🏔️ NOVEMBER 11-12, 2026
SHERATON DENVER WEST 🏔️

Elevating Learning, Connection, and Celebration 🏔️

The Colorado Society of CPAs (COCPA) is proud to announce that the PEAK Colorado Accounting and Finance Summit is back for 2026—a premier gathering designed to inspire, educate, and connect Colorado’s accounting and finance professionals.

This dynamic event will bring together CPAs, financial leaders, and industry experts for a rich collection of engaging programs focused on professional development, innovation, and leadership.

What to Expect at PEAK

Cutting-Edge Education:
Participate in CPE-eligible sessions tailored to meet the evolving needs of accounting and finance professionals. Topics will span technical updates, regulatory changes, emerging technologies, leadership skills, and more—ensuring you stay current and compliant with CPE requirements.
Networking and Collaboration:
Join a vibrant community of professionals through structured networking events and informal gatherings. Build meaningful connections with peers, industry leaders, and potential mentors who can help you thrive both personally and professionally.
Engagement Opportunities:
Explore hands-on workshops, panel discussions, and interactive sessions designed to foster collaboration and share practical insights that you can apply immediately in your practice or organization.

🏔️ 2026 PEAK KEYNOTE SPEAKERS

Avoid AI Sameness: Delivering Truly Transformative Value to Clients

AI has made it easier than ever to produce output quickly — and easier than ever to look exactly like everyone else. In this timely keynote, Jen Wilson challenges accounting and finance professionals to go beyond the tools and reclaim what makes their expertise irreplaceable, offering a clear framework for delivering value no platform can replicate.

Economic Update — Back by Popular Demand

One of Colorado's most beloved economists returns to PEAK — back by popular demand — with the up-to-the-minute economic intelligence that accounting and finance professionals rely on to make confident decisions. This year's session arrives at a uniquely high-stakes moment: PEAK takes place just days after the election, making this one of the most timely economic briefings of the year.

The Unique CPA — Live Podcast Recording

In a first for PEAK, Randy Crabtree — host of one of the most listened-to accounting podcasts in the country and one of Accounting Today's Top 100 Most Influential People in Accounting — takes the stage for a live podcast recording, with a COCPA member turning the mic on him. The conversation will explore what it really means to rethink how a CPA operates today: redefining value, building people-first cultures, and finding the intersection of passion and skill in the profession.

How I Got Caught: A Deep Dive Into an $800K Fraud

In this rare and riveting keynote, Craig Stanland delivers a firsthand case study of how he orchestrated an $800,000 fraud against a Fortune 500 company — tracing exactly how rationalization forms, which control weaknesses fraudsters exploit, and what signals are visible long before losses occur. CPAs, auditors, and financial leaders will walk away thinking differently about the people and organizations they serve.

NOT JUST ANOTHER AGENDA—THIS ONE’S BUILT TO DELIVER. 🏔️

Every session at PEAK is handpicked for its energy, interactivity, and relevance—led by nationally recognized speakers and aligned with your learning goals. No filler. Just high-impact experiences that meet you where you are.

Day 1Nov 11

Day 2Nov 12

All times are Mountain Time (MST).

7:00 – 8:15AM

Registration, Breakfast and Exhibit Hall Open

8:15 – 8:30AM

Welcome

8:30 – 10:10AM

General SessionHot TopicsBusiness & IndustryFirm Management

Avoid AI Sameness: Adding Truly Transformative Value to Clients

Room: Ballroom

Jen Wilson

As AI tools become universal, the risk of commoditized, indistinguishable deliverables grows every day. This session challenges accounting professionals to move beyond basic AI adoption and intentionally leverage technology in ways that highlight their unique expertise and firm differentiators. Attendees will explore how client perceptions of sameness develop, why quality and accuracy safeguards are non-negotiable, and how to harness AI's power to generate deeper insights rather than generic output. Key takeaways include: recognizing the commoditization threat facing the profession, identifying what makes you and your firm distinctively valuable, developing innovative AI-driven approaches that elevate client outcomes, and applying mindsets and methods that ensure every deliverable reflects transformative, trust-building expertise.

2 CPE Business Management and Organization

10:10 – 10:30AM

Break

10:30 – 11:20AM

Learning Lab

Your AI and Automation Questions, Answered - 15 minute appointments with Wes Hartman

Room: Red Rocks

Wesley Hartman

Session Title: 15 Minutes with Wes: Your AI and Automation Questions, Answered

Session Description: Have an AI question you haven't had a chance to ask? Sign up for a private 15-minute conversation with Wesley Hartman, founder of Automata Practice Development and co-author of the Journal of Accountancy's Technology Q&A column. Wes spent 15 years as Director of Technology at a public accounting firm before launching Automata, which builds AI automation agents that handle the repetitive work accountants do every day. He brings both a firm insider's view and a builder's perspective to the conversation.

Whether you're just getting started, evaluating a specific tool, or trying to figure out where automation fits in your firm, Wes can help you think it through. No tech background required.

To make the most of your time, please come with a specific question, pain point, or workflow in mind. Fifteen minutes goes quickly, and coming with a clear focus means you'll leave with practical next steps you can use right away.

*Please note this appointment is not eligible for CPE credit.

Schedule your 15-minute appointment

Not eligible for CPE

10:30 – 11:45AM

LeadershipBusiness & IndustryFirm Management

Most Common Roadblocks to Great Leadership

Room: Green Mountain

Jen Wilson

Great leaders aren't born—they're built through self-awareness, intentional practice, and a willingness to grow. Drawing on years of leadership development and coaching experience, this engaging, interactive session identifies five common roadblocks that prevent professionals at every level from reaching their full leadership potential. Through honest self-assessment and practical strategies, attendees will explore how to overcome these barriers personally and help coach others forward. Key takeaways include: embracing responsibility while setting aside self-interest, increasing visibility without dominating the conversation, building comfort with vulnerability, developing trust and genuine investment in others, and communicating with the positivity and finesse that inspires lasting impact.

1.5 CPE Personal Development

Technology

Technology that Works: Strategy, AI, Cybersecurity, and Adoption

Room: City Lights I

Jim Gilbert

Matt Anderson

Anthony Shibata

Jeff Fantalis

Chris Heck

Technology is moving faster than most organizations can adopt it, and today's CPA must decide what matters. In this opening PEAK panel, business and technology leaders share candid, real-world perspectives on what is working, what is changing, and where organizations are struggling. Moving beyond the hype, the conversation explores AI and automation, cybersecurity, technology strategy, data, and the human side of adoption, with relevance for CPAs across public accounting, industry, government, nonprofit, and consulting. Key takeaways include identifying the developments most likely to affect your organization and clients, recognizing practical opportunities for AI and automation, weighing risks around cybersecurity and AI governance, and applying lessons on implementation and adoption to turn technology investments into measurable value.

1.5 CPE Information Technology

Tax

General Tax updates: Provisions Effective in 2026

Room: City Lights II

Kristina Kesselring

Tax season is coming, and the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) didn’t exactly arrive quietly. Consider this session your warm-up lap before the busy season marathon. Get an overview of the federal tax provisions taking effect in 2026 and how Colorado’s decision to decouple from certain federal changes affects your state returns. Key takeaways include recognizing which OBBBA provisions will impact clients this filing season, identifying where Colorado and federal treatment now differ, and preparing for the planning conversations and return adjustments those differences will require. Stretch now, so you aren’t pulling a hamstring in March.

1.5 CPE Taxes

11:45AM – 1:00PM

Lunch with Dessert in the Exhibit Hall

1:00 – 1:50PM

General SessionTechnology

Technology Update

Room: Ballroom

Randy Johnston

Staying current with today's technology is no longer optional—it's essential. This forward-looking session cuts through the noise to give accounting professionals a clear, strategic view of the evolving tech landscape. Designed for practitioners ready to leverage innovation, the session explores the most impactful trends reshaping the profession, from artificial intelligence and automation to quantum computing and cloud-based ecosystems. Attendees will examine tools like Microsoft 365 Copilot, generative AI platforms, industry-specific SaaS solutions, and blockchain to evaluate what's worth adopting and what's simply vendor hype. Key takeaways include: understanding emerging technologies relevant to accounting, identifying solutions that align with your firm's goals, and applying new tools to enhance client service and operational efficiency.

1 CPE Information Technology

1:50 – 2:05PM

Break

2:05 – 3:20PM

LeadershipFirm ManagementBusiness & Industry

Becoming a Powerful and Effective Delegator

Room: Green Mountain

Jen Wilson

Delegation is a leadership essential—no organization can grow or survive succession without leaders who delegate well. Yet real delegation is often desired and seldom practiced, and most of us are guilty of one or more common "sins" along the way. This session explores how to become a stronger delegator so you and your team focus on their highest and best work, from establishing clear ownership and expectations to holding delegated work accountable. Key takeaways include approaches for delegating with clarity, ways to say no and prioritize competing requests, the common sins of delegation to avoid, and methods for ensuring accountability.

1.5 CPE Business Management and Organization

Technology

The Accountant's Tech Lab: Tools and Real-World Wins

Room: City Lights I

Tiffany Davis

Teresa Plaugher

Debbie Gilmore

Technology is changing how accountants work, but which tools deliver? Skip the theory and the endless lists of shiny new apps. This interactive session shows practical technology in action, with candid perspectives from firms of different sizes. Go beyond basic prompting with generative AI, take an honest look at how a tech stack works together (and where it doesn’t) and vote on a real-world AI project for a deeper dive. Designed for tech-forward professionals already comfortable with generative AI. Key takeaways include setting AI communication preferences, Claude in Chrome, AI-integrated practice management workflows and ideas to bring back to your firm.

1.5 CPE Information Technology

Crafting a Career with Purpose and Passion

Room: City Lights II

Susan Stutzel

What does it look like to build a career you truly love? This session introduces CPAs to a proven framework for designing a professional life aligned with four powerful elements: what you love, what you excel at, what the world needs, and what you can be paid for. Through interactive exercises and real-world examples, participants will explore how to identify their unique strengths, uncover meaningful opportunities in the accounting field, and navigate common challenges like burnout and lack of fulfillment. Key takeaways include: identifying your unique strengths and applying them to your work, recognizing meaningful career opportunities in accounting, and developing strategies to overcome burnout and sustain long-term professional growth and satisfaction.

1.5 CPE Personal Development

Learning Lab

Is your LinkedIn profile generating new business?

Room: City Lights III

Eric Elkins

Today's prospective clients are just as likely to ask ChatGPT, Claude, or Google for answers as they are to ask for a referral. In this hands-on learning lab, Eric Elkins, CEO of WideFoc.us Social Media, walks CPAs and accounting professionals through the specific profile updates, posting tactics, and networking moves that help their expertise get found by the right people. Bring a laptop or phone to make improvements in real time. Key takeaways include a cleaner, lead-generating LinkedIn profile, a posting strategy you can sustain, practical ways to surface your expertise in AI search tools and Google's AI-generated summaries, and a few simple moves to make back at your desk after the summit.

1.5 CPE Communications and Marketing

3:20 – 3:35PM

Break

3:35 – 4:25PM

Business & IndustryFirm Management

Insightful Financial Analysis

Room: Green Mountain

Jennifer Elder

Anyone can crunch numbers—but transforming them into meaningful, decision-driving insights is a skill that sets great controllers apart. This session explores what truly defines financial analysis and why delivering insightful results is more challenging than it appears. Participants will learn how to set the context with a corporate overview, work through a proven six-step financial analysis process, and select the right ratios to surface the most relevant insights. You'll also examine the business strategy analysis steps that sharpen your overall interpretation. Key takeaways include: understanding why insightful financial analysis is difficult to achieve, defining financial analysis with precision, applying the six-step framework, and choosing the most effective ratios to communicate findings clearly and confidently to stakeholders.

1 CPE Accounting

Technology

The Evolving Cybersecurity Landscape in Finance: AI-Driven Threats, Regulation, and Risk Management

Room: City Lights II

Blaise Wabo

As artificial intelligence reshapes both innovation and risk in the financial sector, CPAs and finance professionals must understand the evolving cybersecurity environment and their growing role in defending against it. This session bridges technical cybersecurity concepts with governance, compliance, and risk management. It examines how AI is being weaponized by threat actors, what recent breaches reveal about attacker methods and financial impact, and how emerging regulations are redefining accountability. Attendees will leave equipped to strengthen organizational resilience and lead informed decision-making in an AI-enabled world. Key takeaways include: assessing today's cybersecurity threat landscape, identifying AI-driven attack techniques, navigating evolving AI laws and regulations, recognizing emerging trends, and applying practical risk management strategies across governance, audit, and compliance functions.

1 CPE Information Technology

Tax

Legislative Showdown: Election-Year Tax Policy That’s Reshaping State Compliance

Room: City Lights I

Judy Vorndran

Meredith Smith

Colorado's legislative and electoral landscape is shifting—and the compliance implications are significant. This session delivers a timely recap of the most consequential issues from the recent Colorado legislative session, examines how ballot measure outcomes are affecting Colorado tax returns, and unpacks the latest updates to the Sales and Use Tax System (SUTS) and what they mean for businesses operating in the state. Whether you're advising clients or managing compliance in-house, staying ahead of these changes is essential. Key takeaways include: understanding key developments from the recent Colorado legislative session, evaluating the impact of ballot changes on Colorado returns, and applying the latest SUTS updates to your business or client compliance strategies.

1 CPE Taxes

Learning Lab

Crafting a Career with Purpose and Passion

Room: City Lights III

Susan Stutzel

Building on Crafting a Career with Purpose and Passion, this hands-on learning lab turns big ideas into a working plan. Led by Susan Stutzel, participants will take a closer look at the four elements of the Ikigai framework (what you love to do, what you excel at, what the world needs, and what you can be paid for) to see where and how your career lines up. Using this, attendees will connect their passions and strengths to opportunities in the accounting profession.

Key takeaways include a clearer picture of your unique strengths, specific ways to apply them in your current role, strategies to guard against burnout, and a personalized next step toward more fulfilling work.

1 CPE Personal Development

4:25 – 4:35PM

Break

4:35 – 5:30PM

General SessionHot Topics

Economic Update

Room: Ballroom

Rich Wobbekind

The economic landscape is shifting—and staying ahead requires more than headlines. This session delivers a comprehensive look at the forces shaping both national and local economies, from key indicators and policy changes to market forecasts with real-world implications for businesses and individuals. Expert speakers will connect the dots between macroeconomic trends and the conditions affecting your clients, firm, and community, giving you a clearer picture of where things stand and where they're headed. Key takeaways include: interpreting current economic indicators, understanding how national policy shifts influence local markets, and applying economic insights to support stronger business planning, investment decisions, and strategic growth in an evolving financial environment.

1 CPE Economics

5:30 – 7:00PM

Opening night reception with exhibitors

7:00 – 8:20AM

Registration, Breakfast and Exhibit Hall Open

7:15 – 8:05AM

Tax

Tax for the Non-Tax Professional

Room: Green Mountain

Teresa Plaugher

Tax outcomes are decided in the books before the return is filed, and you see those books every month. This session gives controllers, bookkeepers and finance staff clarity on how each entity type is taxed, where book and taxable income part ways and which 2026 federal and Colorado changes matter. Learn to spot eight red flags in the ledger and payroll before they become penalties or missed savings. Key takeaways include fixing S corp owner pay, capturing every fixed asset, applying the $2,000 1099 threshold, weighing a PTET election and six questions for your tax advisor before December 31.

1 CPE Taxes

Technology

Built to Grow: A Practical Technology Playbook for Small and Mid-Sized CPA Firms

Room: City Lights II

Chris Heck

Too many firm technology decisions get made mid-busy season with no plan behind them. This session gives firm owners, partners, and operations leaders a practical framework instead, treating every tech choice as a budget, lifecycle, or risk decision. Explore how to fund technology like any other operating cost, standardize equipment, decide what belongs in the cloud, and meet the security baseline regulators expect for client data. Key takeaways include calculating technology cost per employee, a three-question test for where applications should live, FTC Safeguards Rule and IRS WISP essentials, first steps toward AI and twelve questions to ask an IT provider.

1 CPE Information Technology

Business & Industry

FASB/SEC Update

Room: City Lights I

Kaycee Dolan

Sarah Protos

Staying current with regulatory developments is essential for finance and accounting professionals navigating today's evolving reporting landscape. This session delivers a timely review of the latest guidance and announcements from the Financial Accounting Standards Board and the Securities and Exchange Commission, helping attendees understand what's changed and what's coming. Whether you work in public accounting, industry, or financial reporting, you'll leave better equipped to apply new standards and meet compliance expectations with confidence.

1 CPE Accounting

8:20 – 8:30AM

Welcome

8:30 – 10:10AM

General SessionHot Topics

Rethinking How CPAs Operate

Room: Ballroom

Douglas Slaybaugh

Randy Crabtree

This will be a "reverse podcast" where Doug Slaybaugh will interview Randy Crabtree. Randy is a nationally recognized business leader and speaker who has taken on traditional industries by advocating for a more human approach to leadership. He has been named one of Accounting Today’s Top 100 Most Influential People in Accounting in 2023, 2024 and 2025, and the firm he founded, Tri-Merit, has been honored by Inc. Magazine as one of the 5,000 fastest-growing privately held companies in the U.S. in 2022, 2023, and 2024. Surprisingly, while leading Tri-Merit to extraordinary growth and success, Randy came to the realization that he was in the wrong role. Learn more about Randy and his insights in this engaging live podcast recording.

2 CPE Business Management and Organization

10:30 – 11:20AM

Business & Industry

Future-Proofing Your Business: Accounting, Tax & Audit Strategies for the Changing Landscape

Room: City Lights II

Manda Dinkel

In an era of economic headwinds and rising compliance demands, organizations must sharpen their financial, tax, and audit practices to stay resilient and competitive. This session delivers actionable guidance for strengthening accounting infrastructure, optimizing business operations, and improving internal controls across organizations of all sizes. Attendees will gain a clear-eyed view of today's most pressing challenges and leave equipped with practical tools to address them head-on. Key takeaways include: identifying and responding to current financial, tax, and audit challenges; strengthening accounting infrastructure and internal controls for better performance and compliance; preparing effectively for audits regardless of organization size; and applying best practices while avoiding common pitfalls through practical checklists and real-world insights.

1 CPE Accounting

Technology

AI: Real Tools, Real Results

Room: Green Mountain

Brian Tankersley

AI is no longer a future-state concept — it's actively reshaping how accounting and finance professionals work today. This session cuts through the hype to deliver practical guidance on deploying AI tools that drive measurable results in both public practice and industry settings. Attendees will explore real-world use cases, examine implementation strategies, and learn how to evaluate AI's impact on efficiency, accuracy, and profitability. The session also addresses how to build appropriate governance frameworks that ensure ethical, responsible adoption. Key takeaways include: applying AI to streamline accounting workflows, evaluating use cases relevant to your practice or organization, measuring ROI from AI adoption, and determining governance and ethical standards for responsible AI use.

1 CPE Information Technology

Firm Management

Outcome-Based Pricing: A Model for the Modern Firm

Room: City Lights I

Douglas Slaybaugh

The way firms bill for services is evolving—and the shift may no longer be optional. This session traces the history of pricing models to reveal why hourly billing increasingly exposes firms to risk, scope creep, and client dissatisfaction. Participants will explore how to define and package outcomes clients genuinely want to pay for, positioning their firms for stronger growth and lasting retention. Practical transition strategies and confident pricing conversations are central to the discussion. Key takeaways include: understanding the limitations of time-based billing, learning how to structure outcome-based service packages, and developing the language and strategy needed to lead pricing conversations that build trust and drive results.

1 CPE Business Management and Organization

11:35AM – 12:25PM

Business & Industry

Finance Business Partnering: A Roadmap to Strategic Influence

Room: City Lights I

Jennifer Elder

The finance profession is undergoing a fundamental transformation. Today's finance professionals are expected to move beyond traditional reporting and become proactive strategic partners who help business units achieve results. This session provides a practical roadmap for making that shift, exploring the evolution of the finance role, what business partnering truly means, and the core competencies required to thrive in this new landscape. Attendees will strengthen their ability to build meaningful stakeholder relationships, sharpen their business acumen, and develop strategic thinking and problem-solving skills. Key takeaways include: distinguishing old-school finance from the future-focused approach, defining effective business partnering, and identifying the key skills needed to become a trusted, influential partner within your organization.

1 CPE Business Management and Organization

Technology

Data Warehousing and Analytics: Empower your organizational decision making

Room: City Lights II

Ali Vance

Guy Bickel

Data is only as powerful as your ability to use it. This session cuts through the confusion of data warehouses, data lakes, and analytics platforms to help finance professionals make confident, informed technology decisions. Whether you're just beginning a data initiative or looking to mature your organization's capabilities, you'll gain a practical framework for evaluating tools, avoiding common pitfalls, and planning strategically for the future. Real-world use cases illustrate how financial data can be shared efficiently and accurately across the organization to drive smarter decisions. Key takeaways include: selecting the right data platform for your needs, approaching data projects with a clear starting point, recognizing common gotchas, and building toward greater data maturity.

1 CPE Information Technology

Hot Topics

Difference in Action: Turning Diverse Perspectives into Better CPA Decisions

Room: Green Mountain

Brenda Allen

Diverse teams don't just feel better—they perform better. This highly interactive session explores how cognitive, cultural, and generational differences fuel sharper professional judgment, stronger client trust, and measurable gains in performance and productivity. Through real-world scenarios and guided group processing, participants will examine their own assumptions, develop inclusive communication habits, and discover how to transform difference into a genuine competitive advantage. Whether you're navigating multigenerational teams or cross-cultural client relationships, you'll leave with tools you can apply immediately. Key takeaways include: actionable strategies for respectful and productive communication, skills to leverage diverse perspectives for stronger decisions, and techniques for building inclusive, high-trust professional collaborations.

1 CPE Personnel/Human Resources

Learning Lab

Rise2040: Shaping the Future of Finance and Accounting

Room: City Lights III

Alexandria Romero

What will finance and accounting look like in 2040? AICPA and CIMA have been asking members and stakeholders worldwide, and the answers are in. Get an update on the Rise2040 journey, key insights from the released Vision Report, and a look at Rise Navigator, an AI-powered tool for exploring future trends and scenarios. Key takeaways include identifying the major trends reshaping the profession, recognizing how AI, workforce shifts, and changing business expectations fit together, understanding the Human in the Lead mindset, and finding ways to contribute to the initiative. Early adopter or newcomer, you’ll leave ready to help shape what’s next.

1 CPE Specialized Knowledge

12:25 – 1:45PM

Lunch with dessert in the exhibit hall

1:45 – 2:35PM

Common Estate Planning and Probate Mistakes to Avoid

Room: City Lights II

Tyler Smith

Ilya Lyubimskiy

Common Estate Planning and Probate Mistakes to Avoid

This session covers common and often costly mistakes in estate planning. Learn how to avoid estate planning mistakes that create unnecessary complexity, conflict, and expense for families. Whether you're just starting to plan or reviewing an existing strategy, this presentation cuts through common misconceptions and reveals what actually protects your assets, your loved ones, and your legacy. Attendees will explore critical mistakes commonly made during the creation, maintenance, and execution of an estate plan. The session also covers the complete toolkit every estate plan should include: wills, trusts, powers of attorney, healthcare directives, and declarations that honor your final wishes.

Key takeaways include Understanding the basics of a will versus a trust and how they should be used, Identifying the eight most common estate planning mistakes and their real financial and family consequences, Understanding how to properly fund trusts and keep estates private and out of probate, Gain an understanding of all essential documents in an estate plan to include powers of attorney, healthcare directives, and disposition declarations

1 CPE Taxes

Business & IndustryTechnology

Business Advisory + Data Analytics

Room: City Lights I

James Miller

Your clients already trust you with their numbers, so why stop at compliance? This session shows how to spot advisory opportunities hiding in existing relationships and turn data into conversations clients actually want to have. Explore the classic “I’m profitable, so where’s my cash?” puzzle, and sort out where AI, analytics, and automation help and where CPA judgment remains irreplaceable. Key takeaways include identifying the data needed to explain profit versus cash, applying source checks and human review before advice reaches a client, and outlining a pilot advisory service with clear scope and measurable success, so you can start small and grow with confidence.

1 CPE Information Technology

Firm Management

The Blueprint: Eliminating Decision Fatigue in Your Firm

Room: Green Mountain

Douglas Slaybaugh

Leadership capacity is one of your firm's most valuable — and most depleted — resources. When leaders repeatedly make the same decisions without systems in place, momentum stalls and growth suffers. This session examines how decision fatigue silently drains performance and explores practical strategies to reclaim clarity and capacity. Attendees will learn to identify repeat decisions that should become firm standards, practice effective delegation and leverage, and build a stronger vision that guides consistent action. Key takeaways include: understanding the true cost of duplicative decision-making, transforming recurring choices into repeatable processes, and creating the organizational clarity needed to lead with confidence and scale your firm sustainably.

1 CPE Business Management and Organization

2:35 – 2:50PM

Break

2:50 – 4:45PM

General SessionHot Topics

How I Got Caught: A Deep Dive Into an $800K Fraud

Room: Ballroom

Craig Stanland

Fraud rarely begins with a single bold decision — it starts with small rationalizations that quietly compound over time. In this compelling session, Craig Stanland shares an unfiltered, firsthand account of how he orchestrated an $800,000 fraud against a Fortune 500 company, and how investigators and the FBI ultimately built the case against him. Craig walks attendees through the psychological pressures and rationalizations he experienced, the internal controls he exploited, and the behavioral red flags that preceded detection. He also examines how AI and emerging technologies are reshaping early fraud detection. Key takeaways include: understanding the psychology behind fraudulent behavior, recognizing early warning signs of fraud risk, and strengthening ethical decision-making and internal controls to protect your organization.

2 CPE Behavioral Ethics

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Sheraton Denver West Hotel — Where to Stay

Book your room at the Sheraton Denver West, conveniently located in Lakewood, CO, and lock in our group rate of just $109/night. The hotel sits along the light rail line, putting downtown Denver just 20 minutes away. For those driving in, free self-parking is available right on-site so there's no need to worry about the hassle or cost of city parking.

Beyond the commute, the hotel itself is a great home base. Guests enjoy mountain and city views, a newly renovated 10,000 sq ft fitness center, heated indoor lap pool, and Beau's Kitchen & Tavern for unwinding after a full day of sessions. And for those squeezing in a little adventure, Red Rocks Amphitheater and the Rocky Mountain foothills are just 10 minutes away. Don't miss out — reserve your room today!

Book Your Room!

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Donate professional attire to the CU Denver Career Closet at PEAK 2026

New at PEAK 2026

Give Back: Donate to the CU Denver Career Closet

We're collecting gently used professional attire at PEAK. Your donations help CU Denver students and alumni get free, interview-ready clothing so they can make a great first impression. Bring your items to the conference on November 11–12.

Learn About the Career Closet