We had the good fortune of connecting with AJ Ranasinghe and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi AJ, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I am an active participant in Colorado’s car scene. I have met many dear friends through cars and even advanced my professional career through lessons I have learned within the community. I was frequenting auto shows in Colorado and quickly recognized that it was not (always) a place where you’d want to bring your family. There was a lot of drama, some fights, and everyone seemed very bitter about the experience.

After experiencing so many of those events, I wanted to create an automotive event that brought together all corners of the community while promoting a family-friendly environment where the next generation of enthusiasts can be inspired.

We came upon the name “Down To Earth” which unified the culture we are trying to promote within people, and cars. The public was very receptive to our events, and we are grateful to have the support of Colorado’s car community year after year.

Our events cater to all auto enthusiasts, let kids in for free, and through all of our branding efforts promote the idea of being Down To Earth.

What should our readers know about your business?
My journey through entrepreneurship has been very long! I started a skateboarding company when I was 14 that was very low-key in Colorado but taught me a lot of lessons along the way. Soon after I co-founded a marketing agency that was targeted towards small business owners and helped them establish a strong digital footprint. We eventually sold that company to a firm in Denver which left me open to pursue my real passion, cars and event planning!

My past experiences made this new company form very seamlessly. I believe design/creativity is one of the most important things in life. I used my knowledge of design to build this ‘aura’ around Down To Earth that encouraged people to want to be a part of it. It was just genuine, and people could see that. People really wanted to be in an environment that celebrated car culture without the drama.

As I put nearly all of my free resources back into the business, we are expanding into other states and it has been very exciting. For the people that supported DTE at its roots, you all are just as a part of this company as me. For the places that have not experienced a DTE event, I am very excited to bring one to you as I am sure you will feel the difference in the air.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Go down To RiNo in Denver to really be inspired. So many talented artists and creatives that make you want to create something just as cool. Everybody needs to have had at least 1 dozen of Willy’s Wings in their lifetime and stop by Red Rocks while you’re in the area.

Denver is a great place to be, any corner you take an extra look at you will find a new restaurant or activity.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I really want to shoutout the car community in Colorado. It is so pure. There is so much love that floats around, it’s hard not to enjoy going to local events when you are surrounded by people with such a deep passion for cars.

Without this community, our events would be nothing. They are constantly sharing our posts on social media, telling their friends to come, supporting us by purchasing our merchandise, and always talking highly of the culture we are trying to create.

For many people, the car community is their home away from home, and I am extremely grateful they choose to come to Down To Earth events.

Website: www.downtoearthmvmt.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dtemvmt

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/a-j-r/

Facebook: facebook.com/downtoearthmvmt

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZB4I9mKV_MBP8cW-A-kF9g

Image Credits
Matthew Greenfield – Greenfield Visuals @greenfieldvisuals Jack Sproul – Phantom Drive Club @phantomdriveclub Charlie Ohl – C4 Productions @c4productions Stance Swagger – @stanceswagger

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutColorado is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.