Redlands Forum

Educational and cultural programs for the community to learn and engage with the important topics of our time. Founded in 2009.

Esri Chief Scientist Dr. Dawn Wright wearing a pink blouse, and background designs of orange circles and semi circles.

About the Redlands Forum

Throughout the year, presenters and attendees come to the Esri campus for discussions that bring awareness to issues and offer practical action items. Attend talks from anthropologists, environmentalists, entrepreneurs, filmmakers, journalists, performers, and more.

Learn more about the forum
How to attend

Attend the Redlands Forum in-person. Registration is no cost thanks to Esri and the University of Redlands Town & Gown.
Access past recordings

Explore the list of previous presentations and panels.

Access the recordings

Up next

We Bought a Town! The Story of Frontier Town, Montana

May 12, 2026 | 5:30 p.m.–6:30 p.m.

Kirby Hays, President and CEO of The Hays Group

Kirby Hays grew up in Redlands and spent the last 20 years helping to build his family's construction company into one of the largest construction companies in the Southwest United States. Along the way, he discovered a passion for historic preservation—most notably restoring Jim Sloan’s iconic 1957 midcentury modern Safari House, a Redlands architectural landmark.

In the fall of 2024, that passion led to the most improbable purchase of his life: Frontier Town, a legendary, hand-built Old West village perched at 6,300 feet on Montana's Continental Divide. Built by one man starting in 1947, Frontier Town once drew hundreds of thousands of visitors and hosted guests from Dinah Shore to Billy Graham.

Join Kirby as he shares the story of how a Redlands family ended up buying a town, what they found when they got there, and what comes next. Saddle up!