To start or to not to start, that is the aspiring entrepreneur’s question

Ron Fortier | Writer/Editor

Ron – My father was a born storyteller and would keep me and my siblings enraptured by his stories of growing up in a small town, then going off to the South Pacific to fight in World War II. At the age of 5, he gave me a comic book and my life was changed forever. By the time I was in high school, all I wanted to do was be a writer. Read more>>

Delvon Jackson | Owner of Melanin In Me

Melanin In Me was created during the height of the Covid 19 Pandemic. With all of the riots and protests going on all around the world I knew that it was time to make a change. Melanin In Me is a brand that was made for the Afro-American race to understand how beautiful their skin is and how to accept and embrace beauty that’s within. In today’s world kids, teens and adults scroll through social media wishing to look like and be somebody else. Read more>>

Daniel Ertl | Entrepreneur

If I was ever going to achieve my goals I realized that it wasn’t going to happen working for someone else. I knew it wasn’t going to be easy but after going through many stressful situations I figured if I could handle that running a business wasn’t going to be any harder than the trials and tribulations I had already gone through. Read more>>

Bailey and Eric Binnebose | Owners of Fine Sips Mobile Bar

We started Fine Sips Mobile Bar with the idea of making happy hour more exciting and unique. Our main goal was to give people a fun way to make their get-togethers more lively. We really wanted to come up with something new, so we thought of a mobile bar trailer. This trailer isn’t just about looking fancy – it’s also a way to add a burst of energy and excitement to events. Our aim is to help people make their gatherings more special. Read more>>

Samantha Lois | Photographer

I always knew one day I would be a business owner. I have always had that side to me and always knew it would happen. I started my photography career in 2018 when I wanted to start my own food blog after finding a passion for creating and photographing food. My wife wanted me to pursue my passions and got me my first DSLR Camera and laptop. Read more>>

Steve Greco | Architect

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. Read more>>

Brenna Strawhacker | Video Storyteller

After college, I didn’t end up going into news like I had planned. Instead, I jumped into a multimedia production role where I did photography and videography for a large company in the Des Moines, Iowa metro. After nearly two years, I wanted something different; the content I was creating was not a good fit and I worried I wasn’t learning enough from others being the only one in my role. Read more>>

Terry Pierce | Creative Director/Principal

Bianca e Nero was established in 1999 on a simple premise: why should only the bigger companies have strategically and creatively sound marketing? But it turned out It’s not so much the size of a client we are interested in, but their willingness to embrace solutions that push the envelope of today’s advertising and marketing world. Read more>>

Boone Whiteside | Co-Founder & CEO of Highland

While in college at CU Boulder, and probably caring a little bit too much about what my hair looked like, I used a wide variety of hair products off the shelf at barbershops, salons, and grocery stores… but regardless of if they were high-end or cheap “get the job done” products, they all had the same issues in common. Read more>>

Barbara Glanznig | Founder & Creator at GLÂNZ

Growing up in rural Austria, access to exquisite, healthy and natural foods was never a problem. Now, living in the United States, good quality food is hard to come by. Ghee has become such a healthy staple in my diet and I wanted to share a product of extraordinary quality with my community and beyond. Read more>>

$istah Moon | Herbalist

I really wanted to start a business that would allow me to complete heal, and not just take care of specific symptoms for a short amount of time. When I was 20 , I was diagnosed with severe seasonal allergies, and of course prescribed a whole bunch of over the counter medication. Read more>>

Ingrid Magidson | Artist

I am an artist, so starting a business wasn’t really my first priority. I grew up in a family of artists with a lot of the roller coastering that goes with it. When I was a teenager, I witnessed my father take all his paintings into the yard and burn them in frustration. I vowed at that moment to never become an artist. Read more>>

Amber (AKA Home) Edwards | Singer/Songwriter, Entertainer, & Vocal Instructor

Well originally I was a bystander in my own music career waiting for an opportunity and that kind of worked for a little while. Friends and colleagues would invite me to perform with them in shows around the city, while I was still in college and it gave me the chance to perform on some pretty popular local stages. Eventually though it wasn’t fulfilling enough to be apart of someone else’s vision; because I knew I had a vision of my own that I needed to see come to light. Read more>>

Ashley Mooneyham | Founder & CEO, Momease Solutions

As a PhD student, I studied ovarian cancer chemoresistance because I’ve always been passionate about scientific discovery that could impact women’s health. After graduating with my PhD, I became Director of Grants at a medical writing company called Superior Medical Experts where I help startups secure non-dilutive grant funding to jumpstart their own healthcare innovations. Read more>>

Terry deAragon | Founder, RN. & Coach

Starting Awaken Your Lioness Spirit as a nonprofit was inspired by the profound need for change and empowerment within the prison system and the lives of women. My journey started when I began serving on a prison ministry in 2019. It opened me up to the harsh realities that women face when forced back into unforgiving environments due to the lack of affordable housing. Read more>>

Tina Basinski | Photographer

When I first started photography, I never had the intention of it becoming a business. At the time I was a stay at home mom of two kids and my husband knew I needed a creative outlet. I was always picking up new hobbies, but nothing ever really ‘clicked’, until I had that first camera in my hands. It really just slowly grew, and friends & family started to ask for photo shoots with me. Read more>>

Jacob Knoblock | Tattoo Artist/Owner

Flexibility, freedom and no creative or monetary limitations. Read more>>

Maya Erickson | Hair Stylist

Growing up and being able to watch my parents who started their business from the ground up is the sole reason why i knew i wanted to start my own. i was so grateful to have role models that put their all into their business and still be able to make time for my brother and i is something i knew i needed in this life. Read more>>

Angelique Fernlund | Owner, Peach Lane Permanent Jewelry

It’s so funny when I think about how long I went through my life believing I was not an entrepreneuer. A younger version of me never dreamed I would be on this path right now. I went to school all the way to a graduate level degree. I got my first full time job and continued to level up in each one of my positions. Read more>>

Mindi Mongeau | The Wildflower Farmer

It was a bit of good timing and great luck. My husband and I decided to make a change, as we had been living in Morrison, Colorado for the last 20 years and wanted to be close to the city again. We were able to buy a home that sits on over 3 city lots, and was nothing but dirt. Read more>>

James Auvil | Podcast

The thought process behind me starting my business was to bring awareness to how THC can help people. Dealing with depression and anxiety, on whatever level someone has, can be an anxious part of life in itself. Also, sharing my personal experiences and thoughts on life can also help people if they are going through a tough part of life. Read more>>

Kelly-Anne Davitt | Artist and Curator

When I was a child I used to draw all the time, Disney characters, people, pets etc. My Mum and Dad always supported me and I was told from a young age that I was an artist. I first painted when I was 16 and knew then, that this is what I wanted to do as a career. It was less of a thought process, more just what I was always going to do. Read more>>

Nathan Crankfield | Sales Lead and Airbnb Host

My wife, Emily, and I got married last March. We knew we wanted to start a family right away and we were hopeful that Emily would be able to come home from her office job once we had our first child. The cost of living in the Denver area is substantial, so we knew we’d have to find a creative way to replace her income as living on mine alone would have been pretty tight. Read more>>