Innovation & Entrepreneurship Newsletter, Community Edition, 2/28/25

Friday, Feb. 28: Colorado Startups Startup Happy Hour–Join entrepreneurs, investors and community members in our state's thriving startup ecosystem for a chance to meet and connect.

Tuesday, March 4: Startups & Sandwiches–Hear from Adrian Tuck, partner at Rubicon Technology Partners about building a unicorn and nearly killing the company along the way!

Wednesday, March 5: Startup Colorado Lean Coffee–An interactive networking discussion that’s tailored to entrepreneurs from all industries.

Wednesday, March 5: Longmont Open Coffee Club Happy Hour–Grow business and personal connections while sparking ideas.

Thursday, March 6: RVC Exit Strategy Mastermind–A group mentoring session where entrepreneurs can source candid advice on fundraising dilemmas.

Friday, March 7: Colorado Startups Happy Hour–Connect with fellow entrepreneurs.

Tuesday, March 11: Boulder Open Coffee Club (BOCC)–An informal group for anyone interested in the startup community, particularly those with an interest in technology.

Wednesday, March 12: Golden Startup Coffee–An opportunity for entrepreneurs, innovators, creatives, & community members to explore Colorado startup journeys.

Wednesday, March 12: 2025 Embark Deep Tech Startup Creator Showcase–The second cohort of Entrepreneurs in Residence in the Embark Deep Tech Startup Creator will pitch their newly built startups bringing to market ten groundbreaking technologies developed within CU Boulder's research labs.

Wednesday, March 12: Beck Venture Center Startup Forum: Marketing for Startups–Gain practical, high-impact marketing strategies that help your startup gain traction, build authority and scale faster.

Tuesday, March 13: Rural Women in Entrepreneurship (virtual)–A a virtual networking conversation.

Tuesday, March 13: Boulder New Tech–Explore cutting-edge trends spanning hardware, software, AI and developer tools.

Tuesday, March 20: RVC Cleantech Signature Series–Featuring an industry panel, ample networking opportunities, presentations from investment-ready cleantech startups and an accredited investor forum.

March 24-26: Colorado Climate Week—A dynamic gathering of cleantech innovators, policy makers, corporate leaders, and investors driving actionable change.

Tuesday, March 25: Boulder Open Coffee Club (BOCC)–An informal group for anyone interested in the startup community, particularly those with an interest in technology.

Friday, March 28: Startup Ski Days–Get to know other local startup founders, operators, investors and community members on the ski slopes.

March 30-April 1: A Competitiveness Conversation–Focusing on the Mountain West's rapid ascent as an innovation powerhouse and global leader in sustainability and quantum technology.

Friday, Feb. 28 (deadline): Advanced Industries Accelerator Programs–Promoting growth and sustainability in Colorado’s advanced industries that increase the state's global competitiveness.

Monday, March 3 (deadline): Roslyn & Elliot Jaffe Retail Entrepreneur Prize–For an undergraduate or graduate student or team passionate about launching a new retail concept, product, idea or pre-seed stage company (either brick-and-mortar or online).

Sunday, March 9 (deadline): Women Founders Competition–A unique, multi-round New Venture Challenge entrepreneurial competition dedicated to empowering women entrepreneurs. Teams with at least one core team member who is a woman can participate in this specialty competition and win a share of $15,000!

Friday, March 14 (Pitch/Innovation Deadline: March 14): Venture Summit West–A select group of over 100 innovators will be chosen to showcase their breakthrough investment opportunities to an exclusive audience of investors and partners.

Thursday, April 3 (deadline): I-CORPS Starting Blocks Workshop–Transform your innovation into a successful venture in this workshop, designed for anyone motivated to bring their ideas to life, secure funding and create lasting impact.

Sunday, April 13 (deadline): 2025 CTO Accelerator–Customer discovery, extensive mentoring, training, investor meetings, startup-corporate matching, and showcasing at both the regional and national levels.

Thursday, May 1 (Second-round application deadline):  DemingHigh Growth Venture Fellowship–This two-year program immerses a select group of MBA candidates in academic and experiential learning unique to growth-stage companies.

Applications open: EnergyTech University Prize–Student teams compete for more than $540,000 for successfully identifying a promising energy technology, assessing its market potential, and creating a business plan for commercialization.

Rolling application: Startup Colorado Community and Entrepreneurship Grants–Grants that support rural entrepreneurs who are eager to level up their businesses but need a financial boost to get there.and delivering results.

Rolling Application: Global Business Development's 2025 Trade Shows–Apply for the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade's funding and trade show participation program.