LACC Women's Group, Networking Group

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LACC Women's Group, Networking Group

Wednesday, September 9, 2026 (11:30 AM - 1:00 PM) (MDT)

Description

We are proud to introduce the Chamber’s newest networking initiative — a Women’s Group designed to foster connection, professional growth, and community impact.

This month's keynote speaker: JJ Ellen

JJ Ellen is an author, private investigator, mediator, photographer, entrepreneur, and what she affectionately calls a “renaissance woman” –someone whose life has taken far more turns than she ever could have planned.

At 23, she bought a Baskin-Robbins ice cream store and spent the next five years doing just about everything it took to make it succeed; from scooping ice cream and cleaning bathrooms to loading walk-in freezers in subzero temperatures. Her hard work paid off with multiple awards, including national recognition for highest profit per gallon of ice cream and store cleanliness.

Her career has since taken her in directions that could hardly have been predicted. She became a highly regarded wedding photographer in Colorado, earning five-star recognition, magazine features, and cover spots, and even traveled to the Arctic to photograph polar bears; an adventure that included falling through the ice and sinking to the bottom of a partially frozen lake.

When her children were young, she made the intentional decision to change direction again, choosing a career in commercial property management so she could remain close to her children and be there to pick them up from school each day. Along the way, she became a parenting coordinator, divorce and custody mediator, and business mediator, to compliment her private investigator work, managing complex and high-stakes investigations, including major felony cases.

Service has also been a defining part of her life. She has led and participated in volunteer projects across the country and internationally, taking her children, youth groups and adult teams to build homes, support homeless communities, harvest food for shelters, and help build community centers in underserved areas.

Today, she is the author of the Audri Ashe psychological thriller series, with three books published and a fourth scheduled for 2027.

But beneath the many careers, adventures, successes, losses, and unexpected turns is the story she most wants to share: life rarely unfolds according to plan and the skills we develop along the way may be exactly what we need for the next chapter.

Her message is not about having a perfect life. It is about learning to turn, adapt, begin again, and keep moving forward without losing yourself in the process.

This will be the Chamber’s only networking group open to both members and non-members, creating an inclusive space for women at all stages of their careers and business journeys.

The group will meet twice each month on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays, providing a consistent and structured opportunity to connect.

Each month will feature two distinct experiences. The first meeting will host a carefully curated outside speaker who brings relevant insight, practical takeaways, and inspiration for women in business and leadership. The second meeting will spotlight a member of the group, offering an opportunity to share their business, passion project, or area of expertise while building visibility and strengthening peer connections.

This Women’s Group will also include a philanthropic component. Each year, the group will select and support a local nonprofit organization, reinforcing our shared commitment to giving back to the community.

There will be a nominal participation fee for Chamber members and a higher fee for non-members. These funds will support program operations and allow the group to make an annual philanthropic contribution.

We look forward to cultivating a dynamic and supportive network of women committed to growth and impact.

LACC Women's Group, Networking Group

LACC Women's Group, Networking Group

Wednesday, September 9, 2026 (11:30 AM - 1:00 PM) (MDT)

Description

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