The Superior Chamber’s inaugural Women’s Business Conference, SuperiHER, aims to empower and support women in business. The conference provides networking, professional development, and inspiration for women from diverse industries and backgrounds.

The conference addresses women’s unique challenges and opportunities in the workplace, providing insights and strategies to overcome barriers and thrive in their careers. Topics may include leadership development, work-life balance, entrepreneurship, business management, personal branding, marketing, and technology.

In addition to the educational and networking aspects, the conference provides opportunities for attendees to showcase their businesses or products through sponsorships or exhibiting at our Women’s Expo. Sponsors and Exhibitors allow participants to connect with potential clients, partners, or investors, expanding their professional networks and promoting their brands.

Friday, October 6th, 2023

Women’s Expo at 11:00 a.m.

SuperiHER Women’s Conference begins at 12:00 p.m.

Opening Keynote Speaker & Lunch

Professional Breakout Sessions

• 12:50 p.m. – 1st Breakout Session
• 1:45 p.m. – 2nd Breakout Session
• 2:35 p.m. – 3rd Breakdown Session

Keynote Speaker 

3:30 p.m.

Professional Roundtables

4:15 p.m.

Cocktail Reception

4:45 p.m.

Opening Keynote Speaker

Susan Frew

CEO and Co-Founder of Sunshine Plumbing Heating Air

About Susan

As the CEO of her company, Sunshine Plumbing Heating Air, Susan Frew and her husband William grew the business by 535% in just one year by creatively using seven deceptively simple tools coupled with some good old-fashioned elbow grease. She is a former International GM with AT&T Wireless, an ESPN Radio Host, an Instructor with the SBA Emerging Leaders Program, and a Finance Manager in the auto industry.

As an essential business during COVID, Susan was able to lead Sunshine by maintaining a 60% Gross Profit and 14% net profit for 2020. As a result, Sunshine Plumbing Heating Air now boasts a coveted spot on the INC 5000 List as one of the INC Best Places to Work. To date, the company has won a total of 43 prestigious industry awards and accolades for business growth, integrity, and community service, amid a field of 950 competitors.

Susan has earned a solid reputation as the “go-to” business-growth Speaker for the Trades, Auto, Corporate, Manufacturing, and Telecom industries. She has coached over 100s businesses (in 18 different trades) back to profitability amid tough markets and recessions.

She has changed 1000s of lives with her inspirational and value-packed keynotes. The reason so many audiences trust her advice is that, as a fellow business owner, she has been there, done that, and got the T-shirt.

Susan has taken everything that she has learned (the good, the bad, and the ugly) about growing her company, and then subsequently brought her company back from almost going down the drain (plumber humor), into riveting Keynote and Breakout Programs that delight her audiences and meeting planners around the globe. Susan delivers 75+ talks each year to women, corporate, telecom, trades, automotive, and construction audiences.

Keynote: Igniting Success through the Power of AI

Susan Frew brings a fresh perspective to the world of AI. While she may not be a trained expert, her innovative use of AI in her professional speaking engagements and home services company showcases her as a valid “Super User of AI.” With a knack for concise communication, Susan navigates the realm of artificial intelligence in a way that resonates with her diverse audience from blue-collar workers to white-collar executives. Susan’s unique blend of expertise in AI sets her apart as a trailblazer in leveraging technology for tangible success.

Closing Keynote Speaker

Denise Burgess

President and CEO, Burgess Services

About Denise

Denise Burgess is President and CEO of Burgess Services, Inc., a Denver, Colorado second-generation 49-year-old construction firm.

Current projects include part of the City of Denver management team for the $225 million Colorado Convention Center Expansion and just awarded the Denver International Airport Baggage Handling System with PCL Construction. Her firm also partners in affordable housing development with two projects in Denver totaling over $100 million.

She became the first African-American Board Chair on the 150th anniversary of the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce in September 2017. She has been listed in the Top 25 Most Powerful Women by the Colorado Women’s Chamber of Commerce, Network Journal’s Top 25 Most Influential Black Women in Business in the U.S., and a Colorado Black Business Hall of Fame Inductee.

Keynote: Navigating Challenges and Embracing Innovation for Business Growth

Embark on an inspiring journey with industry trailblazer Denise Burgess. In 1994, Denise was summoned to step alongside her father and business mentor, a role that she would embrace until an unexpected turn of events in 2002.

Navigating through adversity, Denise found herself at the helm of a business with a dwindling team. But instead of succumbing to challenges, she harnessed her innovative spirit. This session chronicles her meteoric rise, tracing how she propelled her father’s heating and air conditioning enterprise into an expansive nationwide entity. 

A defining achievement during Denise’s leadership was securing an unprecedented contract: a staggering $39.6 million mechanical contract for the expansion of DEN, marking a historic milestone for a black-owned enterprise.

In this session, Denise Burgess will take you through her personal odyssey, illustrating how she not only overcame the male-dominated landscape but turned every obstacle into an opportunity. Her story is a testament to unwavering determination, innovation, and leadership, providing invaluable insights for anyone seeking to break boundaries and forge new paths in their career.

Recruiting for a New Generation

Presented by Susan Frew, CEO and Co-Founder of Sunshine Plumbing Heating Air

Learn the secrets to building high-performing teams through a revolutionary approach to hiring. Equipping individuals with the tools and mindset to use IMMEDIATELY to produce results. Take-home tools to empower audience members to break free from traditional hiring methods and adopt cutting-edge, out-of-the-box strategies for identifying and securing top talent. (that WORKS) Delivering a comprehensive learning experience with valuable takeaways, including multimedia resources, actionable handouts, and engaging videos.

Stop the Insanity! How to go from “Burned-Out” to 50 Vacation Days a Year

Presented by Megan Townsend, COO and Co-Founder of Altitude Arborist

Quit being tethered to day-to-day operations and elevate your ability to work ON your business!

Megan teaches actionable strategies you can implement right away to put the right people and processes in place, so you can step away from your business and allow it to grow and thrive while you are living your best life.

Learn tips to be more productive and have more time to be present when you shouldn’t be working. These strategies will not only get you on more vacations but also allow you to enjoy your time at the office growing your business.

What Cinderella Can Teach You About Growing Your Business: Are Simply Satisfied Customers, Really Enough?

Presented by Alisa Conner, Customer Experience Strategist, Alisa Conner Consulting

In this session, discover the three simple ways to increase revenue, retention, and referrals without always chasing new leads.

Many business owners treat their customers like Cinderella, but not in the way you might think. Prince Charming is nowhere to be found and instead, customers are having to work to find answers, give input, or are annoyed with endless email surveys. What is missing is an opportunity to build relationships with current customers so that they not only become your best referral partners but also become your unpaid focus group for testing new ideas to grow your product and service offers.

This session will give you three simple ways to build authentic relationships with your current and future customers so that you can alleviate market fluctuations, increase sales organically, and turn customers into raving fans and referral partners.

Mentors aren’t Born, they’re Made!

Presented by Dr. Cheryl Achterberg, Former Professor and College Dean

Advisors give information, counselors provide a plan of action or professional guidance using psychological techniques, and coaches tutor or train individuals on a specific skill set. Mentors work at an entirely different level merging the best of advisors, counselors, and coaches to build what often becomes a trusting, lifelong, learning friendship.

Uniquely, the mentor receives and well as gives information, insight, and understanding. Such relationships don’t happen by chance. Join this session to learn how mentors are defined, their key traits and skill sets, and how you might attain the pinnacle of professionalism as a mentor.

Stop the Insanity! Deep-Dive Workshop

Presented by Megan Townsend, COO and Co-Founder of Altitude Arborist

It’s time to put ideas into action! Get ready to dig into the Stop the Insanity action steps and create your personalized plan to increase productivity and unlock your potential for greater personal and professional success.

Bring your pen, paper, and your productivity pants! Participants will have the opportunity to work on goal formulation, prioritization, setting boundaries, task delegation, time blocking, and process documentation. Business owners and managers alike will come away with not just skills, but a written plan ready for implementation to level up work-life balance and start living your best life!

Revolutionize Your Marketing Workflow: Integrating AI for Seamless Content Creation

Presented by Samantha Markey, Brand Photographer & Social Media Marketing Coach of More Than Serendipity Visual Marketing

Discover how AI can be your secret weapon in creating captivating content effortlessly. Learn how to harness the power of AI to automate, optimize, and elevate your marketing efforts. We’ll walk you through practical applications, demonstrating how Canva and Google tools synergize with AI to simplify content creation, organization, and distribution.

Whether you’re a seasoned marketer or new to the game, this presentation equips you with actionable insights that transcend traditional marketing paradigms. Unleash the potential of AI to revolutionize your marketing workflow and craft compelling content that resonates in today’s fast-paced digital landscape.

Join Samantha for an engaging exploration of AI’s capabilities and walk away empowered to infuse innovation into your marketing endeavors. Unlock the door to a more efficient, effective, and engaging content creation process. The future of marketing begins here—let’s reshape it together.

The Power of HER. Shatter the glass. Break the ceiling.

Presented by Dr. Denise Caleb, First Vice President and Director, Human Capital Consulting Practice

Join Dr. Denise Caleb for an engaging and thought-provoking discussion that celebrates women in the workplace, acknowledges the challenges they continue to face, and explores how the power of HER is transforming the way we work, lead, and thrive in today’s world. Executive women are leaving the workforce in record numbers due to burnout. Strategies, such as self-care, setting boundaries, and addressing organizational factors, are necessary to effectively prevent and manage burnout.

Whether you’re a business leader, aspiring professional, or an advocate for gender equality, this session promises to inspire and inform, leaving you with takeaways to support and champion women in the modern workplace.

Beat the Burnout

Presented by Cari Ladd, Program Manager of WellPower

In this breakout session, Cari will facilitate a conversation on how to recognize signs of burnout in yourself and your staff and offer practical strategies for managing this type of stress.

We’ll explore how to create a culture of mental wellness and how that might influence the way we work.

Come to this session ready to share and learn as we’ll practice developing individualized plans for helping ourselves beat the burnout.

The 3 Pillars of Success

Presented by Autymn Rubal, Founder + CEO, Protea Consulting Group

The breakout session will focus on the 3 pillars of success that helped Autymn secure her seat in the board room. This will be a highly interactive session focused on knowledge of self, the power of community and mentorship, and how to manage fear and leverage lessons of failure.

The three pillars of success: Knowledge of Self, The Power of Community and Mentorship, and How to Manage Fear and Leveraging Lessons of Failure