Meet Our Special Guests

Artist Jordan Casteel (she/her) and author Kali Fajardo-Anstine (she/her), both Colorado-born and raised, pursue visions of equity through their nationally acclaimed work. They are building a future where women of every background and identity thrive - one brush stroke and word at a time.

Jordan Casteel’s figurative portraits and landscapes reveal our underlying temperaments with gestural brushwork and bold swaths of color. From the New York City subway and the streets of Harlem to the woodlands of Upstate New York, Casteel foregrounds the people of color who share in a collective experience through a vantage point of self-reflection. The artist’s work has been exhibited at institutions nationally and throughout the world including The Denver Art Museum in a 2019 solo presentation titled “Returning the Gaze.” She was named a MacArthur Foundation Fellow in 2021.

Kali Fajardo-Anstine is an author and National Book Award finalist. Her debut story collection, “Sabrina & Corina,” made waves in the literary community for its look at life in the American West for women of Latina and Indigenous descent. She followed it with her first novel, bestseller “Woman of Light.” In rousing talks that challenge the status quo, Fajardo-Anstine speaks about her racial and familial identity, the systems in our society that hold back marginalized people, and the craft of writing about and researching one’s cultural roots. She is a recipient of the 2023 Guggenheim Fellowship.

Robin Arzon and Renee Ferrufino speak onstage at 2022 Annual Luncheon

"I was blown away at the luncheon. I got tingles, I got goosebumps. Being part of reform and having a voice is super important to me.”

- Ashley Bush, luncheon attendee

Meet Our 2024 Annual Luncheon Co-Chairs

Emily Davis

Emily Davis is the President of Emily Davis Consulting where she serves as a leadership coach, facilitator, advisor, and speaker. Her services focus on small to midsize businesses, nonprofits, philanthropy, and women leaders. Emily is an author, 21/64 certified philanthropic advisor, BoardSource, Senior Governance Associate, and certified facilitator. She has her Masters in Nonprofit Management from Regis University and was named one of the 40 Under Forty Business Leaders.

Emily's early career began in ending violence against women, international women's human rights, and women's health. Emily has served in board and staff leadership roles for local, national, and international organizations. Emily has served as a founder, grant maker, staff, and volunteer across a wide variety of organizations locally and nationally. She currently serves on the Board of Trustees and as the Annual Luncheon Co-chair for The Women’s Foundation of Colorado.

Hollie Velasquez Horvath

Hollie Velasquez Horvath is the Regional Vice President of State Affairs and Community Relations for Xcel Energy-Colorado.

In her role, she provides strategic leadership and management to a team of directors, managers, analysts, and lobbyists who are responsible for driving policy and business initiatives enabling best in class electric and gas service to Colorado customers while supporting company initiatives leading the clean energy transition. Her team manages economic development and chamber partnerships, state, city, and county policy, and political, business, and community relationships on behalf of the Colorado operating company. These critical relationships help shape innovative and leading economic development initiatives, company operations, energy policy, transmission policy, and energy market strategy. The philanthropic arm of the Colorado company is within her department and supports Colorado communities and customers with foundation grants, employee volunteerism, and corporate sponsorships.

Hollie currently sits on the boards of Denver Health Authority, Downtown Denver Partnership Inc, Visit Denver, Aurora Economic Development Corporation, and the Latino Community Foundation of Colorado.

She is a 5th generation Coloradoan and resides in Denver with her husband, 15 year-old twins, and 10 year-old labradoodle.