Boulder Startup Week 2025

Kick off the week by meeting new people and reconnecting with old friends.
Join us for a morning of networking and conversation centered on the Boulder Thesis for Entrepreneurship. Discover firsthand why our city is the namesake of great startup communities. Brad Feld, the creator of the Boulder Thesis, will share insights on its evolution and current relevance.

Complimentary coffee and bagels provided by Tim Morrissey at Drive Capital.

The Boulder Thesis:
• Entrepreneurs must lead the startup community.
• Leaders must have a long-term commitment.
• The startup community must be inclusive of anyone who wants to participate.
• The startup community must have continual activities that engage the entire entrepreneurial stack.

Agenda:
8:00 – 9:00 AM – Networking with food and coffee
9:00 AM – Brief programming

The Boulder Thesis - Brad Feld
The Future of the Colorado Ecosystem - Nicole Glaros
Don't miss BSW events - Holly Vezina

9:20 – 10:00 AM – Continued networking with food and coffee

Name tags and volunteer t-shirts for the week can be picked up at this event.

- First time founders make a lot of mistakes. And a lot of those mistakes are the same mistakes as every first time founder.- You can learn everything the hard way or hear some stories that might save you the pain.- I’ll share stories and then we’ll workshop your first time founder problems. And what you’re probably missing.

What it takes to build a business in the Healthcare field from scratch. Finding a niche to build a healthcare business in it, understanding roadblocks and how to over come them. Raising funds for your start up and how to go about it. Think about when and for what amount you would like to sell your healthcare business. Understanding who might be interested in buying or merging with your business.How AI is going to disrupt the healthcare industry and how it will be playing a bigger role in healthcare now and in the future. How innovation will come from outside the healthcare industry and why the healthcare industry is hesitant to adopted and embrace innovation.

BUILD A COMPANY IN A WEEK: BOULDER STARTUP WEEK HACKATHON 
This isn't just another hackathon. This is your chance to build a REAL COMPANY in just one week.THE CHALLENGE
Can you go from idea to viable business in 5 days? We dare you to try.
While others are networking, you'll be building your future.THE DETAILS

• Kickoff: Monday, May 12th
• Location: The Builder's Room (your dedicated collaboration space all week)
• Focus: Building complete companies, not just cool tech

WHY THIS HACKATHON IS DIFFERENT
Most hackathons end with a demo and a high-five. Ours ends with a business.
You'll tackle every aspect of company-building:

• Product development
• Business model creation
• Customer validation
• Go-to-market strategy
• Investment pitch preparation

WHO SHOULD JOIN?

• Entrepreneurs ready to accelerate their journey
• Developers looking to be founders, not just coders
• Business minds seeking technical collaborators
• Anyone who believes a week of intense focus can change their trajectory

THE BUILDER'S ROOM ADVANTAGE
While Boulder Startup Week buzzes around you, you'll have a dedicated space to focus, collaborate, and build. Pop out for key events, then return to your team and make real progress.
READY TO BUILD SOMETHING REAL?

This workshop challenges the conventional wisdom that "no one wants to be sold to." The truth is that people eagerly welcome solutions that address their specific needs and desires—they just don't want to be treated like generic targets.
Our approach transforms selling from a pushy monologue into a collaborative discovery process where:
You develop deep listening skills to understand your prospects' actual challenges
You ask insightful questions that help clients articulate needs they may not fully recognize
You craft compelling narratives that connect your solutions to your clients' aspirations
You position yourself as a trusted advisor who genuinely understands their situation
This workshop equips you with practical techniques to uncover what customers truly want and demonstrate how your solution helps them achieve those goals. When selling becomes about the client's journey rather than your product, people don't just tolerate being sold to—they embrace it.

Once you get product market fit, the CEO/Founder's leadership skills become essential to the company's ability to execute and grow. You also need to hold your executive team accountable and support them in leveling-up.

This workshop demystifies leadership by sharing proprietary research on the specific behaviors that define good leadership. It allows you to quickly assess yourself and your team members, and gives you the language to grow and to coach others to shift their behavior.

In this interactive workshop, you will identify your strengths and blindspots, draft a simple leadership plan for yourself, and learn how to assess and hold your executive team accountable. We will cover a lot of ground.

Jason Gore is the CEO and founder of Neuberg Gore--a respected executive coaching firm that equips startup CEOs and their leaders with the skills and mindsets needed to scale their companies and build winning teams. They have worked with over 1,200 startup CEOs and their executives who are creating next-generation technologies and consumer brands. Their non-profit offers free materials and courses on leadership and communication. https://www.neuberggore.com/jason-gore

Starting a business is hard but it's also such an exciting journey! There are plenty of fantastic people and companies waiting to support you every step of the way. Especially in the Boulder community.

The Vendor Forum is awesome chance to discover all the cool b2b services specifically designed for startups. Come out and make connections, and spend some informal time with other BSW attendees and sponsors.

And guess what? There will be also pups looking for forever homes at this event! Mark your calendars for the 12th, 13th, and 14th and swing by between 10am and 1pm at the Kitchen Lounge. Can't wait to see you there! 😊🎉🐶

In today’s competitive landscape, strategic partnerships are essential for startups aiming to scale effectively and sustainably. This session explores the critical role partnerships play in driving growth, innovation, and market expansion for software startups. Attendees will learn how to identify potential partners, approach them strategically, and cultivate mutually beneficial relationships.

Key topics covered include:

• Types of Salesforce Ecosystem Partnerships:  Independent Software Vendors (ISVs) and Systems Integrators (SIs)
• Benefits of Partnerships: Access to new markets, technologies, and customers while sharing risks and costs.
• Choosing the Right Partners: Identifying complementary businesses, technology allies, and distribution channels.
• Best Practices for Success: Building scalable partnerships through effective relationship management and alignment of values.

Whether you’re looking to expand your customer base or enhance the marketability of your solution, or both, this session provides actionable insights to help startups leverage partnerships for sustainable success.

Lance Foster & Corey Litwin each have 25+ years of relevant experience and success in the startup world and live in Boulder ready to help entrepreneurs be successful during Startup Week and beyond.

Are you raising money for your startup? Or interested in eventually raising money? Join this panel discussion hosted by Boulder investors and founders to unpack what it means to raise money. Expect a candid conversation with the hopes of demystifying Venture Capital and other forms of funding. This panel will be hosted by:

Natty Zola - Partner at Matchstick Ventures (seed stage investor)
Nicole Glaros - former MD for Techstars Boulder
Jaclyn Hester - Partner at Foundry (growth stage investor)
Yoav Lurie - successful founder and angel investor

Healthcare providers engage with and connect with them patients in new and different ways due to the advances we have been able to make in digital health technologies and yet there are still clear gaps between what providers need and the pressures innovators receive from investors. Come and learn from healthcare providers about what they have found that works and what they are still seeking.

This is a curated lunch gathering for local CTOs and CPOs. This is a chance to connect with peers in product and engineering leadership, share real talk about what’s working (and what’s not), and build relationships across Boulder’s startup ecosystem.
This is an invite-only event with just 60 seats available. Apply HERE: https://forms.gle/i66sWGjDYfmCHXun6

What makes a good founder a great founder? Sometimes it’s not more hustle, it’s clearer thinking.
Join us for a lively panel of founders and funders who’ve tested strategic decision-making tools in the wild. These aren’t abstract theories, we’re talking about practical mental models and frameworks used in real startups to clarify priorities, unlock growth, and navigate the chaos of early-stage building.
You’ll hear stories from Boulder-area founders and investors about the frameworks they’ve tried and failed, and the ones that actually stuck. Whether you're deep in the trenches or just getting started, you’ll leave with tangible tools and new ways of thinking you can apply immediately.

Women network differently—and we should. But most events still expect us to play by outdated rules that don’t reflect how we actually connect, collaborate, or do business.

This hybrid workshop and very intentional networking session is for women and moms in business who are tired of awkward small talk and ready to build a real, effective network—one that supports your goals, respects your time, and makes growing your business feel less lonely.

Led by Renegade Motherhood founder, business coach and obsessed community builder Jen Morris, this session will teach the Renegade Networking Roadmap—a simple but powerful framework to help women entrepreneurs clarify their needs, own their voice, and confidently ask for what they want. You’ll learn how to network with intention and bring your full, authentic personality to the table—because your best connections come when you’re showing up as yourself, not some polished version of a "professional."

After a short workshop, we’ll move into intentional small-group matchmaking where you’ll practice making meaningful connections—without the pressure to pitch or pretend.

This is not about collecting business cards or performing in a circle. It’s about showing up strategically, supportively, and unapologetically—and building a network that actually works for you.

Perfect for founders, freelancers, side hustlers, creatives, and changemakers—especially those doing the juggle of motherhood and business. Bring your big ideas, your real self, and let’s connect.

AI startups raised $97B in 2024, but let’s be real—most of them are just glorified features, not standalone businesses. If your AI tool can be replicated or absorbed by a larger platform, you’re not building a company—you’re building someone else’s roadmap.In this brutally honest session, we’ll unpack why so many AI startups struggle to move beyond the “cool demo” phase and how to break out of the feature trap. We’ll cover:The Feature vs. Product vs. Company framework—where does your AI idea actually sit?

1. Why distribution, not technology, determines your fate
2. Why founding mindset matters
3. How to anchor AI capabilities to a defensible business modelLessons from AI startups that escaped feature purgatory—and those that didn’t

If you’re building an AI startup and raising VC funding, you need to think bigger. Come ready to challenge your assumptions and leave with a playbook for how to assess if you're building a lifestyle biz, a seasonal tool or a VC-backable company.

How can startups safeguard their intellectual property in the fast-paced and competitive field of artificial intelligence? Join Foley Hoag Partners Allie Clark and John Lanza as they share insights and strategies on IP protection in the age of AI. Learn about the latest trends, challenges, and best practices for securing your innovation and avoiding pitfalls.

Startups don’t fail because of the product — they fail because of people. In fact, over 65% of early-stage failures are tied to co-founder conflict, misalignment, and broken team dynamics. People and communication are the backbone of stable startups. This session is designed to share, identify and teach how to avoid the most co-founder issues before they happen.

Based on Google’s FoundersLab program and years of startup coaching, this workshop-style talk will give participants the tools to decode what makes (and breaks) co-founding relationships. Each co-founder relationship is different and unique in their own goals. This workshop provides tools and methods to discover what drives each founder. I cover psychological patterns that sabotage teams, and simple frameworks used by hundreds of startup founders globally — all designed to help you build trust, make tough decisions, and grow your startup without imploding your team.

In the talk I cover:
• A tested framework to understand your and your team’s motivations
• Ways to spot (and fix) the 25 most common co-founder bugs
• Tools to have the hard conversations early, before it’s too late

Whether you’re just meeting your co-founder, navigating a growing team, or already feeling friction, this session will give you practical ways to create alignment, resilience, and trust.

Session Description:Have an amazing startup idea but lack technical skills or a tech co-founder? Join us for an energetic, hands-on workshop designed specifically for non-technical founders. Discover how today's cutting-edge AI tools can empower you to build, validate, and launch your ideas without coding experience!In just one hour, you'll get hands-on experience with powerful platforms like Loveable (for beautiful UI mockups), Replit (to instantly host and share apps), and Cursor (AI-assisted coding and development). You'll learn how combining these tools can dramatically lower costs, accelerate your timeline, and help your startup scale rapidly without needing massive funding.Come ready to collaborate, create, and leave with your own working prototype. Perfect for entrepreneurs, innovators, and anyone ready to bring their ideas to life quickly and affordably!Session Outline (60 minutes total):Intro & Icebreaker (5 mins):Quick introduction and energetic opening to set the tone.Show & Tell – Real World Examples (10 mins):Demonstration of prototypes built using Loveable, Replit, and Cursor.Share success stories highlighting minimal startup costs and rapid scalability.Rapid Tool Overview (10 mins):Quick, engaging introduction to each tool (Loveable for UI mockups, Replit for app hosting, Cursor for AI coding assistance).Emphasis on ease-of-use for non-technical founders.Interactive Group Brainstorm (10 mins):Guided session to rapidly generate startup ideas.Encourage collaboration and creativity, ensuring everyone has a concept to prototype.Hands-on Prototyping Sprint (20 mins):Participants build a simple, functional prototype of their idea using guided prompt engineering.Individual support and feedback provided throughout.Wrap-up & Takeaways (5 mins):Share prototypes, celebrate wins, and discuss next steps.Brief Q&A, highlighting how these skills/tools support lean startup methodologies and scaling efficiently.Participants will leave inspired, equipped, and ready to build faster, smarter, and cheaper.

Ilan Jenkins (Fullstack Law) and Bryn Weaver (Revvia Legal) have helped dozens of technology companies take a practical approach to data privacy, both as outside resources and as internal team members.  They will share their experiences on how to get privacy right without bogging down the rocket ship of your startup, including providing specific takeaway tools that startups can use to implement a lean approach to data privacy.  We plan to invite a local founder or two to join us and talk about how they approach privacy in the fray of launching a company.

As your startup grows, understanding the legal essentials is crucial for protecting innovations, scaling effectively, and ensuring long-term success. This session covers key topics like navigating fundraising complexities, resolving disputes proactively, and staying compliant with evolving AI regulations. Gain practical insights to confidently tackle legal challenges and strategically scale your business in a fast-paced, regulated environment.

The Variety Show ranks among the best ways to engage with Colorado’s Front Range entrepreneurial community. Now in its third year, Variety Show stitches together the startup scene, CU Boulder, innovators from the Federal Labs, as well as technologists from incumbent technology companies.

The Startup Variety Show puts the spotlight on the most creative minds in the area. Variety Show sessions regularly feature the following:

Entrepreneurs who highlight promising startups from Colorado’s Front Range
Compelling technology-oriented research from CU Boulder and the Federal Labs
New projects from incumbent technology companies with offices in the Front Range
Investors discussing their fund’s thesis and/or trends in investing
Potpourri (tech and the arts, legal or policy issues, or other community items of interest)
Food, drink, and opportunity to meet other people involved in the innovation and entrepreneurship community.
EXTERNAL REGISTRATION REQUIRED:
https://web.cvent.com/event/bee95a34-bf3d-4b9c-8b88-c47444e6b0e5/regProcessStep1