Kacie Luaders Moderates Workforce Pathways Panel at AFTA CON 2026

On June 3, 2026, Kacie Luaders served as a moderator for the Workforce Pathways for Creatives: From Gigs to Infrastructure panel at AFTA CON 2026 in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

AFTACON is an annual convention hosted by the nonprofit Americans for the Arts. From June 1–5, AFTACON brought thousands of creatives, administrators, and advocates together to establish connections, converse about the current state of their fields, and discuss current events and how they impact their work and the world.

The panel consisted of editorial and portrait photographer Nalani Hernandez-Melo, attorney and politician Xochitl Torres, and artistic director Amanda Delheimer. Led by Kacie's moderation, the panel discussed various topics including sustainability, access to paid gigs, establishing and strengthening support systems, and how the current economic climate impacts stabilizing a career. The session was created not only to address these issues but to formulate business workforce development strategies, alternative career paths, guaranteed income pilots, and more to apply to their own careers and to share with their communities.