Last week, Startup Colorado kicked off its virtual Demo Day series, bringing together rural founders, community members, and business leaders for an event that highlighted innovation across Colorado’s rural economy.
Attracting more than 75 attendees, the event featured five founders representing industries ranging from technology to food and beverage consumer-packaged goods. Each founder presented their business to a live audience and a panel of five expert judges.
“We are extremely pleased to see this level of support and interest in rural founders,” said Mark Madic, Startup Colorado Director of Ecosystem Development & Partnerships and the event organizer. “This marks another proof point in the vitality of Colorado’s growing rural startup ecosystem.”
The new Demo Day series builds on Startup Colorado’s existing pitch competitions, which have helped elevate rural founders and unlock more than $2 million in investments, grants, cash prizes, and follow-on capital. Alongside the quarterly Demo Day events, Startup Colorado has also launched quarterly Pitch Practice sessions, giving founders regular opportunities to strengthen their storytelling and busin3ess communication skills.
In addition to helping founders build key business skills and gain experience answering questions about their business plans and strategy, the Demo Day series gives business leaders and decision-makers a closer look at how entrepreneurship can contribute to rural economic growth.
“These founders are future employers, problem-solvers, and community leaders. When we invest in rural entrepreneurship, we are investing in the long-term strength and vitality of rural Colorado,” said Brittany Romano, Executive Director at Startup Colorado.
"When we invest in rural entrepreneurship, we are investing in the long-term strength and vitality of rural Colorado."
The overall Demo Day winner and recipient of a $500 cash prize was Nora Fierman of Neve Foods, a science-backed, plant-based sports nutrition brand creating real-food fuel for endurance athletes, founded by an endurance athlete in partnership with a registered dietitian. Neve offers a smoothie pouch that delivers the macros of an energy bar in a format that’s easier to eat and made with real fruits and vegetables. Unlike traditional bars and gels, Neve provides steady, sustainable energy with diverse nutrition and electrolytes in a smooth, resealable pouch that’s easy to consume deep into long days outside.
The judges were impressed by Nora’s traction and growth while running the business as a solopreneur. She had a strong pitch, demonstrating her product-market fit in serving an often overlooked customer base, as well as a clear ask for support regarding mentorship and social capital.
“Demo Day gave me the opportunity to refine and practice concisely pitching my company to a new audience. Beyond the pitch, the connections I made left me with a stronger network, which is invaluable for business development.”
Psyche Digital, a marketing agency in Durango, also awarded a Growth Session & Acceleration Plan, valued at $950, to Katie Kelly, founder of Lifting Up. Lifting Up helps school districts identify students impacted by Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) so they can receive the support they need. Their automated system ensures timely, reliable notifications for early intervention, building trust and providing crucial support. By increasing notifications up to 10X compared to traditional methods, they help schools improve academic performance, behavior, and mental health for at-risk students.
“What stood out about Lifting Up was the clarity of both the problem they’re solving and the path forward,” said Kelsey Parks of Psyche Digital. “They had real momentum and a clear need for support in storytelling, visibility, and credibility to unlock critical funding (specifically funding to earn a $250k matching grant). We knew we could plug in immediately and help accelerate what they’d already built with our Growth Session.”
In addition to the prize winners, three other founders took the stage to present businesses that reflect the range and strength of rural entrepreneurship in Colorado:
Christine Walsh of Moneta in Steamboat Springs
Moneta is a cash-flow forecasting and financial clarity platform for women founders that combines simple forecasting tools, education, and community support so women can make confident, clear and profitable financial decisions in their business starting today.
Heather Hinsley of Delicious Details in Durango
Delicious Details is a Durango-based small business offering artisan chocolates and cakes that are free from gluten, dairy, and refined sugars while full of nutrients for anyone, especially those with food sensitivities and allergies. Delicious Details is expanding into demonstrations, classes, and digital education that teach approachable methods for creating healthier desserts and drinks.
Tyler Messa of DivideGRAPH in Salida
DivideGRAPH is an automated enterprise technology risk management platform for financial services, using 100% deterministic, explainable and auditable AI. The system can run entirely within one’s perimeter using a local database and open source LLM.
Each founder delivered a five-minute presentation, followed by questions from the judging panel. The Q&A gave participating founders a chance to respond to questions they may face from future investors or partners, while also giving others on the call insight into how businesses are evaluated. This dynamic speaks to the value of pitch competitions and demo days in supporting startup ecosystem development.
The judges included: Christine Louden, Executive Director at Emergent Campus in Trinidad; Thomas Carney, CEO, Investor and Strategic Advisor at Rist Canyon Advisors; Leif Ullman, President at Ullman Technologies and Startup Colorado Board Member; and Kelsey Parks, COO & Co-founder at Psyche Digital.
Startup Colorado’s next Demo Day will take place on June 3, with the call for applications opening on April 15. Rural founders interested in participating can prepare by attending the free Pitch Practice on May 6.
Written by Margaret Hedderman
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