By Brook Sutton
Huge congratulations to Durango-based founder and CEO, Julia Taylor, of GeekPack! Taylor has been named a 2024 fellow with the Cartier Women’s Initiative.
Yep, that Cartier: as in fine jewelry and watches. You may wonder how a tech startup founder in Rural Colorado connects with a French legacy brand known for opulence?
It’s about kindred spirits. While it’s recognized for luxury, Cartier was founded to celebrate audacity and creative energy. Its spirit, says the brand, is “…synonymous with open-mindedness and curiosity…freedom, sharing and excellence.” One expression of these values is the Cartier Women’s Initiative, whose mission is to provide women impact entrepreneurs with financial, social and human capital support to grow their businesses.
Enter Julia Taylor.
Taylor is the definition of an impact entrepreneur working for a better future for women. Through GeekPack, she and her team are on a mission to profoundly improve career opportunities for women by improving accessibility to tech and digital marketing training.
“This is a huge honor,” said Taylor. “This fellowship is an external validation for what I’ve built with my team. It’s a recognition that we’re doing things well, and that we’ve made good enough decisions along the way to have other people take notice. It’s also a confidence boost that I’m going in the right direction.”
Did you know?
Julia Taylor is a Founder Coopetition alumni, and was one of three top finishers in our September cohort. You can hear more about her story on the Startup Colorado Podcast.
A Community of Exceptional Entrepreneurs and World-Class Mentorship
The Cartier Women’s Initiative Fellowship is an honor and an opportunity.
As a 2024 fellow, Taylor will join a global community of impact-oriented women leaders with big missions. Together, they have access to a renowned network of mentors–leaders, experts, and investors–via monthly training calls and one-on–one strategic coaching. In May, they will all travel together to China for an intensive week-long training session.
Taylor is also in the running for a cash award up to $100,000. A first, second, and third-place winner is selected among fellows from each global region. They are chosen by the Fellowship jury members, who also serve as mentors. These awards will be announced in late May.
The Rural Colorado Startup Ecosystem Connected to Global Opportunity
This story is a perfect example of how the Colorado startup ecosystem can be a powerful network for entrepreneurs. After all, the reason Startup Colorado exists is to promote and share access to opportunities for rural entrepreneurs.
Before a founder can apply for an opportunity, they need to know what opportunities exist. When time is always at a premium, few founders can prioritize searching for u