Starting a business is a commitment and requires dedication, resources and sacrifice. We asked some of the rising stars in our community how they thought through the idea of starting their own businesses.

Brittany See | Co-Founder

I wanted to provide business owners quality work and improved customer service, which is why I wanted to be a part of the founding of Ascent Digital. There isn’t just one type of digital marketing that works for everyone. It must be adjusted to the client’s objectives and goals as well as the type of business. Read more>>

Elizabeth Tucker | Esthetician

When I began my esthetics journey I knew I wanted to offer a unique experience, so starting my own business was a no-brainer. Every face is different, so every treatment should be tailored to fit the individual’s specific needs and goals. Treatments should never be cookie-cutter-cut. Read more>>

Brad Kleffman | Figure Skating Coach

Before I started Dynamo, I was running a power figure skating class at the ice centre in Westminster. I had been coaching this class for about 5 years and it was having a lot of success. For that reason, I had a lot of parents at the ice rink asking me if I could offer more group classes. Read more>>

Dane DeLozier | Co-Founder, Doctor of Physical Therapy, Sports Science Lab Director

Revo got started mostly out of curiosity. I was practicing as a physical therapist in a more traditional setting in Boulder but had experience in a biomechanics lab. The blending of the two just made so much sense to me. So much evidence in physical therapy is informed by biomechanics research but access to that type of equipment is quite limited in the clinical setting. Read more>>

Alexandra & Alexis Treton | Business owners

We wanted to built something of our own, we wanted to built something that looks like us and share our passion for wine. We were working for big companies in France, dealing with daily concerns for clients and it was time to work on solutions for ours. Read more>>

Kneelen Buotte | Sustainable Fashion Designer

I have always known I wanted to go into the fashion industry, but the older I got and the more jobs that I worked, the more I realized I wanted to be my own boss. I love being able to come up with an idea and see it through to the final product and only have to answer to myself. I have such a passion for sustainability I really wanted to have a business that centers around that, but can educate others as well. Read more>>

Shelby Cohen | Digital Content Creator/Food Enthusiast

The Latest Indulge was never intended to be a business; I initially created the Instagram account (@thelatestindulge) during my junior year of high school to have a place to document all the new restaurants I was bound to visit while touring different college campuses around the country. Read more>>

Samantha Wells | Graphic Designer & Founder

Over the years, people have told me I’m a bit of a unicorn in the creative industry. I don’t have a rainbow tail (or a horn!), but I have been working for the same company for over 15 years, and in this industry, that’s pretty much unheard of. Read more>>

Alana Underwood | Online Clothing Boutique Owner

I started the process of my online clothing boutique back in 2020 after the pandemic had hit and I was unemployed for many months. Having a clothing boutique had always been a dream of mine, but I didn’t start sooner because I was always busy working multiple jobs or working and going to school full time. Read more>>

Sean Ingram | Track Coach & IT professional

The decision to start Brute Force Track Club came from years of coaching, wanting to create my own vision and see it through. I also wanted to share the knowledge I acquired over the years with our youth; which is helping them fulfill their dreams. I did not start the club for monetary gain, although money is important in running a successful business, it was not the sole motivation. Read more>>

Ryan Richards | Real Estate Professional

We all possess the ability to adapt. The Great Recession affected my perception on reliability. I experienced a decade of employment at the Ritz-Carlton, Bachelor’s Gulch that created a lifestyle of stability. I worked as a ski technician, restaurant server, fitness trainer, spa manager, ski valet, and bellman Read more>>

Kathryn Mead | Scrub Store Owner

My in-laws, Richard and Connie Mead, started C R Scrubs in Tyler, Texas in 2001. In 2006, Connie’s sister, Cheryl, along with her husband Merle Hinkhouse, started Scrub House in Loveland, Colorado in 2006. At the time, we were stationed in Mannheim Germany, and I was working on my MBA. I used the case studies of each of the stores as a model for my academic work. Read more>>

Teresa Ferreira | Brand Consultant and Head of Design

I wanted to have the freedom to pick my clients, teams who I’m working with and ultimately only work with small business and purpose-led brands who want to create a positive impact in the world. Read more>>

Joel Clouse | Photographer, Business Owner, Adventurer

I’m an active, independent, hard charging guy. I’m a US Army vet. I spent some years a firefighter. I had an early career in the land surveying industry, both as a land surveyor and then on to be part owner of a survey equipment dealership. Immersed in high precision tech, I became the expert in imaging and scanning systems for my clients. Read more>>

Kristy Lourance | Owner/Photography – NoCo Street Dog

My son was born in 2008 & while my husband was the breadwinner in our home – I knew that I did not want to go back to a nine to five job. It was my goal to be a SAHM & have the option to dabble in something part-time or through my own creativity. I have always had a love for photography and in 2009 my husband bought me my very first DSLR camera for my birthday & instantly fell in love. I knew from that point forward – photography would always be a part of my life in some way. Read more>> 

Maria Kalomenidou | Founder & CEO Zelos Greek Artisan

Zelos was born from my zēlos (zeal) to showcase the flavors and drive that are modern Greece. It all started in 2017, when I began thinking about doing something different in my 50s, moving on from my visual design work and into something that would bring me closer to Greece, where I was born & raised. I had a great love of food & cooking and had just finished authoring a book for Cincinnati’s Contemporary Art Center (CAC) called Cuisine-Art-Cocktails. Read more>>

Ben Harmelink | Beermonger

Even from the concept phase, my business partner and I knew we wanted to focus on specifically independent, Colorado-made beverages. This state had become the Mecca for craft beer, with the burgeoning industries of craft cider, mead and spirits right on its tail. Read more>>