Aspen Business Connect
Events This Week
Restaurant Events

Aspen Real Life Past Events

Aspen Business Connect brings Roaring Fork Valley professionals together through curated dinners, cocktail parties, mixers and intimate networking events designed to create meaningful connections.

Bar Stool Chats

These "As I Build This" conversations are led by entrepreneurs who share their trials and tribulations of building their businesses. 

Coffee Chats - VIDEO

Hosted at some of our favorite cafés, these mornings give Aspen Business Connect Members a chance to catch up monthly.

Supper Club - VIDEO

These culinary adventures are designed to bring together interesting people over creative food, wine, and conversation. The series launched with a sold-out dinner in Redstone in 2024 at Joy & Wylde Restone Gallery and continues June 4th at Sprazzo in Carbondale, where guests will gather on the patio for a scratch-made Italian dinner created by Chef Daniel Leon.

More than just dinner parties, the series is designed to slow things down, spark new relationships, and create the kind of nights people continue talking about long after the last glass of wine has been poured. 

Venues

PARC Aspen, Bear Den Aspen, Duemani, St. Regis Aspen, Caribou Club, Aspen Chapel, Grey Lady Aspen (now Wild Fig), Aspen Kitchen (now Catchsteak), Marble Bar Aspen (Now Aspen Sky Residences), Aurum (Snowmass), Hoffman Hotel, Sprazzo and more ….

Events

Bear Den Aspen - Valentine’s Day & Tequila Tasting Dinner

Aurum - Christmas Party VIDEO

Duemani - Aspen Business Connect Christmas Party VIDEO

W Aspen Happy Hour VIDEO & VIDEO WET BAR

Free Range Happy Hour VIDEO

Cocktail Reception in Aspen Home VIDEO

Dear Wild Dinner VIDEO

Garden Party with Equus Health VIDEOVIDEO

The Power of Design with Aspen’s Top Architects VIDEO

Living Authentically VIDEO

Artist Axel Livingston Interview with DJ Watkins, Aspen Collective Gallery VIDEO

Helping Teens Video (Aspen District Theatre)

Being a Chef in Aspen VIDEO

Aspen Connect’s Outback to Aspen: One Woman’s Remarkable Journey (Caribou Club)

How to Stay Spiritual in Business: A Rabbi, a Minister and a Yogarupa (Aspen Chapel)

Women Empowering Women: (Here House, now Wyan)

The Art of Being an Entrepreneur (Grey Lady Aspen - Now Wild Fig) VIDEO / PRE-EVENT INTERVIEW

Slow Money with Woody Tasch

This event was held at The St. Regis Aspen. Guest Speakers: Woody Tasch, Founder of Slow Money, Author and Visionary; Susan Brady, Founder of 2Forks Club; and John Ward, ANB Mountain Region President. Moderated by Stephanie Syson, Co-Founder of Dynamic Roots and Biodynamic Botanicals.

Sustainable Agriculture: VIDEO 

Guest Speakers; Brook Levan, Co-Founder and Executive Director of Sustainable Settings, Jerome Osentowski, Founder and Director of CRMPI (Central Rocky Mountain Permaculture Institute), and Eden Vardy, Executive Director & Co-Founder of Aspen Tree and The Farm Collective. 

Dogsledding on The Rio Grande with Seth at the Aspen Animal Shelter: VIDEO

Articles 

Radio Show on KSPN VIDEO

Aspen Real Life

Aspen Times

Aspen Daily News

Aspen Daily News Op Ed

Roaring Fork Weekly Journal: Helping Teens 

Aspen 82 Interview with Sue O’Bryan and Jillian Livingston Women Empowering Women 

Aspen Business Connect Promo

Moderators and Speakers

Rich Carr, CCY Architects, Todd Kennedy, CCY Architects; Sheri Sanzone, Bluegreen; Derek Skalko, 1Friday Design; Kirstie Ennis, Retired Marine Sergeant; Thomas Flynn, COO of Consult Your Community; Heather Stone of Mentors & Moguls; Janie Joseland-Bennett and her daughter Eleanor Bennett; Axel Livingston, teen artists; Rod Stryker, founder of ParaYoga® and the author of The Four Desires: Creating a Life of Purpose, Happiness, Prosperity, and Freedom; Executive Director of Lead with Love, Gina Murdock; Aspen Chapel Minister Nicholas Vesey; Neshama Center Aspen Rabbit Itzhak Vardy; Chef C. Barclay Dodge, Chef/Owner of Bosq; Woody Tasch, Founder of Slow Money, Author and Visionary; Brook Levan, Co-Founder and Executive Director of Sustainable Settings, Jerome Osentowski, Founder and Director of CRMPI (Central Rocky Mountain Permaculture Institute), and Eden Vardy, Executive Director & Co-Founder of The Farm Collaborative; Susan Brady, Founder of 2Forks Club; John Ward, ANB Mountain Region President, CoVenture Executive Director, Mike Lowe;  Michele Cardamone of Michele Cardamone Photography; Sue O’Bryan, Interim Executive Director of Alpine Legal Services and Partner at O'BRYAN & SIMEONE LAW AND MEDIATION, LLP; and Gina D’Orazio Stryker, Founder of organic, non-GMO Gina Cucina Soups; Rabbi Itzhak Vardy of Neshama Center Aspen; Erin Riccio, former Field Manager for Conservation Colorado, the state’s largest environmental advocacy organization; Nicole Lindstrom; Local Psychotherapist Elizabeth Schaefer Miller of Aspen Alliance Counseling and Kris Murphy Ferguson of Trailtalk, and Executive Director of Roaring Fork Leadership (RFL), Andrea Palm-Porter.

ON THE FLY INTERVIEW

On the chairlift: US Paralympic Trainer Kevin Jardine VIDEO

TESTIMONIALS

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Sponsors

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Testimonials

Corneliu Fagaraşan
Architect

Aspen Business Connect completely exceeded my expectations. From the moment I showed up I felt welcomed into a community of open, curious, and genuinely supportive people. It’s not just networking—it’s real connection. I’ve built friendships, found opportunities, and gained invaluable insight simply by being part of the group. The environment Jillian has created makes it easy to show up, be yourself, and grow both personally and professionally.

Hudson McNamee Osprey Design Studio
Owner

I came along and was immediately connected with a lot of entrepreneurs from all backgrounds. A year and a half later I have gained a plethora of connections and advice from people from all walks of the entrepreneurial journey. This valley works by word of mouth. That is the most effective way, and being a part of this has gained me the most high quality clientele that respect what I do, compensate me fairly and I don't have to go through the entire vetting process every time. I learned so much from so many different types of people. It's been invaluable to my growth as an entrepreneur and a small business owner.

Grayson Rutherford Sinclair Building Architecture Design
Director of Operations

I've been blown away by the professional connections that I've been able to make since joining Aspen Business Connect. I've even had the opportunity to make trade relationships... [and] brought multiple artists onto my company's projects that I wouldn't have otherwise found had I not been a member of ABC.

It's unmatched and unrivaled by anything else in the valley and such a special meeting and connecting place for professionals of all different backgrounds. Jillian does an incredible job making her network ours and she's the most well-connected woman in the valley, always bringing in new people from different places who have different experiences and backgrounds to share. Overall it's one of my favorite things to be part of in the valley, from our socializing events and specialized dinners to our more professional focused events , it's given me the opportunity to make great friends in the valley and even professional relationships. All of us are better off for it.

Jeremy Joseph
Jeremy Joseph Photography

I opened a gallery called Jeremy Joseph Photography, which was a place to display my fine art prints of the Colorado Wilderness and Wildlife. Shortly after opening that space, I started to realize the need for me to be more  integrated into the local community. After a short meeting with Jillian, I realized really quickly how valuable her network could be to get more integrated into the community. The amount of people and relationship building you can do is pretty impressive. Every time that I show up  I always have a bit of a vibrationally tingly inspiration because of everyone's stories and what they're doing. Just a great place to be a part of the community and get inspired for your small business.

Derron Cloud, State Farm Agent in Basalt and Aspen.
Agent

What I have enjoyed from Jillian's group, Aspen Business Connect, is I've met lots of different people, different individuals. There's great events. I have probably not only gained clients but I’ve also been able to provide clients to those other folks that I've met. I've also made friends. Several people that I met in the first meeting that I went to, I've played golf with and our families hang out together. I have also had many, many referrals from those people. This group has been fantastic for networking and learning and just meeting lots of great and wonderful, interesting people.

Dominic Del Signore Homestead Circus Productions
Founder

Being a member hasn't just grown my business; it has fundamentally changed my life in the Roaring Fork Valley.

Jillian is a master at the art of connection, and her dedication to this community is nothing short of brilliant. She understands that when you connect local businesses as genuine resources for one another, you aren't just facilitating 'transactions', you are proliferating a culture of friendship, growth, and playful engagement that makes our community thrive... Great organizations only succeed with great leaders, and Jillian’s mission to foster an environment where we all succeed together is incredibly effective.

Marisa de Lempicka Tamara de Lempicka Estate Foundation
Owner

I've been a member with Aspen Business Connect for about five years now and it's been wonderful. Jillian does an amazing job at connecting people. I always leave the events inspired, empowered, with new ideas. It's really really been a great addition to my life here in Aspen, and it's a great reason to hear what other people are doing in the community, to feel part of this amazing community. The people in this group are amazing. I've /made some really lifelong friendships.

Shari Havroud of Aetio Health
Nutritionist
I am so grateful for Jillian and Aspen Business Connect, for introducing my work to the team at Aspen Strong where we created a successful Food/Mood kids series.  From there, I have been given the opportunity to work with the Aspen Youth Center, Aspen Family Connections and the City of Aspen!” 
All of these engagements have helped me expand awareness about the benefits of medical nutrition therapy.  Just one introduction led to many more.  I would highly recommend joining the Aspen Business Connect network!"
Diane Utz, ESQ Ferguson Shindler Law Firm
Construction Litigation

Thank you once again! You’ve created something really special and have done an amazing job pulling together the movers and shakers in this Valley. I’ve lived all over the country but have never witnessed a network like the one you’ve built and are continuing to build. You are such an inspiration!

Eric Amyot Keystone Species CO
Instigator of Change | Generative Community Builder

ABC makes networking easy. More than that, the intention and energy, mood, and support for every entrepreneur and business regardless of their scale or industry, is always positive.

Harry Teague - Harry Teague Architects
Owner

Thank you Aspen Real Life and your team. Very informative and well organized panel discussion. Wonderful to network with such smart, fun crowd. Keep up the good work.

Jerome Osentowski Central Rocky Mountain Permaculture Institute
Founder & Director

Last week Jerome, Eden, and Brook melted our minds with their wisdom on the state of our food systems, what they're doing about it, and what we can all do to improve the health of ourselves and the Earth. Thanks Aspen Business Connect for organizing this great event!

Thanks so much Jillian for putting these together. We were glad to see so many people who care about their food, we got so many business cards! Amazing

Rose LeVan Sustainable Settings
Co-Founder & Office Manager

Thank you Jillian for giving us the opportunity to talk with our community via Aspen Business Connect! Your crew is amazing.

Michele Cardamone - Michele Cardamone Photography
Owner

I just went to Jillian's Aspen Business Connect meeting at Aspen Kitchen with a panel discussing the importance of eating local and nutritious food without pesticides. There was so much positive energy in the room and such an eclectic mix of local business representatives. It was such a perfect way to connect with members of our community. Bravo, Jillian! I can't wait for more!

Molly Dodge Bosque Aspen

Such an amazing event, Jillian!! Thank you for including us and for everything that you're doing for this community and beyond. You're an inspiration and connecting people is the most satisfying thing. Xoxox

Bill Infante, Hangai Mountain Textiles, Co-Founder & President at Breakthrough Communications, Basalt Town Council Member.
Principal & Co-Founder

Great evening. Great initiative. Great connections. Thanks Jillian Livingston for bringing the business community together!

Marisa Hallsted The Mindful Vine
Founder

We thought you’d love that we all connected over a fabulous dinner. Turned into a blog post, a mastermind group, a newly designed ring from gems from my ancestors and who knows great collaborations between some of us in the future! Thanks for being our connector and for all you do!!