2025 Speaker Lineup

At Downtown Denver Partnership, Kate leads the efforts to engage community and cultivate downtown Denver champions—overseeing everything from strategic partnerships to communications working in tandem with the President and CEO to shape the future of downtown Denver. It’s a big job, but one that she approaches with the same passion and dedication she brings to everything she does.

Ed Blair serves as Area General Manager for Sage Hospitality Group, overseeing The Crawford Hotel, Denver Union Station, The Oxford Hotel, and The Oxford Club, Spa & Salon. With more than 25 years of hospitality leadership, Blair has guided some of Denver’s most iconic properties. He previously served as General Manager of The Curtis – a DoubleTree by Hilton, where he was known as its “Rebel Leader,” and at Embassy Suites Denver Downtown, where he earned Sage’s 2017 Passion Award. Blair also spent nearly a decade leading The Oxford, where he was named “Leader of the Year” in 2012 and helped the hotel achieve “Hotel of the Year” in 2011 for excellence in performance and guest experience. A graduate of the University of Colorado Boulder, Blair has coupled his hospitality career with deep community engagement. He previously served as COO of Mile High United Way and is a founding member of Denver’s Road to Work Business Advisory Council, supporting workforce opportunities for people experiencing poverty and disabilities. His civic involvement includes longstanding ties to the Downtown Denver Partnership, where he chaired the Business Improvement District board and served on the 14th Street General Improvement District board.

Emma Devine marries her experience in public affairs with her skills in public relations, media relations, digital engagement and visual communication to tell clients’ stories of impact and identify creative solutions to complex issues. Emma takes an objective-driven approach to communications and public affairs campaigns, identifying target audiences and measurable goals, then strategically employing tactics to meet stakeholders where they are. She guides community engagement and strategic communications for transformational infrastructure and mobility projects that will reshape how people move in Denver. Prior to joining GBSM, Emma led digital strategies and engagement for a public affairs firm in Chicago, where she guided strategy and managed tactical execution of organic and paid social, search and email marketing campaigns for government, healthcare, education, non-profit and corporate clients. Her experience in coalition building and community engagement advanced state funding for people with disabilities, mobilized healthcare advocates on behalf of stage IV cancer patients and encouraged ridership on one of the nation’s largest transit systems that was decimated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Britt Diehl serves as Senior Director of External Affairs and Marketing & Communications, where she leads coalition-building efforts and cultivates strong relationships among stakeholders to advance shared goals.

Kourtny Garrett became President and CEO of the Downtown Denver Partnership in January 2022, following nearly seven years as President and CEO of Downtown Dallas, Inc. With 25 years of experience advancing livable communities, she is recognized for building social, cultural, and economic vibrancy through inclusive, people-centered development. Guided by Jane Jacobs’ belief that cities thrive when created by everybody, Garrett has helped drive transformative change, including more than $11 billion in investment and the revival of over 40 vacant buildings in Downtown Dallas, alongside a decade-long effort that led to the district’s first public elementary school. Originally from Colorado, Garrett’s impact extends nationally and internationally through her work with the International Downtown Association, Brookings Institution, and German Marshall Foundation. She is a Marshall Memorial Fellow and an honorary member of the Texas Society of Architects and AIA Dallas, with honors including Dallas-Fort Worth’s “500 Most Influential Business Leaders.” Locally, she serves on the boards of Visit Denver and CU Denver’s College of Architecture and Planning. Garrett holds a BA in Communications from Austin College, pursued graduate studies in Urban Affairs at UT Arlington, and studied abroad at the University of London while working with CNBC Europe.

Bill Hume oversees sales for Maven Hotel and management of McGregor Square - an open space In the heart of Lower Downtown Denver (LoDo), adjacent to Coors Field, McGregor Square ushers in a new chapter of urban living, entertainment, food, and business travel in Colorado’s historic city. Spanning an entire block, it includes The Rally Hotel, McGregor Square Residences, McGregor Square Offices, various restaurants, retail outlets, and expansive food-hall, all circling a 17,000 square foot plaza complete with a stadium-sized LED screen.

Andrew Iltis is the Senior Vice President, Planning & Community Impact at the Downtown Denver Partnership. Andrew is known for his ability to bring people together to collaborate around the complex transportation challenges and opportunities of dense urban environments, and is thoughtful of key linkages between mobility, resilience, and economic development. Andrew has advanced degrees in Geography and GIS, and a Masters of Urban and Regional Planning.

Since graduating from Harvard University with a Bachelors of Arts degree in Economics, Jenny has led a career focused on finance and development. She worked as an analyst in the Real Estate Investment Banking group at Lehman Brothers and later at Barclays Capital in New York. From there, Jenny served as a Vice President at Amstar, where she was responsible for managing development, underwriting, acquisitions, asset management, and dispositions for a variety of property types. Throughout her career, she has completed IPO, M&A, sale, and financing transactions in excess of $5 billion. Jenny works for East West Partners and is focused on the development of Cherry Creek West. She previously managed the development of The Coloradan, a 334 unit, mixed-use condo tower in the Union Station neighborhood. Jenny and her husband Justin have three young daughters.

Implements at the Board’s strategic direction the BID’s plans to creatively plan, manage, and promote CCN as a premier live, work, shop/dine, stay destination including programs for marketing/communications/events; the design and maintenance of the BID’s streetscape; improvements to parking/mobility/economic development; and for advocacy with city government and other decision makers and stakeholders.

Brie Lipari serves as General Manager of Meow Wolf Denver, where she manages daily operations while focusing on positioning the exhibitions an integral part of Denver's arts and cultural ecosystem. Balancing operational excellence with forward-thinking vision, Lipari continues to explore innovative ways for Meow Wolf Denver to remain intricately woven into the fabric of Denver's evolving arts community, bridging large-scale immersive entertainment with grassroots artistic collaboration.

Samantha Scherrer oversees sales for The Rally Hotel and space management of Dairy Block - a historic site in downtown Denver’s LoDo neighborhood, was once home to Windsor Dairy and has since transformed into a vibrant micro-district. Today, it features 11 boutique shops, 19 restaurants, eight bars, a luxury coworking space, and a 172-room hotel. Known as a gathering place for tastemakers, fun seekers, and loyal regulars, the Dairy Block has become a signature Denver destination. From the lively atmosphere of The Alley to the diverse culinary offerings at Denver Milk Market, the district reveals new experiences at every turn.

Crafts & executes bold strategies, builds and manages a high-performing marketing team, and propels brand awareness to new heights.