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

Hi Steve, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
From an early age, I looked for opportunities to make money. My first endeavor as an entrepreneur was creating custom CDs for friends in high school. As my career in architecture unfolded, I increasingly looked for avenues to eventually start my own firm. This included signing up for many industry training and networking events. I was always impressed by people who ventured out on their own, but was not quite sure when I would be ready to make the leap myself. Finally, in the summer of 2019, after becoming a first-time father, an opportunity presented itself. I was able to work part-time with a company while also starting my own practice. After one year, I was busy enough that I no longer needed part-time work. I hope this can serve as an example of how you can be creative to minimize the risk of not having income when you first start.

Looking back, I am very pleased with my decision and excited to see what the future holds. My company continues to grow and bringing on more staff is the next goal that I am currently working on. I intend to create a firm that teaches employees everything they need to know in case they want to venture out on their own someday.

What should our readers know about your business?
Enlight10 Architecture is a boutique architectural firm located in Denver, Colorado. Our projects include residential, commercial, and office spaces. The firm embodies the entrepreneurial spirit of looking at what something can be, not what it has been. We are passionate about adaptive-reuse projects that take an overlooked space and make it into something wonderful.

The business has grown steadily over the past 4 years. Giving our best effort to make each client feel like they are valued has been an important contributor to our success.

We believe that design and building should be an enjoyable process. Our aim is to remove the complexity associated with
architecture to make the process run as smoothly as possible from concept to completion. The goal is for each project to have an “aha moment” in which we exceeded the client’s expectations. Or in other words, be ENLIGHTENED!

We pride ourselves on being a smaller firm that delivers high-quality drawings and utilizes the newer technologies typically found in larger communities.

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.
There is so much to do around the Denver area. Highlights for me include hiking, golf, breweries, and Mexican food. I would definitely recommend hiking at The Bluffs in Lone Tree and also Eldorado Springs as two of my favorites. Golf at altitude is a great confidence boost, as you can get about 10% further on all of your clubs! My favorite course to play is Homestead in Lakewood.

There are too many good breweries in the area, but two of my favorites are Breckenridge Brewery in Littleton and Great Divide in Castle Rock.

As for Mexican food, La Loma in Castle Rock is a very nicely designed restaurant with a great atmosphere, and you can never go wrong with a margarita from the Rio Grande.

If visiting in summer, catching a Rockies game and seeing the trendy RiNo area is also a must.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I would like to give a Shoutout to several companies that had a profound impact in shaping my architectural career. I am very thankful to H+L Architecture (now TreanorHL) for giving me my first job out of college. Next, HDR Architecture was a great landing spot during the financial hardships around 2008-2010. From there, DAO Architecture allowed me to learn all aspects of a project, while Architectural Workshop allowed me to start leading projects and come into my own as an architect. Lastly, Past Studio was instrumental in allowing me to work part-time while knowing I was starting a company.

Architecture is a demanding profession and it takes many people to help guide you along the way. I am thankful for all of the mentors I had along the way. Currently, Al Colussy has served provided me with great insights as I continue to grow my practice.

Nearing the midpoint of my career, I aim to give more than I receive in terms of mentorship. I am excited about the next generation of architects and want to help them be the best architects they can be.

Finally, my family has been incredibly supportive and instrumental in my career. My mom and dad have supported me since my first drafting class in middle school. And most important to my success is my wife, Kristen, who helps me see things in myself that I often cannot. She is a wonderful wife and mother of our two daughters. No matter what happens at work, it is a great blessing to come home to a beautiful and supportive family.

Website: www.e10arch.com

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.