state. His guest will be Dan Whitten from the Solar Energy Industries Association. Dan will join us by phone in the first half of the show. In the last half of the show Jon Ekstrom and Peter Moore will discuss the upcoming year for VITAL.

This week on Connect & Collaborate, we’re bringing you a look at Unique Partnerships in and around Denver. Jon Ekstrom, of Deft Communications will talk with Jason Eckhoff and Dave Sevick from Peak Properties about their innovative Home for the Holidays campaign.

Rebecca Laurie, Director of Communications for Colorado’s Department of Regulatory Agencies joins us along with Gary Kujawski who will talk about the with the Division of Real Estate, real estate licensing and the current market, being a smart consumer in today's market, HOAs and more.

This week on Connect & Collaborate, we’re bringing you a look at Unique Partnerships in and around Denver. Jon Ekstrom, of Deft Communications will talk with Cindy Sovine – a cannabis advocate about her transition from lobbying for the pharmaceutical industry to the cannabis industry and her new ventures.

This week on Connect & Collaborate, we’re bringing you a look at Unique Partnerships in and around Denver. Jon Ekstrom, of Deft Communications will introduce us to Melanie Ulle and Ginna Santy from Women in Kind about the creation of Denver’s first full-service co-working space for women.

Kristen Muzzy, Executive Vice President of Business Development for Leading2Lean, advocates for manufacturing progress in Colorado and nationwide. Kristen’s guest is Richard Rahn, Co-Founder and Principal at Leonardo Group Americas.

Stephanie Veck, Director of the Colorado Workforce Development Council, joins us to discuss the Colorado Rises Strategic Plan, the "Master Plan:" for higher education in Colorado, with her guest is Dr. Kim Hunter Reed, Executive Director of the Colorado Department of Higher Education. They will also talk in-depth about career readiness, and respect for multiple paths to career success.

Matthew Sweeney Director of the Advanced Manufacturing Center at the Community College of Denver joins us to discuss everything that went into making the Collaboration in Industry Awards. The best part of asking CCD to make these awards for us, was the collaboration they created between departments to finish these awards. Matthew shares his view on making the awards, along with Donald Wood, affectionately known as Woody, an assistant professor at CCD, and two students that helped with the process, Austin Schmelzer and Michael Robertson.

We’re kicking off our inaugural Collaboration in Industry Awards by bringing you interviews with the nominees for each category. We’ll be sharing these interviews with you weekly until the awards ceremony on December 7th. Today’s show includes the Junior Achievement-Rocky Mountain Inc, finalist in the Education & Workforce category, Colorado Farm Bureau, finalist in the Farming & Agriculture category, and Colorado State University Global Campus, finalist in the Education & Workforce category.