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Invited Speakers

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Keynote
Dr. Byron McClure

A proud product of P.G. County, Maryland, Dr. Byron McClure is a National Certified School Psychologist, Founder of Lessons For SEL, electrifying speaker, and best-selling co-author of Hacking Deficit Thinking. With over a decade of experience working as a practitioner in Maryland and Washington, D.C., Byron has consistently put in the work to shift mindsets from what’s wrong to what’s STRONG! His mission has been the same since day 1 — to improve outcomes, especially for youth and historically marginalized communities.

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Friday Luncheon
Ella Munk

Ella Munk is a 24 year old woman born and raised in the Roaring Fork Valley outside of Carbondale, Colorado. She has been fully included throughout her primary school years and into her college experiences. Ella attended two different IHE (Inclusive Higher Ed) programs before she settled in Grand

Junction at Colorado Mesa University. She has been a CMU student for the past two and a half years, and is studying communications. Ella is a loud & proud young woman with Williams Syndrome, which is a genetic disorder that is characterized by social behavior. She’s not shy and loves public speaking.

She’s passionate about social justice, loves everyone and most especially,

cats! You will enjoy meet Ella and learning about her journey to adulthood and

independence.

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Colorado Spotlight
Cynthia Hildner

Cynthia is the founder of Dyslexia Playground, where she draws on her unique perspective as a twice-exceptional (2E) individual with “an exquisitely dyslexic brain” and decades of experience as a special education teacher, coach, graphic facilitator, trainer and speaker, to empower students, parents, and educators across Colorado and beyond. 

After transitioning from the classroom, Cynthia became a certified coach and trainer for the Hendricks Institute, specializing in conscious living practices to support authentic connection and improved emotional literacy in personal, professional, and educational environments. She is certified as a “Team Performance Model” facilitator through The Grove Consultants International.  She leverages graphic facilitation to guide teams through emotional dynamics, integrating these insights into strategic planning, team norming goal setting, and future visioning.

Cynthia’s interactive presentations are known for their blend of practical strategies and powerful a-ha moments, emphasizing play as a catalyst for accelerating learning, connection and growth.

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Colorado Spotlight
Dr. Tracy Gerschwin

Dr. Tracy Gershwin is a Professor at the University of Northern Colorado (UNC),

teaching undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral-level courses in special education. Tracy specializes in culturally responsive Applied Behavior Analysis and interventions for children and youth with challenging behaviors, trauma-informed practices, family-

professional partnerships, and conflict prevention and resolution in special education.

Tracy is also the Director of Research and Evaluation for the Bresnahan-Halstead Center

at UNC. In addition to her work at UNC, Tracy regularly consults with CO school districts and volunteers as a mediator for the City of Fort Collins, Colorado. She is also a representative on the Colorado State Alternative Dispute Resolution Advisory Board.

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Friday Luncheon
Craig Knippenberg

Best-selling author and educational consultant Craig A. Knippenberg, LCSW, M. Divinity, is renowned for his work with children, adolescents and parents. He is an international keynote speaker, has served on numerous non-profit boards supporting exceptional students and families and is founder of Knippenberg & Associates, which has provided mental health services for four decades including social/emotional development groups via his CONNECT program.

His top-selling books include Wired and Connected: Brain-Based Solutions To Ensure Your Child’s Social and Emotional Success (2019) and Shame-Free Parenting: Building Resiliency in Times of Hardship, Guns, and Social Media (2023). His podcast, Legit Parenting (2020) showcases Knippenberg’s strategies on building resilient kids and families.

Craig’s dedication extends to serving as a trusted mental health consultant for independent and public schools around the country. He has advanced brain-based strategies and curriculum for empowering students to manage their social, emotional and behavior development.

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Friday Luncheon
Tiffany Fixter & Morgan Forsyth

Tiffany Fixter

Tiffany Fixter is an educator-turned-entrepreneur who is passionate about creating life-changing careers for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Tiffany has spent her life helping others in the

community as a volunteer, working with Special Olympics and other philanthropy as part of her sorority Alpha Sigma Alpha, and doing in- home therapy with children with autism. Tiffany has a BS in Special Education and Elementary Education from Northwest Missouri State University and a Master’s in Education from the University of Kansas in Special Education, with an emphasis on Autism Spectrum Disorders. She was a teacher for 11 years in the inner-city Kansas

City Missouri Schools. After moving to Denver, her work as a day program director made her realize the employment crisis that many adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (I/DD) face. She launched Brewability in 2016, employing adults with I/DD to brew and serve beer. She followed

this with Pizzability in 2018, a turn-key pizzeria also employing adults with I/DD. Pizzability relocated into the Brewability space located in downtown Englewood, Colorado serving Pizza and Beer.

Morgan Forsyth

Morgan Forsyth is the Director at Brewability and a former special educator with a lifelong

commitment to inclusion. Her passion for inclusive environments began in kindergarten, inspired by her friendships with classmates who had Down Syndrome and Cerebral Palsy. Her career began at Easter Seals Camp in high school, where she discovered her passion for helping individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities thrive. Before joining Brewability, Morgan taught students with significant support needs in both elementary and high school settings.

Seeking a space where inclusion is more than just a concept, Morgan joined Brewability, a place where every staff member with disabilities is included and their strengths are highlighted. At Brewability, each team member is seen as competent and capable of performing any role they aspire to.

Morgan holds a Bachelor's Degree in Human Services with a concentration in Mental Health

Counseling and a Master's Degree in Special Education from Metropolitan State University of Denver.

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Colorado Spotlight
Beth Friel

Beth Friel is a school attorney and managing partner at Caplan & Earnest, a well-respected law firm with more than fifty years of service to school districts and BOCES across Colorado. 

Beth’s practice supports school districts and BOCES in a variety of education law matters, emphasizing counseling and litigation in matters involving students with disabilities.

 Prior to joining Caplan & Earnest, Beth served as a staff attorney at the Colorado Association of School Boards, and she maintains a keen interest in providing high quality professional development for public school district leadership and school professionals. Beth founded a popular Masterminds Program for Section 504 administrators and Sped administrators that runs from September through May each year, and she is one of the hosts of Caplan & Earnest’s annual lecture series addressing legal topics for all school and district administrators.

Beth received her Bachelor of Arts degree, magna cum laude, from the University of Notre Dame, and her Juris Doctorate degree from Boston University’s School of Law.  She has five young children, who attend their neighborhood public elementary school.

© 2017/2018 Courage to Risk Conference

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