One of the most rewarding things about getting to know so many entrepreneurs is seeing first-hand how many of them are focused on so much more than just financial results. So many of the folks we connect with are focused on having a positive social impact on their community or the world at large. Check out some of these amazing folks below.

Taylar Stultz | Nonalcoholic Mixologist

I am helping my community by providing nonalcoholic beverages for everyone who doesn’t drink alcohol. I chose a life of no alcohol in August 2018. I quickly realized the lack of good quality, fresh, nonalcoholic drink choices. Most of the choices were soda, tea, and water. I was craving more than that. I wanted something fresh and balanced, not premixed and overly-sweet. After four years of waiting for someone to create what I was looking for, I decided to create it myself. Read more>>

Kourtni G | Certified Canine Training and Behavior Specialist

With the rapid change of times, dogs have become so much more than pets. They are deeply interwoven into our lives. We look to them for comfort, as surrogates for children, as entertainment…but the education on how to handle these new stressors is lagging; I’m constantly coming up with ways to close that gap. I teach a class at the local baby store, Colorado Baby, on how to prepare your dog for the new baby and managing postpartum interactions. Read more>>

Chrissy Messick, MS, CTC, CPDT-KA | Certified Professional Dog Trainer+ & Intuitive Interspecies Communicator

As of 2023, there are 471 million pet dogs worldwide. As different species living together, it is imperative that we understand each other and communicate clearly with each other so that we can coexist peacefully. Through our animal companions we can learn skills that we practice with our dogs and apply those skills to any other interactions with humans or non-humans to create wonderful relationships and understand ourselves better as humans. Read more>>

Linda Weise | President and CEO of the Colorado Springs Community Cultural Collective.

My business has become my personal mission. My personal mission has been to inform and educate and provide access to the arts. That’s really what has become clear that’s what I am supposed to be doing on this earth. I think we’ve demonstrated over the years, that access to the arts, all kinds of culture and arts, affords people to be open-minded, to be better listeners, to be more inspired and to show what humanity is capable of. Read more>>

Christine Gillette Child of God/Book Lady | Child of God, Mom, Wife, Daughter, Book Lady, Dog Lover… something I try to live by every day.. Live Every Day with Gratitude.””

Growing up, I remember my Dad used to say to me, you know if you spent even just 20 minutes a day, reading a page out of the dictionary, you’d increase your vocabulary so much by the end of the year. That’s 365 days, 20 minutes a day.. that’s more than 120 hours of knowledge added up! (If I’m doing my math right? LOL 😂 ) And of course, in true teenager fashion, I rolled my eyes. Read more>>

Monica Faucheux | Designer and Creator

I expanded my business shortly after starting it to be able to incorporate heartfelt keepsakes. After losing a few dear relatives, keeping them close was important to me. As a cancer survivor, this was important to me, too. I engrave handwriting from greeting cards, notes and recipes written onto a variety of wooden surfaces. These keepsakes mean so much to those they are gifted to. I hope to continue to create heartfelt gifts like these as my business grows. Read more>>

Kait Crouthamel (she/her) | Artist & Owner of Rediscover Your Light Jewelry

Community and social impact have always been a key part of my life since I grew up being a Girl Scout. From volunteering throughout my adolescence, to finding ways to give back to the community, I knew that I wanted to integrate this key aspect of myself into my business. Therefore, I created the Shop to Donate Section to my online store. Shop to Donate items have 100% of their proceeds donated to the organizations listed in each product listing. Read more>>