Meet Our Team

Kristen Blessman
Executive Vice President of the Denver Metro Chamber and President of Denver Metro Chamber Leadership Foundation
kristen.blessman@denverleadership.org
303-620-8038

Connect

Kristen Blessman has over 20 years of leadership experience, including strategic marketing, business development and executive management; working with in non-profit as well as for-profit businesses. Blessman is also an entrepreneur, having started multiple ventures. She is a change-agent leader with a focus on revenue development through the areas of innovation, strategic planning, start-up social enterprise, rebranding, and award-winning marketing and advertising campaigns. 
 
Blessman is currently the President of the Denver Metro Chamber Leadership Foundation and EVP of the Denver Metro Chamber. Blessman also served as the President and General Manager of PBS12, Impact Media for Colorado. As CEO of PBS12, Blessman re-invented the hyper local media landscape for Colorado by telling local stories that inspire. Blessman was brought on as president of the organization to do what she does best; bring innovation, advocacy and change to the nonprofit media organization. Under her tenure, the organization launched entirely new local programming, spearheaded several local content partnerships and won an Emmy and Telly award and best new program from the Colorado Broadcaster’s Association. 

Kristen currently serves on the Board of Trustees for Western Colorado University and has served on the boards of The International Women’s Forum of Colorado, The American Marketing Association, and The Denver Press Club, She also serves as an advisory board member and guest faculty for the Jake Jabs School for Entrepreneurship at CU Denver and is on the Advisory Board for Civico.

Our Staff — Programs

Jess Welser
Director of B:CIVIC and CSR
jessica.welser@bcivic.org
303-620-8085

Connect

Jess serves as the Director of B:CIVIC and CSR for the Denver Metro Chamber Leadership Foundation. B:CIVIC elevates business for good by empowering organizations and their people to do more for their communities.

As part of B:CIVIC, she helps companies move the needle and increase capacity for their corporate social responsibility strategies. In this role, she engages more than 140 organizations in sharing expertise, corporate strategy and collaborative initiatives. Two notable initiatives include a Colorado CEO pledge against racism and the first statewide version of the Civic 50 Colorado.

Additionally, she manages stakeholder engagement, resource curation, marketing and event execution, including an annual conference. Through her leadership, the B:CIVIC Summit has become the largest full-day CSR conference in the Rocky Mountain Region. She also gives her time back to the community through service on the resource toolkit committee for Colorado Inclusive Economy and advisory board for Impact100 Metro Denver, among various other volunteer initiatives.

Before joining B:CIVIC, Jess served in a variety of community building roles in her home state of Iowa. She supported the revitalization of the city of Maquoketa through development and execution of community initiatives and communication strategies. Jess also managed marketing and communications for Active Endeavors, a family-owned outdoor apparel shop. Here she transformed the brand image to a community-focused organization and managed sponsorships.

Jess obtained a certificate in corporate social responsibility from the University of Colorado – Boulder, Leeds School of Business and a certificate in sustainable business strategy from Harvard Business School. She holds a BBA from the University of Iowa, with a focus on marketing and a sustainability certificate.

In her spare time, she enjoys hiking, camping, snowboarding, cooking, and exploring Colorado.

Matt Tebo
Manager, Alumni & Logistics, Leadership Foundation
Matt.Tebo@denverleadership.org
303.620.8078

Connect

Coming soon.

Ana Ibañez
Program Support Specialist
ana.ibanez@denverleadership.org
303-620-8066

Connect

Ana serves as the Program Support Specialist for the Denver Metro Chamber Leadership Foundation, focusing on fostering community engagement, leadership development and program execution.

Ana’s international experience includes an internship in Seville, Spain, where she served refugees, gaining invaluable insights into global community engagement and support for vulnerable populations.

Ana received her Bachelor of Science in Human Development and Family Relations from the University of Colorado Denver. She furthered her education with a Graduate Certificate in Global Community Engagement from the University of Denver and a Certificate in Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Strategy from the University of Colorado Boulder. She also completed the Women’s Leadership Lab Program at the Colorado Women’s Chamber of Commerce.

Fluent in Spanish and English, Ana leverages her bi-cultural background to connect with diverse communities.

Outside of her professional endeavors, Ana is passionate about mentoring high school students and actively participates in community events. Her dedication to making a positive impact is evident in both her professional and personal life.

In her spare time, Ana enjoys singing, painting, visiting art galleries, traveling the globe, reading and grabbing brunch with friends.