Boulder Startup Week 2025

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.

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.

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.

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