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Step into the red rocks of Sedona for a day designed to spark bold ideas, elevate big conversations, and build lasting connections.

About the Summit

Mark Boisclair Photography, Inc. Mark Boisclair, Architectural Photography
Past Annual Partner Fireside Chat Photo
2003, ARIZONA, BOYTON CANYON, CATHEDRAL ROCK, DRONE, ENCHANTMENT, HIKING, MEZCAL, MILKY WAY, MOUNTAIN BIKING, PINNACLES, RESORT, SCOUT, SEDONA, SLICK ROCK, TRAIL RUNNING 2003 was a film project for Enchantment Resorts in Sedona, AZ. We filmed mountain biking, hiking, and trail running through out the surrounding trails. ..ATHLETES: ...DIRECTOR: CHRIS BURKARD.FILM MAKER: BEN WEILAND.Assistant: JEREMY BISHOP.Assistant: KEVAN DOYLE

The Sedona Innovation Summit gathers Arizona’s most dynamic voices, including elected officials, business leaders, startup founders and community changemakers, to tackle the state’s toughest challenges and brightest opportunities.

Thursday, October 1, 2026

Enchantment

Where Bold Ideas Meet Arizona's Biggest Opportunities

What will it take to power Arizona's next chapter?

From the intersection of growth, water and energy to the future of sustainability, emerging technology and wellness, the 2026 Sedona Innovation Summit explores the challenges shaping Arizona and the ideas being developed to meet them.

BIG CONVERSATIONS. FRESH PERSPECTIVES. ARIZONA'S FUTURE.

Through keynote conversations, dynamic panels and emerging ideas from across the state, explore how innovation is changing the way Arizona grows, powers, builds, cares and creates.

2026 Speakers — Sedona Innovation Summit

2026 Summit

2026 Speakers

We're excited to welcome our first confirmed speakers for the 2026 Sedona Innovation Summit — with more to be announced.

Featured Speaker
Hunter Bjork

Hunter Bjork

Founder & CEO, ISA

Hunter Bjork believes all energy should be inherently sustainable, affordable, and decentralized. As Founder and CEO of ISA, the Arizona-based clean energy company he launched in 2016, he focuses on reimagining how we power our world and commercializing breakthrough clean technology — with a mission to empower people and organizations through energy independence, freedom, and access.

Full bio

ISA's mission is to help solve the world's energy problem by accelerating the transition to sustainability through the research, development, and commercialization of breakthrough clean energy technologies. As CEO and President, Hunter concentrates on three areas: the company's long-term direction, product development, and the strategic acquisition of complementary businesses.

Beyond ISA, he is an active builder of Arizona's clean technology community. After observing a disconnect in the Phoenix sustainability ecosystem, he began hosting CleanTech-focused events through AZ CleanTech to connect the sector through capital, camaraderie, and community. His work has been recognized by the Phoenix Award Program and the International Society of Business Leaders.

His advice to aspiring entrepreneurs: trust your gut, follow your heart, and guard your mind.

Speaker · “Wellness Reimagined” Panel
Debra Stangl

Debra Stangl

Founder & CEO, Sedona Soul Adventures · Author

Debra Stangl is the Founder & CEO of Sedona Soul Adventures and author of The Journey to Happy — How Embracing The Concept That Nothing Is Wrong Can Transform Your Life.

Full bio

In her book, Debra reveals how she went from being an unhappy, stressed-out divorce attorney who was $50K in debt and 40 pounds overweight — to happy, $50,000 falling out of the sky, down to her ideal weight in five weeks without dieting, and doing the work of her dreams with Sedona Soul Adventures. Since the book came out, she has also spoken about going from an unhappy marriage to being happily single and finally finding and marrying the man of her dreams, all by following the principles in her book.

Debra was a divorce attorney in Omaha, Nebraska for 20 years. In January 1999, she had a spiritual re-awakening in Sedona. After moving to Sedona in 2001 and founding Sedona Soul Adventures in 2002, she developed a unique process of deeply transformational, custom-designed private retreats for individuals and couples, drawing on the skills of over 50 of the Master Practitioners of Sedona.

Speaker · “Wellness Reimagined” Panel
Jessica Hayman, ND

Jessica Hayman, ND

Licensed Naturopathic Doctor · Sedona, Arizona

Dr. Jessica Hayman is a Licensed Naturopathic Doctor practicing in Sedona. She received her Doctorate in Naturopathic Medicine from Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine in Tempe and holds Bachelor's degrees in International Relations and Spanish from the University of Southern California.

Full bio

Naturopathic medicine found Dr. Hayman as she searched for answers to the root cause of disease among her circle of friends and family — realizing that the alleviation of disease is prevention and wellness. She sees herself as a facilitator, empowering patients to better their lives through seeing the world around them in a new light, and believes every patient should be treated individually regardless of the disease, condition, or symptom.

She has a passion for environmental medicine and treating patients with chronic toxin exposure, with clinical nutrition and gastroenterology as core focus areas — because the gut is the gateway to a vital immune system. Her practice also emphasizes women's medicine, including PMS, menopause, PCOS, cervical dysplasia, and HPV, having studied under leading naturopathic physicians in the field. She has completed advanced training in intravenous nutritional therapies using natural substrates such as curcumin, vitamin C, glutathione, and alpha lipoic acid.

Dr. Hayman is a member of the Arizona Naturopathic Medical Association, a monthly supporter of Naturopaths Without Borders, and a volunteer with Verde Valley Community Hospice, where she provides naturopathic modalities in the hospice setting. In her free time she enjoys the Red Rocks with her husband Jeremy and son Bodhi, along with snow skiing, hiking, cooking, traveling, and hot springs. She is fluent in Spanish.

Areas of interest: Environmental Medicine, Nutritional Therapies, Women's Health, Botanical Medicine, Cancer, Autoimmune Conditions, Hashimoto's Thyroiditis, Detox Protocols.

Book an appointment · Free consult

Speaker · “Sustainability at Scale” Breakout
Kelly Osborne

Kelly Osborne

Corporate Services Staff Engineer, Intel Corporation

Kelly Osborne is a staff engineer at Intel Corporation focused on water conservation through optimizing water use, wastewater treatment, and reclaim.

Full bio

Kelly holds a BS in Chemical Engineering from the University of New Mexico and has been with Intel for 21 years. During her time at Intel, she held engineering positions in wet etch, diffusion, and yield before moving to corporate services to support the industrial waste systems group, then on to her current role.

2026 Sedona Innovation Award

Know someone driving fresh ideas or positive change in Sedona? Nominate them - or yourself - for the 2026 Sedona Innovation Award and help us give well-deserved recognition to those redefining what's possible in our community.

2026 Sedona Innovation Award Winner will be announced live on stage at the Summit. Our way of celebrating those who help drive creativity and progress in Sedona.

Presenting Sponsor

Keynote Sponsor

Event Partners

Previous Speakers — Sedona Innovation Summit

2025 Summit

Previous Speakers

Our inaugural Summit at Enchantment Resort brought together coaches, chefs, policy leaders, and community builders from across Arizona. Meet the voices who shaped the conversation on November 6, 2025.

Keynote Speaker
Chris Carlisle

Chris Carlisle

Elite Performance Coach, Best-Selling Author & Former Strength & Conditioning Coach, Seattle Seahawks

“Building a Culture of Success”

Author of Move or Die — Creating a Gameplan from Stuck to Significance, Chris firmly believes “if you are not constantly learning, then you are falling behind.” He brought his “Beast Mode Leadership” mindset to Sedona — challenging innovators to push past limits, embrace growth, lead with vision, and cultivate a culture of success.

Keynote Speaker
Sybil Francis, Ph.D.

Sybil Francis, Ph.D.

Chair, President & CEO, Center for the Future of Arizona

“The Arizona We Want”

Sybil co-founded the Center for the Future of Arizona to bring Arizonans together around shared values and aspirations for the state's future, advancing The Arizona We Want agenda across education, workforce, and civic engagement.

Read more

She previously served as a senior policy director in the U.S. House of Representatives and in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. She has been honored as Woman of the Year by the Arizona Capitol Times (2024), named among Arizona's Most Influential Women by AZ Business Magazine (2024), and received the 2025 Pete C. Garcia Victoria Foundation Advocate for Education Award. Sybil earned her BA in Chemistry from Oberlin College and her Ph.D. in Political Science from MIT.

Moderator & Speaker
Mark Molinaro, Ed.D., CEC

Mark Molinaro, Ed.D., CEC

Executive Director & Professor, School of Hotel & Restaurant Management, Northern Arizona University

Redefining the intersection of hospitality and strategy, Dr. Molinaro pairs academic depth with real-world culinary expertise. He led the Summit's discussion on how hospitality can fuel Arizona's next wave of creative and economic growth.

Speaker
Chef Mercer Mohr

Chef Mercer Mohr

Corporate Chef, Restaurateur & Founder, Mercer's Kitchen Restaurant Group

A Culinary Institute of America graduate, Mercer built his career with Hyatt Hotels and the Four Seasons San Francisco, earning “San Francisco Chef of the Year” and “National Hotel Chef of the Year.” He founded Mercer's Kitchen after selling his Wild Thyme Restaurant Group in 2015.

Speaker
Christopher McGahey

Christopher McGahey

Director of Hospitality, Cliff Castle Casino

A seasoned hospitality executive at Cliff Castle Casino Hotel — one of the Verde Valley's largest employers — Christopher oversees guest experience strategy, food & beverage, lodging, and facility amenities with a focus on operational excellence.

Speaker
Brett Labit

Brett Labit

Co-Founder & President, Creative Gateways Art Galleries

A Sedona-based entrepreneur and community-builder, Brett is also creator and Chief Empowerment Officer at TribeUp — combining art, business, and relationships to cultivate meaningful connections and empower communities to live purposefully.

Speaker
Steve Segner

Steve Segner

Owner & Operator, El Portal Sedona Hotel

The visionary behind El Portal Sedona Hotel, the boutique inn he and his wife Connie opened in 2003. Under Steve's leadership, El Portal earned a 2024 MICHELIN Key — an elite recognition held by only a handful of Arizona properties — and a 2025 Arizona Travel Award for boutique hospitality.

Moderator & Speaker
Todd Sanders

Todd Sanders

President & CEO, Greater Phoenix Chamber of Commerce

Leading the Greater Phoenix Chamber since 2009, Todd has championed business growth, workforce development, and public policy driving long-term prosperity. At the Summit, he spotlighted how collaboration between Sedona and the Phoenix tech corridor can amplify statewide innovation.

Speaker
Katie Pettinger

Katie Pettinger, MBA

Chief Innovation Officer, NSF Futures Engine in the Southwest, ASU

Katie leads commercialization and investment strategies advancing sustainable water, energy, and air solutions across the Southwest. A startup founder and former university commercialization manager, she has guided numerous early-stage ventures and federal innovation programs.

Speaker
Mary Chicoine

Mary Chicoine, MSA, MS

Executive Director, Verde Valley Community Development Organization

A collaborative leader building resilient, sustainable communities across Northern Arizona, Mary leads initiatives that strengthen regional alliances and economic vitality. A two-time Notre Dame graduate, she is also founder of Momentum Catalysts, supporting mission-driven leaders.

Speaker
Mimi Maher

Mimi Maher

Owner, BCT Sedona · Secretary, Sedona-Oak Creek USD Educational Foundation

An entrepreneur, artist, and community advocate, Mimi provides long-term, below-market rentals for local families, teachers, first responders, and service professionals through BCT Sedona. She was recognized by the Rotary Club of Sedona for her leadership in housing and community philanthropy.

Speaker
Carlos Alfaro

Carlos Alfaro

Founder, Arizona Talks

A director, nonprofit executive, and founder of Arizona Talks, Carlos fosters civic dialogue and bipartisan understanding across the state — showing how thoughtful governance and collaboration can drive sustainable growth while preserving the landscapes that define Arizona's identity.

More speakers to be announced...

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