Boulder Startup Week 2025

- 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.

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.

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 But most events still expect us to play by outdated rules that don’t reflect how we actually connect, collaborate, or do business.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