Blog - Founded in FoCo

Meet The FCSW Speakers V4.E1.

Cynthia Wilson on January 28, 2017

Fort Collins Startup Week exemplifies the body of the Fort Collins community. As you begin to plan your schedule, learn more about the speakers.

This week we feature 3 speakers from the music track, Peggy Bruns, Jahna Eichel, and our music keynote speaker, Lloyd Starr.

Peggy Bruns is an experienced flutist, educator, and administrator. She holds a master’s degree in music education and flute performance from CU-Boulder, and a bachelor’s degree in K-12 instrumental/vocal music education from Northern State University in South Dakota. Ms. Bruns has over twenty years of music teaching and adjudication experience, including private studio, public school, and university classroom. A two-time MTNA state Collegiate Woodwinds competition winner (SD), Peggy’s performance background consists of solo, chamber music, and large ensemble experience, including the Boulder Philharmonic Orchestra, Longmont Symphony Orchestra, Colorado Wind Ensemble, and Colorado MahlerFest Orchestra. A past president of the Colorado Flute Association, Ms. Bruns has performed at two conventions of the National Flute Association. She co-founded the Rocky Mountain Center for Musical Arts, serving as its Executive Director for fifteen years, and, following a merger with Colorado Music Festival, served as Education Director for two years. She has extensive experience in human resources management and non-profit development.Ms. Bruns most recently served as Board President for Arts Longmont, and has served as Vice Chair of the Lafayette Cultural Arts Commission. In 2002, she received an Outstanding Service Award from the CU-Boulder College of Music, and was among five recipients honored in 2011 as “Women Who Light the Community” by the Boulder Chamber of Commerce. She is a member of Pi Kappa Lambda, an international music honor society.In addition to her work as a flutist and non-profit consultant, Ms. Bruns is a Certified Music Practitioner (CMP), having completed training from the international Music for Healing & Transition Program (MHTP). Her work as a CMP has primarily involved providing therapeutic music for hospice patients across Boulder County.Ms. Bruns is serving as Interim Director for the Entrepreneurship Center for Music (ECM) at CU-Boulder during the 2016-17 academic year, reprising that role from 2008-09. In addition to having taught courses in the ECM, she has also served as a Career Launchpad presenter, and as both mentor and judge for the Performing Arts Track of the New Venture Challenge.

I was invited to be part of a collegiate panel on music and entrepreneurship. I hope people realize that musicians are inherently equipped with the necessary skills to be successful in entrepreneurial activity. They are detail-oriented, problem-solvers, great on a team, flexible, and resilient.

Enjoy yourself! This is my first time; I’m open to seeing what it’s all about! I wish you every success.

Jahna Eichel

CEO, Higher Ground Rehearsal Studios

Fort Collins, Colorado

OWNER OF: HGRS ARTIST MANAGEMENT

BOARD MEMBER OF: KRFC Channel 88.9

BOARD MEMBER OF: Colorado Music Business Organization http://www.coloradomusic.org/

HOST OF:Live @ Higher Ground YouTube series

Speaking on: “Startup A Music Business”

Jahna is a multi-business owner, artist/band Manager, celebrated blogger, brand strategist, wife, and mother of two. Jahna alongside husband Jason Eichel founded the first music rehearsal studio in Northern Colorado on the notion that we are better when the creative community has a place where they can be themselves and hone in on their craft. Jahna thrives on watching the businesses in her community flourish. Originally, from NYC, where she gained corporate branding, and marketing experience, Jahna continues to grow her knowledge base and share her know-how with motivated musicians and entrepreneurs.

Our family moved from New York City to Fort Collins in December 2012. We came here on a whim, just to visit, after reading the Money Magazine article. We fell in love with the good natured people of Colorado and couldn’t wait to call it home. In 2014 we realized that our calling here was to assist in the blossoming of Fort Collins music scene, and followed our passions to create Higher Ground.

I hope that attendees become inspired. Starting a music related business isn’t easy. Take lots of notes, talk to everyone who inspires you.

I’d love to meet people who are passionate about entrepreneurship, especially within the music industry sector.

My vision for Northern Colorado is that classes of people in and out of business ownership are less segregated. I’d love for our community to experience more and learn the value of hiring trusted professionals. While DIY is fun, and affordable, my goal is to show local consumers that hiring quality professionals and purchasing quality goods, is worthwhile for not only themselves and their families but their community at large.

Lloyd Starr

Founder, Velocity Plus

Denver, Colorado

Speaking on: Music Keynote

Lloyd Starr is the former President and COO of Beatport. He was one of Beatport’s first employees, starting with the company in 2003 before the site launched, as a founding software developer. During his tenure, Beatport raised $12MM in Venture Capital, won the Denver Business Journal’s Fastest Growing Company two consecutive years and multiple other accolades for quality and design. Before his exit, Starr played a key role in selling Beatport to SFXii for $58.6MM and helping take Beatport public with SFX which raised $800MM. Since exiting Beatport, Lloyd founded Velocity Plus. Velocity Plus is focused on helping businesses increase revenue with their current assets, unlock new growth opportunities through obtaining operational efficiency, improving the value of existing relationships, building new strategic relationships, and bringing new monetization models to the companies it helps. Starr is also the CTO of SuiteHop, a luxury suite marketplace, and advisor for several companies including Blackstone Entrepreneurial Network. Previously, Lloyd held creative developer/product roles at such companies as Factory Design Labs and Spire Media. He currently lives in Denver and is an avid runner and martial artist.

Fort Collins is just a hop over from Denver, where I live and what brings me here are the amazing people at The Music District and Colorado’s finest breweries. What keeps me in Colorado is the ability to escape and elevate. Love is what led me here 17 years ago, and it’s what keeps me here today.

It’s simple. I hope some becomes inspired enough to take some action on their new idea or find the courage to continue trying.

Talk to as many people as you can as you can’t know enough people. There is a lot of wisdom out there so listen, not to respond but listen to understand.

I hope to be inspired by all of the creative people who make up our amazing community and make some new friends at Startup Week.

My hope is that we can find altruistism in our competitive high-growth businesses, balance capitalism and humanity while succeeding together. In the next 5 – 10 years I will make a positive impact enriching people’s lives.

That’s not coffee, that’s the smell of a Startup

Nick Armstrong on January 23, 2017

Are you a little burnt out on coming home smelling like you were bearhugged by a barista? Good news, now you can indulge in an entire week of free coworking, thanks to our awesome Coworking partners: Cohere, Articulate, Digital Workshop Center, Music District, Front Range Business Center, FVC Mesh Fort Collins, and Office Evolution.

Come attend Startup Week, meet some amazing partners, and then build something new together at a collaborative office space for free!

Monday, February 27: 9a-4p Free Drop-In Coworking at Cohere
418 South Howes Street
Fort Collins, CO 80521

Friendship-oriented coworking space for freelancers, remote workers and non-profits who normally work from home and don’t like it.

Tuesday, February 28: 9a-4p Free Drop-In Coworking at Articulate
324 Jefferson Street
Fort Collins, CO 80524

A vibrant community in Old Town Fort Collins where creative professionals grow and collaborate personally and professionally.

Wednesday, March 1: 9a-4p Free Drop-In Coworking at Digital Workshop Center
324 Remington St Suite 130
Fort Collins, CO 80524

Founded in 2006, Digital Workshop Center is a locally-owned computer training school, Adobe Training Center, and coworking hub in Fort Collins and Denver.

Thursday, March 2: 9a-4p Free Drop-In Coworking at Music District (long building)
639 South College Avenue
Fort Collins, CO 80524

Your music playground and laboratory. Whether you are a novice or pro, we provide the resources, spaces, and tools for learning, composing, rehearsing, collaborating, and more.

Thursday, March 2: 9a-4p Free Drop-In Coworking at Front Range Business Center Boardwalk Location
155 E. Boardwalk Drive, Suite 400
Fort Collins, CO 80525

Flexible and cost-saving officing options for start-ups and home-based businesses including drop-in work space or private offices.

Friday, March 3: 9a-4p Free Drop-In Coworking at Office Evolution Fort Collins
2580 E Harmony Rd, Suite 201
Fort Collins, CO 80528

The Northern Colorado business center is a community of coworking and executive offices that offers flexible terms to help grow your small business by reducing overhead.

Friday, March 3: 9a-4p Free Drop-In Coworking at FVC Mesh Fort Collins
242 Linden St
Fort Collins, CO 80524

FVC Mesh Fort Collins is a vibrant startup community located in the heart of Old Town Fort Collins. Our unique space allows entrepreneurs to create and cultivate startups while connecting them to mentors, educators, and investors to help support them.

Friday, March 3: 5p-7p Happy Hour Networking for Musicians at Cohere Bandwidth (free beer/drinks)
317 Jefferson Street
Fort Collins, CO 80524

Shared hourly rehearsal space and connection-centered events for musicians in downtown Fort Collins.

They Don’t Tell You

Nick Armstrong on January 19, 2017

One of the things they don’t tell you in entrepreneur school about being nearly broke is that you have to break your own club crackers in half if you want them the “normal” size.

As a result, the package goes bad twice as fast. And the off-brand zip bags you have to buy to store ‘em in reek of plastic which subsequently taints your food.

They don’t tell you that certain grocery stores sell food that spoils faster. And you don’t know if you’ve selected poorly until two days after you’ve purchased – when all your “special splurge” fruit has mold. And to exchange it would require time that you don’t have or else that client project won’t make it on time.

Or that buying meat in bulk is super cost effective, but that you have to be really careful to make sure you segment and store it safely.

They don’t tell you that when you have $100 in your bank account and you’re starting a business, your food budget is directly competing against spending the $72 it takes to start a MeetUp group to grow a client base.

Or that, after you’ve spent the money on your MeetUp group organizer fees, you can eat filling meals for next to nothing—if you’re willing to eat mostly carhop-style fast food and bananas.

Or that coffee — any coffee, no matter the source — is a godsend when you’ve been too broke to afford it.

Go ahead, pick my brain. I’ll try to tone down my not-so-subtle ecstasy after each sip.

They don’t tell you that selling your boldly fluids (in my case: plasma) is how you can afford real food until your first client check comes in. Or that — and I’m not proud of this — your time is worth more than sorting laundry piles, so your clothes create a colossal colorful mountain in the corner of your room.

They don’t tell you all these little indignities will feel like tiny paper cuts to your spirit.

Each time a new mark appears, you count it and hope it’s not the fatal thousandth. Familiar cracks begin to form in your ego and each new challenge somehow finds a way into those old wounds.

Every entrepreneur has their own struggles. You might never have been broke, but I bet you’ve had your moments of “Holy hell, what am I gonna do next?”

Mine just seemed to always hover near food, being able to afford it, and what it meant as a measure of success.

When I started out on my own in 2009, I landed an amazing training gig.
Colloquially, I called it Facebook for the Golden Girls (because that’s the demographic that showed up, with a few minor exceptions).

Don’t get me wrong — I no way do I mean ‘Golden Girls’ as a derogatory. Sassy, smart, savvy business women around the ages of 60+ were the great majority of the audience, ready and eager to pick up a new skill. The Golden Girls epitomize the spirit of friendship, youthful vigor, and the constant aim to improve yourself. In short: they’re near perfect clients who know how to hold themselves accountable to their own learning.

I enjoyed teaching, but it struck me midway through the first class that Facebook had become a basic literacy skill.

You might roll your eyes at this, but for me, it’s akin to reading, writing, and knowing how to type. Texting has been in this realm for some time.

And there I was charging $90 a head. To teach someone how to, essentially, read.

I felt awful.

Please, hold your lecture that goes something like: “Yeah, but, certain skills have a price…” — that’s nonsense.

Something can have value (my time and expertise) while being unethical to charge for (basic literacy).

Picture my idea of a dystopian society: Sorry, Timmy, you can’t learn how to read because the man with the books wants $5 to lend them to you, and Mommy’s gotta charge you $1 for every word you learn. It’s only “fair.”

The next day, I launched my meetup group thanks to a very generous loan from a friend.
I ate car-hop fast food and bananas for the next two weeks until my paycheck came in from the first (and only) Facebook for Golden Girls class.

I committed to teaching social media basics every other week for $1 per head, and donated the proceeds to the Larimer County Food Bank.

Over the course of the next four years, I taught enough and earned enough trust in the community to create about 4,500 meals for the Foodbank.

I also landed a cool number of teaching gigs, clients, and created a whole network of friends who loved to learn as much as I loved to teach.

We’d start having lunches together and discussing strategy and new ideas. Some of those friends went on to start their own companies and MeetUps. I had a lot of brain-picking coffee meetings.

On the surface, I looked to be doing pretty well.
Behind the scenes, my life was in turmoil with my habit of undercharging for almost everything, every late client payment, every new unexpected expense, and the stress from near-constant hustling.

I’d work on my couch because there was nowhere else to work. I’d work until I fell asleep on the couch, wake up, pour some family-sized Cheerios into my bowl and start my work anew.

Nothing really changed during that first year until I met the woman who would become my wife.

Stacy and I met online. Our first date was to a mall. I was an hour late, thanks to the aforementioned non-stop hustling, but she took it in stride and I showed up with a lot of flowers, which I’m sure kinda helped.

We nervously speed-walked around the whole mall. We went to the shoe store (I had on bright red Chuck Taylors and Stacy thought they were cool). I got down on my knees and helped her tie a pair of Chucks on.

Later we got dinner at Mimi’s Cafe where a rambunctious child was running rampant through the restaurant. We simultaneously made a joke about tripping the kid as she ran past, and that’s when I knew I’d met The One.

I owe a lot to Stacy, who helped me realize that I couldn’t afford to bachelor or hustle myself to death.
I got my act together. Learned how to price responsibly. Landed some ridiculously cool clients like Fort Collins Brewery and Poudre Libraries.

I upped my game so I could support Stacy while she sought out the long and winding path toward her two dream jobs — teaching and being a Stay-At-Home Mom. (I’ve since come to the conclusion that this is the single-most difficult, demanding job in the world. Not only must you be consistent, you must be creative, kind, fair, and entertaining while being mostly sleep deprived.)

It wasn’t just that she was there, it was that I had to become a better version of myself to help her achieve her goals.

Clients are like that, too.

I love to grow along with my clients. As their needs expand, so too do my skills to service them.

If something is way outside my wheelhouse, we pass it along to a trusted friend. But if I can learn how to it, there’s no power in the world to stop me — except for me.

That’s the real lesson in all those hard-earned cracks, cuts, and bruises.

Only you can stop you.

So what’s stopping you from working as hard as you need to? Failing and failing and failing over again until you succeed or learn a better way?

You. That’s it. You’re playing against yourself, mostly. They don’t tell you that, either.

So why not go for the high score?

Mean or thieving competitors can get bent (nice, honest competitors get referrals).

Haters will need a support group after you prove ‘em wrong.

Something in your way? Break it in half like dollar store club crackers and put it over your stew.

About the Author:

Our first Guest Blogger in 2017, Nick Armstrong is a member of the FCSW steering committee as well as a dad, author, Geek-in-Chief of WTF Marketing, and the Co-Organizer of Fort Collins Comic Con. Want to blog your thoughts on livin’ la vida startup? Contact us.

Startup Week 2017 Dates Announced: February 27 – March 3

Christine Hudson on August 20, 2016

Startup Week returns to Fort Collins, Colorado ~~February 6-10, 2017~~ February 27 – March 3, 2017.

“We’re excited to help make this great community event happen again in 2017.” share co-organizers Charisse Bowen, Campus Director at Galvanize Fort Collins and Christine Hudson, Advisor at The Food Corridor and Emerging Services Program Manager at CA Technologies (Rally Software).

Like Startup Week events in other top tech cities, the co-organizers see this as a grassroots effort to bring together great our entrepreneurial community for a fun week of startup education, collaboration, creation — and community.

The public is invited and encouraged to suggest events through the Fort Collins Startup Week site, to become a volunteer or sponsor — and of course to attend all of the week’s activities which are free of charge.

Join the conversation…
Facebook
Twitter
#FoCoStartupWeek17 #FCSW17

Sponsorship for 2016

Andrew Schneider on January 12, 2016

This post is about sponsorship for 2016’s Startup Week. If you are interested in sponsoring 2018, please visit: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdfC5hCMsinQK4vYHwIfDay8o-O3Vz3FhqXjncwG7c_1Fv26A/viewform

Fort Collins Startup Week is returning Feb. 1- Feb. 5, 2016. We are looking forward to engaging with the community through sponsorship. Below are the available sponsorship levels opportunities. If you are interested in this opportunity or would like to customize your sponsorship relationship, please reach out to Jordan Mathews, Event Manager at Galvanize-Fort Collins, directly at [email protected]

Seed Sponsor: $500

Banner displayed for chosen event
Present during “Lightning Talks: Local Resources Pitch Back!” event plus booth display Thursday/Friday
Logo on Fort Collins Startup Week webpage, Facebook page and digital signage
10% discount off future weekday event space rental of 120 people or less at Galvanize-Fort Collins**

Angel Sponsor: $1000

Banner displayed at Basecamp (Galvanize FoCo) for chosen day
Presentation during “Lightning Talks: Local Resources Pitch Back!” event
Logo on Fort Collins Startup Week webpage, Facebook page, and digital signage
Social media promotion for specified day* on Facebook & Twitter
Opportunity to introduce one event of choice
25% discount off future weekday event of 120 people or less @ Galvanize-Fort Collins**

Title Sponsor: $2000

Banner displayed at Basecamp (Galvanize FoCo) for entire week
Presentation during “Lightning Talks: Local Resource Pitch Back!” event
Logo on Fort Collins Startup Week webpage, Facebook page, and digital signage
Social media promotion for entire week* on Facebook & Twitter
Included as a sponsor in all press releases
Opportunity to introduce three events of choice
50% discount off future weekday event of 120 people of less @ Galvanize-Fort Collins**

Galvanize is the fiscal sponsor of Fort Collins Startup Week. All sponsorship invoices will come from Galvanize’s and checks will be made out to Galvanize.

*Social media promotion: One mention per platform per day

** Event discount valid through August 1, 2016

Startup Week is returning to Fort Collins // Feb. 1 – Feb. 5 2016

Andrew Schneider on January 11, 2016

The public encouraged to celebrate the spirit of our entrepreneurial community through multiple events being conducted throughout the city.

Startup Week in Fort Collins, Colorado and similar events across the nation are a platform to bring together like-minded individuals to foster and to celebrate entrepreneurship. In years past, Startup week Fort Collins has happened just after Memorial Day, and this year in an effort to increase participation from across the state, organizers have moved the event to earlier in the year.

The Fort Collins Startup Week organizers see this as a grassroots opportunity to bring together great entrepreneurial business leaders for a fun week of collaboration, creation and community.

“I am thrilled that our startup community here in Fort Collins is as robust and energized as it is to host a startup week for a third year in a row.” said Charisse Bowen, Campus Director Galvanize FoCo. “I am looking forward to seeing how this change in date and format increases participation and involvement.”

Whether you are one person with a great idea or an already scaling startup, the events already lined up have been created by entrepreneurs and experts in the community who want to share what they’ve learned with you. Participants can expect a diverse schedule of events driven by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs, including workshops, guest speakers, networking happy hours and much more. If you do not see a session you need, feel free to create it.

These events will take place all over Fort Collins, including the Innosphere who has been an organizing partner this year. Startup Week basecamp will be held at Galvanize-Fort Collins located at 242 Linden St. in Old Town, this is where participants can check-in and get all of their Startup Week questions answered during the week of events. Basecamp will be open daily from 8:30am-5:30pm.

The public is invited and encouraged to attend all of the week’s activities which are free of charge. Organizers are also seeking additional content and are soliciting for people to submit their event concepts through a form on their website. Events to be held this year must be submitted by January 21st, 2016 for consideration. Fort Collins Startup Week is also currently seeking volunteers and sponsors, for more information please reach out to [email protected].

To see the schedule and learn more about how to get involved with Fort Collins Startup Week please visit this link.

Join the conversation…
Facebook
Twitter
#startupweekfoco

Interview With our Keynote

Nick Armstrong on December 7, 2015

Do not miss this exclusive interview with our Keynote

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