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Back-of-the-house jobs a tough fill
BY TAMARA CHUANG THE COLORADO SUN
The way Diego Montemayor talks about Chamba, his Denver startup, makes one wonder why it didn’t exist before. Chamba is another job app, but, as with most startups, there’s a twist.
Chamba launched a bilingual app in April 2020 that connects Spanishspeaking workers with the employers who need them. In late July, Chamba narrowed its focus to the restaurant industry. That seems like good timing if you’ve been paying attention to the restaurant staffing woes and how hard it’s been to find people, especially for jobs busing tables, in the kitchen and other nontipped “back-of-the-house” work.
But Montemayor has a different perspective.
Employers, he said, are “looking for talent in the same talent pool. They have not diversified where they search for talent and are looking in the same, common places.”
A number of companies are already promoting Chamba’s service on the app’s site, including Brothers BBQ. Within two days of using the app, the Aaron Nelsen, the general manager for two of the Denverbased chain’s locations, arranged three interviews and made a hire. “We picked the best candidate out of those three interviews,” he said in a video testimony on Chamba’s site. The Spanish-speaking employee started work the next day.
Chamba service really just helps employers look in a place they probably weren’t looking before. In a few short months, it’s helped 187 clients connect to workers in Denver and New York City, the only two cities covered so far. The app’s been downloaded more than 172,000 times from the Apple App store and 50,000 jobs have been posted, said Corina Hierro, Chamba’s community manager and a founding member. Co-founder and Chief Technology Officer David Ruiz oversaw the development of the app and led the team of developers in Colombia.
Chamba looks beyond the audience that typically relies on Indeed, LinkedIn and other English-heavy job sites. The app, available in Spanish and English, is marketed to the Latino community and helps job seekers create online resumes.
It also vets the employers by checking online reviews first. If the company passes muster, Chamba will talk to the owners or hiring managers to see how much investment they’re putting into workers. Employers that don’t seem to care can cause job seekers to feel lost, like they don’t matter, Montemayor said.
“If they’re spending a little bit of time with the talent, then that’s a good fit for Chamba,” he said.
Chamba is offering Denver restaurants free access to the app to advertise their job openings.
Chamba, which employs about 15 people, has big plans for growth. It’s
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maximum of 500 square feet of turf. Castle Rock defines Coloradoscape as having 75% plant coverage.
Developers that don’t install the back yard will not get discounted system development fees or prorated water rates. Developers are still required to design the back yard, though homeowners are not required to implement those designs.
Developers at the meeting pushed back against the incentive structure for being too punitive.
“Our homebuilders do have concerns on Castle Rock’s insistence on homebuilders being responsible for installing back yard landscaping features for new homes,” said Morgan Cullen, of the Home Builders Association of Metro Denver. “Builders in Colorado do not typically install back yard landscaping. They leave this to the homeowners.”
Marlowe responded to concerns by noting that 42% of homes in Castle Rock last year had both yards installed so that developers could take advantage of the lowered fees offered at the time, resulting in lower water usage.
“It’s certainly not unprecedented and can certainly be done and it’s done here in Castle Rock all the time,” he said.
Marlowe said the cost for Coloradoscape is competitive with turf landscaping and noted that the Coloradoscape yards would result in lowered water rates for homeowners since Castle Rock Water uses a rate structure based on usage.
“We’re trying to change the look and feel going forward so that people don’t want grass necessarily in Castle Rock because, again, it’s a very challenging thing to grow here and handle from a water resource point,” he said.
The ordinance also removes the town’s requirement that developers submit a water efficiency plan, discontinues the previous developer incentive for reduced water usage, and commercial developments will not be allowed non-functional turf.
The town council will vote on a second reading of the ordinance at the Oct. 18 meeting and, if approved, the requirements will apply to homes permitted Jan. 1, 2023 and after.
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Heidi Ganahl,
founder of the nation’s largest pet care franchise, Camp Bow Wow, is running against Jared Polis next month to be Governor of Colorado. Heidi is a mom of four beautiful young children and a mom on a mission to restore common sense in Colorado. As a CU Regent for the past six years, Heidi has been a champion for students, free speech, school safety, and affordability.
Under Jared Polis, Colorado’s crime Under Jared Polis, Colorado’s crime and drug use epidemic has risen to and drug use epidemic has risen to unprecedented levels. Colorado has the second highest drug addiction rate and the sixth highest suicide rate amongst kids in the country; 60% of Colorado children cannot read, write, or do math at grade level. “Our kids are in a crisis!” is often heard at large rallies around the state, in support of Heidi Ganahl for Governor.
Colorado’s schools are in rapid Colorado’s schools are in rapid decline, with the most affected being decline, with the most affected being those in the major Colorado metro areas (Jefferson County, Denver County, Arapahoe County, El Paso County, etc). Including parents in what happens in the classroom and school-choice is a top priority for Ganahl. Teachers and other public servants have been hamstrung by spending on high-level administrators.
When Heidi defeats Jared Polis on When Heidi defeats Jared Polis on November 8th, she will become the November 8th, she will become the first mom to occupy the highest office in the state!
To learn more about Heidi Ganahl and her candidacy for Governor, visit www.heidiforgov.com.
How to vote and more
BY SANDRA FISH THE COLORADO SUN
Colorado Election Day is Nov. 8 with a U.S. Senate seat, eight congressional contests, races for four statewide offi ces, 100 state legislative jobs, 11 ballot initiatives and more at stake at the county and local levels.
As part of our 2022 election guide, we’re here to answer some questions about voting and how the election works. Let us know what other questions you have by fi lling out the form at the bottom of this article and we’ll do our best to answer them.
How do I register to vote?
Colorado has automatic voter registration if you get a driver’s license or interact in some other way with state government. But you may also register online with a valid driver’s license, Colorado identifi cation card or Social Security number.
Is there a deadline to register?
No. Coloradans may register in person or online to vote through Election Day. To receive a ballot in the mail, you must be registered by Oct. 31, and you will have to return it to a drop box or vote center.
How do I check whether I’m registered?
Check your voter registration by entering your name, ZIP code and date of birth. You may also change your address online. But if your name changed, you’ll have to fi ll out a paper form. If your registration says it’s “inactive,” that’s because you’ve missed voting more than once or your ballot was returned as undeliverable. You may re-register online or by submitting a paper request.
When will my ballot arrive?
Oct. 17 is the fi rst day that ballots will go out in the mail to registered voters and must all be mailed by Oct. 21. If you want to receive a ballot in the mail, you must register by Oct. 31. If your ballot doesn’t arrive, contact your county clerk.
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What if I don’t receive a ballot in the mail?
Contact your county clerk’s offi ce and they will be able to help you.
How do I return my ballot?
Once you’ve fi lled out your ballot, sealed it in the return envelope and signed and dated the envelope, put it in the mail or take it to one of 400 drop boxes or 350 voting centers. (Most voters drop their ballots off.) Your ballot must be received by 7 p.m. Nov. 8. The Colorado Secretary of State’s Offi ce says ballots should be deliver in person, not mailed, after Nov. 1.
You may sign up to use BallotTrax, and you’ll receive an email, text or both when your ballot is accepted.
What if I want to vote in person?
More than 350 voting centers will open Oct. 24 at the latest (some counties may open earlier). Contact your
county clerk for nearby locations and hours where you may vote in person. Polls are open Saturday, Nov. 5; Monday, Nov. 7; and from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Election Day, Nov. 8.
Do I need identifi cation to vote?
If you vote in person or are voting by mail for the fi rst time, you must present identifi cation such as a driver’s license, U.S. passport or other identifi cation on this list.
Where can I fi nd more information?
To register online, check your current registration and get key election information, GoVoteColorado. gov is the place to start. It includes a variety of election information.
Where can I get more information about the state questions on the ballot?
Every election, the Ballot Information Booklet (known as the Blue Book) is produced by the state. It provides voters with impartial analysis of each initiated or referred constitutional amendment, law or question on the ballot. It includes a summary of the measure, arguments for and against, and a brief fi scal assessment.
Download a copy at bit. ly/2xjpqAd.
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a venture-backed startup with more than $1.1 million in seed funding so far, with some of it coming from local accelerator program Techstars last year. “Techstars became our megaphone,” he said. “It put us in front of people who were actually going to listen (to) the social impact that we were having on the community.”
To kick off the company’s Denver Startup Week presence, Montemayor was one of fi ve newer founders getting a place on stage to grill — and be grilled — by a Colorado unicorn, or a company that has raised so much investment, its valuation tops $1 billion.
Mark Frank, cofounder of SonderMind, which helps people with mental health issues connect to therapists, was that unicorn founder. And the founders’ conversation focused on community, which is important to both companies. SonderMind, which employs 300 people, has raised more than $180 million, according to equity-tracking site Crunchbase.
“So, how did you get to 300 employees,” Montemayor asked Frank.
“Well, it wasn’t that long ago that we were a team of 15. Actually, it was three years ago at this time, we were a team of 18,” Frank said. “For us, what the bigger challenge has been how do we maintain our culture, which has been a real driver of our success. … I would encourage everyone to fi nd ways to get together in person and do things virtually as well that can really home in on that community aspect.”
Montemayor said he considers Chamba a synonym for community.
