Startup Colorado

Startup Colorado employs a rural-based staff, proudly serving 53 rural counties across the state, and believes that anyone should have the ability to start and scale a business in the place they call home. This is highlighted as the agency helps both entrepreneurs and ecosystem builders access the human, social, and financial capital they need to build thriving businesses. Startup Colorado drives collaborative initiatives with local business support organizations and develops sustainable programming that solves for rural business resource gaps, enabling self-sustaining entrepreneurial activity.

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. Startup Colorado staff members live in rural Colorado and understand many of these pain points firsthand, they also know that if you’ve seen one rural community, you’ve seen one rural community.

That's why the team has logged thousands of miles getting to know Startup Colorado's rural neighbors in-person, developing grassroots, community-led programming that matches the unique needs of each startup community. In everything Startup Colorado does, its North Star is building a culture of potential for rural entrepreneurs.