Last month, at the Colorado Technology Association’s Women in Tech conference, tech leaders from across Colorado gathered to talk about the future of innovation, AI, and leadership. As a women-owned growth marketing agency, we showed up because these conversations matter—and because the speakers weren’t just talking about change, they were actively building it.

Here’s what landed, what it means, and what we’re doing about it.

Think in Generations, Not Quarters

CSU President, Amy Parsons, opened with a gut-check: are you making decisions for the next 150 years, or just the next board meeting?

Her approach to integrating AI across campus operations while maintaining human connection hit home. Here’s the thing: we constantly see this tension in growth marketing. Everyone wants to scale fast, automate everything, and optimize their way to hockey-stick growth. But if your AI strategy is helping you avoid talking to customers instead of understanding them better, you’re building on quicksand.

The takeaway: Technology should enhance relationships, not replace them. At Catalyst, we treat AI like a team member that makes us faster and wiser—not one that thinks for us. Vision and execution aren’t mutually exclusive. They’re non-negotiable.

Your Assumptions About Your Audience Are Probably Wrong

Rob Cohen’s work launching Denver’s new NWSL team was a masterclass in letting data and humanity drive strategy. Family-friendly stadiums designed from actual feedback. Training programs that account for women’s physiological cycles, because (wild concept) female athletes have different needs than male athletes.

This mirrors exactly what we preach about AI-enhanced marketing: powerful analytics mean nothing without a genuine understanding of what your audience actually needs.

The takeaway: Stop building for imaginary personas. Start listening to real humans. Your CRM has the data. Your sales team has the stories. Put them together and you’ll stop wasting budget on campaigns that miss the mark.

Technology Is Breaking Free From Screens

Cathy Hackl, tech futurist and co-author of the newly released Spatial Computing: An AI-Driven Business Revolution, reminded us that we’re standing at the intersection of AI and spatial computing—a shift that’s poised to be bigger than mobile or personal computing.

Her insights on how spatial computing will transform human-computer interaction hit differently when you consider what it means for customer experience. We’re not just talking about AR filters or VR headsets. We’re talking about blending virtual experiences into the physical world in ways that fundamentally change how people discover, evaluate, and buy.

The takeaway: The brands that win in the next decade won’t just have great websites—they’ll create experiences that break free from screens entirely. For growth marketers, this means rethinking not just what we say, but where and how customers experience our messages.

Success Requires Ecosystem Thinking

Bijal Shah from Guild reminded us that solving significant challenges (economic inequality, workforce transformation, innovation at scale) requires ecosystem thinking, not hero-ball.

Her “kind but high-performance” leadership philosophy and emphasis on understanding AI’s limitations alongside its capabilities gave us a roadmap for responsible innovation that actually serves people (instead of just looking good in a case study).

The takeaway: The barriers you tear down and the people you bring along matter just as much as the metrics you hit. Colorado’s tech community gets this right when we’re not too busy trying to outdo Silicon Valley. Collaboration beats competition every time.

Every Campaign Is a Choice About What Stories Get Told

Melissa Akie Wiley‘s closing keynote landed hard: technology’s real power isn’t in its invention, but in how we choose to use it. Her challenge to “make goodness attractive” and replace harmful stereotypes with authentic stories applies to every marketer in the room.

As Mr. Rogers proved with television decades ago, the question isn’t what technology can do—it’s what we will do with it.

The takeaway: Every piece of content you create, every campaign you launch, every platform you choose is a decision about which voices get amplified. In a world drowning in content, thoughtful beats loud every time.

Why This Matters to Us

These conversations reinforced why Catalyst is passionate about serving Colorado’s tech community. We’re not just here to drive MQLs and optimize CAC (though we’re pretty damn good at that). We’re here to help build a future where diverse voices lead, where technology serves people, and where “growth marketing” means something more than just bigger numbers.

Thanks to CTA for creating space where leaders can learn, connect, and commit to doing better. Not hypothetically. Actually.

Want to talk about what human-centered growth marketing looks like for your team? Let’s connect.