DENVER, CO – Colorado Thrives, a CEO-led coalition representing many of Colorado’s largest employers, today announced the launch of the Colorado Thrives AI Fellows Program, a first-of-its-kind initiative in partnership with Anthropic and CodePath that will embed AI-native emerging talent directly within Colorado companies to accelerate applied AI adoption and redefine early-career opportunity in an AI-driven economy.
Beginning June 2026, the program will place 10-15 AI Fellows in paid work-based learning roles across a diverse set of host organizations, including large corporations, public sector agencies, nonprofits, and small-to-medium businesses. Fellows are recruited from Colorado colleges and universities, with a focus on first-generation and typically underrepresented students. They are employed by their host organizations and paired with senior leaders to drive impact from day one by leveraging AI tools, gaining critical workplace exposure and applying their expertise. Anthropic and CodePath will provide training, coaching, and community for AI Fellows through a cohort-based model.
The launch comes amid a softening in early-career hiring nationwide. According to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, the unemployment rate for recent college graduates climbed to 5.7% in the first quarter of 2026 — well above the overall U.S. rate of 4.2% — while underemployment among recent graduates sits at 41.5%. The AI Fellows Program is designed to counteract this data, creating new entry points into the AI economy rather than closing them off.
“This program flips the script on what AI means for early-career talent,” said Christine Heitz, CEO of Colorado Thrives. “Across the country, entry points to great careers are harder and more competitive for new graduates to find. In Colorado, our employers are being proactive. We’re building a new rung of the career ladder, designed around the AI-native skills that businesses need, to help jumpstart careers for Coloradans.”
Embedded AI Practitioners Driving Business Impact
Fellows hit the ground running on work that reflects each organization’s unique opportunities and needs. Projects include building an “Ask HR” assistant and talent analytics tools at a financial services firm, using natural language processing to analyze 750+ grant applications, and designing and deploying a student-facing AI chatbot at a Colorado nonprofit serving first-generation college students. These varied projects will demonstrate how AI can be deployed for positive impact across the state.
“I wanted to be part of this program because the work has real-world impact for so many Coloradans. The idea of helping create technology that supports career opportunities and economic mobility is really exciting to me, and I think it’s amazing that we can take existing AI tools and apply them to real problems that organizations are facing,” said Yaseer Sabir, Colorado Thrives AI Fellow.
A Colorado Thrives Cohort, with Support from Anthropic and CodePath
In addition to their organizational placement, Fellows join a cross-company cohort that meets throughout the program for training, peer connection, shared learning and exposure to Colorado’s broader AI ecosystem.
Colorado Thrives has partnered with Anthropic, the company behind Claude and one of the leading AI labs in the world, and CodePath, a national nonprofit rethinking tech education for underrepresented students, to provide Fellows with AI enablement resources and training support throughout the program. Last week, Anthropic and CodePath launched Claude Corps, a national program that will train 1,000 early-career professionals in AI skills and place them for yearlong fellowships in nonprofits and civic institutions across the country. While the first cohort of Claude Corps starts in October 2026, the CO Thrives AI Fellows program will be trained on similar AI fluency curriculum and technical support.
“The design of our programs is rooted in the belief that students learn best when they’re solving problems that are real and consequential. Partnering with Colorado Thrives gives us a chance to test that approach in a new context, and to see what happens when you pair motivated fellows with tools and coursework designed specifically for applied AI work. We and our partners at Anthropic are excited to tap into – and support – Colorado’s spirit of innovation, entrepreneurship, and impact,” said Chris Coleman, Chief Product Officer at CodePath.
Strengthening Colorado’s Workforce and AI Ecosystem
The AI Fellows Program is designed to deliver lasting impact across multiple levels. For host organizations, it accelerates AI adoption and builds internal capacity for innovation. For Fellows, it offers experiential learning, mentorship, and a direct pathway to living-wage, in-demand roles. For Colorado, it strengthens the state’s talent pipeline, supports economic mobility, and generates real-world insights that will be shared with education and workforce partners.
“AI is changing and will change the way people work, faster than any time since the industrial revolution. At IMA we are focused on supporting our associates and creating value for our clients, leveraging AI as a win-win which helps support our clients’ success and our teammates. IMA is thrilled to participate in the AI Fellows program as it focuses on the segment of the workforce most likely to struggle in identifying employment opportunities during this historic workforce pivot,” said Greg Boothroyd, Chief People Officer, IMA Financial.
Colorado Thrives has set a goal of upskilling or placing 30,000 Coloradans into good jobs by 2030. The AI Fellows Program is a direct step toward that goal, with a particular focus on creating opportunity for underrepresented talent in an emerging area of job growth and organizational focus.
How to Get Involved
Colorado organizations interested in hosting an AI Fellow for a 3-, 6-, or 12-month placement beginning spring 2027 or summer 2027 are encouraged to reach out now. Employers from all sectors and sizes are welcome.
To learn more, please visit coloradothrives.org/what-we-do. To share interest and partner, please visit coloradothrives.org/lets-connect.
About Colorado Thrives Colorado Thrives is a CEO-led coalition representing many of Colorado’s largest employers. Through initiatives like CareerFit Colorado and the AI Fellows Program, Colorado Thrives works to foster economic mobility, strengthen the state’s talent pipeline, and ensure Coloradans have access to good jobs. Learn more at coloradothrives.org.
About CodePath
CodePath is reprogramming higher education to create the first AI-native generation of engineers, CTOs, and founders. With over 40,000 students and alumni from 1,000 colleges now working at 4,050 companies, we are reshaping the tech workforce and the industries of the future. CodePath is supported by Amazon, Andreessen Horowitz, Anthropic, Comcast, Google, JP Morgan Chase, Knight Foundation, Meta, New Profit, Salesforce, and The Studio at Blue Meridian Partners, among others.
Participating Companies and Organizations: AdvanceEDU, Colorado Thrives, Elemental Growth, Ibotta, IMA Financial Group, Intrinsic, Center for Rural AI, and Vantage Data Centers.
