Above all else, you’re selling – a guest post from speaker Kerby Meyers
Whatever pulls you into the startup space, you’ll inevitably find yourself face-to-face with one of the toughest requirements for your venture’s success: cold, hard sales.
3 Reasons Your Cloud Bill is So High – a guest post from speaker Lisa Gumerman
At Sunshower.io, we talk to a lot of people about their cloud infrastructure usage. In our professional lives, we’ve dealt with the confusion caused by different cloud vendors, including confounding billing methods, lack of insight into the infrastructure you’ve built, and just throwing hardware and money at the current problem and hoping it’ll fix it. Understandably, the question we’re most frequently asked is the one that’s most mission-critical: How did my cloud bill get like this and how do I get it down?
1) You Forgot About Some Infrastructure
“Cloud sprawl” is extremely common, and happens when you’re running more cloud instances than necessary. It’s easy to see how this can happen—running workloads that you’ve forgotten about and unused and idle workloads are all key culprits. In a complex cloud ecosystem, it can be tough to keep watch over everything running in the cloud. Monitoring and controlling those workloads is key to making sure you’re not over-spending on the cloud. If your company isn’t using auto-scaling, you might be running instances 24/7 that aren’t always performing a necessary function. Running instances that you’re not using is essentially throwing money away—like going away for the weekend and leaving all of your lights on.
2) You Bought Too Much “Just In Case”
Overprovisioning refers to buying more cloud resources than you typically need. It’s important to tailor what you buy to actual usage, because it really adds up. The first step is figuring out what you’re actually using, which monitoring and optimization tools can help with. If this process is overwhelming, there are vendors you can work with to help you sift through your options and make the best possible choices. Without good monitoring tools, it’s impossible to what you’re wasting. Only then should you start looking into what to buy instead.
3) You Drank The Vendor Kool-aid
The custom services provided by cloud service providers are tempting, but the cost can really add up. Even worse, it removes your ability to migrate to other cloud providers, so it’s hard to pivot to more cost-effective solutions over time. As you build your cloud strategy, try to avoid locking yourself into a relationship with a single cloud service provider. Don’t tie yourself to a single vendor because it’s convenient—make sure that you’re allowing yourself the flexibility to change providers and adapt new strategies when costs start to increase.
Setting Yourself Up For Future Success
When it comes to cloud costs as a whole, think about it this way: When you build a snowman, you start with a tiny ball. As you roll it around, it picks up more and more snow until the ball is eventually so big you can’t even move it. No way are you picking that guy up—he’s staying right where he is until the inevitable destruction by meltdown. Cloud costs can incrementally build up (and melt down) in much the same way. Not everyone has a full-time IT department or the expertise to be able to game the system and make sure their cloud infrastructure is as optimized as possible.
The good news is, there are tools out there to put you on the path to reducing your cloud costs today. The trick is choosing the right solutions—ones priced for the size of your company that simplify your life on the cloud, rather than complicate it. Choosing the right tools to help avoid sprawl, overprovisioning, overspending are vital parts of a company’s survival. Make it a priority to understand how you use the cloud today, and you’ll be in a better position to reduce cloud spending tomorrow.
About Lisa Gumerman & Sunshower.io
Lisa Gumerman is the CEO of Sunshower.io, which offers cloud management solutions with a lower barrier to entry, focusing on turn-key solutions that don’t require installation or a complicated configuration process. Whether it’s visualizing and tracking cloud infrastructure, deploying applications across clouds, or economizing and using space more efficiently, we simplify the complicated task of working on the cloud. Our initial product launch optimizes AWS EC2 spend by 40 to 80% and is free until June 2019.
You can see Lisa’s panel Managing Technical Debt on
Peggy Lyle – StartUp FoCo Podcast
Peggy Lyle, the Director for the Downtown Fort Collins Creative District, is one of the foremost advocates for treating artists like the entrepreneurs they are. She’s got her finger located directly on the pulse of our growing creative community.
You can check out Peggy’s panel Sharing Your Personal Culture: Where Dance and Music Intersect on
Peggy, tell us about yourself!
My name is Peggy Lyle and I am the Director for the Downtown Fort Collins Creative D
So you’re not busy at all then?
Not at all.
What’s got you most excited about Techstars Startup Week Fort Collins and ARTup week in particular?
I’m most excited about getting everyone together. There’s such amazing synergy when lots of creative brains and entrepreneurs get together, making connections and learning new things. Those are the most exciting parts of the week.
Similar to what Franklin said, “you just have to show up and be there in this energy.”
You really do. It’s a safe space for you to bring new ideas and risky questions, things that are burning for us as entrepreneurs, as creative leaders, and we don’t always get a chance to talk about them or learn the right strategy forward without significant investment. But this is a safe space.
“Safe space” in this context meaning a co
Cooperation and collaboration breed better products. We ultimately make connections that might be great business partners, mentors, or new customers. Being able to be in that safe place where you are able to talk about kind of any ideas is really liberating. You walk away inspired
Besides you, who’s doing the coolest things in Northern Colorado?
There are some amazing things happening with The Music District here in Fort Collins. I’m really excited about some of the stuff that the Fort Collins Musicians Association is taking on. They have a brand new executive director and are ramping things up. There are also so many things happening in tech and in green energy and in education. I really couldn’t be more proud of Fort Collins and Northern Colorado for all of the amazing cutting-edge things that people are willing to take on.
What are you seeing as the biggest challenge in Northern Colorado creative community?
There are shared nation-wide challenges like being valued for your work, viewing the creative industry as a legitimate business center and economic development tool, and recognizing creative endeavors as a realistic career choice. We also have unique problems in Colorado and in Fort Collins
If you could tell a N
Think about yourself as a business person. It’s not a hobby. It’s a business and that means you need a business model. It has value. You need to take it seriously. That also probably means you need help, you need other professionals to help you do your business just like any entrepreneur does.
Where can we find more about you and your work?
The Downtown Creative District is a certified district through the Colorado Creative Industries. Our website is dfccd.org. We’re telling the unique stories of our creatives, connecting people to resources, and
Sari Kimbell – StartUp FoCo Podcast
A creative community is composed of ALL KINDS of awesome entrepreneurs – and
You can check out Sari’s panels below:
- Overwhelmed by E-Commerce? Find Your Platform on
Tuesday February 26th, 9:15am-11:00am @ Downtown Artery Performance Venue - 8 Mistakes Craft Businesses Make and How to Avoid Them on
Wednesday February 27th, 1:00pm-2:00pm @ Downtown Artery Performance Venue - Business Basics for Artisan, Craft and Food Entrepreneurs on
Thursday February 28th, 1:30pm-2:30pm @ CCC Gallery - Women Who Succeed on
Thursday February 28th, 5:30pm-8:00pm @ Scrumpy’s Hard Cider Bar and Pub
Hi Sari, introduce yourself!
Hi, I’m Sari Kimbell and I am the founder of Sari Kimbell Food Business Consulting and also an online course program called Food Business Success.
What do you do in the creative community?
I’m really interested in is helping small to medium-sized food businesses, especially in the artisan world. These are businesses where we talk about using local ingredients or craft made food. They are using simple ingredients or reimagining food like other ketchup or salsas or breads or jam. It might not always be seen exactly as in the creative world, but I think that there is a lot of creativity that these food artisans are bringing to their product and to our economy.
Do you get a lot of pushback that food isn’t part of the creative community?
I don’t know that it actually get push back, but it probably takes a little more explanation or asking people to stretch a little bit when we talk about culinary arts. When we talk about chefs creating, it is very much a form of creativity and reinvention and using ingredients in new ways much like people repurposing arts and reinventing certain styles. There’s a great connection there and I want to support people in their endeavors of this creativity. A lot of it is very similar to, as you’ll see with our line-up for start-up week, how people conduct creative businesses and artisan craft food businesses.
What are you seeing as the biggest challenges in the Northern Colorado food community?
Probably a lack of commercial kitchen space. There are some opportunities to do home-based businesses, depending on your product, but many products do require that the food is made in a commercial kitchen and we’ve had one close or it was purchased and so it’s no longer a kitchen. So, we’re definitely seeing a squeeze on that and it can be a challenge, especially when people want to do interesting things like gluten-free or meat products that need some additional oversight, so that’s probably the biggest challenge. Also scaling up, so when they’re ready to go a little bit bigger time, they’re going need to go down to some bigger spaces in Longmont or Boulder or Denver. We just don’t have those facilities here. But it is a very welcoming environment overall, as long as people can find that kitchen space to make their product.
Who’s doing the coolest things in Northern Colorado? Who are you most excited about?
Some of my favorites right now are Colorado Catsup, which we’re actually doing a big rebrand for them. They’re changing their name to the Hive Condiment Co. They make honey-sweetened ketchup, mustard and relish. J. Brady Seasonings, he just launched about a year and a half ago and has a great line-up of seasonings. Fort Collins Pickle Company has been doing a great job. This year at the Winter Farmers Market, I help run the winter farmers market in Opera Galleria and we’re seeing some brand new companies,
What’s got you most excited about Fort Collins Start-up Week and Artup Week in particular?
I’m really excited about the focus that we’re placing on e-commerce. It’s something that we haven’t necessarily talked too much about especially when we talk smaller craft industry and obviously, e-commerce, there’s a lot of
If you could tell a Northern Colorado product based business that was just getting started one thing, what would it be?
My FoCo Startup Week session is called Eight Mistakes That Craft Businesses Make and How to Avoid Them. If I just had to choose one, I would say that pricing your product correctly from the start is probably one of the biggest overlooked things that business owners don’t do very well and it can get them into trouble later on. It’s hard to raise prices, they don’t factor in their labor. So they put all of this work into it and then at the end of the year, when they do all their expenses, they realize, “Oh, I didn’t make any money.” Or “I lost money.” So that would be one of my biggest recommendations. It’s really thinking through that pricing.
Where can we find more about you and your work?
SariKimbell.com and FoodBizSuccess.com to learn about my online program. You can find me on Instagram and Facebook too!
Shuttle Information for Techstars Startup Week Fort Collins
Last week we posted information to help you prepare for parking at Techstars Startup Week Fort Collins. Today we want to orient you to the easiest way to get around during Startup Week.
Once again attendees have the option to ditch their cars and hop on the free BFB Shuttle that will travel between venues. There are two options for this year’s shuttle service – you can request an on demand ride or use the schedule below to jump on the venue loop.
To Jump on The Loop
The shuttle will run on a loop from the Carnegie Center for Creativity (CCC) to The Artery to Innosphere to The Lyric to The Music District then back to the CCC.
*Articulate pick up and drop offs will be at the Artery due to traffic concerns
To Request an On Demand Ride
Attendees can schedule on demand pick ups at any time between 9:30 AM and 4:30 PM.
Just text your location and pick up time to 970-795-2590.
BFB Shuttle Schedule
Monday:
BFB Shuttle will be running on demand and on a loop between the CCC and Artery.
Tuesday:
10:00 AM departure from CCC…10:05 from Artery to Innosphere
11:00 AM from the Lyric- Loop to all other venues
12:15 PM departure from Innosphere to CCC and main loop
1:45 PM departure from CCC to Music District
Wednesday:
11:45 AM departure from CCC to Innosphere
1:00 PM departure from Innoshere to CCC and loop
2:40 PM departure from CCC to Harmony Library for the Nonprofit
4:00 PM departure from Harmony Library back to main loop
Thursday:
*Thursday shuttle runs the main loop until 7:30 PM
9:00 AM departure from CCC Main loop to Lyric
10:15 AM departure from CCC to Innosphere
11:30 AM pick up at Innosphere from main loop
11:35 AM departure from Lyric to main loop
2:45 PM departure from CCC to Innosphere and main loop
3:45 PM departure from CCC to main loop to Music District
7:30 PM Last loop pick ups at Lyric, Scrumpy’s
Friday:
Cohere and New Belgium Brewing added to main loop
Bus will run main loop continuously 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM
We’re excited to see you at Startup Week!
Meet the artists, entrepreneurs and innovators driving ARTup Week 2018!
You may already be counting the days to Techstars Startup Week Fort Collins — a free, 5-day celebration of ideas, ingenuity and collaboration. Adding to this year’s excitement is Create Places ARTup Week, a brand new companion celebration of creative people building up the creative industries, creative environment, and creative community.
Get to know a few of the artists, marketers, collaborators and speakers that make up ARTup Week 2018!
Kit Baker
Tate Gallery. Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. Cunningham Dance Foundation. Any arts administrator would be lucky to name one of these arts institutions as clients — Kit Baker can claim them all, having raised millions of dollars for these and many others. Kit is an arts administrator, writer and producer who has worked in New York, London and beyond.
Born in Fort Collins, Kit’s exemplary career took him around the globe before he settled back in Colorado three years ago. “I would come back every few years to visit my family,” Kit says, “then started seeing possibilities for creative entrepreneurs that I hadn’t seen before.” He would love to see Fort Collins continue to develop a robust arts scene and an inclusive culture.
What can attendees expect from Kit’s ARTup Week sessions? “I hope to guide Startup Week artists and scientists to each other to create new cross disciplinary collaborations large and small, and Startup Week music theater artists, producers and enthusiasts to new production models that can support home-grown musicals and opera projects.”
He recommends attendees take in as many sessions as possible. “The more sessions you go to, the more the momentum will take you places you never thought you’d reach.”
Learn how Kit follows his bliss in these sessions:
- Wednesday, February 28:
Cori Storb
“It is so important to surround yourself with quality people who are supportive or helpful or inspiring,” says ARTup Week guest Cori Storb. “It is easy to lose momentum if you try to do everything yourself. Seek out powerful comrades.” Cori took her own advice when creating her local escape room and treasure hunt game, Somewhere Secret. Says Cori, “I hope people will become more aware of escape rooms as a potential art form and a venue for new experiences.”
Cori calls herself is a creator of worlds, an artist, photographer, writer, business owner, and professional burier of treasure. She is deeply invested in Fort Collins’ arts community, and hopes it will continue to grow — “but not at the expenses of the small businesses and little venues that are so amazing.”
Discover the treasure of Cori’s unique perspective at these sessions:
- Tuesday, February 27:
Chris Bates
Whether you realize it or not, you may already be familiar with Chris Bates’ artwork — Chris has completed over 30 murals across Northern Colorado. Chris works at two local galleries (Lincoln Center, Carnegie) and teaches mural workshops to grade school students.
A Fort Collins lifer, Chris is interested about finding ways to “balance in the cost of living and find ways to truly value the contributions of our creative community. We have been getting better, but we still have a long way to go.”
Chris credits “good communication, collaboration and accountability” to his success as an artist. His advice: “Stay on your path, don’t let discouragement stop you — be flexible and adaptable.”
Pick Chris’ brain at these sessions:
- 2PM – Tuesday, February 27 – Interdisciplinary Improv in Action @ The Music District, Sisters Building
Sari Kimbell
Sari Kimbell’s career has touched nearly every sector of the food industry — including directing the largest CSA in the country, serving as a founding member of the NoCo Food Cluster, and working as the Marketing Director of Whole Foods Fort Collins. Sari is passionate about food and the way it connects all of us, leading her to start her own business, Cultivate Consulting LLC, helping the local food industry reach its goals. “I hope to see people in the food business push the envelope more into ethnic food and truly local or scratch made menus and products.”
“Be sure to attend some happy hours,” Sari recommends to ARTup Week attendees. “I am very excited about the Women Who Succeed Happy Hour at Scrumpy’s… This will be a celebration of woman entrepreneurs and leaders in our community as well as the amazing men supporting women.”
- Tuesday, February 27 @ 10AM – Start or grow a profitable food business @ The Lyric
- Tuesday, February 27 @ 5:30PM – NoCo Food Cluster Annual Meeting @ Innosphere
- Wednesday, February 28 @ 1PM – Culinary Arts 101 – So You Want To Work In The Food Industry @ Downtown Artery
- Thursday, March 1 @ 3PM – Building It: Women Who Brew @ Innosphere
- Friday, March 2 @ 2PM – Future Trends in the Food Industry @ Idea Lab at the Carnegie Center for Creativity
Planning Ahead for Parking at Techstars Startup Week Fort Collins
Techstars Startup Week 
Fort Collins is right around the corner and with multiple venues on the docket we don’t want parking and transportation to be a challenge. Check out this quick list of where to park (and where not to park) when traveling between locations. We also have information about public transportation and Fort Collins Bike Share for those who want to avoid driving and parking altogether.
A biodiesel shuttle will run between venues. Thanks Biodiesel For Bands! Look for shuttle signage and information on site during the week and check out the shuttle schedule now.
Old Town Venues
There are many options when looking for parking in Old Town. The City of Fort Collins has two parking structures available for hourly parking and five surface lots with free 2 hour parking. First hour is free in the parking garages, and then it is $1 per hour after. Free street parking is limited to two hours, so pay attention to signage to avoid a visit from parking enforcement. If you use street parking in the Old Town area for more than two hours, please be sure to move your vehicle farther than a few spaces away – its best to move your vehicle to another street to avoid ticketing. For an Old Town parking map with detailed information visit the City of Fort Collins Structures and Surface Lots webpage.
Innosphere
There are two parking lots at Innosphere, one outside the main entrance and an overflow lot located just east of the building.
The Music District
There is free 2 hour parking on the streets surrounding The Music District in addition to limited parking in the lot just west of the main building. To access this parking lot, drive South on College to Myrtle and turn West, then turn South into the first alley on your left. The parking lot will be on your left.
All Other Venues
All other venues located outside of the Old Town area will have dedicated parking lots for your convenience.
Public Transportation & Shuttle Service
Taking Transfort and MAX may also be an option for you. The Downtown area is serviced by several MAX stops. Transit passes can be used on any Transfort bus service and Conference Passes can be purchased at a discount.
Last but not least, check out Fort Collins Bike Share as an option for getting around between venues downtown:
Breaking Barriers: A Conversation with Keynote Speaker Lu Cordova
Today, we have an interview with Lu Cordova, the head of Techstars Foundation. Lu will be keynoting the 2018 Techstars Startup Week Fort Collins Wednesday, Feb 28th at 9am at the Basecamp @ The Carnegie Center for Creativity. She will be talking about what it’s like leading a global nonprofit fostering diversity in entrepreneurship. In the midst of a packed travel schedule, going to over 60 countries, Lu takes a moment to share with us her views on Fort Collins, Startup Week and the Techstars culture.
What do you hope people will get out of attending Techstars Startup Week Fort Collins?
If you come to Startup Week, you should get a sense of community, welcoming you into the vast ecosystem of entrepreneurship. The Techstars Foundation is about making that community a diverse one, where everyone feels included. The only barrier to entrepreneurship should be dreaming something worthy.
Lu, what is your top ‘lesson learned’ from your vast professional career?
My top lesson learned is yet to come as I learn what diversity means in a global sense and what it takes to break down barriers to access in different cultures.
Can you share your vision for the future of Fort Collins?
The Techstars Foundation has global initiatives because technology has made us global. Fort Collins is a place that nurtures entrepreneurs who might stay here, or might leave, but bolstered and strengthened by the city that embraced them.
Is there anyone you’d like to recognize for their hard work in NoCO?
Thank you for the opportunity to finally, publicly thank Pat Stryker, but this is not about all the amazing philanthropic work she’s done, or about a very circuitous way that Stryker was a cause of me winding up in this position, but for something she did almost 20 years ago that has an impact today. My daughter was in a bilingual school at the time in my effort to make her culturally diverse so she could become a global citizen. Pat saved bilingual education in Colorado and now my daughter is in Tunisia as we speak. Honduras earlier and Kenya before that, working around the world to help governments be more transparent in what they do. I hope to meet Pat some day and thank her in person for doing what so many of us aspire to do, which is make the world a better place.
For those who are unfamiliar with Techstars, how would you describe the culture of the organization?
The Techstars credo is “give first” and what an amazing effect that has on everything you do and how it brings out the very best in others.
You can listen to Lu Cordova’s interview segment in episode 02 of the upcoming StartupFoCo Podcast. Sign up for our email list, and keep an eye out for the podcast when it goes live!
The Startup Week Megalist of things to do in Fort Collins
Fort Collins is very excited to play host to the annual Techstars Startup Week Fort Collins and the brand new Artup Week. This free 5-day celebration of community and entrepreneurship is something that is woven into the fabric of this town. You may be looking for events and things to do while they attend this awesome celebration of creative minds. So, Visit Fort Collins took the liberty of compiling a list of things to do during Techstars Startup Week Fort Collins. For a complete list of our events calendar please feel free to check it out here. For Our Weekly Happenings email please sign up here.
Great Plates (Mar 1-14)
Dine
Enjoy limited edition dinner specials at dozens of Downtown’s favorite restaurants!
Discover
Stroll the sidewalks of Old Town and embark on a new culinary experience!
Donate
Give Back! After dinner, donate to the Food Bank for Larimer County – ask your server for details!
When: March 1st – 14th, 2018
Event Hours: 5:00pm to close at participating dinner restaurants
Price: $25.00 Dinner Specials; not including tax, tip, or donation
Experience Art and Exhibits Happening this Week
Fort Collins richly deserves its reputation as the cultural capital of Northern Colorado. With a half-dozen live theatre stages in production throughout the year; a symphony orchestra, ballet troupe and opera company as well as several choral ensembles; facilities that accommodate a wide range of national touring shows and concerts, and galleries and museums mounting exhibits of everything from animation art to historical kimonos, there’s always something interesting going on.
Here’s a list of what’s happening during Startup Week in the Fort Collins arts realm:
ARTup Week First Friday Gallery Reception
Come enjoy a night of art and science—with interactive activities for kids of all ages (even grownup kids) from Compass Community Collaborative School Fort Collins, Tiny Whoop, Fort Collins Drone Enthusiasts, Create Places, DJ Fullmetal, and more! ARTup Week Exhibition curated by the Downtown Fort Collins Creative District.
ARTup Week is a 5-day free celebration of the people building up the creative industries, creative environment, and creative community. It’s hosted in venues around Fort Collins and is organized by artists, musicians, and supporters of all kinds.
Entanglements includes the work of local artists Kyle Singer, Marjorie Lair, Carrie Miller, Alexandra Forsythe, Maggie Adams, Melissa Laugen, Christy Nelson, Emily Sullivan, and Zach Miller. These artist’s explorations in a diverse range of media mark relations to local, global, internal and external influences. The entanglements created through the proximity of this work unfold on a field of non-hierarchical difference and the gaps between each art work informs how individual meaning takes shape both for viewers and objects. The diversity of art objects presented in this exhibition often reveals a universal perpetuation of simultaneous human fallacy and renewal in the practice of working artists.
Historic Downtown Fort Collins is home to a vibrant art community! Each month, these fine and “folk” art galleries display new showings and open their doors for this self-guided walking tour. The Gallery Walk takes place the first Friday of each month, from 6 pm-9 pm.
Trimble Court Artisans presents Jewelry by Gary Hixon throughout the entire month of February. Store Hours are Mon-Thurs and Sat: 10-6; Fri: 10-8; Sun: 11-5.
Showcasing the Avenir Museum’s most recent acquisitions, the “New Threads” exhibition examines what makes historic textile or apparel objects “museum worthy” for acceptance into the collection. Spring 2018 features a breadth of garments, ranging from a woman’s practical wool day dress from 1910 Wisconsin to beautiful 1950s couture gowns by Denver designer Julia Tobias.
Orange: A short history of Orange in Fashion
The vitality of orange is all around us – in fashion, art, advertising, sports, and nature. ORANGE invites you to consider the vibrancy and psychology of the color orange in fashion design, as one cultural aspect of the 20th century – a color embraced by Colorado Agricultural College (forerunner to CSU), the Roaring ’20s, the counterculture ’60s, Yves Saint Laurent, and, the Denver Broncos!
“FABRICation” is a traveling exhibition from Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia, hosted by the Avenir Museum as a thoughtful encounter with textiles and the art of fabricating-by-hand. The exhibition looks at the intersection where textiles and fine art meet – and materials and manual labor are prized – to consider how our material world is made, and to encourage the art of “slow looking”.
Nothing to Sneeze at: 1 Woman – 1,107 Handkerchiefs Exhibition
Florence Luebke (1901-1985) lived a quietly satisfying life of close family ties and friendships in rural South Dakota, big city Chicago, and ultimately Fort Collins, Colorado. Her carefully tended collection of over one thousand handkerchiefs records larger patterns of life in 20th-century America – Florence Luebke’s hankies may be diminutive textiles, but they present a remarkable story.
Live Music and Theatre Happening Throughout The Week
Fort Collins is rapidly becoming recognized as a hot spot for creative music and gifted new musicians. The recently opened Music District is a vibrant gathering hub, workspace, and resourceful playground for the music community. For the beginner or pro, it’s a place where anyone can polish their craft, learn the business, and share skills and passions with musicians and music lovers.
Searching for the latest and greatest local talent? Check out the Armory, The Mishawaka, The Downtown Artery, Hodi’s Half Note, or the Aggie Theater. Speaking of The Mishawaka (called “The Mish” by locals), this legendary venue celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2016. Plus, The Bohemian Foundation (which owns the Armory) recently opened Washington’s, a premium 900-seat venue in Old Town.
Here’s a list of what’s happening in music and theater during Fort Collins Startup Week:
See the Grammy Award Winning Christopher Cross Perform
Christopher Cross made history with his 1980 self-titled debut album, winning five Grammy Awards, including—for the first time ever—the four most prestigious awards: Record of the Year (for the single “Sailing”), Album of the Year, Song of the Year (also for “Sailing”), and Best New Artist. Now, 30+ years after his extraordinary emergence into the music business, Cross continues his recording and performing career with a new album, Secret Ladder that evokes the artistry of such great singer-songwriters as Joni Mitchell and Randy Newman while addressing contemporary concerns head-on-a combination which is sure to please his loyal fan base.
Back to the Eighties at the Lincoln Center
To close High Performance Dance Theatre’s (HPDT) 22nd season of dance we are going “Back to the 80’s”. Get your leg warmers and shoulder pads out to bring the 80’s to the Lincoln Center Magnolia stage on February 23rd & 24th, 2018 at 7:30pm. HPDT choreographers and dancers will take you on a totally tubular journey through the music and movie of the 1980’s. Guest artists from Lime Light Fitness will join us to bring you exciting lyra, pole and aerial silk performances. Bring your favorite dude or dudette to get a dose of your MTV. This gnarly performance is sponsored in part by the City of Fort Collins – Fort Fund.
Appropriate by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins at UCA (For Mature Audiences Only)
Every estranged member of the Lafayette clan has descended upon the crumbling Arkansas homestead to settle the accounts of the newly-dead patriarch. As his three adult children sort through a lifetime of hoarded mementos and junk, they collide over clutter, debt, and a contentious family history. But after a disturbing discovery surfaces among their father’s possessions, the reunion takes a turn for the explosive, unleashing a series of crackling surprises and confrontations. Winner of the 2014–2015 Obie Award for Best New American Play. CSU System Passport eligible.
Wind Symphony Concert at Griffen Concert Hall
Find Your State: State of Impressionism With guests Michelle Stanley, Flute; and John McGuire, Horn The 2017-2018 Wind Symphony season highlights CSU’s commitment to collaboration, community, innovation, and inspiration. All of these ideals clearly connect to music and the arts, and the ensemble, conducted by Rebecca Phillips, continues its season by highlighting works of Impressionism. Each piece was originally written for winds during a historical period that highlighted the collaboration of visual art, literature, and music. The French movement, known as Impressionism (art) and Symbolism (literature) created timbres from which composers created some of our most colorful music in history. Join us and “Find Your State!”
Blitzen Trapper at Washington’s
A question I ask myself, why make records? And why in particular did I make this record? I’ve made lots of records, about half of them shared with the world, the other half squirreled away for no good reason. Songs upon songs upon songs.
But I guess in the end I just had some stories to tell, like the one about the cop turned cocaine dealer, or the murderous 13 year old girl, or the underage lovers who steal her mom’s checkbook, her dad’s truck and go on a spree down the west coast, free as the wind, until it becomes clear the boy is addicted to heroin, the physical freedom outstripped by enslavement to the substance. And but let’s not forget the one about the woman in the black TransAm who steals hearts from wrecked/jaded men deep in their cups, another form of internment. Stories upon stories. Each story is true in some sense.
Menopause the Musical at the Lincoln Center
Menopause The Musical® is a groundbreaking celebration of women who are on the brink of, in the middle of, or have survived “The Change.” Now celebrating 16 years of female empowerment through hilarious musical comedy, Menopause The Musical® is set in a department store where four women meet while shopping for a black lace bra at a lingerie sale. After noticing similarities among one another, the women joke about their woeful hot flashes, mood swings, wrinkles, weight gain and much more. These women form a sisterhood and unique bond with the audience as they rejoice in celebrating that menopause is no longer “The Silent Passage.”
The Movers and Shakers at the Magic Rat
The Movers and Shakers are a tight knit band of six music enthusiasts who bring everything they have to every single performance. Influences range from old school soul stars like Otis Redding and Sam and Dave to The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Talker, Joe Cocker and Jonny Lange.
American Lullaby at the Lincoln Center
American Lullaby was born from the artist’s response to the current political and social climate that exists in our country. Through movement, projected image and live text, the performance draws parallels between times in history where the “other” was marginalized, where turmoil brought about change and how the past is reflected in our present. The audience will be immersed in a collage of images, topics and most especially rich movement that illuminates our heritage of diversity and our connection to one another.
Chamber Choir and Concert Choir Concert
With Wesley Ferreira, Clarinet the Chamber Choir, conducted by James Kim, performs the premier of “Pilgrim’s Soul” by CSU Composition Professor James David. The piece for mixed chorus, clarinet, and live electronics features Dr. Wesley Ferreira and is based on the well-known poem “When You Are Old” by William Butler Yeats. “The idea behind the piece was to merge my love of the clarinet with the dramatic sounds of an acapella choir. The live electronic sounds provide an ethereal backdrop that blends the soloist with the voices, while also invoking images from the text,” said the composer. The Chamber Choir’s program also includes “Missa Brevis,” a five-movement work composed by contemporary Canadian composer, Ruth Watson Henderson. The Concert Choir, also conducted by Dr. Kim, performs works by the master composers, Johannes Brahms and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, concluding with spirituals arranged by Moses Hogan.
That’s not all…
Fort Collins continues to rank highly on lists of towns that offer outstanding outdoor adventures and access to exceptional recreational facilities. A quick glimpse at locals appreciating the city’s 50 parks, 280-plus miles of trails, including paved and unpaved walking and biking trails, and you’ll want to walk or ride in their shoes for a day. Thanks to urban open space in the form of 48 Natural Areas hikers, mountain bikers, cross-country skiers and nature enthusiasts don’t have to leave town to enjoy the tranquility and heart-healthy benefits of these activities. If you’re yearning for the unbelievable scenery of the backcountry, you need to look no further than nearby Arapaho & Roosevelt National Forests, Horsetooth Mountain Open Space, the Cache la Poudre Canyon, Cameron Pass or Lory State Park. All areas offer opportunities for outdoor recreation like Fat Biking, hiking, birding, etc.
Explore Old Town by Horse and Carriage
When riding through historic downtown Fort Collins you’ll likely notice a strong resemblance to Disneyland’s Main Street USA; we’re proud to say it was modeled after our charming Old Town! Horse and Carriage rides can be booked almost every night in Old Town. This is a chance to take in the beautiful scenery of Historic Old Town Fort Collins in a more intimate setting. Envision you and that special someone cuddled up underneath a blanket while rolling along the historic streets of Old Town, soaking up that romantic moment. It doesn’t get much better than that.
Beer Tours and Tastings at one (or more) of 20-plus local breweries
Fort Collins is the largest producer of craft beer in Colorado, 70% in fact, making it the craft beer capital of the state. Currently, the city is home to more than 20 craft breweries, the most microbreweries in the state, each with its own distinctive style. If you want to taste award-winning lagers, pilsners and ales year-round, take part in some brewery tours and a wild variety of taster trays. And don’t be afraid to spend a few days to taste them all!
Don’t miss this brand new beer festival:
Hazy Shade of Winter Beer Festival
The Hop Grenade is hosting its first in-house beer festival! They’ll be showcasing the latest craze in hazy beers and winter warmers on all 27 taps during this two day event. Taste and enjoy the latest creations from some of Craft Beer’s finest breweries in their cozy taproom.
You’ll also enjoy live music (on Saturday night), great food, special guests and fantastic raffles prizes with your ticket purchase!
When: Feb 23 & 24 6 pm – 11:30 pm
Where: 347 E. Foothills Parkway, Unit #120
Cost: $25-35
Sip and Taste Your Way through the Distilleries
Locals say the craft spirits scene in Fort Collins is akin to the city’s craft brewing industry of 15 years ago. The distilling industry is most certainly growing here. Fort Collins is now home to six distilleries: Feisty Spirits Distillery, CopperMuse Distillery, Old Elk Distillery, Old Town Distilling Co., Elevation 5003 Distillery and Mobb Mountain Distillers. If spirits aren’t your thing but wine is then the vino lovers should check out Ten Bears Winery, which is located in Laporte, for tastings.
Old Town Fort Collins has some of the best local boutique shopping in the entire state of Colorado. Each store offers unique Fort Collins-centric products that appeal to a wide range of interests. Fort Collins offers quaint, local shopping for those one-of-a-kind, locally-made gifts as well as modern shopping centers, like Front Range Village and the Foothills Mall, for those gifts that special person on your list has always wanted.
Immerse Yourself at the Museum of Discovery
The Fort Collins Museum of Discovery blends science, history and culture into an interactive and engaging museum that literally offers the best of all worlds! With hands-on exhibits, a state-of-the-art Digital Dome that immerses you into the action, and a nationally recognized interactive music experience that lets you create and play music, the Fort Collins Museum of Discovery is an experience not to be missed when in Fort Collins.
http://fcmod.org/
970.221.6738
Discovering Fort Collins history and cultural traditions through our various amount of tours offered around town one can begin to weave together some of the many stories our city has to tell. Our ghosts, farms, and breweries all have stories to share with you. These enticing tours truly offer an unforgettable experience while connecting you with the fabric that makes up Fort Collins. There are numerous ways to tour Fort Collins based on your mode of transportation including by bicycle, in an art-covered Magic Bus, by a horse-drawn wagon, or on foot.
Don’t miss Art in Public Places
Thanks to a community commitment to Art in Public Places and gifted artists, Fort Collins hosts many stunning art projects that the public can appreciate freely as they stroll along the streets or through alleyways. Be sure to plan a self-guided tour of the city’s Transformer Cabinet Murals and Pedestrian Sidewalk Pavers. Or, try to find all of the Pianos About Town. This program places more than a dozen pianos, which are painted each year by local artists, throughout town in public spaces for amateur and seasoned musicians to play. Visit https://www.fcgov.com/artspublic/ for more information on all these fun projects.
Presenting some New and Familiar Faces speaking at Techstars Startup Week Fort Collins 2018
From experts in conversational intelligence to world leaders in coworking, FCSW18 is shaping up to be a shindig of super business savants!
The team at Techstars Startup Week Fort Collins gathered in late 2017 along with industry experts to mull over our survey data and discuss needs for the coming year. A few open house events and tons of sticky notes, stickers, and dry-erase markers later, the FCSW18 team is proud to announce our lineup.
Our speakers are practically guaranteed to help you learn something, no matter what industry or level of expertise you’re at, no matter if you’re a solopreneur or a Fortune 500 CEO.
Over the coming weeks, we’re gonna show off some new and familiar faces that we think you ought to get to know!
Chrysta Bairre
Chrysta Bairre is a career coach, speaker, author, and founder of Live Love Work.
Chrysta works with successful mid-career professionals and service-based entrepreneurs who want more from life and career. Chrysta helps her clients increase professional impact and income– working with them to love their work, be well-paid, and find happiness in and out of the office.
Chrysta has spoken at Ignite Fort Collins, Ignite Denver, Fort Collins Startup Week, and many other local businesses and community organizations. Chrysta is also the founder of She Leads, a collaborative community for professional women in Northern Colorado. Chrysta is a 2016 and 2017 participant and facilitator of Larimer County Women of the Year.
“Get out of your comfort zone and attend sessions that challenge you,” says Chrysta to first-time Startup Week attendees. “Be open to what you can learn and who you can meet. Your next big business opportunity could be at Fort Collins Startup Week! Also, listen more than you talk. It’s a good guiding principle in business and life!”
Her future vision for Fort Collins is an inclusive one, “I would love to see Fort Collins step up in support of women in business, encouraging women to be leaders in our business community, the state, the country, and the world.”
Chrysta is speaking on:
- Thursday, March 1:
- Friday, March 2:
Ariana Friedlander
Ariana Friedlander, MPA, is an author, social entrepreneur, and the founder of Rosabella Consulting. She works with leaders doing “Business as Unusual” and specializes in fostering positive change within organizations and companies of all shapes and sizes. Her first book, “A Misfit Entrepreneur’s Guide to Building a Business Your Way” was released in 2016. Ariana made Northern Colorado’s “40 Under Forty” list in 2015 and received the fourth annual Quid Novi Award for Innovative Thought. She is one of 220 coaches worldwide that is Certified in Conversational Intelligence.
Ariana says first time Startup Week attendees should, “Give yourself time to connect with other attendees. There’s so much to gain from conversations with fellow entrepreneurs, plus you never know who you may meet and what opportunities they might lead you to.”
She also recommends, “Take time to internalize what you learn at Startup Week. Reflect on how the information you’re gleaning relates to your own personal aspirations and challenges. Identify actionable steps you can take in the next week to keep the learning alive. Find an accountability partner or friend you can work with to ensure you apply lessons learned from Startup Week. In other words, don’t just listen, do something!”
See Ariana’s Session: The Neuroscience of Conversation: What Every Entreprenuer Needs to Know on Tuesday, February 27 at 9AM @ The Lyric.
Mike O’Connell
In 2001, O’Connell purchased Mountain Woods Furniture (MWF), a manufacturer of rustic furniture, and owned and operated that business until 2012. MWF’s products were sold through Cabelas, furniture e-tailers, stores, and resorts and lodges. He provided over 6,000 paychecks to American workers during his ownership. Previously, he worked in a variety of sales, marketing, and business unit positions, including eleven years with Victor Industries, North America’s third largest manufacturer of metal cutting and welding equipment. O’Connell has a business degree from Purdue University
He became Larimer Center Director in 2013, and by 2016 the Center was one of the State’s top-performers. “Our goal is to help maximize the economic potential of small businesses in Larimer County, through street-smart business education and resource connection.”
He is currently Co-Chair of the Larimer County Workforce Development Board, which deals with local workforce opportunities and issues. He is also a professional musician, and plays at venues in Northern Colorado.
Mike’s most valuable business lesson: “under-promise and over-deliver.” Mike says his session at Startup Week will help attendees “get a better understanding of the importance of Competitive Advantage, and of best practices for SELLING your services or products.”
See all of Mike’s Sessions here: https://fortcollinsstartupweek2018.sched.com/speaker/mike1002
Mike is speaking on:
- Monday, February 26
- Tuesday, February 27
Nick Armstrong
Nick Armstrong is the Geek-in-Chief behind WTF Marketing. He’s also a dad, author, Ignite, PechaKucha, and TEDx speaker, audio drama enthusiast, and award-winning entrepreneur.
He has co-organized community events like Fort Collins Comic Con, Startup Week Fort Collins, TEDxFoCo, Ignite Fort Collins, LaidOffCamp/CareerCamp, PodCamp Fort Collins, and more. His local efforts landed him a prestigious spot as one of BizWest’s 40 Under Forty for 2016.
Alongside an amazing team of 13 other super-geeks, Nick built out Fort Collins Comic Con to benefit the Poudre River Public Library District and has raised over $75,000 for the Library to encourage youth literacy through comics.
“I want freelancers to walk away feeling empowered and ready to negotiate their next contracts with confidence that they won’t get screwed,” Nick says of his session on Negotiation and Conflict Management.
For first-time Startup Week attendees, Nick advises, “Startup Week is overwhelming. If you pick one session to really understand, one contact to connect with and actually send an introduction email, and one lesson to apply, you’ll win. Don’t overload yourself with all the possibilities, because that’s a recipe for disaster.”
See all of Nick’s Sessions here: https://fortcollinsstartupweek2018.sched.com/speaker/WTFMarketing
Nick is speaking on:
- Thursday, March 1
Nikki Larchar
As the co-founder of simplyHR, Nikki Larchar helps provide HR guidance to small business owners in Northern Colorado and beyond. With over 7 years of experience in Human Resources and over 8 years of her career dedicated to managing a team, Nikki brings experience from both the front line of operating a business to professional HR advising and consulting. Nikki enjoys researching HR topics, providing training on harassment prevention, and educating the business community on human resources best practices.
Her advice for first-time Startup Week attendees? “Bring a notebook and TONS of business cards. There will be at least one great takeaway from each session you attend so bring a notebook so you don’t forget anything! You’ll also be meeting tons of other entrepreneur enthusiasts, business owners, and community members so bring extra business cards.”
Nikki’s best business advice is to delegate. “You can’t be an expert at everything. I am so grateful to have peers, consultants, and other professionals that I can go to when I have questions that are outside of my realm of knowledge.”
See all of Nikki’s Sessions here: https://fortcollinsstartupweek2018.sched.com/speaker/nikkilarchar
Nikki is speaking on:
- Monday, February 26
- Tuesday, February 27
Dave Harris
Dave Harris is the Director of Operations for Rockies Venture Club (RVC), and is a Managing Partner with Rockies Venture Fund (RVF) and Rockies Impact Fund (RIF); two Colorado-centric venture funds. RVC is the longest running angel investor group in the US and is a non-profit organization centered on furthering economic development in Colorado by connecting investors and entrepreneurs through conferences (Angel Capital Summit, Colorado Capital Conference, and more), networking events, educational offerings and facilitation of Colorado’s largest angel investor groups. RVC has led investments totaling over $37M to Colorado start-ups since 2014. In addition, Dave is an active Board Member for the non-profit organizations, Biz Girls CEO Accelerator and LaunchNo.CO.
“Dive in deep,” is Dave’s advice to first-time Startup Week attendees. “Not only into the Poudre during the Poudre Plunge, but dive into all of the amazing content and opportunities that FCSW provides. It is electric to be surrounded by so many like-minded people so take advantage of this week as much as possible. I’ve made so many strong relationships from Startup Weeks, but it takes work.”
Asked what his vision for the Future of Fort Collins is, Dave says, “I see Fort Collins continuing to mature over the next 5 years and the rest of the state developing a better understanding of why this community is so special. There will be several more major success stories to come out of this startup community over the next 5 years, and I anticipate that those companies will continue the trend of recycling their success and expertise back into the Fort Collins community.”
See all of Dave’s sessions here: https://fortcollinsstartupweek2018.sched.com/speaker/daveharris1
Dave is speaking on:
- Monday, February 26
- Tuesday, February 27
Check out the whole Startup Week schedule and fill your week with the best business knowledge in Northern Colorado!