There’s no shortage of activity in the Denver startup ecosystem and it came to fruition at Denver Startup Week powered by Chase for Business. Attendees were treated to talks from influential investors, government officials, and even celebrity investor Mark Cuban. They also enjoyed a few key workshops, networking events, and, as always, some good ol’ fashion beer.
If you weren’t able to attend or didn’t get to watch the interviews live, you’re in luck! Throughout the week, I gathered tips and advice from entrepreneurs and experts that are passionate about helping underserved businesses succeed. Here’s what they had to say:
Welcome to Denver Startup Week!
Checking in with @ConorCawley, Senior Writer @TechCoHQ, to preview the week ahead at #DENStartupWeek! pic.twitter.com/3EY0rXCZhX
— Chase for Business (@ChaseforBiz) September 25, 2017
Helping Underserved Entrepreneurs
I interviewed members of Accion, Mi Casa Resource Center, and the Community Reinvestment Fund to talk receiving a grant from JPMorgan Chase to help underserved entrepreneurs to set up their businesses. Check out what they had to say about their efforts to help boost underserved communities and build businesses.
Leaders from @AccionNM_AZ_CO, @MiCasaDenver, and @crf_usa discuss future plans at #DENStartupWeek with @ConorCawley. https://t.co/7LM5p1KLXC
— Chase for Business (@ChaseforBiz) September 25, 2017
Linda McMahon
We had a chance to interview Linda about her recent appointment, her experience growing the WWE, how the SBA is fostering entrepreneurship, the importance of diversity initiatives, and how founders can take advantage of their affordable programs and funding to grow a company. Read the interview here.
What’s Happening in Downtown Denver
Downtown Denver Partnership brought in 50 ambassadors from around the US to experience what Denver has to offer and to share their startup stories. These engineers, founders, and innovators will hopefully bring the talent necessary to put Denver on the map!
Learning about what's new at #DENStartupWeek from @TamiDoor of @DowntownDenver w/ @ConorCawley, Senior Writer @TechCoHQ at #ChaseBasecamp. pic.twitter.com/DFDzdqXT9q
— Chase for Business (@ChaseforBiz) September 27, 2017
Building a Startup Is Freakin’ Hard
Building a startup takes a lot of effort. And when it’s time to build a team, maintaining a strong talent pool in one’s community can go a long way in facilitating success. I talked with Sameer Dholakia, CEO of SendGrid about the startup journey and what Denver needs to keep up the momentum.
.@spdholakia, CEO of @SendGrid, on what makes Denver a unique community for entrepreneurs at #DENStartupWeek w/ @TechCoHQ's @ConorCawley. pic.twitter.com/4Zr7lfrtS7
— Chase for Business (@ChaseforBiz) September 27, 2017
Gaining Access to Flexible Capital
Ask any startup who is raising money and they’ll be looking for the easiest way to gain access to investors and their checkbooks. During one of the sessions, panelists, Monique Lovato, CEO and Executive Director of Mi Casa Resource Center, Alan Ramirez, Director of Lending of the Colorado Enterprise Fund, Gwendolyn Bonilla, Market Manager and Senior Regional Loan Officer at Accion in Colorado, Brian Burke, Vice President of Business Lending of Community Reinvestment Fund, USA, gave their advice and tips on how to get more cash in your pocket. Read about it here.
A Percolating Community
No one can deny that living the startup life and drinking a lot of coffee go hand in hand. I talked with the founder of legendary Denver coffee brand, Boyer’s Coffee, to learn more about the marriage between startups and coffee as well as the food industry.
Did you know Denver is a hot spot for both startups AND coffee roasting?
P.S. @boyerscoffee is free at #ChaseBasecamp all #DENStartupWeek! pic.twitter.com/5AwLxWa23T
— Chase for Business (@ChaseforBiz) September 27, 2017
I Found a Kidpreneur!
I don’t know about you, but the last thing I was thinking of as a 10-year-old was starting a business. However, Jack Bonneau of Jack’s Stands has already been on Shark Tank and his pitch is one you need to hear!
.@ConorCawley of @TechCoHQ learning how to manage a growing business from impressive young entrepreneur @JackBonneau at #DENStartupWeek. pic.twitter.com/Es4OI4wD1d
— Chase for Business (@ChaseforBiz) September 28, 2017
