Boulder Startup Week 2025

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.

🏔️ The next AI Builders event in Colorado is live! We'll be hosting this as part of the official Boulder Startup Week schedule: Tuesday May 13, starting at 5 pm. External RSVP https://lu.ma/wbq4el0t

If you're not familiar, these meetups are a ton of fun and have become a core gathering for people building AI products in Colorado. There's always a mix of engineering, product & founder folks, from big companies (Google, Nvidia, Salesforce, Broadcom, etc.) down to brand new startups.

The agenda is simple: Hang out and see a bunch of demos of working software, and hear from the builders about how things got made/lessons learned.

* Doors at 5
* Content starts at 5:45
* Food & beverages thanks to Silicon Valley Bank!

Given the BSW focus, we'll give special emphasis to startups being built in the Boulder area.

Thanks as always to our sponsors Silicon Valley Bank and Technical Integrity, and to our special co-host for this event, Drive Capital. 🙏 And to our organizing team at Freeplay, Matchstick Ventures and Ombud for making these happen. 🙌

See you there.

My session will focus on how to infuse SaaS products with AI capabilities to stand out in a competitive market. I’ll share practical steps, lessons learned, and real-world examples from my own experience implementing AI – covering everything from small, incremental improvements to game-changing features like AI-based matching. My expertise lies in product strategy, AI integration, and helping SaaS teams discover ways to differentiate themselves through innovation and forward-thinking technology adoption.

Join us for the 2025 NextCycle Colorado Pitch Competition!

Register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2025-nextcycle-colorado-pitch-competition-tickets-1302412182899

This inspiring event will feature a lineup of innovative teams presenting their end-market business concepts as they compete for two prizes.
The pitch competition winner will receive a $5,000 cash prize provided by Resource Recycling Systems (RRS). The people’s choice winner will receive a $500 cash prize from the Circular Economy Development Center (CEDC) and registration to the Summit for Recycling Conference, sponsored by Recycle Colorado.
By attending this free event, you'll gain insight into cutting-edge circular economy solutions, meet passionate entrepreneurs, and connect with key players in Colorado’s sustainability ecosystem. Enjoy light bites, a cash bar, and a chance to network with industry leaders, investors, and sustainability advocates.
NextCycle is designed to promote circular economy-based ventures and foster innovation in sustainable design, reuse, repair, compost, recycling or material recovery solutions for end markets in Colorado. NextCycle Colorado is funded by Colorado Circular Communities (C3) Enterprise.
Don’t miss this opportunity to support groundbreaking ideas and discover new investment opportunities!

2025 NextCycle Colorado Teams

• Blazin’ Joe (Golden, CO) - transforming coffee waste into eco-friendly fire logs and starters.
• Cold Spark (Longmont, CO) - using cryomilling technology to recycle EV batteries and electronic waste.
• Driven Plastics (Pueblo, CO) - incorporating recycled plastic into asphalt to create stronger, more sustainable roads.
• High Plains Biochar (Laporte, CO) - converting agricultural and forestry waste into biochar.
• Maple Ridge Rubber Paving (Saskatoon, SK, CAN) - engineering recycled rubber into sustainable paving and resurfacing solutions.
• Refound Goods (Denver, CO) - hosting an online marketplace for secondhand furniture and home goods more accessible.
• The Source Zero (Fort Collins, CO) - expanding zero-waste shopping with a mobile delivery service and commercial warehouse.
• SURPStone (Grand Junction, CO) - repurposing plastic waste into durable, high-quality pavers and landscaping materials.

Judges:

• Juri Freeman - Executive Director, Circular Action Alliance
• Alice Havill - Founding Partner, Fractal Climate
• Andrew Maxey - CEO of Vartega, Inc. (NextCycle Colorado Alumni)
• Jesse Stedman - Founder and CEO of Trash Panda Disc Golf (NextCycle Colorado Alumni)

Emcee:

• Jay Mays - Founder of Pitch Lab

Thank you to Colorado Circular Communities (C3) Enterprise for sponsoring the NextCycle Colorado Pitch Competition!

Thank you to our partners!
Circular Action Alliance
Circular Economy Development Center (CEDC)
Closed Loop Partners
Fractal Climate
Pitch Lab
Recycle Colorado
Resource Recycling Systems (RRS)
Trash Panda
Vartega