Founders

TIME TO LEVEL UP

ACCELERATORS, PITCH COMPETITIONS, AND EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMING CURATED FOR RURAL FOUNDERS

BUSINESS PROGRAMMING FOR EVERY STAGE

We help rural entrepreneurs level up through mentorship, collaboration, and community. Our flagship accelerators combine cooperation and friendly competition to empower founders from idea to growth stages.

PERFECT YOUR PITCH

Founders of any kind—Main Street and enterprise tech alike—will need to pitch their business at some point. We support founders via quarterly Pitch Practice workshops with a professional coach and virtual Demo Days in which you share your business in front of a live audience and a panel of business leaders and investors.

WHICH PROGRAM IS BEST FOR YOU?

Not sure where you fit in Startup Colorado’s programming? Give us the deets on your business and we’ll point you in the right direction.

This could be you:

When Sarah Berkeley realized every backpack on the market was built for someone else, she decided to build her own—and a company to match. Through Startup Colorado’s Pitch Competition, she turned frustration into innovation with her women’s ultralight gear brand, Symbiosis Gear. She’s redefining the outdoor industry from the ground up. Read More
Sarah BerkeleySYMBIOSIS GEAR
Sarah Berkeley
Thayer Hirsh, founder of Knome in Frisco, is one of three startups awarded a $5K grant from Startup Colorado's Founder Coopetition. A few months ago, Startup Colorado relaunched the Founder Coopetition, a 4-week accelerator program that helped 12 founders and co-founders advance their businesses. Read More
Thayer HirshKnome
Thayer Hirsh in front of his Knome display
Once the site of a uranium mill company town, this 120-acre parcel northwest of Naturita was reborn as a hip glamping and arts destination. Meet the founders putting Colorado's West End on the map. Read More
Natalie Binder, Jodie Wright and Bruce WrightCampV
CampV Startup Co-founders around a fireplace
Many of Colorado's rural communities have limited access to mental health services. This San Luis Valley entrepreneur hopes to change that. Read More
Jessica Chacon Sweetgrass Therapeutics
Founder of theraputic wellness center Jessica Chacon
A quick check on #vanlife social media channels would have the world believe that 1. It’s the coolest way to travel and 2. Everyone is doing it. Here are the entrepreneurs making it all possible. Read More
Meet the Entrepreneurs Behind the #Vanlife Boom
Vanlife is a cultural boom trending since before pandemic times

RURAL COLORADO, WE HEAR YOU

Startup Colorado offers a free library of on-demand business resources, curated specifically for rural startups and small businesses. Whether you’re looking for a business model template or a vetted list of Colorado-specific grants and loans, we’ve got you covered.

It’s time to startup!
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