This spring, Startup Colorado partnered with the Colorado Office of Just Transition (OJT) to launch a specialized cohort of our Idea Factory program, supporting coal transition workers as they explore business ownership and new opportunities. Fourteen rural founders representing twelve businesses came together to explore entrepreneurship as a path forward for themselves, their families, and their communities.
We partnered with the Colorado Office of Just Transition because we share the belief that rural communities deserve the resources and support to thrive amid economic change. As Colorado transitions away from coal-powered energy, workers and communities are exploring new pathways to prosperity, and entrepreneurship is one of them.
The Office of Just Transition was created to help workers navigate this shift as they pursue new careers, retirement opportunities, relocation, and entrepreneurship. Together, Startup Colorado and OJT are ensuring these communities have access to high-quality entrepreneurial programming that fosters opportunity and supports resilient local economies for generations to come.
The Idea Factory is a collaborative accelerator that helps founders refine their business models and build a strong foundation for launch. For our spring OJT cohort, we welcomed coal transition workers, as well as individuals transitioning away from oil and gas. Over four weeks, participants engaged in peer discussions to develop their business concepts and prepare for the next steps on their entrepreneurial journeys.
While participants entered the program with varying levels of experience and readiness, their feedback revealed a common theme: rural entrepreneurship can feel uncertain, but it doesn’t have to be lonely. They shared that the collaborative, cohort-based format of the Idea Factory helped them build confidence and deepen their sense of connection. Through their new peer network, uncertainty gave way to encouragement.
“What moved me most was how fully they showed up, not just for their own ideas, but for each other.”
“What moved me most was how fully they showed up, not just for their own ideas, but for each other,” program lead Lisa Pedersen said. “They offered honest feedback and genuinely invested in one another’s success.”
This group also had the opportunity to learn from a lineup of guest presenters, including Kami Collins from OEDIT, Elisha Espinoza of Palisade Coffee (an Idea Factory alum!), and Startup Colorado team members Vanessa McCrann and Tim Martinez, who discussed the Colorado entrepreneurial ecosystem and explored the opportunity to move forward through our Growth Challenge accelerator.
Meet the founders:
- Advanced Fire Solutions — Matt Carter (Craig)
- Alonsos Detailing LLC — Tony & Alyssa Alonso (Craig)
- Bad Alibi Distillery — Wade Gerber (Craig)
- Craig CTI — Jason Walker (Craig)
- Small Parts Machine Shop — Mark Ball (Craig)
- Smith Forest Products — Kenneth Smith (Craig)
- StealthHunter Gear — Brandon Duarte (Craig)
- StealthHunter Off-Road — Brandon Preston (Craig)
- Unsure — Tonia Folks (Craig)
- Western Edge Inc — Jay & Danielle Wyatt (Meeker)
- “W.A.R.R.S. Wildfire Autonomous Rapid Response System” — Michael Lani (Craig)
- Yampa Valley Land Management LLC — Ryan Duzik (Craig)
“The progress they made over four weeks was real and remarkable. That kind of growth, rooted in that kind of community, is exactly what the Idea Factory and Startup Colorado are all about,” Pedersen said.
What’s Next
The OJT Growth Challenge is just around the corner. Starting in July, this accelerator is the best next-step to continue deepening business skills, exploring funding pathways, and preparing to pitch to potential investors and partners.
Interested in joining the Growth Challenge? Head here to learn more and apply.
And if you’re a worker navigating Colorado’s evolving energy economy, Startup Colorado and the Colorado Office of Just Transition remain committed to creating transformative opportunities that empower workers, strengthen communities, and support new beginnings through entrepreneurship.
Join us in empowering rural entrepreneurs and ecosystem builders to achieve even more in 2026. Contributions of any amount directly power our mission to build a sustainable statewide network of resources supporting rural entrepreneurs, so that people and places can thrive and chart their own futures! Will you help us?
