The June Denver South Partnership Meeting was an insightful look at the regional entrepreneur ecosystem. With three of the key organizations supporting startups as they move through their journey the focus was on the importance of entrepreneurship to the local economy and ways to get involved supporting the community. The meeting left the audience with a lot to consider- read on for a recap or watch the full recording below.
The meeting kicked off with an overview of Project Nexus and entrepreneurship in the region. Emphasizing the long-term view, Eric Byington shared the vision of the ecosystem and why the work in supporting growth of startups is important to the overall economy of the region and the need to emphasize where we are going, not just where we are now.
The first presenter was Mike Freeman, General Partner and CEO of Innosphere Ventures, who works with technology and science startups in the early phase of growth. With a proven process, Innosphere leads companies through an accelerator program with the end goal of “leaving successfully”, or meeting a key identified business goal. Mike walked us though the phase definition as well as providing an overview of the Venture Capital Ecosystem in Colorado, stressing the importance and opportunity of backing Colorado companies.
Emily Klein, with Rockies Venture Club and Rockies Vintage Fund, created to leverage local funds to build the regional ecosystem and job creation, was up next. Emily stressed the importance of economic development and investing in your own community. Focusing regional capital locally keeps scalable startups and private companies in our region thriving, impacting workforce, community growth, and the overall economy, right where you live. Make sure to watch the meeting to see how you can get involved in local investment.
TrueSpace Chairman and CEO, Charles Fred, rounded out the presentations with a look at how companies move from starting to building. The essence of their work focuses on the struggles companies hit during that key transition time. Backed by data, the TrueSpace model functions to meet companies in the unique position they are currently in, ensuring the process is both efficient and effective.
With many impressive case studies in the Denver South region, these organizations are proving how important support is to our local startup ecosystem. The theme of intersection and the importance of collaboration was clearly heard throughout the discussion. There are opportunities throughout the entire process for you to get involved. Watch the full meeting below and then head to Project Nexus to see where you fit into the regional ecosystem.
