Startup Communities: Building an Entrepreneurial Ecosystem in Your City

INTEGRATION WITH THE REST OF COLORADO

I-25 is a highway that runs from the top of Colorado to the bottom. There are four major cities located within a two-hour drive of each other. Fort Collins (population 150,000) starts at the top, then Boulder (population 100,000), then Denver (population 2,000,000), and, finally, Colorado Springs (population 750,000). Each city has a strong individual identity, and civic pride causes many to work hard to highlight their city as the best in the state. This results in another missed opportunity to connect the startup communities in an effort to amplify entrepreneurship across the state.

Although I spend plenty of time bouncing between Boulder and Denver, I spend very little time in Fort Collins or Colorado Springs. I’ve never invested in a company in either city and historically haven’t felt particularly connected to either startup community.

A year ago I was invited to Colorado Springs to give a keynote speech at the Peak Venture Club about the Boulder startup community. Peak Ventures is the organized angel group in Colorado Springs. I said I was willing to come down, but let’s make a 24-hour experience out of it. I offered to do a dinner the night before with the leaders of the Colorado Springs startup community, a talk in the morning, additional talks to students at University of Colorado–Colorado Springs during the day, and finish up with a lunch meeting with a group of young Colorado Springs entrepreneurs.

I drove down and settled into the ...