THE RIGHT TO START A BUSINESS IN YOUR HOMETOWN
OUR mission
“To build a sustainable statewide network of human, social, and financial capital resources supporting rural entrepreneurs, so that people and places can thrive and chart their own futures.”
Startup Colorado is a 501c3 nonprofit organization that supports entrepreneurs and ecosystem builders in 53 rural counties across Colorado. We believe that anyone should have the ability to start and scale a business in the place they call home. We’re here to help entrepreneurs access the human, social, and financial capital they need to build thriving businesses.
Colorado’s rural communities are giving rise to some of the most exciting business opportunities in the state—from scalable tech to Main Street retail—but numerous challenges remain. The growing cost-of-living and housing crises, lack of childcare, and difficulties accessing a skilled workforce are among many of the issues rural entrepreneurs face. Our team lives in rural Colorado and understands many of these pain points firsthand.
Via our Rural Operating System (RuralOS), help founders progress from idea to business development to capital readiness to investment. This startup ecosystem blueprint is designed to be leveraged across rural and underserved regions, helping communities stand up founder pipelines, de-risk early deals, and build a consistent operating cadence across partners.
In everything we do, our North Star is building a culture of potential for rural entrepreneurs. We invite you to come along.
Press contact: margaret@startupcolorado.org for more information.
How we do it
Making human, social, and financial capital more accessible and visible to rural entrepreneurs via:
- In-person and online events like West Slope Startup Week and Rural Startup Days
- Tailored founder education through our business accelerator and pitch training
- Capital access development
Serving as the collaborative support partner for local ecosystem builders to strengthen startup communities around the state
- Ecosystem development including community-led partnerships and sponsorships
- Targeted startup ecosystem assessments with actionable next steps
- Startup Event Strategy and Support
Building a culture of belief in rural entrepreneurship
- Founder and ecosystem builder stories
- Educational business resources
- An expert advice newsletter for rural founders
Why we do it
Colorado’s rural entrepreneurs are building some of the most exciting business opportunities across the state, from geographically isolated small towns to growing rural hubs. Whether they live inside populations of 60 or 60,000, they are dedicated to diversifying economies, creating new jobs, and fostering local talent. Their goals are mighty and their challenges many. While some business resources are scarce, others are disconnected or hard to find, making it difficult for any entrepreneur to navigate.
Startup Colorado solves for this challenge with tactics that drive greater awareness and cohesion on the playing field for entrepreneurs and the business support organizations who serve them. Through strategic networking, capital access development, and tailored business education programming, we eliminate barriers, mitigate support gaps, and dismantle silos.
check out our impact
Meet the team
executive director
Brittany Romano
communications & editorial director
Margaret Hedderman
ecosystem development & Partnerships Director
Mark Madic
Managing director
Vanessa McCrann
director of program development & innovation
Tim Martinez
digital content manager
Sarah Woodward
development director
Cheri Gonzales