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We’ve helped thousands of entrepreneurs. Here are some of their

SUCCESS STORIES

Sky Blue Builders

When Mowa Haile set out to build a business with a couple of friends, they agreed on one fundamental principle: customer service.

“The opportunity to be customer focused is what motivates us and differentiates us,” said Mowa, President of minority-owned Sky Blue Builders, LLC. “As consumers, we see the mistakes that big companies make – and we want to change that. Everything we do, we consider it from the perspective of the customer. If it doesn’t bring value or positively impact the customer, it’s a waste of time.”

Founded in 2007, SBB is a general contractor and construction management firm specializing in commercial renovation, land development and infrastructure, and general repair and maintenance for commercial and government entities. SBB services run the gamut – from erosion control and concrete asphalt paving to removal and demolition.

“We operate from a team approach,” explained Mowa, who ascribes to the Six Sigma and Lean business methodologies, as well as the Kaizen philosophy of continuous process improvement. “When we offer a customer our commitment to quality, pricing and a schedule, we stick to it. We don’t provide an estimate and then charge a lot more – we make sure our pricing is accurate up front.”

In 2009, SBB booked $175K. Remarkably, in the first quarter of 2010, the firm grew to five full-time employees and grossed $750K.

Sky Blue Builders now has about 50 employees and produced over $15 million in revenue for 2015. They continue to be a leader in the industry – committed to performing with integrity, quality and commitment.

Since Mowa started working with the SBDC, he has seen steady growth of SBB, continues to give back to the community and sits on the DMCC board of directors.

Paleo Meals To Go

A few years ago, Ty Soukup went on his first multi-day backpacking trip around the Maroon Bells 14ers in Colorado. But, his biggest challenge wasn’t the terrain – it was figuring out what to eat. He couldn’t find any backpacking meal options that would fit with his Paleo diet. “I thought to myself, why isn’t someone making a backpacker meal that appeals to folks on alternative diets?” Soukup recalled. “It was in that moment that

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Full Battle Rattle Deli

“In the military, Full Battle Rattle means that you get your gear and are ready to move out. At Full Battle Rattle Deli, we are also ready to move out, but into our communities to serve and support our veteran brothers and sisters.” Michael Gropper, owner of Full Battle Rattle Deli says. The idea for Full Battle Rattle came about after an experience Gropper had with a veteran who was homeless at the VA hospital.

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Future Fit Foods

Future Fit Foods is a woman-and-minority-owned food startup out of Boulder, Colorado, bringing people diverse plant-based foods that prioritize the wellbeing and happiness of people and communities. They are also the winners of the 2021 Trout Tank CPG Pitch Event. Paloma Lopez, founder of Future Fit Foods realized the change people were making was incremental because the business models, brands, and products had not been designed with today’s sustainability and nutrition needs in mind. After

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Factotum Brewhouse

The concept of Factotum Brewhouse was first imagined when siblings Christopher and Laura Bruns met their other brother and sister for dinner. As it usually goes when the four congregate, several beers were consumed and before long the idea of a homebrewer-driven craft brewery began to materialize. No strangers to the craft beer scene, Christopher and Laura began racking their minds, trying to think of any brewery—local or otherwise—that truly focused on homebrewers. Was there

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Briar Common Brewery + Eatery

Kent Dawson is no stranger to the hard work it takes to start his own business. He learned young as he and his brother Greg spent their summer breaks helping their grandparents tend to their farm. “Spending time on ‘The Farm’ was no picnic: this wasn’t one of those grandparents spoiling the grandkids situation. It was exhausting!” Dawson recalled. Dawson and his wife moved to Denver in 2008, looking to enjoy what Denver and Colorado

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Alt Ethos

You may have seen their installations during Denver Startup week or read their name in 303 Magazine as “Denver Artists to Watch in 2018.” Alt Ethos is introducing a new way of capturing the attention of audiences through experiential design. By combining mixed reality (MR), augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) to create interactive light displays, people are more than just viewers – they become part of the art display. CEO Ethan Bach and

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