RCWS 2022 Sterling participants standing together
RCWS 2023 Montrose participants standing together
RCWS 2022 Ignacio participants standing together
RCWS 2021 Telluride participants standing together
RCWS 202 Trinidad participants standing together
RCWS 2021 Yampa Valley participants standing together

Our Demystifying Entrepreneurship: Rural Colorado Workshop Series (RCWS) takes a pragmatic approach to entrepreneurship using a highly interactive setting and flexible, scalable sessions. The result: Small businesses, startups and local governments in rural Colorado gain the tools to solve business and organizational challenges through the entrepreneurial mindset.

This interactive certificate course is hosted across Colorado, for anyone interested in launching their own business or improving upon an existing one. Each workshop provides the fundamental framework and resources that help entrepreneurs develop sought-after products and services, avoid pitfalls and succeed at entrepreneurship.

These unique programs, in partnership with local communities, allow the Leeds School of Business at the Â鶹ÊÓƵ greater exposure to mountain regions, potential future partnerships and data sources for future research. In turn, these small mountain communities develop better economic viability and sustainability through education from the University of Colorado.

In every region, we make a firm 5-year commitment to community leadership. Our workshops take the following structure:

  • Year 1 & 2 - Launch Your Idea: For anyone with a business idea. Develop the framework to turn your idea into a business. Learn to create value, avoid common pitfalls and get funding to turn your idea into reality.
  • Year 3 & 4 - StartUp to ScaleUp: Designed for small businesses and aspiring business owners. Learn how to shift your business out of the startup phase and into "what's next."
  • Year 5 - Shore Up: Enhance your business. Learn to focus on the most important parts of your business to amp up creativity, marketing and finances by leveraging must-know tactics to show the world what your business can do.

The purpose of this tiered structure is to provide support to businesses at all stages of operation, from ideation to scale. Interested in attending a workshop? Check our list of upcoming RCWS workshops below or click here to see completed workshops.

Upcoming Workshops

LAUNCH YOUR IDEA - SOUTHEAST COLORADO

LOCATION - Pueblo, Colorado

DATES - Friday, March 15 and Saturday, March 16, 2024

Develop the framework to turn your idea into a business. Learn to create value, avoid common pitfalls and get funding to turn your ideas into reality with award-winning faculty Erick Mueller and Visda Carson. In collaboration with and , you will learn core elements critical to every successful business venture, regardless of stage, in this certificate course.

LAUNCH YOUR IDEA - WEST CENTRAL COLORADO

LOCATION -ÌýDelta Innovation Center 124 East Sixth Street, Delta, CO 81416

DATES - Friday, April 26 and Saturday, April 27, 2024

Develop the framework to turn your idea into a business. Learn to create value, avoid common pitfalls and get funding to turn your ideas into reality. In collaboration with and the , you will learn core elements critical to every successful business venture, regardless of stage, in this certificate course.

NATIVE ENTREPRENEURSHIP - SOUTHWEST COLORADO

LOCATION - Ignacio, Colorado

DATES - Friday, October 4 and Saturday, October 5, 2024

Taught by entrepreneurs and award-winning professors Erick Mueller and Eric Bruno in partnership with the . This year will be the third year of Native Entrepreneurship with a focus on start up to scale up, a two-day short course designed for second-stage small businesses and organizations, specifically, those looking or needing to shift out of their startup phase and into “what’s next.â€

SHORE UP - NORTHWEST COLORADO

LOCATION -Ìý Yampa Valley, Colorado

DATES - Friday, October 18, and Saturday, October 19, 2024

Taught by entrepreneurs and award-winning professors in collaboration with , this two-day short course is designed for second-stage small businesses and organizations to enhance their businesses. Learn to focus on the most important parts of your business to amp up creativity, marketing and finances by leveraging must-know tactics to show the world what your business can do.

Questions? Please email deming@colorado.edu or explore other programs through the .

Completed Workshops – Learn more here

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