Business and Education Leaders Unite to Launch Innovate Pikes Peak
COLORADO SPRINGS – A first-of-its-kind regional multi-district collaborative is launching to seamlessly connect education to career pathways for all learners across El Paso County districts and education systems to support the industries in our region.
The Colorado Springs Chamber & EDC and Peak Education have co-founded Innovate Pikes Peak (IPP), a joint initiative bringing together business, education, and community leaders to build a homegrown talent pipeline.
Innovate Pikes Peak is a multi-district collaborative that facilitates sharing of resources among districts backed by industry partners with the collective goal of providing every K-12 student in the Pikes Peak region with access to career pathways with family-sustaining wages in our region’s growth industries.
IPP’s mission is to provide equitable access to career exposure, skills, authentic learning experiences, college credits, and industry-recognized credentials. By aligning education with high-demand, family-sustaining careers, it will empower individuals and families to achieve financial stability and economic prosperity, strengthening both the community and the region.
A Unified Vision for Regional Prosperity
The launch event on Thursday featured a ceremonial Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signing by Lewis-Palmer District 38 and Colorado Springs Schools District 11 as well as Pikes Peak Board of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES), which represents eight rural district members, formalizing their collaboration with IPP and the business community to align career pathways with the region’s most critical industries. The event marked a shared regional commitment to developing the workforce of the future.
“We’re thrilled to announce the launch of Innovate Pikes Peak,” said Johnna Reeder Kleymeyer, Colorado Springs Chamber & EDC President and CEO. “Industry cluster research revealed we need stronger alignment between high school career and technical education and the talent needs of employers. Innovate Pikes Peak, created through the leadership of the Chamber & EDC’s Titans of Economic Development Council in partnership with Peak Education, brings these pieces together. This initiative connects education and industry so students can prepare for meaningful careers, and Colorado Springs and El Paso County can build a stronger, homegrown talent pipeline for the future.”
Innovate Pikes Peak emerged from a shared vision between the Chamber & EDC’s Titans of Economic Development Council and Peak Education. The Titans identified workforce and K–12 talent pipeline challenges as top priorities for the region’s long-term economic prosperity, while Peak Education identified the need to increase access, career readiness opportunities, and career navigation to K-12 learners in our region.
Together, the two organizations recognized that developing homegrown talent—starting with K–12—is essential to sustaining robust long-term economic growth and ensuring every student in El Paso County can access family-sustaining careers.
“Innovate Pikes Peak is about ensuring that every young person—no matter their background—can see themselves in the future of our region,” said Carlos Jiménez, CEO of Peak Education. “When schools, families, and industry come together, we’re not just building a stronger workforce; we’re opening doors of opportunity that last a lifetime. This collaboration reflects the heart of Peak Education’s mission: to walk alongside youth as they prepare to pursue the education and training they need to reach their dreams.”
What Innovate Pikes Peak Will Change
As the regional intermediary, Innovate Pikes Peak redefines how business and education work together across district lines to prepare students for the jobs that power our economy.
- For students: Students will access specialized programs, industry credentials, and hands-on experiences in five high-demand industries — cybersecurity & software, advanced manufacturing, aerospace & defense, construction, and healthcare — gaining real-world experience designed by industry before graduation.
- For families: There will be a clearer, more affordable pathway from classroom to career, helping young people build their futures here at home.
- For schools: By joining forces, schools will no longer compete for limited resources—they will connect them. Industry investment will reach further, opening doors for every student, in every district, to explore meaningful, high-quality career opportunities.
- For businesses: A single, coordinated way to engage with K–12 education and shape a dependable local talent pipeline.
- For the region: A unified workforce strategy that strengthens economic growth and attracts employers seeking a skilled workforce.
“Innovate Pikes Peak represents a bold, new approach to career and technical education in our region rooted in collaboration, alignment, and local opportunity,” said City of Colorado Springs Mayor Yemi Mobolade. “This work builds on workforce development efforts I have championed and connects the dots on the impactful career technical educational training already happening in our schools and the workforce needs of our business community. By aligning K–12 education with high-demand industries, we are ensuring that students can build their futures right here in the community that raised them while driving long-term economic prosperity for our region.”
Connecting Classrooms and Careers
The Innovate Pikes Peak framework connects industry and education in a structured, scalable way. Each of the region’s priority sectors will have its own industry consortium that informs career pathways, identifies critical industry certifications, develops work-based learning experiences, and collaborates directly with schools to ensure programs align with employer needs.
Through this collaboration, students will gain access to a regional network of programs and opportunities, including:
- Hands-on career exposure and industry-sponsored capstone projects
- Shared access to specialized courses across districts
- Personalized career navigation
- Internships and work-based learning opportunities
- Clear pathways to careers that pay family-sustaining wages
“Innovate Pikes Peak is a game changer for the employers in our region,” said Lindsay Pack Moll, CEO of InnovaFlex Foundry. “This allows businesses to connect with the students in our community in a meaningful way, creating a robust talent pipeline and solid careers for our graduates. With industry defining the skills necessary and Innovate Pikes Peak providing the schools with the necessary tools to facilitate those teachings, every high school student will have the opportunity to graduate and begin a valuable career in our own community.”
From Pilot to Regional Model
In its pilot phase, Innovate Pikes Peak will work with partner districts to test cross-district enrollment, shared programs, and advanced manufacturing and cybersecurity & software capstones in spring 2026. The lessons learned from these pilots will guide full-scale regional implementation, including transportation and infrastructure solutions, and serve as a model for other communities nationally.
Lewis-Palmer District 38, Colorado Springs Schools District 11, and BOCES, which represents eight rural district members, have signed MOUs, and Innovate Pikes Peak looks forward to partnering with additional districts around the region.
“District 11 is proud to sign this innovative Memorandum of Understanding between our first innovation school, Colorado Springs School of Technology, and Innovate Pikes Peak,” said District 11 Superintendent Michael Gaal. “That’s right, I said ‘innovate’ three times in one sentence! Because bringing industry closer to our students’ learning is critical to our Colorado Springs economic development and requires new, innovative models like this one. Join us in our combined efforts to make our district and city the best options for families and businesses.”
“Lewis-Palmer School District 38 is pleased to partner with local industry experts as we develop our advanced manufacturing pathway at our Career and Innovation Center that opened this school year” said District 38 Superintendent Amber Whetstine. “D38 believes in elevating every student, which aligns with the vision of Innovate Pikes Peak, to ensure all students in the Pikes Peak region have access to career pathways that lead to sustainable wages and employment here in our community.”
If you’d like to learn more about Innovate Pikes Peak, contact Jessica Warren at jwarren@innovatepikespeak.com.