Yesterday, I was joined by nine clients and friends at The Women’s Foundation of Colorado Annual Luncheon, alongside nearly 2,000 people gathered in support of Colorado women and their families.
The Women’s Foundation of Colorado is an organization near and dear to my heart. I’ve attended this luncheon for more than a decade, served two terms on the Board of Trustees, volunteered on the development committee for many years, and introduced countless women to the work of this organization.
I’ve also been a longtime donor through the Power of Extended Philanthropy, or PEP, contributing at least $1,000 each year for more than a decade. And I had the opportunity to serve on the branding committee that helped develop the Foundation’s current brand and tagline: Women Thriving. Colorado Rising.
It has a little Kami flair, doesn’t it?
Yesterday, one of those introductions to the WFCO came full circle.
During her opening remarks, Board Chair Mary Ann Littler shared that she was first introduced to WFCO 12 years ago when I invited her to attend the luncheon. She spoke about how deeply that experience shaped her life, then surprised me by saying from the stage, “Thank you, Kami, for inviting me.”
Thank you for mentioning me, Mary Ann. What a beautiful reminder that we rarely know where one invitation may lead.
Sometimes we invite a woman into a room, introduce her to someone she needs to know, or help her see a possibility she had not yet imagined. Years later, we discover that the moment mattered. She went on to lead, serve, give, and open doors for other women.
This is the ripple effect of women supporting women.
I felt that same pride watching my dear friend Renee Ferrufino take the stage as President and CEO of The Women’s Foundation of Colorado for the second year in a row. I’ve watched Renee rise through the organization from Vice President of Development into this leadership role, and witnessing all she has accomplished is deeply meaningful to me.
Yet the heart of yesterday’s gathering reaches far beyond any one person. It lives in what becomes possible when a community chooses to keep investing in women, especially during a time when that commitment requires clarity and courage.
The luncheon was inspirational and was headlined by an interview with stand-up comedians Margaret Cho and Cristela Alonzo. Both shared stories of growing up in immigrant families and finding their way in industries where few people looked like them.
Margaret offered a line that stayed with me: “Identity is what makes you rich.”
Yes. The fullest expression of who we are is where our richness lives. Our lived experiences, heritage, wisdom, ideas, and stories all shape the voice we bring into the world. When we leave parts of ourselves behind, we leave behind some of the very gifts that allow us to lead and make a difference.
Cristela left us with a question that feels especially important right now: “How do we as humans love each other more?”
Throughout the luncheon, we heard stories of women and girls across Colorado whose lives have been touched by the Foundation’s work. Those stories brought us back to what becomes possible when people choose to care about one another, invest in one another, and keep showing up.
The theme of this year’s luncheon was Unfiltered and Unstoppable, and I loved it because it named exactly what this moment asks of us: to be unfiltered in our truth and unstoppable in our commitment to women. We need the courage to say what matters, stand behind it fully, and keep moving our voices, leadership, and resources toward the future we want to create.
Across the country, some organizations and corporate partners have stepped away from work that could be categorized as DEI. Programs supporting women and historically underfunded communities have faced funding cuts, legal threats, and growing uncertainty. Yet while some partners pulled away, others stepped up to the plate in much bigger ways.
The Women’s Foundation of Colorado answered this moment with bold action, granting a record $5.4 million last year, nearly double the previous year and the highest level of grantmaking in the Foundation’s history.
That investment matters. When we invest in women, we strengthen families, communities, businesses, and economies. We create the conditions for women to lead, build wealth, contribute their ideas, and shape the decisions that affect their lives.
This is also why I continue to bring women into rooms together.
My work has always been about raising women’s voices, visibility, and businesses for greater impact. I believe deeply in the power of an invitation, an introduction, and a community that sees what is possible in a woman before she fully sees it for herself.
Our relationships become part of the infrastructure that supports women’s leadership. One introduction can lead to a new partnership. One invitation can awaken a deeper desire to serve. One woman opening a door can create opportunities for generations of women who follow.
Twelve years ago, I invited Mary Ann to a luncheon. Yesterday, she stood on the stage as Board Chair and shared how that invitation changed her life. Renee, another woman I have known and admired for years, now leads the organization into its next era of impact.
Around me sat nine clients and friends, each carrying her own wisdom, leadership, and capacity to make a difference. I found myself wondering what might grow from the invitations and connections made in that room.
We may never see the full reach of the seeds we plant. Yet every invitation brings another woman into the room, every investment gives an idea room to grow, and every voice raised creates space for more women to lead.
Together, these choices build businesses, communities, and funding models that move women forward.
Because this is how movements grow: one relationship, one opportunity, and one woman believing in another at a time.
This is the spirit behind the Extraordinary Women Ignite Conference. November 5–7, we are bringing women together at the foot of the mountain to raise their voices, expand their visibility, and build businesses that create greater prosperity and impact.
You never know where one conversation, connection, or invitation may lead. I would love to welcome you into the room.
Early Bird pricing ends September 15, giving you time to save $200 on your Ignite ticket.
