Ten ways to get involved in the Boulder startup scene
Students who invest time in learning from entrepreneurs, attending startup events and networking within the startup community are often the ones receiving information about job and internship opportunities before they’re posted. Startup employees and leaders will often tell you that the best way to work in the world of startups is to start by getting involved. Take advantage of being uniquely situated—at CU Boulder and in the town of Boulder—by engaging with one or more of these great opportunities!
Innovation and Entrepreneurship: The hub of entrepreneurship at CU Boulder has a lot of resources, events, and programs for you to get involved in startups including the New Venture Challenge, CU Boulder's entrepreneurial mentor network, Get Seed Funding and the Colorado Sustainability Challenge.
Startups2Students (S2S): Hosted in September, January and April, S2S is a great opportunity to hear from startups and meet with them afterwards. Best of all, there are dozens of jobs and internships available at each event.
Boulder Venture Club (BVC): Surround yourself with other students on campus who are passionate about startups through BVC. BVC hosts events and startups regularly throughout the year.
Colorado Startups: The hub of all things startup in Colorado, Colorado Startups has an event calendar, slack channel, LinkedIn group and ongoing networking including ski and hike days with people who work at startups.
Boulder Startup Week: Mark your calendars for May 2026, when Boulder will see this annual event return with excellent panels, speakers and engaging startup events.
Pitch Boulder: Watch startups pitch and receive critiques from experienced entrepreneurs and funders at these regularly occurring events.
Silicon Flatirons: Colorado Law boasts an incredible entrepreneurial resource that regularly hosts events open to the public including guest speakers, conferences and even an incredible program that complements undergraduate internships called Startup Summer.
Boulder Open Coffee: A regularly scheduled chance to connect with local entrepreneurs and innovators in Boulder over informal coffee.
Deming Center for Entrepreneurship: Housed in the Leeds School of Business, Deming is a national leader in entrepreneurship education with events and programming that isn’t always limited to business students, such as the Startups & Sandwiches series.
Catalyze CU: A summer program that has helped to launch real business through an accelerator framework that brings in experts and world-class education.
Not sure how to get started? It is okay to be a fly on the wall at startup events, taking in the activity and figuring out your way as you go. CU Boulder's Career Services is also a terrific resource for networking tips, building your elevator pitch, a host of other resources.