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MindCraft Makerspace

“An entrepreneur is someone who jumps off a cliff and builds a plane on the way down.” — Reid Hoffman

Entrepreneurs are passionate risk-takers who make an impact on our economy, and they‘ve made Colorado a top-five state for startup activity and for innovation.

Entrepreneurs know it takes a lot more than an idea to make a business come to life. Brenda Lane is co-founder of MindCraft Makerspace knows just that. Lane has poured herself into her businesses – a digital fabrication lab developed as a collaborative studio space for creative and inventive endeavors for makers of all ages – and entrepreneurialism has become her way life.

“As a maker, I owned my first business in my hometown at the age of 18. My uncle and I teamed up to open Lane’s House of Glass in Pueblo, where I spent eight years teaching stained glass, fusing and slumping,” Lane recalls.

MindCraft Makerspace is the second business devoted to educational endeavors for Lane and her business partner Adriana Santacoloma.

Lane first opened eXL Learning in 2011. She sought the advice of consultants at Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs across the Front Range. She coupled the consulting with the SBDC’s business planning course, Leading Edge.

“I rely on the SBDC to develop myself as a better business owner and operator, and I recommend this organization to anyone thinking of opening their own business,” Lane said.

Opening MindCraft Makerspace was a way for Lane to combine her passion for education and creativity. MindCraft Makerspace offers classes, workshops, equipment rental and memberships to learn about and use all tools, equipment and machinery accessible to the users – no matter the age.

“Our combination of labs, workshops and classrooms make it easy and fun for hands-on, ‘let’s make this’ kind of learning,” Lane said.

Their space is located in the newly restored Stanley Marketplace on the border of Aurora and Stapleton. The Marketplace houses over 50 independent companies under one roof.

Denver Bouldering Club

The Denver Bouldering Club (DBC) started in 2009 when three local climbers – Thomas Betterton, Lee Payne, and Kevin Brown – decided that Denver’s passion for climbing and the outdoors deserved a better indoor training facility. What began as a dream to construct a small training center has now grown into one of the best climbing gyms in Colorado – a gathering place where climbers can learn, train and share their love of climbing. “It’s

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Back2Basics

Brittany Winkfield is like a lot of entrepreneurs. She saw a gap in the marketplace and instead of waiting for someone else to fill it, she went after it herself. Led by a belief and desire that a Christian lifestyle magazine existed within the community, she used her creative skills, business network, and the SBDC to create Back2Basics Magazine. And she did it with the grace and style of a dedicated entrepreneur that understands how

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Discovery College Consulting, LLC

When Sara Zessar first began meeting with consultants and attending programs at the Denver SBDC in 2013, she had a company name and not much else. A former high school counselor, Zessar wanted to start a college consulting practice to assist high school students with the college search and admissions process, but she had no experience in the business world. “I knew what I wanted to do, but I needed a lot of help in

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Coppertops Paperie

When considering starting her own business, Jessica Burke was given the advice, “do something you completely love, even in the tiny details.” The only thing she felt absolutely certain she loved – tiny details and all – was paper products. Jessica’s passion drove her to start CopperTops Paperie, a company that sells personalized paper products, in 2013. CopperTops is most widely known for their patent-pending bottle wrap, which emerged from a conversation with a customer

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Open Road Snacks

In January of 2007, Karen and Tim Bradley were looking for an opportunity to combine Tim’s expertise in consumer packaged goods, finance and operations with Karen’s background in graphic design, marketing and sales. That’s when they acquired Rocky Mountain Popcorn Company. “We work really well together and we wanted to use both sides of our collective brain,” Karen said. “With our experience in brand management, we recognized that, while Rocky Mountain Popcorn was proven in

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Safe Rids 4 Kids

Firefighter. Paramedic. Emergency responder. Over an 18 year career, Greg Durocher spent his days and nights responding to some of the most devastating collisions and catastrophes. To prevent accidents and injury, Durocher decided to learn as much as possible about child passenger safety. “As responsible drivers we can only do our very best to ensure that our precious cargo is properly restrained with the best options available,” Durocher said, “so that if a crash occurs,

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