Connect. Share. Collaborate. Succeed.

Founded
in FoCo

Business skills, taught by peers.

March 8 to 11, 2027
at the Fort Collins Senior Center

Creatives, freelancers, solopreneurs, founders, nonprofit leaders, and established business owners teach each other what works. Four days of sessions, workshops, and time to meet the people doing the work next door.

A full session room at Founded in FoCo
Come curious. Leave with a plan.
500+
Attendees
80+
Sessions and workshops
4 days
March 8 to 11
$0 and up
Pay What You Can tickets
Community Needs Survey

The program is built on your answers

Every year we ask Northern Colorado's business owners, freelancers, creatives, and nonprofit leaders where they are stuck. Then we build the schedule from what they say.

59%
Named marketing or revenue as their biggest challenge
48%
Report moderate to high loneliness in their work
37%
Want hands-on workshops
“I don't need more ideas, I need clarity about what to do next, and people I can walk that path with.”
Survey respondent, 2026
Who it's for

Not just startups

All stages

Any stage, any structure

Businesses and nonprofits of every size and age use what gets shared here. If you run something, or want to, there are sessions for you.

Artists and makers

Creatives welcome

Artists and makers run businesses with their own rules. We program sessions for exactly that.

Mission-driven

Nonprofits too

Fundraising, volunteers, and shared services get the same practical treatment as sales and marketing.

Bring the kids

Parentpreneurs welcome

Running a business and raising kids at the same time? Bring them. Parents are welcome to bring their young children to Founded in FoCo.

On us

Students free, always

If you are a student, your ticket is on us.

Hear from the community

See what they're saying

“Well run, great speakers. I learned so much and made some new friends!! The volunteers were so helpful. I immediately felt welcome.”
Julia Semple
“Shared incredible content and resources for professional development that will definitely move the needle in my business.”
Antoinette Elbert
“This is the event that gets me most excited about being a business owner.”
2026 attendee
“I feel incredibly inspired by and connected to a whole community I didn't know existed until this week.”
2026 attendee
“Real speakers with real tips that are actionable today.”
2026 attendee
Get involved

We need you to make the event possible

Speak

Share what you know

Teach a session your peers can put to work Monday morning. Proposals are due November 1, 2026.

Volunteer

Help run it, attend free

One shift earns your ticket. Be the most helpful leader in the room.

The Commons

Become a Community Connector

Host a table in The Commons, the room where everyone lands between sessions.

Sponsor

Fund access

Sponsors are why tickets start at $0. Levels from $500.

A community-wide effort

Coordinated with the City of Fort Collins Economic Health Office, the Fort Collins Area Chamber of Commerce, Larimer SBDC, Front Range Community College, CSU's Institute for Entrepreneurship, and hundreds of local businesses and nonprofits.

Sessions and speakers are chosen for usefulness and to reflect the people who make up Fort Collins' economy.

Attendees at the Fort Collins Senior Center
Our home base

Returning to the Senior Center

One building, every day. You will know where to go, how to get there, and where to park.

Plan your visit
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Dates, speakers, and ways to take part, sent when there is something worth knowing.