Date: Wednesday, January 21
Time: 2:00–4:00 PM (arrival between 1:30-2 PM to check in)
Location: Guild | Republic Plaza | 370 17th St, Denver, CO 80202

HighView is hosting a professional development session at Guild for approximately 65 high school students focused on executive presence, emotional intelligence, and confident communication. Students are primarily first-generation college-bound students and/or come from lower-income backgrounds. We’re looking for volunteers to join us as small-group facilitators and coaches, helping students:
Practice clear, confident speaking
Refine a short elevator pitch
Develop strong eye contact, body language, and other core elements of professional presence.
No prior mentoring experience is required — just a willingness to encourage, listen, and share perspective.

PLEASE RSVP DIRECTLY TO Alana Selkowitz | Director of Development, alana@gohighview.com, 646-770-6348.

March 18th

CAREER SUMMIT:  Leading with Purpose | 1:30-4:30 PM | TBD
OVERVIEW:  Skill builders, career chats, and team TEDxHighView competition
VOLUNTEERS:  Workshop Leaders, Company Presenters, Competition Coaches & Judges

May 6th

FUNDRAISER:  HighView Elevate Senior Celebration | 5:00-8:00 PM | TBD
OVERVIEW:  Signature fundraising event to support continued program growth
VOLUNTEERS:  Setup, Registration & Check-In, Photography & Social Media

June 17th

PD WORKSHOP:  Social Capital – Personal Branding | 10:00 AM-1:00 PM | TBD
OVERVIEW:  Professional toolkit & narrative development with volunteer-led feedback   
VOLUNTEERS:  Document Editors & Reviewers, LinkedIn Coaches

June 24th

CAREER SUMMIT:  Unlocking Opportunity | 10:00 AM-1:00 PM | TBD
OVERVIEW:  Skill builders, career chats, and opportunity blueprint team competition
VOLUNTEERS:  Workshop Leaders, Company Presenters, Competition Coaches & Judges

July 15th

PD WORKSHOP:  Social Capital – Networking | 10:00 AM-1:00 PM | TBD
OVERVIEW:  Building connections & interviewing with volunteer-led feedback
VOLUNTEERS:  Networking Coaches, Mock Interviewers & Role Models

Presentation Outline

This discussion will examine the Colorado and the Denver metro area as it stands now. Most of the key metrics that defined the Front Range in the mi-2010s are markedly different now in the mid-2020s: demographics, growth rates and key economic indicators among them. The area’s future will depend on how leaders respond.

DJ Summers is Common Sense Institute’s Director of Communications & Research Operations. He oversees CSI fellows and research staff, coordinates with partners, iterates and analyzes projects and breaks down findings for the public, legislators and commercial leaders.

Prior to CSI, DJ attended the University of Utah and Syracuse University. He worked as a journalist, investigator and political researcher across the U.S. from Washington, D.C. to Alaska. DJ has a drive to understand complex truths and make them clear and accessible to the public and its leaders alike.

DJ lives in Denver and is a classically trained pianist. He devotes his spare time to practicing and studying music. When not at the piano bench, he has a regimen of strength training, combat sports and enjoying good Colorado beer.

Common Sense Institute is a non-partisan research organization dedicated to the protection and promotion of Colorado’s economy. CSI is at the forefront of important discussions concerning the future of free enterprise in Colorado and aims to have an impact on the issues that matter most to Coloradans. CSI’s mission is to examine the fiscal impacts of policies, initiatives, and proposed laws so that Coloradans are educated and informed on issues impacting their lives. CSI employs rigorous research techniques and dynamic modeling to evaluate the potential impact of these measures on the Colorado economy and individual opportunity.