DENVER, CO—May 19, 2026— At State of the State, presented by Xcel Energy, leaders from the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce and Colorado Competitive Council brought together business, government and higher education leaders to discuss Colorado’s economic competitiveness, workforce growth and business climate following the 2026 legislative session.
The discussion featured Governor Jared Polis; Founder and CEO of Point Solutions Security, Paige Goss; Board Chair for the Denver Metro Chamber and CEO of Sky Blue Builders, Mowa Haile; Vice President of Human Resources at Lockheed Martin; Laura Hopkins; and President of the University of Colorado, Todd Saliman.
“There’s an incredible opportunity in Colorado,” said Saliman. “When people ask me what I want Colorado to do with quantum, I say world domination.” He emphasized the need for stronger partnerships between higher education and industry to help meet workforce and innovation needs.
Governor Polis, in response to Saliman and on the topic of quantum, stated that he strongly advocates for Colorado’s continued quantum growth and investment. “We had a good early start here in Colorado,” said Governor Polis, referencing bringing quantum technology and research to the state. “We have a good start here, we have a few thousand jobs. This is going to be an enormous sector going forward. So how do we leverage the fact that we have the most quantum jobs per capita, a lot of great research, tier one universities... and really establish this as the place to do business, attracting investment from across the country and across the world.”
“I looked at Colorado as a massive launch pad,” said Goss, reflecting on building her company in the state. “Now we need to really rally around the companies that are growing here, not just starting here.”
“When you’re hustling and growing, you always are feeling like a small business, and I think that’s a great entrepreneurial mentality that pervades Colorado businesses of all sizes,” said Governor Polis when the role of small businesses in the state. “In fact, many of the big folks come here to kind of reinvent and create entrepreneurial streams in their own companies.”
Hopkins highlighted Colorado’s collaborative aerospace ecosystem, pointing to the role hundreds of Colorado companies played in supporting NASA’s Artemis II mission and Orion spacecraft development. “We’ve got about 2,000 aerospace employers in Colorado,” she said, emphasizing the importance of continued investment in the industry.
Governor Polis warned, “Just be mindful of the fact that we’re a small state... we just have to be very thoughtful and careful about having our own set of regulations that are not only a cost of doing business, but also ultimately very confusing for consumers.”
Business leaders also heard from DMCC and C3 leadership on the overall impact on the business community from this legislative session. Vice President of External Affairs for DMCC, Leslie Oliver, and the Board Chair for C3 and Regional Director of Government & Community Affairs for CommonSpirit Health, Nicole Milo, summarized some of the biggest business bills in the session.
Oliver and Milo did a sweeping overview of session takeaways for the business community, honing in on budget, , affordability, taxes, energy, and more. A full recap from the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce was provided as well. “The themes of this session—the budget crunch, energy competitiveness, affordability, workforce—they are not going away,” said Oliver. “They will be front and center in the next session. And in the November elections. And in every business decision you make between now and then.”
Closing out the event, DMCC President and CEO, J. J. Ament pre-emptively thanked Governor Polis for his predicted veto of HB26-1005 Worker Collective Bargaining and continued with a call to veto HB26-1210 Prohibit Surveillance Price & Wage Setting. “When we’re talking about improving affordability,” said Ament, “the first step is to stop making things more expensive, whether it’s increasing taxes or fee, or precluding private businesses from offering customer discounts and rebates.”
He ended by referencing the growing divide between businesses, Coloradans, and the legislature. “Regardless of who may be in charge at the Capitol, passing laws today that snap into place in the future to undo or to preempt what the voters of Colorado may expressly direct what they want done [through ballot initiatives] is not just hubris, it really is an affront to our constitutional process.”
Ament continued, “Let’s not work against each other and further these divides. Let’s come together and try to solve these challenges working collaboratively.”
See stances taken by the DMCC and C3 during the 2026 legislative session. View the Chamber’s biggest takeaways from session in our legislative recap.
Support for the 2026 State of the State included Presenting Sponsor, Xcel Energy; Platinum Sponsor, Southwest Airlines; and Gold Sponsor, Delta Dental of Colorado.
About the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce
The Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce (DMCC) is the architect of tomorrow, igniting change and driving progress to build dynamic economies and communities. We champion innovation, forge powerful partnerships, and relentlessly advocate for our members and all Coloradans. With more than 150 years of trust and impact, we help business flourish.
The DMCC’s vision is Economic Empowerment for Every Coloradan and is achieved by advocating for effective public policy, developing civic leaders, and driving a sustainable economy. We promote a vibrant economy by fostering a business-friendly environment, supporting a skilled workforce and facilitating connections. Dedicated to boosting business and employee opportunities, the Chamber drives sustainable growth and prosperity across Colorado.
About the Colorado Competitive Council (C3)
The Colorado Competitive Council (C3), a part of the Denver Metro Chamber family of organizations, provides direct lobbying and advocacy at the Colorado State Capitol and supports like-minded organizations that are dedicated to the mission of enhancing Colorado’s economy. For more information, go to coloradocompetes.org.
