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Nearly 800 Gather for the 23rd Annual Latinas in Leadership Symposium; Civil Rights Icon Dolores Huerta Defines Leadership as “People Who Do the Work”

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HARTFORD, Conn., June 4, 2026 /PRNewswire/ –Nearly 800 professionals, entrepreneurs, community advocates, students, and allies gathered for the 23rd Annual Latinas in Leadership Symposium, themed “Atrévete…Because Representation Matters,” a powerful celebration of leadership, resilience, and the growing influence of Latina voices across Connecticut and beyond.

The annual event served as a dynamic platform for insightful takeaways, professional development, and community building, reaffirming Latinas in Leadership’s mission to develop, connect, and advance Latina leaders while creating opportunities for women to thrive in every sector.

A highlight of the day was an unforgettable keynote conversation with legendary civil rights leader and labor activist Dolores Huerta, whose decades-long commitment to social justice inspired attendees. Huerta challenged participants to view leadership through the lens of action and service, offering a message that resonated throughout the day: “Leaders are people who do the work.” Her remarks encouraged attendees to embrace their power, advocate for their communities, and lead with purpose.

In recognition of her extraordinary lifetime of advocacy, leadership, and service, Dolores Huerta was presented with the Latinas in Leadership Living Legend Award, honoring her enduring impact on civil rights, labor justice, and the empowerment of future generations of leaders.

The event also welcomed Governor Ned Lamont, who joined attendees in recognizing the vital contributions of Latina leaders to Connecticut’s economic, civic, and cultural landscape. Governor Lamont’s presence underscored the growing influence and impact of women leaders throughout the state.

Throughout the day, participants engaged in a robust lineup of professional development workshops focused on leadership advancement, community advocacy, career growth, and financial empowerment. A compelling fireside chat further explored the themes of resilience, representation, and creating pathways for future generations of leaders.

The event also featured a vibrant marketplace with 45 exhibitors, showcasing women-owned businesses, nonprofit organizations, and resources dedicated to entrepreneurship, economic mobility, and community empowerment.

The Symposium also celebrated outstanding achievement and service through its annual awards presentation. The organization honored three distinguished Latina Champion Award recipients for their commitment to advancing opportunities and equity for Latinas, and recognized an exceptional business leader with the Entrepreneur of the Year Award for innovation, leadership, and contributions to economic growth and community development.

One of the Symposium’s most inspiring moments was the recognition of the newest graduates of the Latinas in Leadership Institute, the organization’s signature leadership development program. The graduates were celebrated for their dedication, growth, and commitment to creating meaningful change within their professions, organizations, and communities.

Representing the transformative impact of the Institute, graduate Khio Santos reflected on the powerful bonds forged through the program.

“Somewhere along the way, our comadre-ship became something even bigger than a family,” Santos shared. “It became survival, healing, and community.”

Her remarks captured the spirit of the Institute and the broader Latinas in Leadership network—a community rooted in mentorship, support, and collective success. Santos also challenged attendees to embrace the Symposium’s theme of Atrévete—to dare to challenge limitations and redefine what leadership looks like.

“As Latinas, many of us come from women who sacrificed quietly,” Santos said. “But today, we change the narrative. We lead boldly, we take up space, and we dare to dream bigger. So, Atrévete.”

Reflecting on the success of the event, Marilyn Alverio, CEO and Founder of Latinas in Leadership, emphasized the importance of investing in leadership development and creating spaces where Latinas can grow and thrive.

“The energy, talent, and determination displayed throughout the Symposium demonstrate the strength of our community and the importance of investing in identity-centered leadership development,” said Alverio. “From Dolores Huerta’s powerful call to action to the accomplishments of our Institute graduates, this year’s event reminded us that leadership is not about titles—it’s about service, courage, and doing the work.”

As Latinas in Leadership looks to the future, the organization remains committed to expanding opportunities for women to lead, inspire change, and build stronger communities for generations to come

Applications are open for the next Cohort (7), which begins on September 9th. For more information visit: www.latinasinleadership.world

The 23rd Annual Latinas in Leadership Symposium was made possible through the generous support of its sponsors, including Liberty Bank, It’s A 10 Haircare, NBC/Telemundo & Comcast, Connecticut Public Television, MassMutual, VOYA, Greater Hartford YMCA, Hartford HealthCare, TJX, The Hartford, Beacon Bank, Fairview, Eversource, Webster Bank, and AARP.

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SOURCE Latinas in Leadership Inc.

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Chapters Health System Named as a 2026 Top Workplace for Nursing

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National Recognition from Nurse.com and Energage Highlights Exceptional Employee Experience

TEMPLE TERRACE, Fla., June 4, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Chapters Health System, the nation’s leading chronic illness innovator and largest nonprofit hospice provider, has been awarded the Top Workplaces for Nursing 2026 honor by Nurse.com in recognition of its commitment to creating an outstanding workplace culture that supports and empowers nurses. The Top Workplaces for Nursing is a national employer recognition award developed by Energage, the HR technology company behind the program, and Nurse.com, a community where more than 3 million nurses connect.

“As an organization driven by the mission of taking care of patients, or taking care of those who do®, this national recognition demonstrates our success in ensuring that Chapters Health is the premier organization for nurses to build and grow their career,” said Andrew Molosky, President and CEO at Chapters Health System. “As we continue to innovate across the healthcare industry, it is critical that we remain focused on being an organization where nurses are supported and have the opportunity to help shape the future of healthcare for years to come.”

Organizations were honored based solely on employee feedback gathered through the confidential Energage Workplace Survey. The survey measured the overall employee experience, including whether nurses feel respected and supported, enabled to grow their careers, and empowered to provide quality care. Winners scored significantly higher in key indicators of nurse engagement and satisfaction, and overall employee experience, when benchmarked against their peers using Energage’s national data.

“This honor reflects the collaboration and commitment of thousands of team members across the country who have dedicated themselves to building a culture of appreciation, growth, and opportunity that enables nurses to thrive in a wide variety of roles throughout our organization,” said Rhonda White, President of Hospice and PACE at Chapters Health System. “This foundation and the connection to our service-driven values creates an environment where nurses are empowered to make a difference for thousands of patients and families each day.”

To learn more about career opportunities in nursing at Chapters Health System and the opportunity to change the future of healthcare, click here.

About Chapters Health System
Chapters Health System is boldly innovating the future of chronic illness care through its collective portfolio of more than 30 different companies and programs, including the nation’s largest nonprofit hospice network, PACE, value-based care such as CareNu, managed services organizations, technology solutions, advanced illness offerings, consulting, and more. Established in 1983 as a community-centered, nonprofit entity, Chapters Health has grown exponentially through its radical approach to healthcare that leverages a one-of-a-kind system to support patients, families, and caregivers across the country, while remaining grounded in the mission of taking care of patients, or taking care of those who do®. Chapters Health has been nationally recognized by Great Places to Work, Fortune®, USA Today, and others for being a top place to work. To learn more, visit www.chaptershealth.org, like us on Facebook or follow us on X and LinkedIn.

About Energage
Energage is a purpose-driven company that helps organizations turn employee feedback into useful business intelligence and credible employer recognition through Top Workplaces. Built on 18 years of culture research and the results from 27 million employees surveyed across more than 70,000 organizations, Energage delivers the most accurate competitive benchmark available. With access to a unique combination of patented analytic tools and expert guidance, Energage customers lead the competition with an engaged workforce and an opportunity to gain recognition for their people-first approach to culture. For more information or to nominate your organization, visit energage.com or topworkplaces.com.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/chapters-health-system-named-as-a-2026-top-workplace-for-nursing-302791862.html

SOURCE Chapters Health System

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Production is Changed Forever — Now What?

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Colby2: Full AI Commercial for BlockStrong including VO, Music, Picture

ATLANTA, June 4, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — A new cinematic brand TV spot from Atlanta-based production company Colby2 compresses decades into seconds—following a young couple as they move into their first home, raise children, grow older, and ultimately gather with generations of family beneath the same roof. Even the family dog ages alongside them, turning the home itself into a symbol of permanence, memory, and resilience.

What makes the project unusual is not simply the emotional storytelling, but the production process behind it.

The entire commercial was created through a directed AI production workflow—marking the first fully AI-produced commercial in more than 30 years of filmmaking for director Steve Colby.

Rather than relying on traditional production methods—casting multiple age-specific actors, coordinating complex shoots, and building numerous sets—the film was crafted using AI-generated visuals, music, and voiceover, guided by a cinematic directing process designed to preserve emotional continuity and creative intent.

“This wasn’t about replacing production—it was about making possible a story that otherwise would have been financially or practically out of reach,” said Colby. “We were able to tell a decades-long story with a level of continuity and scale that would have been extremely difficult through conventional production.”

For Colby, who has spent decades working alongside crews he considers close friends, the shift was both creatively exciting and personally complicated.

“I’d still rather be on set with a crew, solving problems together through a long day in the trenches,” Colby said. “There is a human energy and camaraderie to traditional production that AI can’t replace. But we are a service business, and our responsibility is to provide the best possible solution for the client. In this case, AI was the right tool.”

The AI-driven workflow also changed the creative process itself.

Executive Producer Tina Colby states “In traditional production, you’re often locked into decisions made weeks earlier – your schedule, locations, and budget, with AI, if something sparked creatively, we could explore it immediately without adding another shoot day or dramatically increasing costs.”

That flexibility allowed the team to expand scenes, refine emotional moments, and explore multiple storytelling directions in real time.

But the veteran filmmaker, Colby is also candid about the anxiety many filmmakers feel toward emerging AI tools—an anxiety he says he shares himself.

“Anyone who has spent a life in this business understands the fear surrounding these tools,” he said. “I understand it because I feel it too. But pretending this technology isn’t here, or trying to fight against its existence, isn’t realistic. Nothing in human history that has been invented has ever been un-invented.”

Rather than resisting the shift entirely, he believes the industry must learn how to adapt while preserving the humanity that gives filmmaking its emotional power.

“My hope is that AI becomes a tool that helps filmmakers more than it displaces them,” he said. “Technology can generate images, but it still takes human experience, taste, empathy, and storytelling instinct to create something meaningful.”

While the approach significantly reduced production cost and complexity, the focus remained firmly on the story itself—delivering an emotionally resonant piece centered on the idea that the structures we build are designed to last for generations.

For Colby, the project represents more than a single commercial. It reflects a broader turning point for the creative industry.

“The truth is, AI is going to change this industry as much as anything ever has,” said Colby. “The challenge now is figuring out how we keep the humanity in the work while embracing the tools that are clearly here to stay.”

To learn more, please visit https://www.colby2.com/.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/production-is-changed-forever–now-what-302791383.html

SOURCE Colby2

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Tech-Access Canada Welcomes Canada’s AI Strategy and Focus on Helping Businesses Adopt AI

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OTTAWA, ON, June 4, 2026 /CNW/ – Tech-Access Canada welcomes the Government of Canada’s new national artificial intelligence strategy, AI for All, and its focus on helping Canadian businesses, workers, and students harness the benefits of AI to strengthen productivity, competitiveness, and economic growth.

Canada has earned a global reputation for excellence in artificial intelligence research. The next challenge is ensuring that businesses across all sectors of the economy have the support they need to adopt and apply AI technologies in practical ways that improve operations, create new opportunities, and enhance competitiveness.

The strategy’s emphasis on AI adoption among small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), workforce development, and hands-on learning opportunities for students reflects areas where Canada’s colleges, cégeps, and Technology Access Centres (TACs) are already making a meaningful contribution.

Across Canada, Technology Access Centres help thousands of businesses each year evaluate, test, validate, and implement emerging technologies. In the AI space, TACs have supported companies across sectors such as manufacturing, forestry, energy, agriculture, and environmental services in applying artificial intelligence to real-world challenges, including predictive maintenance, process optimization, quality control, resource management, and operational decision-making.

Examples include helping manufacturers improve production efficiency through AI-enabled process optimization and supporting natural resource companies with advanced analytics and machine learning tools that improve monitoring, forecasting, and operational performance.

The strategy’s commitment to AI literacy, skills development, and student work-integrated learning opportunities is also particularly encouraging. Every year, Technology Access Centres provide over 2,000 students with hands-on experience working alongside Canadian companies on applied R&D and technology adoption projects, helping them develop the practical skills needed to succeed in an increasingly AI-enabled economy.

“Canada has been a global leader in AI research for decades. The next challenge is helping more Canadian businesses, workers, and students put AI to work solving real-world problems,” said Ken Doyle, Executive Director of Tech-Access Canada.

“We are encouraged to see the strategy’s strong emphasis on the adoption of AI, workforce development, and ensuring that the benefits of AI reach businesses and communities across the country. Technology Access Centres have long operated at the intersection of innovation, talent development, and industry collaboration, helping SMEs adopt emerging technologies while providing students with valuable hands-on experience. As Canada works to increase AI adoption across the economy, colleges, cégeps, and their Technology Access Centres are well positioned to help translate that ambition into practical outcomes.”

An independent evaluation of the federal College and Community Innovation Program recently concluded that Technology Access Centres contribute to measurable increases in revenue and employment among the small businesses they support, while providing students with applied learning opportunities that improve career outcomes.

Tech-Access Canada looks forward to working with governments, industry partners, post-secondary institutions, and innovation organizations across the country to help ensure the successful implementation of Canada’s AI strategy and the broad adoption of AI technologies that strengthen Canadian productivity and prosperity.

About Tech-Access Canada

Tech-Access Canada is the national network of 70 Technology Access Centres located at colleges and cégeps across the country. Together, they provide Canadian companies with access to objective applied R&D expertise, specialized equipment, prototyping, technology validation, and innovation support. Each year, the network works with more than 6,000 businesses and organizations, helping accelerate innovation, commercialisation, and technology adoption.

SOURCE Tech-Access Canada

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