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We believe in the power of rural Colorado

At Startup Colorado, we believe that everyone should have the ability to start and scale a business in the place they call home. We’re here to help both entrepreneurs and ecosystem builders access the human, social, and financial capital they need to build thriving businesses. We do this via our online community, partnership development, storytelling, and curated business resources.
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STARTUP: IT’S A VERB

What does startup mean to us?

Doing this type of work in rural Colorado demands a deep level of inclusivity and an awareness that starting something up is just that: it’s an action, a journey, and a life-cycle that exists outside of a specific industry or business model.

Startup could mean you’re building a scalable tech enterprise or a Main Street retail shop. It could also mean launching a new coworking space or a meetup event in your community. That’s why we serve both founders and the local startup ecosystem builders who support them. See how we can help you.

Founders
Ecosystem Builders

A RURAL STARTUP community

The Startup Colorado Community is the only online networking platform built for rural entrepreneurship. Expand your business network beyond regional boundaries by connecting with other founders, mentors, service providers, funders, and business support organizations across the state. The Startup Colorado Community also provides a ton of free, on-demand resources to get started with no muss, no fuss.

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Upcoming Events

30

Styrofoam Regulation Updates + Case Studies/ Unicel Actualización de Regulaciones + Estudios de Caso

Date: April 30, 2024 4:00 PM - 6:00 PM MDT

5

Business Networking in Paonia, Colorado

Date: May 5, 2024 12:30 PM - 2:30 PM MDT

Location: 201a 1st St, Paonia, CO 81428, USA

8

Southwest Colorado Small Business Conference 2024

Date: May 8, 2024 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM MDT

Location: 14324 CO-172, Ignacio, CO 81137, USA

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Ecosystem Builders

Founder Olivia Pedersen builds climate tech startup Sustaio in Telluride Olivia Pedersen, founder of the climate tech app Sustaio, calls Telluride a place worth living, and a place to make a living. “I’ve put a lot of emphasis on being proactive and conscious about choosing where I live first and then figuring out how to make a living second,” Pedersen said. Read More
Olivia PedersenSustaio
Sustaio
Jessica Larriva never set out to become a business owner. She’s a baker. But when her mother fell ill, Jessica returned home to Colorado’s San Luis Valley and soon discovered that starting a business was a necessity. Here’s how Jessica launched Tumbleweed Bread—an artisan sourdough baking company that serves the San Luis Valley—and a nonprofit that addresses food insecurity in the region. Read More
Jessica LarrivaTumbleweed Bread
Jessica Larriva
Chaffee County in Colorado is the sort of place where you can walk into a restaurant and find yourself seated next to the CEO of a company down the road. Like many mountain communities, Chaffee County prides itself on a diverse range of industries from agriculture to outdoor recreation. Read More
Elise ErtlEcosystem building
Ecosystem Building Blur
Julia Taylor didn't set out to create an e-learning business for women; she was just trying to find a job that she could perform regardless of where the military stationed her husband. In 2014, she stumbled across website building and began teaching herself to code. Read More
Julia TaylorGeekpack
Julia Taylor
Rosanna Dufour’s story is Hollywood-worthy. A story that now includes launching a startup in Pagosa Springs: handmade bamboo fly-fishing rods. Rosanna Dufour (née Slingerland) owned and worked at Rosie’s Pizzeria in Pagosa Springs, where she met Paul “PJ” Dufour in 2011. Read More
PJ DufourPJ's Fine Bamboo Rods
PJ Fly Fishing Rod

Recent News

02 May, 2024

Do you need a business coach?

By Margaret Hedderman At some point in our working lives, we all feel:  Stuck Overwhelmed Lost Unmotivated Directionless All of the above and all at once For employees, you *ideally* have a supportive supervisor or helpful HR person to guide you through your sticking points. (I once had a free career coach!) But for entrepreneurs […]

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25 April, 2024

Farm to Summit to Sprouts

By Margaret Hedderman Jane and Louise Barden were on vacation when they heard the news: their Durango-based dehydrated food company, Farm to Summit, was being offered a trial run with Sprouts Farmers Market. In two months, their ready-to-eat meals would be on the shelves in 410 stores nationwide.  The news not only transformed their vacation, […]

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17 April, 2024

GeekPack Founder Julia Taylor Awarded Cartier Fellowship for Women in Business

By Brook Sutton Huge congratulations to Durango-based founder and CEO, Julia Taylor, of GeekPack! Taylor has been named a 2024 fellow with the Cartier Women’s Initiative.  Yep, that Cartier: as in fine jewelry and watches. You may wonder how a tech startup founder in Rural Colorado connects with a French legacy brand known for opulence?  […]

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