Call For Applications + Meet Our New Founder Coopetition Program Director
COLORADO – Startup Colorado is thrilled to announce the appointment of a new program director for its innovative Founder Coopetition program, a unique blend of cooperation and competition designed to fuel the growth of early-stage businesses in rural areas. Tim Martinez will join the Startup Colorado team in their efforts to support rural entrepreneurs and […]
Meet Sara Jennings of Orion Labs – Founder Coopetition Winner
Sara Jennings, co-founder of Orion Labs in Nunn, is one of three startups to win a $5K grant from our Founder Coopetition. This spring, Startup Colorado relaunched its Founder Coopetition, a 4-week program that helped 12 founders and co-founders advance their businesses. The Founder Coopetition awarded three participating companies with a $5,000 grant based on their […]
Founder Coopetition $5K Grant Winners Announced
And that’s a wrap! The first cohort of Startup Colorado’s 2023 Founder Coopetition has concluded. Supporting only rural-based startups, the 4-week program helped 12 founders and co-founders advance their businesses and prepare them for funding opportunities. The Founder Coopetition concluded with a pitch competition; which awarded three $5,000 grants to participating companies. “The quality and diversity […]
West Slope Startup Week Comes to Durango
Startup Colorado is thrilled to announce the return of West Slope Startup Week, taking place in Durango on August 21-25. We will continue to serve as the fiscal agent behind this community-driven event and support the development educational and inspiration programming for entrepreneurs. Check out the official press release below and learn how you can get […]
Welcome Mark Madic, Startup Colorado’s NEW Director of Ecosystem Development & Partnerships
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 16, 2023 COLORADO – Startup Colorado, a nonprofit that fosters the development of rural entrepreneurship in the state, is thrilled to announce the appointment of Mark Madic as its new Director of Ecosystem Development & Partnerships. In this role, Madic will be responsible for leading Startup Colorado’s efforts in establishing and […]
Meet our Founder Coopetition Spring 2023 Cohort
By Margaret Hedderman Meet the founders participating in Startup Colorado’s Founder Coopetition, an accelerator program for rural businesses. Last week, Startup Colorado relaunched its Founder Coopetition, an accelerator program for early-stage startups in our state’s rural communities. This 4-week program will support founders starting a business in Colorado via a cooperative learning environment with a final […]
Founder Coopetition Launches to Support Rural Entrepreneurs
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 20, 2023 COLORADO – The Founder Coopetition, a business accelerator program for early-stage startups in rural Colorado, is returning April 24th. The four-week program will expose participating companies to robust educational programming that will prepare them for funding eligibility, including venture capital, small business loans, and state grants. Powered by Startup Colorado, […]
Our Intern Read The Startup Community Way. Here’s What She Thought.
By Joyce Liew Joyce Liew is a business research and data analysis intern at Startup Colorado. To support her understanding of entreprenurial ecosystem building, Joyce recently read The Startup Community Way by Brad Feld and Ian Hathaway. Since joining the SUCO team 9 months ago, Joyce has learned a lot about the startup world and we wanted […]
Startup Colorado Announces Nonprofit Status
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE February 1, 2023 COLORADO – Startup Colorado announces its relaunch as a 501c3 nonprofit, a change that will enable the organization to support rural entrepreneurs on a larger scale. The new nonprofit will continue building an online entrepreneur community, granting financial awards, providing access to educational and networking opportunities, and highlighting founder […]
Startup Colorado Announces First Founder CO-OPetition Cohort
In the fall of 2021, Startup Colorado launched a free CO-OPetition pilot program for idea to early stage entrepreneurs. Merging the concepts of “cooperation” and “competition,” the four-week experience invited entrepreneurs to participate in weekly activities by not only building their own business, but also providing feedback for others. At the end of the program, participants anonymously […]
Can This Steamboat Springs Ranch Solve the Local Housing Crisis?
By Keller Northcutt Like many Colorado resort towns, Steamboat Springs is experiencing a serious housing shortage, one that has dramatically worsened since the pandemic. The town has an immediate need for 1,400 homes to house local, full-time residents, according to the Yampa Valley Housing Authority (YVHA). That number is expected to nearly double in the next twenty […]
Our Take on “The Art of Gathering” by Priya Parker
For many the pandemic caused us to pause and ponder certain elements of our life – our careers, maybe our relationships, or our values. For many businesses and organizations, it sparked an overhaul of our focus or operations. At Startup Colorado, we began a yearslong reassessment of how and why we bring entrepreneurs together and […]
How Beating Cancer and New Love Inspired This Fly-Fishing Startup
By Keller Northcutt 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. “He was my first and most loyal customer. He sat at […]
Recession Strategy: The Importance of Being Forward-Minded
By Eric Greene The impending recession brings with it uncertainty. What I am certain of: over my 30+ years in business, I’ve been part of organizations that were more reactive, and I’ve been part of forward-minded businesses that were more proactive. The more proactive businesses have fared better virtually across the board when it comes to […]
Colorado Startups Are Fighting Climate Change with Upcycled Foods
By Keller Northcutt As we add over 80 million people to the planet each year, it is easy to wonder if our food supply can keep up with demand. The agriculture industry is scrambling to produce enough food, and in doing so, it is contributing over 30% of total global carbon emissions through deforestation, soil […]
Conquering The Financial-Emotional Rollercoaster of Freelancing
By Kayleen Cohen The uncertainty of managing finances as a freelancer can be an emotional roller coaster. Here’s how one successful entrepreneur keeps her ducks in a row. I recently experienced the entire emotional spectrum of managing my finances as a freelancer in a single 8-hour work day. It began first thing in the morning […]
Founder CO-OPetition: Where are they now?
Last year, Startup Colorado launched an innovative, four-week pilot program in support of rural entrepreneurs. The Founder CO-OPetition combined “cooperation” and “competition,” enabling entrepreneurs to not only start their own businesses, but also help others in their journey. We caught up with a few of our alumni to see how their businesses have evolved since participating in the […]
Q&A: How to Build an Online Community
By Margaret Hedderman & Vanessa McCrann When Startup Colorado launched its online network for rural entrepreneurs in 2020, there was no roadmap for building a community that served business owners across industries as well as mentors, funders, and business support agents. Two years later, the Startup Colorado Network is growing at a rapid rate, providing […]