TLDR: A Colorado Mesa University (CMU) graduate, Avery Kane, and the Grand Junction-based tech startup, The Confluencial, have received two prestigious global awards for their pioneering AI shortlisting tool, River.AI. The company, co-led by Kyler Cheatham, is lauded for developing inclusive and ethical AI solutions for enterprise technology.
Grand Junction, Colorado – July 31, 2025 – The Confluencial, a Grand Junction-based enterprise tech firm, and its Head AI Engineer, Colorado Mesa University (CMU) alum Avery Kane, are celebrating significant global recognition. The company has been honored with two major international awards for its groundbreaking AI shortlisting tool, River.AI.
The Confluencial, co-led by Kyler Cheatham, specializes in implementation strategy and developing customized ‘speed-to-value’ AI tools. Their mission is to assist businesses in navigating complex technology decisions with enhanced clarity, transparency, and measurable results.
Kyler Cheatham’s contributions were particularly highlighted as she was named a 2025 #empowHERaccess Women in Cloud Global Prestige Awards Finalist. This accolade acknowledges her pivotal role in creating inclusive and ethical AI solutions that directly support enterprise decision-making processes.
Cheatham emphasized the collaborative nature of their success, stating, “This is a team award. We built this tool to serve people, not sales quotas. That was only possible with the brilliance of Avery Kane, our head AI engineer and a proud CMU grad, and the leadership of our CEO, Adam Cheatham.”
The partnership between The Confluencial and Colorado Mesa University extends beyond alumni connections. Kyler Cheatham actively engages with the CMU business school as a guest lecturer, bringing real-world enterprise technology and AI leadership insights directly into the academic environment. This collaboration serves as a powerful model for integrating industry innovation with academic preparation, fostering a new generation of leaders equipped to think critically, act ethically, and build with purpose.
Further solidifying her standing in the tech industry, Kyler Cheatham was also recognized by The Soltesz Institute as one of the ‘Top 30 Voices Shaping the Future of Payments, Banking, and Fintech.’ This honor celebrates her dedication to responsible technology leadership and a values-first business strategy.
“Tech should be a place where we build boldly, think critically, and support each other without pretense,” Cheatham added, underscoring the core philosophy driving The Confluencial’s work.
River.AI, the company’s proprietary decision intelligence tool, is designed to streamline intricate enterprise technology evaluations. Its core purpose is to eliminate bias, reduce uncertainty, and enhance strategic alignment, thereby enabling organizations to effectively shortlist and select systems that genuinely meet their operational requirements. The tool embodies The Confluencial’s fundamental belief that technology should serve humanity, rather than the reverse.
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This achievement underscores that significant innovation and global impact can originate from Grand Junction, thriving on robust community and academic partnerships.
