The Drop Off: EPIC Conversations About the Workforce of Today and the Talent of Tomorrow – Details, episodes & analysis

In December 2024, EPIC partnered with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation for the National Child Care Innovation Summit. This invite-only event, presented by the David and Laura Merage Foundation, brought together business leaders in Washington, D.C. for an intimate, engaging environment of workshops, panels, and networking—designed to turn inspiration into action in their own communities. 

On this episode of The Drop Off, we’re proud to share “Paying Dividends: Employer Investments & Community Impacts.” Hosted by Aaron Merchen of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, and featuring Kathy Szenda Wilson and Maria Ortiz Borden of Pulse, Ananda Sweet of the Santa Rosa Metro Chamber, and David Duro of the Treasure Valley Family YMCA,” this conversation highlights how investments in child care benefit both the business community, and the community at-large.

This episode is available on podcatchers everywhere and the EPIC website. Please rate, review and subscribe. 

In December 2024, EPIC partnered with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation for the National Child Care Innovation Summit. This invite-only event, presented by the David and Laura Merage Foundation, brought together business leaders in Washington, D.C. for an intimate, engaging environment of workshops, panels, and networking—designed to turn inspiration into action in their own communities. 

On this episode of The Drop Off, we’re proud to share “How Providers & Employers Can Build Successful Relationships.” Hosted by Adam Alson of Appleseed Childhood Education, and featuring Ella Zander of Yellow Hen Child Care and Jennifer Knott of Access Early Education Foundation, the conversation sheds light on how to foster dialogue and partnership in each unique business environment. Anecdotes, insights, and useful information abound in this dynamic conversation among three leaders in the field.

This episode is available on podcatchers everywhere and the EPIC website. Please rate, review and subscribe. 

Ryan Beiser is Regional President and Head of Corporate Banking for PNC. PNC is constantly innovating to help their clients succeed and to have a big impact in Denver. They provide their customers with new ideas, offer valuable insight and create customized solutions that will help propel a business forward. Ryan is also Chairman of the Board for EPIC.

On this episode of The Drop Off, Ryan joins Nicole Riehl to discuss PNC's deep commitment to early childhood education and care, how their philanthropic giving contributes to solving larger systemic problems in society, and how they empower their employees to advocate for the causes they most believe in. He discusses his involvement with EPIC, with other civic organizations, and describes how EPIC is uniquely suited to continue to be at the forefront of many of the state's most important conversations. 

This episode is available on podcatchers everywhere and the EPIC website. Please rate, review and subscribe. 

Christine Benero is the President & CEO of Mile High United Way. On the About page of their website, they describe themselves thusly: "Working side-by-side with the community, Mile High United Way takes on critical human services issues facing our seven-county footprint including the Metro Denver, Boulder, and Broomfield communities. Through our community programs and initiatives, we focus on our three interconnected Community Priorities: giving all children a strong start, supporting education and academic success, and creating economic opportunity for all."

On this episode of The Drop-Off, Christine joins Nichole Riehl to discuss her personal and professional journey that led to her leading Mile High United Way, digs into the work of Mile High United Way, and spends the bulk of the episode talking about their game-changing new project of putting on-site childcare at their Denver office location. She shares insights about duplicative regulatory processes, uncovering gaps in the system, and divulges the deep need for childcare solutions across the region's business community. 

This episode is available on podcatchers everywhere and the EPIC website. Please rate, review and subscribe. 

Stacie Packard is President of Delwest Management Corp, a Denver-based real estate development firm focused on creating value within local communities through a unique combination of leadership and partnership. With a portfolio including multi-family rental properties (both luxury and affordable), whole communities of single-family homes, and renovated historical homes and buildings, Delwest is considered by its urban, federal and financial partners to be among the top metro-area real estate development companies.

On this episode of The Drop-Off, Stacie shares her personal and professional journey that involves understanding affordable housing from a multitude of angles. She joins Nicole Riehl to discuss how childcare and affordable housing are interrelated, how her company is working on innovative solutions to these issues, and why the work of EPIC is so vital.

This episode is available on podcatchers everywhere and the EPIC website. Please rate, review and subscribe. 

Linda Weise is the President and CEO of the Colorado Springs Community Cultural Collective, a 501C3 dedicated solely to the preservation and revitalization of the historic Colorado Springs City Auditorium. She is also the Founding CEO of the Colorado Springs Conservatory (CSC). She established the Conservatory in 1994 to bring world-class performing arts education to the region.

On this episode of The Drop-Off, Linda shares her professional journey that took her from performing to business to making the entrepreneurial leap. She joins Nicole Riehl to discuss issues pertinent to the arts and to early childhood, shares how the challenges have changed in the last 30 years, and how she came to be inspired by EPIC to be more involved at the State Capitol. 

This episode is available on podcatchers everywhere and the EPIC website. Please rate, review and subscribe. 

Brad Busse, President of Busse Ventures, was there for the founding of EPIC. In this episode of The Drop-Off, Brad gives everyone a behind-the-scenes look at the formation of EPIC and how a group of powerful, like-minded business leaders came together when they saw that child-care supply was a major challenge. In his estimation, it is imperative the business community support early childhood education not only for the benefit of all Colorado families, but to "home-grow as many well-balanced employees as possible.” In this conversation, Brad joins our Host, President and CEO of EPIC, Nicole Riehl to discuss the early days of EPIC, stresses the importance of early childhood education, celebrates the organization's many accomplishments, and looks to the future.    This episode is available on podcatchers everywhere and the EPIC website. Please rate, review and subscribe. 

This month we met with Lisa Steven, Founder and Executive Director of Hope House Colorado and EPIC Executive Member. Hope House serves over 250 teen moms teaching how to achieve personal and economic self-sufficiency. Lisa explains that, “we don’t know where we would be without EPIC” and the opportunity to be a Project of Promise has been critical to remove the barriers and challenges of child care.

This episode is available on podcatchers everywhere and the EPIC website. Please rate, review and subscribe. 

From oral health to universal pre-school, Delta Dental of Colorado Foundation's Adeeb Khan tells EPIC CEO and President, Nicole Riehl, how we all can have positive longterm outcomes by investing in children at an early age. Listen in as Adeeb explains how getting kids “set up on the right track” will help our workforce to be better off in the long run. 

This episode is available on podcatchers everywhere and the EPIC website. Please rate, review and subscribe. 

David Hammond served as EPIC’s Board Chair from 2019 to 2022 and has been critical to the organization’s growth and development since its inception in 2010. In this podcast, David tells Nicole about his interest in early childhood education and advocacy since he was a young father and the strategies that have been key to support the early childhood system in Colorado. 

David explains that emerging leaders now have powerful arguments around the need for high quality child care and how it was a “silver lining during the pandemic" to highlighting this critical need. EPIC is happy that David will remain on EPIC’s board and his emerging opportunities outside of the child care realm because building stronger, safer communities is crucial.

This episode is available on podcatchers everywhere and the EPIC website. Please rate, review and subscribe.