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Though entrepreneurship is often initially a solo endeavor, strong community spirit and support—like what’s found in Denver, Colorado—offer a different path.
As part of Indie Retail Fest, our team at Faire led a series of conversations and workshops for shopkeepers and small business owners. Among them: three empowering small business leaders sat down with Faire co-founder and COO Jeff Kolovson to discuss the tools, policies, and resources available to their wider entrepreneurial community.
During this panel, Jeff speaks with Hunter Nelson, a native Coloradan who now works as the Colorado director of Small Business Majority, where she builds and maintains strategic partnerships, educates the small business community on key policy issues, and works on statewide policy and advocacy efforts.
Also on the panel is Debra Brown, the founding executive director of Good Business Colorado, a grassroots organization of values-driven employers and entrepreneurs who work together to empower equitable communities, a sustainable environment, and a prosperous economy.
When you have the support structure like we do around here in this ecosystem—one that helps small business—it tips the odds in your favor.
Jim Vernon, SCORE Mentor
And finally, Jim Vernon, an Army veteran with a Stanford Business School MBA who has worked with the likes of Corning and Samsonite. During this conversation, Jim shares his experience as a certified SCORE mentor for the past seven years, where he helps to provide free expert mentoring, resources, and education to small businesses.
During this conversation, the panelists discuss:
- The work that’s being done by Small Business Majority, Good Business Colorado, and SCORE and how Faire entrepreneurs can access these valuable resources
- How to attract and retain talent in today’s climate
- How small business owners can take advantage of the Family Leave Act
- What retail trends are coming up in the next year and the idea of doing well by doing good—and doing good by doing well
Not only do we have these incredible resources but also collaboration amongst the organizations in Denver to ensure that gaps are being filled and that we’re all uplifting one another’s work and mission for the betterment of our small business communities.
Hunter Nelson, Colorado Director of Small Business Majority
Colorado’s vibrant entrepreneurial landscape offers a wealth of resources designed to help small business owners drive local economic growth and navigate the complexities of business ownership. “We want to empower business owners to impact changes,” says Debra. “Some problems can be solved much better collectively and together. We’re willing to invest because it’s going to serve us all for generations to come.”
