Kelly Hughes is the Director of Programs & Impact at the Blackstone Entrepreneurs Network (BEN Colorado). Her passion for bringing people together and transforming ideas into positive experiences has translated into a career in event planning. She geeks out over project management, implementing new processes, and setting her colleagues up for success. Over the past few years at BEN, she has discovered a love for learning more about Colorado’s thriving local businesses and the innovative people behind them.

Kelly graduated from the University of Colorado with a degree in Communication and a minor in Linguistics. Prior to joining BEN, Kelly worked in full-service event planning for both experiential and corporate events. Kelly's past career experience ranges from managing registration for events of 20,000 people, leading teams of over thirty members, and brand management for a successful restaurant group. To date, Kelly has managed events in sixteen states and four countries. In her free time, she enjoys live music, traveling, and camping with her dog Penny.