This weekâs DenX â BusinessDenâs networking event for women â looked a little different than the usual mixing and mingling weâve hosted in the past.
Guests sprawled out across the outdoor space at Exdo Event Center in RiNo to listen to four female leaders in Denver discuss their unique personal and professional journeys, trends in their industries, and words of advice for the next generation.
The four panelists were Susana Cordova, superintendent of Denver Public Schools; Vanessa Diaz, senior director of marketing automation at Transamerica; Gretchen Rosenberg, president and CEO of Kentwood Real Estate; and Danielle Shoots, vice president and CFO of The Colorado Trust.
The eventâs presenting sponsor was law firm Berg Hill Greenleaf Ruscitti, and Ashley Cawthorn, the firmâs marketing director, moderated the panel discussion.
Cordova started the conversation by opening up about her leadership style in the face of a pandemic and her struggles guiding the cityâs largest school district.
âThis is a challenging time for everybody with no clarity on what is the right choice,â Cordova said. âIâm frequently looking at options and thinking âThese all suck.â So what do you do? Well itâs taught me a couple things and continues to. One is you canât always make the right decision. You have to make the best decision with what you have, and you canât wait for all the indication that you need. Another thing itâs taught me is in the middle of incredibly challenging times, itâs important to invest in my own health and wellbeing.â
Business has been booming, meanwhile, for Kentwood Real Estate, with limited supply in the local housing market and consistently rising demand. Rosenberg has worked in the industry for nearly 25 years, and shared a story about why her mom is her mentor and the one who shaped her determination.
âMy great grandfather founded this Miss America pageant, which my mother absolutely abhorred,â Rosenberg said. âShe said thatâs the worst way to judge women; judge them on their merit. So in high school, I wanted to become a cheerleader. ⌠I told my mom, and she snorted and said, âGirls donât stand on the sidelines cheering for boys. They get in the game.â I knew she was right, so I ran for student council and became the sophomore class president instead.â
Diaz, who emigrated from Bolivia, agreed that the generation of women before her have allowed her to have a voice and feel comfortable taking âa seat at the table.â
âThe women in my family were a powerful presence,â Diaz said. âMany of them were entrepreneurs and have built this future to pass down to the next generation. I was fortunate enough to see that, however, it wasnât so easy. They put in hard work, hours and grit, but didnât receive the same praise as a man. But I didnât know that until I was older, so I grew up with the courage that I could conquer anything.â
At 34 years old, Shoots has quickly worked her way up the ladder. Before working for nonprofit The Colorado Trust, she served as VP of finance and business operations for the West Division of Comcast, managing a billion-dollar capital portfolio and a team of 60 employees in seven states. She also had her first child at 16.
âWhat I reflect on the most is that I wish all moms were treated the way I was,â Shoots said. âBecause I was 16, people expected me to be an idiot and I was. People didnât know what I was doing, and I didnât. As I was building my career, people celebrated when I got a title or new leadership position because I came from a place where youâre not supposed to do that I guess, and we donât treat other working moms that way.â
âI recognize thereâs privilege that came with that, but I wish all moms got treated the way I did in their careers,â Shoots added. âHow do we celebrate them instead of making them feel guilty?â
Be on the lookout for the next installment of DenX later this year. If you have location ideas or are interested in being an event sponsor, please email Samantha Baldwin at [email protected].
Enjoy perusing photos from the night from photographer Alyson McClaran.
And a special thanks to all of our event sponsors:
This weekâs DenX â BusinessDenâs networking event for women â looked a little different than the usual mixing and mingling weâve hosted in the past.
Guests sprawled out across the outdoor space at Exdo Event Center in RiNo to listen to four female leaders in Denver discuss their unique personal and professional journeys, trends in their industries, and words of advice for the next generation.
The four panelists were Susana Cordova, superintendent of Denver Public Schools; Vanessa Diaz, senior director of marketing automation at Transamerica; Gretchen Rosenberg, president and CEO of Kentwood Real Estate; and Danielle Shoots, vice president and CFO of The Colorado Trust.
The eventâs presenting sponsor was law firm Berg Hill Greenleaf Ruscitti, and Ashley Cawthorn, the firmâs marketing director, moderated the panel discussion.
Cordova started the conversation by opening up about her leadership style in the face of a pandemic and her struggles guiding the cityâs largest school district.
âThis is a challenging time for everybody with no clarity on what is the right choice,â Cordova said. âIâm frequently looking at options and thinking âThese all suck.â So what do you do? Well itâs taught me a couple things and continues to. One is you canât always make the right decision. You have to make the best decision with what you have, and you canât wait for all the indication that you need. Another thing itâs taught me is in the middle of incredibly challenging times, itâs important to invest in my own health and wellbeing.â
Business has been booming, meanwhile, for Kentwood Real Estate, with limited supply in the local housing market and consistently rising demand. Rosenberg has worked in the industry for nearly 25 years, and shared a story about why her mom is her mentor and the one who shaped her determination.
âMy great grandfather founded this Miss America pageant, which my mother absolutely abhorred,â Rosenberg said. âShe said thatâs the worst way to judge women; judge them on their merit. So in high school, I wanted to become a cheerleader. ⌠I told my mom, and she snorted and said, âGirls donât stand on the sidelines cheering for boys. They get in the game.â I knew she was right, so I ran for student council and became the sophomore class president instead.â
Diaz, who emigrated from Bolivia, agreed that the generation of women before her have allowed her to have a voice and feel comfortable taking âa seat at the table.â
âThe women in my family were a powerful presence,â Diaz said. âMany of them were entrepreneurs and have built this future to pass down to the next generation. I was fortunate enough to see that, however, it wasnât so easy. They put in hard work, hours and grit, but didnât receive the same praise as a man. But I didnât know that until I was older, so I grew up with the courage that I could conquer anything.â
At 34 years old, Shoots has quickly worked her way up the ladder. Before working for nonprofit The Colorado Trust, she served as VP of finance and business operations for the West Division of Comcast, managing a billion-dollar capital portfolio and a team of 60 employees in seven states. She also had her first child at 16.
âWhat I reflect on the most is that I wish all moms were treated the way I was,â Shoots said. âBecause I was 16, people expected me to be an idiot and I was. People didnât know what I was doing, and I didnât. As I was building my career, people celebrated when I got a title or new leadership position because I came from a place where youâre not supposed to do that I guess, and we donât treat other working moms that way.â
âI recognize thereâs privilege that came with that, but I wish all moms got treated the way I did in their careers,â Shoots added. âHow do we celebrate them instead of making them feel guilty?â
Be on the lookout for the next installment of DenX later this year. If you have location ideas or are interested in being an event sponsor, please email Samantha Baldwin at [email protected].
Enjoy perusing photos from the night from photographer Alyson McClaran.
And a special thanks to all of our event sponsors:
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