Boulder Startup Week 2025

Do you like being outside? How about on a Friday morning when the trails aren’t packed? Startup Hikes is a series designed to help you meet and get to know other local startup founders, operators, investors, and community members. Whether you’ve been in Colorado forever or just moved here, see some familiar faces and meet new ones.

Autonomous AI agents hold the promise to reshape the way we work, but can we make them work reliably? We've all seen the amazing demos of AI products only to find they fall down in the real world.

In this talk, we will explore reinforcement learning techniques to make agents more reliable of the time, giving us a solid base to build enterprise ready products on.

the session would include:
- The basics of a Profit & Loss Statement (P&L)
o From top line to bottom line, including Cost of Goods Sold, Expenses and why they are different.
o Cash vs. Accrual accounting
o Determine Profitability
- How to use financial statements to make business decisions
-    The role of financial statements in securing funding

Regulatory compliance is complicated and can be terrifying, especially as a first-time business owner. In this panel, we'll discuss some of the big topics in regulatory compliance including ACA Compliance, PFML, COBRA, Colorado State Laws (Healthy Family & Workplace Act), 5500 Reporting, ERISA, and more! Attendees will leave with a compliance checklist and are offered a free compliance audit upon request.

Boards can be a force-multiplier to any startup's success. Done poorly however, Boards can also damage if not destroy value in a startup. How does one Build and Manage a Board for maximum probability of success? This session will steer right into the provocative aspects of what it takes both to Build a great Board, and then to manage that Board to get the most out of them. We'll discuss what works, what doesn't, and how to avoid potholes and landmines.

Imagine this scene: It’s 9:30 am and your colleagues, direct reports, or managers are already present, focused, and clearly engaged in the day’s demands. And as the day progresses, so does your team’s happiness and curiosity. By the end of the day, everyone is satisfied and eager to see each other again the next morning. I believe that such a blissful state is achievable through a simple, daily practice of responding to prompts. That’s right, I’m asking you to get your team to spend 5 to10 minutes each morning writing a response to a prompt that will get them thinking (creatively!) about how to solve your businesses’ problems, and that will keep them focused on supporting what truly matters.

I know it works because I’ve done this for years and seen many individuals and teams benefit from the simple, shared practice of prompt response. I’ll share the magic by modeling the practice, then walk through the blueprint of how to bring the practice to your workplace, and we'll discuss how to track the changes.
The workshop session will include an introduction about the process, a prompt-writing exercise by participants, a sharing exercise by participants, and a discussion of how to tailor this practice to your needs. This exercise provides business and team leaders with a means to focus, motivate, and encourage their team members at zero monetary cost, while yielding deep rewards.

Google search is dying and so is your SEO marketing. Your customers now turn to ChatGPT Search, Perplexity, and other new AI search engines to discover solutions. Here’s how you train AI search engines to mention your brand, position you against competitors, and sell your product for you.

If you want to stay ahead of the curve and ahead of your competition, you need to see this glimpse of the future where you’ll learn
* Which AIs to optimize for (and which ones are bad investments)
* How the new customer journey in AI looks (and how it’s different from before)
* How to set the right goals of AI optimization (and guide your team in the right direction)
* How to optimize for AI search engines (and what to start doing right now)
* How to train the AI to sell for you (with specific, actionable next steps and tactics)
* Which metrics to measure your optimization efforts (and tell when you’re really winning)

(You’ll also get exclusive access to the slide deck to share with your team and refer back to.)

Traditional approaches to business financing often prioritize rapid growth and short-term returns for shareholders but what if capital could do more than just fuel expansion and wealth for only a few? What if it could build stronger, more resilient communities?

This panel explores alternative financing strategies that go beyond conventional investment models to create lasting local impact and stronger businesses. We’ll hear from innovators who are reshaping how businesses access and deploy capital. Tana Schultz from SOIL Boulder will discuss how community-funded, no-interest loans are empowering small farms and strengthening local food systems. Verity Noble from Nude Foods will share how raising funds through WeFunder has turned customers into investors, creating deeper engagement and long-term business sustainability. Cindy Willard, an expert in impact investing, will break down Direct Public Offerings (DPOs) and how mission-driven businesses can attract values-aligned capital. Matt Licina from the National Center of Employee Ownership will dive into the power of employee ownership and how selling a business to its workers not only secures a founder’s legacy but also fosters equitable wealth distribution.

Whether you're an entrepreneur seeking funding, an investor looking to make a difference, or simply curious about how capital can be a tool for community wealth-building, this discussion will provide actionable insights into how strategic approaches to capital can strengthen businesses and the economies they operate in.

What if every student could read at their level… in the same story?

Literacy shapes opportunity—but the gap is growing.
- 65% of 4th graders read below grade level
- Nearly 70% of 8th graders still struggle with literacy
- A typical 5th-grade classroom spans 11+ reading levels
- Students who fall behind by 3rd grade are four times more likely not to graduate
- Adults with low literacy earn up to 42% less over their lifetimes

Meanwhile, teachers are stretched thin. They face overwhelming student variability, limited time, and outdated tools that make true differentiation nearly impossible.

Ojje, a Boulder-based startup, is building a smarter solution. In this session, founder and CEO Adrian Chernoff—the inventor behind electric cars at GM, digital health apps at Johnson & Johnson, rides at Disney Imagineering, and medical robots at NASA—shares the thinking behind Ojje: a digital reading platform designed to prepare students for lifelong success.

Ojje delivers a story-driven experience where every book includes 15 reading levels, available in English and Spanish, with leveled text, visuals, and audio—all integrated into one adaptive experience. Students get exactly what they need. No switching. No overwhelm.

Built with safe, responsible AI, Ojje generates high-quality, science-of-reading-aligned content. Teachers can also create their own narrative or informational materials in minutes—saving hours of prep time. A growing library of community-generated content ensures every classroom can access more of what works.

What You’ll Learn:
- The pain points teachers face—and how Ojje helps solve them
- How Ojje personalizes reading without increasing teacher workload
- How AI and design work together to support better outcomes
- What it takes to build a mission-driven startup with the potential to reach millions

This is a story about literacy, technology, and impact—built right here in Boulder. Don’t miss it.

When most startups think about raising capital, they immediately look to venture capital or angel investors—but there are powerful alternatives that allow founders to grow without giving up equity. In this session, we'll explore Revenue-Based Funding (RBF) as a flexible, founder-friendly financing option designed for businesses with steady revenue who want to scale on their terms.

We'll cover:

What Revenue-Based Funding is and how it works.
How RBF compares to traditional equity financing.
A practical checklist to determine if your business is ready for RBF.

This session is designed to help founders discover new funding strategies that align with sustainable growth and long-term ownership. Whether you're bootstrapping, crowdfunding, or preparing for your next stage of growth, you'll leave with actionable insights to fund your startup—without pitching a single investor.

The hardest part of running a startup isn’t the big vision—it’s the behind-the-scenes operational and engineering decisions no one tells you about. From setting up the right business structure to managing cash flow, hiring early employees, building a scalable tech foundation, and keeping everything running smoothly, early-stage CEOs have to juggle it all. This session uncovers the practical, hard-to-Google details of startup operations and engineering, sharing firsthand insights from founders who’ve navigated the messy, behind-the-scenes work of taking a company from zero to one.

In a world where the market moves faster than rules can be written, the only way to win is to outthink, outbuild, and outmaneuver others. This workshop is for those who refuse to play by outdated norms. We’ll break down human innovation to its rawest form—first principles—so you can challenge assumptions, hack complex problems, and engineer breakthrough solutions from the ground up. Expect high-energy discussion and radical strategies designed for builders, disruptors, and anyone building the future, not just reacting to it. If you're after pushing personal boundaries and redefining what’s possible, this is your workshop.

The presentation will introduce entrepreneurs to various public data tools that can help them better understand their market, enabling more informed, data-driven business decisions.Attendees will learn about various data sources, covering where to find the data, how it is collected, how to interpret the results, and how to efficiently navigate each tool to extract meaningful insights.For example, a tech startup founder might want to track the number of new tech companies in Boulder over time to assess market saturation. This presentation will demonstrate where to access that data.Similarly, a utilities startup could benefit from identifying which Front Range zip codes have the highest utility costs to refine their targeted advertising strategy. The session will showcase how to locate and leverage such insights effectively.By the end of the session, attendees will gain the knowledge and skills needed to effectively leverage public data sources, uncovering opportunities, minimizing risks, and enabling smarter business decisions.

This session will highlight programs run by the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) that support Colorado startups and investments in those startups. We’ll cover OEDITprograms that provide entrepreneur education, startup grant capital, tax credits to angel investors, and public matching for private investment.The panel will include program representatives from the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) for a high-level overview of the programs/incentives available to founders and investors. Proposed panelists:Luz Gonzalez - CO State Advanced Industry Investment Tax CreditRama Harris - CO Advanced Industries Accelerator ProgramCrystal Walsh - CO Venture Capital AuthorityAli Karp - CO Quantum Tax Credits

Securing funding through grants is a pivotal skill for nonprofits, researchers, and organizations looking to bring their ideas to life. This session, "Mastering the Grant Writing Process," will provide participants with a comprehensive guide to understanding and navigating the complexities of grant writing. Whether you're new to grant writing or looking to refine your skills, this session will offer valuable insights and practical strategies to craft compelling proposals that stand out to funders.

In this interactive and hands-on workshop, we will explore the key components of a successful grant proposal, from the initial idea to the final submission. Participants will gain a deep understanding of how to research and identify the right funding opportunities, how to structure a persuasive narrative, and how to align their organization's goals with the funder's priorities. We will also delve into frameworks for budgeting, writing clear objectives, and demonstrating measurable outcomes to ensure your proposal effectively communicates your project's impact.

Furthermore, attendees will learn how to avoid common pitfalls that often lead to proposal rejections and how to strengthen their application by incorporating compelling evidence, strong storytelling, and data-driven insights. Real-world examples and case studies will be shared to highlight successful approaches, and there will be opportunities for peer feedback and Q&A.

By the end of this session, participants will leave with the tools and confidence to approach grant writing strategically and effectively. Whether you’re seeking funding for a new project, research, or organizational development, this session will equip you with the knowledge and skills needed to increase your chances of securing the funding you need to make your vision a reality.

Let’s face it — startup growth often comes with its own set of challenges, taking a toll on its customers (especially in health tech, where the end users are often patients). But what if we approached sales and product with more human connection and less transactional pressure? In this panel, powerhouses from sales, product, and partnerships roles share their experiences and strategies for building authentic relationships, driving sustainable revenue, and standing out in an industry traditionally dominated by aggressive tactics.

We’ll explore the often-overlooked intersection of sales, product, and user experience—how startups can drive revenue while keeping the user at the center of their strategy, especially in health tech. Through real-world case studies and interactive exercises, attendees will gain actionable insights into retention, customer engagement, and ethical business growth, applying these lessons into any industry.

Key Discussion Points & Metrics to Measure:
-User Retention vs. New Users – Understanding the "leaky bucket" syndrome and how to fix it.
-Churn Rate – Identifying early warning signs and creating intervention strategies.
-Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) – Weighing the cost of acquiring new users vs. retaining existing ones.
-Selective Listening for Non-Users – Why did they leave or never convert? What is the cost of inaction?
-Driving Toward a User-Centered Initiative – Strategies for integrating product, UX, and sales efforts.

Key Takeaways:
1. How to shift from transactional to relationship-driven UX, sales, product, and growth strategies across various industries (healthcare, AI, B2B & B2C Saas)
2. The power of storytelling, community building, and customer experience in the sales process and in product management.
3. A framework for bridging product, user experience, and growth to scale startups effectively.
4. Practical strategies for integrating user insights into sales and product decisions.

Interactive Components:
Attendees will receive a worksheet or template to apply the discussed concepts in their own startups.
Live case study walkthroughs, where panelists will break down real-world examples of successful (and failed) sales and product strategies.
Audience Q&A to address specific challenges participants face in their own startups.