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January 2, 2015 VOLU M E 1 3 | I SS UE 9
ParkerChronicle.net D O U G L A S C O U N T Y, C O L O R A D O
A publication of
CU, Jabs simplify art of starting business
DOUBLE TAKE
Center for Entrepreneurship opens at CU South Denver By Chris Michlewicz
cmichlewicz @coloradocommunitymedia.com
The Dec. 13, 2013 shooting at Arapahoe High School left two students dead, and painful emotions and questions swirled into 2014. The biggest question seemed to be this: Could the school district have
Jake Jabs would have seized the opportunity to draw from Denver’s deep pool of entrepreneurial talent. Most Coloradans know him as the successful, tiger-loving pitchman and founder of American Furniture Warehouse. But before his face and distinctive voice made their way onto our television sets, Jabs navigated a world unknown to him. For years, he struggled to avoid the common pitfalls that can derail a fledgling business. “Everything was by the seat of my pants, and I made a lot of mistakes,” Jabs says. Things have come full circle, and the University of Colorado’s Center for Entrepreneurship now has Jabs’ name attached to it. He Jabs donated $10 million to the school, primarily because he wanted to give Denver’s ever-growing contingent of entrepreneurs a chance to bypass those headaches. And because there is an inherent willingness among seasoned entrepreneurs to assist their businessgreen brethren, Jabs and CU are putting the pieces in place this spring to breed success. Known as the Launchpad, the program is intended to help entrepreneurs either start their own business or improve an existing business. “I’m a big believer in entrepreneurship,” Jabs said. “It’s driving America — new ideas and new programs, how to do things better.” By offering entrepreneurship classes at CU’s new facility at The Wildlife Experience, on the southwest corner of Lincoln Avenue and Peoria Street, the south metro area is about to become a wellspring for professional talent, churning out gleaming examples of what can happen with a little bit of guidance. CU is partnering with community colleges to bring in students who have considered pursuing a full degree but don’t have the necessary time or money. By taking just a few eight-week courses on their own schedule, students can earn a certificate of entrepreneurship from CU, bolstering their traditional education with the knowledge of how to start a business. The idea is to send them out into the world well-equipped to face any challenge. “We teach them the basic skills of business: accounting and balancing a budget and how to borrow money, how to make ends meet and live within your means,” Jabs said. Classes count toward a bachelor’s degree for anyone interested in continuing their education. While the instruction is meant to be allencompassing, there are some things that can’t be taught in a classroom. Local business leaders act as both professor and mentor, helping individual students find their path. The director of the Jake Jabs Center for Entrepreneurship, Madhavan Parthasarathy, Ph.D., who goes by MP, said the close relationships provide students with an “experiential connection, and they need that almost as much as academics.” “The academic education will help them write a business plan, but they have to know
Year end continues on Page 4
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Chances are, you’ve seen Deshaa before. The wheaten terrier was on the Parker Chronicle’s front page in September, shown jumping for joy during Barker Days at the H2O’Brien Pool. The images captured by Chronicle reporter Chris Michlewicz at the event were some of our favorites of 2014, so we just had to bring you a second look. File photo
South metro stories of the year
LEFT: Jeff Pearce offers cookies to the more than 500 people waiting in line for the opening of the Park Meadows’ L.L. Bean store Nov. 21. The south metro area’s business community continued to flourish in 2014. RIGHT: Banners announcing open enrollment for University of Colorado classes were installed on the exterior of The Wildlife Experience in March. File photos
A look at the top 10 Staff report In the south metro Denver area, this past year was one of hope and change, inspiration and pain, growth and remembrance. The following are the top 10 stories of 2014, in no particular order, as chosen by Colorado Community Media’s editorial staff.
Business is booming
In November, Colorado’s unemployment rate fell to 4.1 percent, the lowest since early 2008, before the recession slammed the country. The south metro area did its part in job creation in 2014, as businesses continued to find the region an attractive place to set up shop or expand. Some of the major developments of the year: • Sterling Ranch won another legal battle in February and forged ahead in northwest Douglas County. At build-out,
the development is expected to include more than 12,000 homes and spawn a number of businesses around it. • Charles Schwab opened its new Lone Tree campus in early October. As many as 4,000 employees are ultimately expected to work inside the office buildings. • Also in October, plans were unveiled for The Jones District, and early stages of groundwork began on the mixed-use development in Centennial. The project calls for 1.8 million square feet of resi-
dential, commercial and retail establishments. • In November, a $177 million project broke ground in Castle Rock. The Promenade at Castle Rock will feature 1 million square feet of retail and dining establishments. Meanwhile, national retailers continued to pick the south metro area as their first Colorado home. Following in the footsteps of IKEA and Cabela’s in recent years, L.L. Bean chose the area, opening in Lone Tree in November. At the same time, the area continued to grow into something of a hub for the craft beer industry, with breweries popping up, particularly along the C-470 corridor.
Community seeks answers, healing