The Drop Off: EPIC Conversations About the Workforce of Today and the Talent of Tomorrow

Our President & CEO Nicole Riehl was recently a guest on The Manufacturing Employer Podcast where she reframed childcare as a critical workforce infrastructure issue, not just an employee perk. She discusses the hidden costs of childcare challenges, and how manufacturers can address absenteeism and turnover linked to them. She shares actionable strategies including flexible scheduling, stipends and community resources, and explains how even incremental changes can yield strong ROI in recruitment, retention and productivity.
Thanks to the The Manufacturing Employer Podcast for sharing with us. Please visit their website here. Their podcast can be found here.
This episode is available on podcatchers everywhere and the EPIC website. Please rate, review and subscribe. 

The Denver Institute for Faith & Work's vision is that every person’s work brings hope and life to their city. From their website: "If people believe their work is central to God’s work in the world, they will find hope for and in their work and become agents of life in their workplaces, professions, industries, and cities. Our mission is to prepare people to serve God and others in their daily work so that workplaces and cities are transformed."
Ross Chapman is the CEO of the Denver Institute for Faith & Work, where he helps leaders explore how faith connects to their daily work, and he’s also the co-author of the book Faithful Work. Joanna Meyer is also an author and the founder and executive director of Women, Work, & Calling at the Denver Institute for Faith & Work, where she helps women explore how their faith shapes their leadership and careers.
On this episode of The Drop Off, Ross and Joanna join Nicole Riehl to discuss their views of how faith and work intersect not only in the professional sense, but in the home, in our communities, and in how we raise our children. They touch on evolving views of dual income households, finding fulfillment in multiple aspects of our lives through faith, and how churches can function as community and child care hubs. It's a fascinating conversation that covers a lot of ground, and we're grateful for the work of Ross and Joanna. 
This episode is available on podcatchers everywhere and the EPIC website. Please rate, review and subscribe. 

Our President & CEO Nicole Riehl was recently a guest on the Colorado Chamber's Office Hours Podcast where she discussed four bills currently making their way through the Colorado legislature, and issues pertinent to child care in general. You can find that original episode here. Below is the description from this episode's landing page.
If one figure tells the story of why childcare is so intertwined with business, it is this: The lack of available care slots keeps so many caregivers from working in Colorado that it costs the economy $3.3 billion annually. And this week’s “Colorado Chamber Office Hours” episode features an in-depth look at exactly how that impact manifests itself in Colorado and what the Legislature, typically in partnership with business groups, is looking to do to ameliorate the crisis.
Nicole Riehl — president/CEO of Executives Partnering to Invest in Children, a business-backed advocacy group — explains what’s been done in recent years to help boost the number of childcare slots, which still remains about 70,000 slots short of need in Colorado. And she discusses four bills that are moving forward this year in the Legislature, including efforts to loosen regulations around childcare providers and extend an important tax credit for businesses and individuals who contribute to childcare centers.
While many of the bills we discuss this week have overwhelming bipartisan support, some observers argue that the best thing the state government can do to make childcare more accessible is to back away altogether from control over the sector. And to that end, Sen. Mark Baisley, R-Woodland Park, discusses that idea with us, even as he supports private-sector efforts to open more childcare centers.
Thanks to the Colorado Chamber Office Hours podcast for sharing with us. Please visit their website here. Their podcast can be found here.
This episode is available on podcatchers everywhere and the EPIC website. Please rate, review and subscribe. 

Nicole Dorsey is Vice President of Client & Community Relations at PNC and Sally McCrady is Chair and President of the PNC Foundation. PNC is constantly innovating to help their clients succeed and to have a big impact in Denver and beyond. They provide their customers with new ideas, offer valuable insights and create customized solutions to help propel businesses forward. The PNC Foundation's priority is to form partnerships with community-based nonprofit organizations in order to enhance educational opportunities, with an emphasis on early childhood education, and to promote the growth of communities through economic development initiatives.
On this episode of The Drop Off, Nicole and Sally join Nicole Riehl to discuss PNC's deep commitment to early childhood education, why they became known as "the early childhood education bank," and how PNC works as part of a larger ecosystem of businesses and organizations that seek to enhance the understanding of how investing in early childhood education is an investment in the future of the workforce and economic prosperity for all.
This episode is available on podcatchers everywhere and the EPIC website. Please rate, review and subscribe. 

On September 9th, EPIC brought together Colorado business leaders to celebrate our 16th Annual Business Leaders Dinner in Glendale, CO. We always have an educational discussion as part of our dinner program to hear from leaders and partners as they share their own perspectives and work related to child care and early education.   This year we welcomed the ever-amazing Barbara Grogan, whom we honored with the 2025 EPIC Award, and Steve ErkenBrack, President and CEO of Buell Foundation. 
This episode is available on podcatchers everywhere and the EPIC website. Please rate, review and subscribe. 

Our President & CEO Nicole Riehl was recently a guest on the Wooden Teeth Show, where she joined host Jake Williams to discuss the business challenges of childcare and how they impact price and availability for families. We're grateful for the opportunity to appear on Wooden Teeth, and to share the episode here on our platform. 
You can find Wooden Teeth at their website and on their YouTube channel.
This episode is available on podcatchers everywhere and the EPIC website. Please rate, review and subscribe. 

In December 2024, EPIC partnered with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation for the National Child Care Innovation Summit. This invite-only event, presented by the David and Laura Merage Foundation, brought together business leaders in Washington, D.C. for an intimate, engaging environment of workshops, panels, and networking—designed to turn inspiration into action in their own communities. 
In this episode, we’re proud to share the panel “How to Support Providers in Community-Wide or Non-Traditional Solutions.” Hosted by Michelle Kang, CEO of the National Association for the Education of Young Children, and featuring Erica Phillips of the National Association for Family Child Care, Dr. Calvin Moore, Jr. of Council for Professional Recognition, Lucy Recio of Third Bloom Consulting, and Ellicia Lanier of Urban Sprouts. 
This episode is available on podcatchers everywhere and the EPIC website. Please rate, review and subscribe. 

In December 2024, EPIC partnered with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation for the National Child Care Innovation Summit. This invite-only event, presented by the David and Laura Merage Foundation, brought together business leaders in Washington, D.C. for an intimate, engaging environment of workshops, panels, and networking—designed to turn inspiration into action in their own communities. 
On this episode of The Drop Off, we’re proud to share “Paying Dividends: Employer Investments & Community Impacts.” Hosted by Aaron Merchen of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, and featuring Kathy Szenda Wilson and Maria Ortiz Borden of Pulse, Ananda Sweet of the Santa Rosa Metro Chamber, and David Duro of theTreasure Valley Family YMCA,” this conversation highlights how investments in child care benefit both the business community, and the community at-large.
This episode is available on podcatchers everywhere and the EPIC website. Please rate, review and subscribe. 

In December 2024, EPIC partnered with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation for the National Child Care Innovation Summit. This invite-only event, presented by the David and Laura Merage Foundation, brought together business leaders in Washington, D.C. for an intimate, engaging environment of workshops, panels, and networking—designed to turn inspiration into action in their own communities. On this episode of The Drop Off, we’re proud to share “How Providers & Employers Can Build Successful Relationships.” Hosted by Adam Alson of Appleseed Childhood Education, and featuring Ella Zander of Yellow Hen Child Care and Jennifer Knott of Access Early Education Foundation, the conversation sheds light on how to foster dialogue and partnership in each unique business environment. Anecdotes, insights, and useful information abound in this dynamic conversation among three leaders in the field.
 
This episode is available on podcatchers everywhere and the EPIC website. Please rate, review and subscribe. 

William Browning is President & CEO of Clayton Early Learning. He passionately leads Clayton’s work to build opportunities for children and families to live to their endless potential. With more than 30 years of distinguished leadership experience in strategic social impact development, program development, fundraising, change management, and business operations, he brings deep connections to the local and national philanthropy communities. Ryan Beiser is Regional President and Head of Corporate Banking for PNC. PNC is constantly innovating to help their clients succeed and to have a big impact in Denver. They provide their customers with new ideas, offer valuable insight and create customized solutions that will help propel a business forward. Ryan is also Chairman of the Board for EPIC. 
On this episode of The Drop Off, William and Ryan join Nicole Riehl to discuss how these two organizations have forged a partnership that marries PNC's deep commitment to the cause of early childhood education with Clayton's innovative and robust model of helping the community meet its need for good options in this space. They discuss the current lay of the land as it pertains to workforce, how programs like these will help to shape the workforce of tomorrow, and much more. 
This episode is available on podcatchers everywhere and the EPIC website. Please rate, review and subscribe.