So. Colorado Business Digest & CSBJ || JUNE || 2025

Economic Growth & Development Shaping

FOUNDER & EXECUTIVE PUBLISHER

Dirk R. Hobbs dhobbs@coloradomediagroup.com

MANAGING EDITOR

Lee Harper lharper@coloradomediagroup.com

SENIOR COPY EDITOR

Rhonda Van Pelt info@coloradomediagroup.com

DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS

Francis J. Zankowski franz@coloradomediagroup.com

CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Christopher Tombaugh ctombaugh@coloradomediagroup.com

DIGITAL DIRECTOR

Sean Cassady scassady@coloradomediagroup.com

SENIOR GRAPHIC DESIGNER

Geraldine Villanueva gvillanueva@coloradomediagroup.com

MEDIA SALES & PARTNERSHIPS

Kerri Blanco kblanco@coloradomediagroup.com

Karen Hazlehurst karenhazlehurst18@gmail.com

Jeff Mohrfeld jmohrfeld@coloradomediagroup.com

SENIOR WRITERS

Pam Bales, Jeanne Davant & Wayne Heilman

STAFF WRITERS

Keri Kahn, Lucy Richardson, Andrew Rogers, Kay Rowe, Lorelei Smillie, Tiffany Underwood & Theresa Woods

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

William Craighead, Ph.D. - UCCS Economic Forum, Max Cupp - Exponential Impact, Dawn Dawson, Travas Deal - Colorado Springs Utilities, Larry Plummer, Ph.D. - EPIIC at UCCS, Becca Tonn - Pikes Peak Workforce Center, Lola Woloch - SC Women’s Chamber of Commerce & Paul Yankey - UCCS

STRATEGIC MEDIA & PRODUCTION PARTNERS Cumulus Media COS, FOX21 KXRM & Salem Media AM1460/101.1FM

Publisher’s Letter

The Southern Colorado region is currently an area of great evolution. The landscape is changing on the regular. Education, economic development, infrastructure, aerospace, finance, land development, population, social media: you name it and, odds are, there are changes on the horizon. And as far as Colorado Springs falling from the podium in our usual spot atop the Best Places to Live lists, get to know all the variables which influenced that outcome. Notwithstanding 850 communities being reviewed (versus 150 in 2024), let’s not forget, we’ve made tremendous strides forward in in numerous areas as an economic region. Areas we’re tackling as a region on the rise: Increases in crime (some open border impact), housing affordability challenges, early childhood care access, a bigger voice in the legislation that affects our businesses and telling our very qualified story the way only we can – showcasing our strengths – facing our challenges head on. But make no mistake, this region is on a winning path in many regards.

The Digest writing staff took a close look at those transformations and captured details about some of them here. Our role is not to bring you the same information as every other news outlet. With that cell phone/minicomputer you carry everywhere, you do not need us for headlines. Our goal is to give you the details on stories you won’t find elsewhere. We don’t regurgitate press releases; we dig deeper to find aspects of stories you haven’t yet learned and filling with source-verified information that will inform and educate outsiders who are seriously considered southeastern Colorado as a place to plant their organization and workforce.

In this issue, we address the question marks of the region’s future. For instance, what would it look like if SpaceCom relocated to a certain southern state? What is the plan for water if Colorado Springs annexes a south eastern area? What happens when two large banking entities merge? How are we preparing our young adults to be the workforce of tomorrow? You get the idea.

And before you close this folio, please take a look at our Legacy Leaders profile on Dana Crawford (page 44). It is a lesson in how, decades ago, someone understood the importance of retaining historical aspects of our culture while also crafting a legacy for the future.

Perhaps there’s a lesson in there somewhere: change is constant. How we approach it, our motivation for crafting change and the way we respond to it will determine our legacy.

Until next time,

Dirk R. Hobbs, Founder &

Executive Publisher

Colorado Media Group, Inc. NORTH Magazine, The Business Digest/CSBJ, and the NEW: Southern Colorado Insider! (The former Indy)

Business talk radio with regional experts and leaders on-air host, Dirk Hobbs! FRIDAYS AT 3PM MST AM1460 / 101.1FM

Contents / June 2025

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

8 Legislature Lightens up on Regulations

Small-business owners should find it easier to navigate the state’s regulatory processes, which are among the most onerous in the nation. Colorado imposes nearly 200,000 regulations on businesses, with nearly half considered excessive or duplicative.

BY JEANNE DAVANT

16 Improvements to North Nevada Avenue’s Infrastructure

The venerable thoroughfare is behind the times, so the city of Colorado Springs is working to launch a public-private project to update the area — and its business image. The project’s price tag is estimated at $103 million.

BY ANDREW

ROGERS

30 EPIIC Undergoing Change to Help More Entrepreneurs

The El Pomar Institute for Innovation & Commercialization is revamping its structure as the University of Colorado Colorado Springs’ personnel evolves. The result is expected to expand the institute’s offerings to students and entrepreneurs.

BY WAYNE HEILMAN

COLORADO SPRINGS/CSBJ

10 Space Command Fate Remains Cloudy

Uncertainty abounds about the location of the joint-military combatant. Colorado Springs Mayor Yemi Mobolade is among the officials unhappy about a proposed move to Huntsville, Alabama.

BY ANDREW ROGERS

24 Madera Center Preparing Cadets for Future

The Air Force Academy’s new 48,000-square-foot facility is intended to help students transition to the new frontiers in warfare. It includes a model city for testing and simulation, and specialized laboratories and classrooms.

BY THERESA WOODS

The new Madera Cyber Innovation Center will help USAFA cadets define their future. P. 24

26 Springs-based Tech Company Expands to Europe

Bluestaq, an information technology firm, has added a subsidiary in the United Kingdom, where it hopes to expand the market for its data analysis products. The expansion will focus on serving North Atlantic Treaty Organization members.

BY WAYNE HEILMAN

FINANCE

12 Ent and Wings Credit Unions Merging

The result should lead to one of the nation’s 10 largest credit unions, overseeing almost $20 billion in assets. The merger is expected to improve and expand offerings to members.

BY WAYNE HEILMAN

EDUCATION

13 School of Technology is Ready for Liftoff

Dozens of local ninth and 10th graders are preparing for the inaugural classes, starting in August, in a transformed building on North Nevada Avenue in Colorado Springs. There, they’ll follow “pathways” that will prepare them for STEM careers.

BY JEANNE DAVANT

MARKETING

15 Social Media Helping Animals Find Homes

The Humane Society of the Pikes Peak Region has learned the secret to sending pets to loving homes: clever posts that capture pawsitive qualities and purrsonalities. The effort is paying off with increased adoptions.

BY JEANNE DAVANT

ENERGY

32 Utilities Racing to Meet Demand

As Colorado Springs expands to the east, Colorado Springs Utilities is striving to be proactive to provide infrastructure for the anticipated population boom. The eastern edge is a magnet for developers in a region with limited space to the north, south and west.

BY ANDREW

ROGERS

SMALL BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT

35 New Store Bringing Taste of Mexico to Pueblo

A grocery store on the city’s east side will bring authentic Mexican products to a community hungry for a full grocery and butcher shop. Co-owner Evans Gonzalez will source the wide range of products from Mexico.

BY TIFFANY UNDERWOOD

CHAMBERS

39 Chamber Rebrands After Expanding Reach

The Trinidad and Las Animas County Chamber of Commerce has changed its name to the Colexico Alliance as it loops in Northern New Mexico. Its offshoot, the Colexico Foundation, will seek cooperative grants and other funding sources.

BY THERESA WOODS

PEOPLE

40 Professionals on the Rise

Get to know some of those people in the region who have made leaps in their careers. This is where The Digest celebrates the achievements of Southern Colorado’s workforce.

42 Urban Renewal Trailblazer

The late Dana Crawford will be remembered for leaving her mark on more than 50 U.S. cities. They include Denver, where her firm preserved and restored Larimer Square’s derelict buildings to set the standard for thoughtful urban renewal.

BY THERESA WOODS

TOURISM

44 U.S. Senior Open Bringing Green to Colorado Springs

Thousands of visitors are expected to follow their heroes to The Broadmoor as the Senior Open returns to the area. Those golf aficionados are expected to add more than $24 million to local coffers.

BY

PAM BALES

(U.S. Air Force

photo by Justin R. Pacheco)

Sherman & Howard has joined forces with Taft. Watch the video to learn why it was the perfect fit for both firms and our clients. Scan here to watch or visit tinyurl.com/TaftMW.

Statewide

Common Sense Institute Interprets Mineral Production Exec Order

A White House executive order aimed at strengthening the United States’ supply of critical minerals could benefit new projects and mineral interests in Colorado and result in thousands of new jobs, according to a new report from the Common Sense Institute.

The Trump Administration’s April 15, 2025, EO 1424, Immediate Measures to Increase American Mineral Production, is expected to streamline the permitting process and allow mining companies to initiate operations more quickly, the report states.

According to the Common Sense Institute study, the executive order is expected to drive economic growth and enhance national prosperity and security by strengthening the resilience of critical mineral supply chains.

In Colorado, the order could immediately benefit both a number of proposed projects and provide longer-term benefits to several mature mining operations, including operations in Cripple Creek and Victor, the report states. Among the companies that would benefit is SSR Mining, which recently acquired Newmont Corp.’s Cripple Creek and Victor gold mining operations, as well as companies operating in Arizona and Nevada. The order also could

immediately benefit the large number of mining consulting and finance firms located primarily in Denver.

The Common Sense Institute’s econometric modeling analyzed Colorado’s Uravan Mineral Belt in Southwestern Colorado, which is rich in uranium, essential for nuclear production, and vanadium, used in batteries and energy storage technologies.

The report projects that by 2040, a single new large-scale mining operation there could generate an increase in the state’s population of 5,390, a statewide labor force increase of 3,092 and a greater than $1.3 billion increase in Colorado’s GDP. It estimates that 10 mineral mining operations in Colorado could generate more than 37,700 new jobs statewide.

The report notes that there is considerable opposition to expanding mining in the Uravan Belt from environmental groups and local communities, citing potential ecological and social impacts.

Scan the QR Code to view the full report.

Alamosa, Conejos, Costilla, Mineral, Rio Grande & Saguache

San Luis Valley Farmers Use Agritech to Combat Drought

Farmers in Colorado’s San Luis Valley are embracing agritech to stay competitive as drought, aquifer depletion and tightening groundwater rules reshape the region. Known for its cool climate and rich soil, the valley produces over 90% of Colorado’s potatoes. But staying viable now demands innovation.

To adapt, growers like Strohauer Farms in Monte Vista are investing in soil moisture sensors, GPSguided tractors and precision irrigation systems that reduce water usage while maximizing yields. Other producers are turning to drone-based crop monitoring, allowing them to assess plant health and apply nutrients only where needed.

Smaller farms are innovating, too. Jones Farms Organics combines organic practices with data analytics to optimize inputs and extend growing seasons. Chapman Farms has added solar-powered pumps and remote monitoring tools to reduce energy costs and detect irrigation issues in real time.

Regional partners, like the San Luis Valley Research Center and Colorado AgTech, are leading the transition by offering grants, technical support and pilot programs. The Rio Grande Water Conservation District has also launched initiatives to incentivize water-saving practices.

As drought conditions intensify, the San Luis Valley is emerging as a testbed for sustainable agriculture.

Pueblo

Saguache

Conejos Costilla

Rio Grande Alamosa Mineral

El Paso

Photo credit: Hart Van Denburg/CPR News

El Paso County

Two Groups among 21 Recipients Awarded Proposition 123 Funds

The Pikes Peak Real Estate Foundation was awarded $4.85 million for the 336unit Bradley Ridge Apartments, while Fairview Housing Partners received $4.05 million for the 144-unit Flats at Sand Creek. Both affordable housing projects are in Colorado Springs.

The Bradley Ridge Apartments project received the largest grant of the 21 recipients — the most funding Colorado Springs has ever received for a Proposition 123 land banking project. The proposed development on 20 acres west of Bradley Landing Boulevard and south of Bradley Ridge Drive will include an early childhood education center and will serve households earning at or below 60% of the Area Median Income.

The Flats at Sand Creek project would be built on 6.9 acres at the intersection of North Carefree Circle and Peterson Road Initial development plans were approved in February.

Colorado voters approved Proposition 123 in November 2022. The ballot measure authorized the state to retain money from state tax revenue to support investment in affordable housing.

The Land Banking program provides grants to local and tribal governments and forgivable loans to nonprofits for acquisition and preservation of land for affordable housing.

The recipients collectively were awarded more than $47.9 million and will be required to complete statutory milestones that include proper zoning, finalizing development plans and securing development funding and permits.

El Paso County

Public Comments Sought to Improve COS Experience

Downtown Partnership is hosting a virtual town hall for the Experience Downtown Master Plan Update. This is part of the process to refresh the plan guiding actions to create the Colorado Springs Downtown. The draft of the updated plan is now available and open for public comment until June 13 on the Downtown Partnership website. To review or submit comment, go to: downtowncs.com/experiencedowntown-plan-update

A spectrum of business, institutions, advocacy organizations, residents and other stakeholders were

Huerfano County

interviewed beginning in February, and a community survey was conducted. Based on this, a draft plan was developed by the project team and presented to City Council in March. After the review process closes in June, that feedback will be incorporated into revisions with plans to be presented in September. The final plan should be completed in early 2026.

Experience Downtown is the guiding plan for remaking downtown, in progress since 2016. It has nine goals and 36 primary actions. It was an update of the 2009 Imagine Downtown Plan.

Walsenburg Revives Downtown, Boosts Business and Tourism

Walsenburg is breathing new life into its downtown district in a push to attract tourists, entrepreneurs and remote workers. Once a coalmining hub, the town is leveraging its historic charm and prime location at the junction of I-25 and U.S. Highway 160 to fuel economic growth. Local leaders and private investors are transforming historic buildings into vibrant business spaces, signaling a bold commitment to revitalization.

Several landmark buildings have already been repurposed. The Walsenburg Mercantile, a restored 1901 building, now hosts artisan vendors, a café and community events. Crafty Canary Brewery opened in a converted auto garage and draws steady

weekend crowds. The Fox Theatre, one of Colorado’s oldest cinemas, is being restored for films, concerts and live shows.

Other new businesses include Corrales Mexican Grill, a popular local eatery, and Wahatoya Community Market, which sells local produce and handmade goods. Short-term rentals are also rising, encouraging tourism and longer stays.

The city is working with the Colorado Main Street Program and applying for infrastructure and façade improvement grants. Leaders hope the improvements will attract more visitors and business investments.

Businesses Score Legislative Wins on Regulations, Construction Defects

BY JEANNE DAVANT

The 75th General Assembly wrapped up its session at the Colorado Capitol on May 7, having wrestled since January with a $1.2 billion budget shortfall and several controversial issues. Still, there were wins for businesses, legislative observers and business, advocates say. Loren Furman, president and CEO of the Colorado Chamber of Commerce, says the business community scored several key victories.

“As the sixth most-regulated state in the country, regulatory reform was the most important issue for Colorado businesses heading into the 2025 legislative session,” Furman says. “Over the course of more than three years of research and data-driven

studies, it’s clear that these state-level regulations have been the greatest risk factor for our business climate and future growth. Thanks to our partners in the legislature, we made significant progress in passing meaningful, bipartisan improvements to the state’s regulatory processes this year.”

Furman cites SB25-306, SB25-305 and SB254 as victories in the fight to get the state’s regulatory climate under control.

Senate Bill 25-306 requires performance audits of some state agencies with high levels of regulations, including the Air Pollution Control Division of the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE), and the Division of Unemployment Insurance in the Department of Labor and Employment.

Senate Bill 25-305 makes changes to address a backlog in water-quality permits at the CDPHE and directs the agency to establish time frames for permit applications.

Senate Bill 25-254 transfers $5 million to the Air Pollution Control Division, which is intended to ease fee increases on industry.

These bills should help to streamline regulatory processes and create more accountability in state government, the chamber says in a statement. They are, however, just a first step in addressing the nearly 200,000 regulations the state imposes on businesses, 45% of which the chamber considers excessive or duplicative. The state chamber intends to continue working on this important priority, Furman says.

The chamber and other business advocates opposed SB25-005, one of the most contentious that came before legislators. The bill, titled Worker Protection Collective Bargaining, eliminates a requirement for a second election during union negotiations. The Colorado Labor Peace Act requires that, after a majority of workers vote to unionize, 75% of workers must then vote their approval before a union can negotiate union security measures, such as requiring payment of dues.

Negotiations on the bill went down to the wire and failed at the last minute, when it passed on a party line vote, says Jeff Thormodsgaard, Colorado Springs Chamber & EDC’s vice president of government affairs.

“We were at the table the whole session, trying to work on that,” he says. “We actually came to the table with an alternative — get rid of the second vote but take the [75%] vote threshold and apply it to the first vote.”

Gov. Jared Polis promised to veto the bill and did so on May 16.

“I didn’t want Polis to have to veto the bill; I really wanted to fix this problem, because we’re going to end up having this discussion perennially now,” Thormodsgaard says.

The SB 5 veto has unfortunate consequences, he says.

Ballot Initiative 43, already filed, would eliminate at-will employment in Colorado. The measure would prohibit

companies with more than eight employees from firing or suspending a worker without just cause, including substandard performance, material neglect, repeated policy violation, gross insubordination, conviction of a crime of “moral turpitude” or an employer’s financial instability.

“From an employer’s standpoint, that’s maybe the biggest nightmare ever,” Thormodsgaard says, “because it’s a legal proceeding every time I fire someone.”

In addition, Jon Caldara of the Independence Institute filed a Right to Work initiative in response to SB 5.

“This is a union-busting measure, so there may be opposing measures on the ballot,” Thormodsgaard says. “Ballot fights are expensive, and they can be terrible in terms of outcome.”

On the bright side, the legislature passed HB25-1272, which aims to break down the construction defect barriers that have hindered development of middle-market housing such as condos. The bill prescribes a pilot warranty program that provides for third-party scrutiny and limits damages on construction defect claims against participants. The goals are to reduce litigation risks, provide builders with more certainty, increase affordable housing options and decrease insurance costs.

Loren Furman, Colorado Chamber of Commerce president & CEO

Jeanne Davant is a senior writer for the

Colorado Springs Without Space Command Economic Uncertainty Remains as Headquarter Debate Continues

BY ANDREW ROGERS

The permanent home of U.S. Space Command has been on the forefront of the minds of many across the Pikes Peak region, since the initial announcement in the waning days of the first Trump administration that the joint-military combatant would be moved from the temporary headquarters at Peterson Space Force Base to Huntsville, Alabama’s Redstone Arsenal.

The decision was reversed during the Biden administration but came back to the conversation during the 2024 presidential campaign as President Trump would frequently discuss reversing the decision — again — and moving the combatant and its 58,000 connected service members to Alabama.

In April, Alabama congressman Mike Rogers told the Auburn University

Cyber Focus podcast that he believed the announcement was imminent.

“I expect sometime during the month of April that Space Command will officially be assigned to build its headquarters in Huntsville,” Rogers says.

As of the publication date, no announcement of a potential move has been announced.

Deeply Rooted?

U.S. Space Command was reestablished in 2019 after the first incarnation was shut down in 2002, after 16 years of service.

“The U.S. Space Command debate isn’t about geography. It’s a decision that cuts to the core of national security, mission readiness and honoring the people who serve,” says Colorado Springs Mayor Yemi Mobolade. “Our city is a cornerstone

of America’s defense infrastructure — mission proven, strategically located and built for the future of space.”

It took the Department of Defense four years to reach what they describe as full operational capability, which took place in 2023.

“We are not preparing to be ready; we are ready. With the nation’s highest concentration of space professionals and over 250 thriving space-related companies, Colorado Springs is the beating heart of America’s space ecosystem. Collaboration, innovation and execution aren’t aspirational here — they are daily realities,” Mobolade says.

After the location debate was seemingly settled by the Biden administration, many connected to Space Command believed that the longer Space Command remained in Colorado Springs, the deeper its roots would grow, making any future relocation that much harder.

“The last time this came up, there were reports that it was around 1,200 jobs [affected],” says William Craighead, Ph.D, director of the UCCS Economic Forum. “It’s meaningful, but it’s not something that would be a devastating blow...”

El Paso and Teller counties are home to approximately 330,000 civilian jobs. There are also 38,000 members of the armed forces stationed across the region’s five military installations.

“I think that the presumption is that they might move the command, but the large part of the military space operations would still continue to be here,” Craighead explains.

With debate over the permanent headquarters continuing since 2020, many locally based defense contractors and firms already have plans in place to address the need for potential relocations or adjustments of staffing, but have said that they would keep their presence in the Pikes Peak region despite where the headquarters of Space Command lands.

“You know you lose the selling

point of the proximity to the headquarters to the decision makers, but we have a really well-entrenched and well-developed defense and aerospace industry. Not just here in Colorado Springs, but in Colorado,” Craighead says. “And that’s not going just turn to dust.”

Officials with the Colorado Springs Chamber & EDC say that they plan to remain vigilant and will partner with local, state and congressional elected officials to engage with the federal administration, to continue to advocate for Colorado Springs as the ideal location for the Space Command headquarters.

“With five military bases and key national security assets such as the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), U.S. Northern Command, Space Delta 15 and over 150 private aerospace and defense companies, Colorado Springs stands as a critical center for national security and a strategic investment location for aerospace and defense businesses,” says Johnna Reeder Kleymeyer, president & CEO of Colorado Springs Chamber & EDC. “Retaining the Space Command in Colorado Springs will save taxpayers millions of dollars.”

Andrew Rogers is a staff writer for the SoCo Business Forum & Digest.

Cultural Office of the Pikes Peak Region to Host Creative Sector Summit

The Cultural Office of the Pikes Peak Region (COPPR) will host its first professional summit at the intersection of business and creativity. The Level Up! Creative Sector Summit will be held Wed., June 25, 2025, from 1:00-6:00 p.m. at the Ent Center for the Arts at UCCS.

This is an opportunity to explore the contribution of the various Colorado Creative Districts in the SoCo region to the local economies.

The half-day conference includes inspiring speakers, workshops, a business fair, a free headshot booth and networking centering arts and culture as a driver for community success and economic growth. Tatiana Bailey is the opening speaker.

The Experience Economy ticket type means you will be placed in the Experience Economy breakout session from 2:15–3:00 pm. Topics in this room will include experience design, raising capital, business

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The Arts and Destination Stewardship ticket type means you will be placed in the Arts and Destination Stewardship breakout session from 2:15-3:00 pm. Topics in this room will include creating vibrant and sustainable public spaces, enhancing community well-being and tourism appeal and general arts tourism

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Ent Credit Union Taking Flight with Minnesota-based Wings

BY WAYNE HEILMAN

Colorado Springs-based Ent Credit Union has agreed to merge with Wings Credit Union, based in the Minneapolis area, to create what will be one of the nation’s 10 largest credit unions, with nearly $20 billion in assets.

Both financial institutions describe the transaction as a “merger of equals” in which Wings will merge into Ent; Ent CEO Chad Graves will lead the combined organization, which will retain the Wings name. The merger is expected to be completed next year and must be approved by the National Credit Union Administration, the Colorado Division of Financial Services and members of Wings Credit Union.

Merger discussions began last fall, when Wings CEO Frank Weidner called Graves, who said in an email that both credit unions had been considering “a merger of equals for years as part of long-term planning.” Graves says the merger would “provide us with the resources to remain competitive and deliver much more to our members — with the same friendly, outstanding, local service we have always provided.”

The combined organization will operate headquarters in both Colorado Springs and Apple Valley, Minnesota, employ about 2,200 people in nearly 90 locations in Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin, and serve more than 900,000 members. Weidner will remain with Wings temporarily to help Graves with integrating the two institutions once the merger is completed.

Both Ent and Wings have each more than doubled in size in the past 10 years. Ent has grown to 59 locations across Colorado’s Front Range, with assets totaling nearly $10 billion, and Wings has expanded to 27 locations in Minnesota, Florida, Georgia, Michigan and Wisconsin with $9.7 billion in assets. Ent and Wings are the largest credit unions in Colorado and Minnesota, respectively.

Members in both credit unions are not expected to experience any immediate changes and the two credit unions will continue to operate

independently until the transaction is completed, an Ent news release stated. Graves said in the release that Ent will “remain local enough to care about our communities and large enough to offer outstanding experiences, products and services.”

Ent was started in 1957 to serve military and civilian personnel at Ent Air Force Base (now the site of the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee’s Colorado Springs Training Center) and grew by adding hundreds of other employers until gaining approval to serve all residents of El Paso and Teller counties in 1999. The credit union expanded to the Denver and Pueblo areas in 2004 and the rest of the Front Range in 2018.

Seven Northwest Airlines (now merged into Delta Air Lines) employees started Wings in 1938, and expanded as Northwest grew, eventually gaining approval to serve employees throughout the air transportation industry. The credit union acquired Brainerd Savings & Loan in Minnesota in 2021 and Settlers Bank in Wisconsin in 2022, to expand its branch network and business banking services.

The combined credit union

will focus in the next few years on integrating the two organizations, but is always looking at potential expansion opportunities, including Ent’s plans to open an Alamosa location later this year, Graves says.

The merger will give the combined credit union “the scale and buying power to provide our members with best-in-class service and technologies,” he adds.

The merger agreement, announced April 23, came just days before Ent moved the bulk of its credit card portfolio in-house, including underwriting, as part of a year-long process that began in January for new applicants. Ent previously had offered cards issued by Elan Financial Services, owned by U.S. Bank, and reissued its cards, effective April 27, to more than 150,000 of its members as part of the switch.

An Ent email said the move to an in-house credit card program allows it “to provide reward offers that give back more to our members and [to] approve a higher percentage of our members who apply” for the cards. The move also allows Ent to integrate the card accounts with the rest of its online banking platform,

which was not available through Elan. Transaction processing is through Florida-based Velera.

The credit card move was bumpy for some Ent members, triggering backlogs of calls to its call center and lines of customers at some locations. Ent says the move was smooth for “the vast majority of customers and [card] activations are on par with industry norms. We also recognize some members have experienced bumps in the road,” and the credit union appreciates customers’ patience as it resolves issues.

Credit unions are nonprofit member-owned cooperatives but have expanded during the past 30-40 years to compete with banks and other financial services providers amid rapid consolidation of the banking industry. Much of that consolidation has been driven by the growing web of government regulations that has imposed additional costs on all types of financial services providers.

Wayne Heilman is a senior writer for the SoCo Business Forum & Digest.

Colorado Springs School of Technology Set for Liftoff

BY JEANNE DAVANT

In an industrial building at 3250 N. Nevada Ave. where, originally, satellites were built, the Colorado Springs School of Technology is set to take off in August. Fittingly, its talisman is a rocket ship.

The University of Colorado Colorado Springs, the building’s owner, the Colorado Springs Chamber & EDC and Colorado Springs School District 11 hosted a symbolic groundbreaking on May 5 in the vast concrete space that is being transformed into the school. District 11’s board approved $2.5 million from its Capital Contingency Fund for the buildout.

The work, which is being performed by Adolfson & Peterson Construction according to a plan by FBT Architecture, is on an aggressive timeline, says Executive Director/ Principal Nathan Gorsch.

“Students will be in attendance the first day in August,” Gorsch says. The first classes will be ninth and 10th graders, and more students will be added each year.

“We have about 50 students committed [as of May 9], and we have another 25 to 30 in the hopper who have applied,” he says. The school is aiming for 75-100 students the first year, building toward 400-500 students in a few years. Students will

be drawn from across the region and don’t have to live in District 11.

Gorsch has brought on Dan Oleson, current principal at Air Academy High School, as dean of students and has hired a staff totaling 10 people, including six teachers, a counselor who also will teach, and administrative personnel.

The school’s blue-ribbon board of directors includes founder and President Vance Brown, UCCS Chancellor Jennifer Sobanet, Pikes Peak State College President Lance Bolton, National Cybersecurity Center CEO Greg Oslon, Space ISAC Executive Director Erin Miller, District 11 Superintendent Michael Gaal,

Colorado Springs Chamber & EDC President and CEO Johnna Reeder Kleymeyer, Dawn Conley, senior executive director of the Catalyst Campus, and Col. Judson Dressler, head of the Department of Computer and Cyber Sciences at the U.S. Air Force Academy.

These local rock stars agreed to join a high school board because they “understand this is going to be a prototype and a model for workforce development all over the country,” Brown says.

CONTINUED FROM P. 13

School of Technology

Unique Features

Colorado Springs School of Technology (CSST) is not a charter school, but rather a STEM Innovation Zone school.

State legislation in 2008 authorized the creation of innovation zones, where one or more schools could implement innovative, studentcentered practices while remaining part of a school district. In February 2024, the state Board of Education approved District 11’s application for an innovation zone for CSST, and the school was granted waivers that allowed it to appoint its own governing board, hire industry professionals as instructors and customize programs and resources to meet student needs.

The school will have four core pathways:

1. Aerospace and engineering

2. Cybersecurity and computer science

3. Entrepreneurship and innovation

4. Leadership and community.

First-year students will take an introductory class in each pathway, Gorsch says.

“Part of this is exposure for kids to these industries that are in high demand,” he says. As they progress, they will take more pathwayspecific courses. As seniors, they will narrow their focus and dive deeply into work-based learning through apprenticeships or internships.

Instructors will use Khanmigo, an AI-powered teaching assistant built by the nonprofit Khan Academy, to create lesson plans that can be customized to and interact with individual students, Gorsch says. History, literature, philosophy and the arts will be integrated, as well.

coworking conference rooms offices

A Legacy Carried Forward by the

Classes will meet Tuesdays through Fridays, and the school will draw upon industry partnerships for what Gorsch calls “Monday sprints” — three- to four-week sessions organized around a particular topic or idea.

“On Mondays, we’re going to have folks from industry or from the community come in and teach our classes,” he says. Sprints on design and prototyping, branding and the ethics of decision-making are already planned, and the Challenger Learning Center will run a sprint on space exploration. Teachers will use their time away from the classroom to build industry partnerships.

The physical space also will vary from the traditional school model.

UCCS acquired the building from Northrop Grumman in 2008. It became the home of the National Cybersecurity Center, Space Information Sharing and Analysis Center (ISAC), Exponential Impact and cybersecurity classrooms and labs for UCCS students. District 11 has contracted with UCCS for a long-term lease of the adjoining space, and additional space is available for future expansion.

“One of my big beliefs is that schools should be built more like adult workplaces when possible,” Gorsch says. “If you look at our traditional schools, I often joke that you can’t tell from the outside if it’s a school or a prison.”

CSST is designed for maximum flexibility. It will have six classrooms with garage doors that open onto the main space. Furniture will be on wheels for mobility.

“There is also going to be a little kitchenette, like an employee break room, so kids can bring their lunch, put it in the fridge and heat it up in the microwave like we do in the adult workplace,” Gorsch says.

Representatives of the Colorado Springs Chamber of Commerce, UCCS, the city of Colorado Springs and School District 11 break ground for the Colorado Springs School of Technology on May 5.

Missing Piece

The genesis of CSST was a cybersecurity ecosystem that came together nearly 10 years ago. Brown remembers having lunch with then-Gov. John Hickenlooper. Brown says the two discussed a vision of government, industry and education working together — a model Hickenlooper had seen on a recent trip to Israel. That conversation led to the formation of a consortium to establish the National Cybersecurity Center. Brown, who served as NCC’s president and CEO from 2017 to 2020, started thinking more and more about a key element that was missing — training students to enter the workforce or go on to higher education.

Working with that consortium, whose members constitute the core of CSST’s board, “I thought how cool it would be to have this ecosystem” where students could walk down the hall to access industry and education partners, Brown says.

Brown originally envisioned a charter school, but Gaal pointed out the advantages an Innovation Zone school would have, including school district funding and a tailor-made feeder system.

“What makes CSST truly special is not just the individuals, but it’s the ecosystem we built together with this high school,” Brown says. “By uniting industry, government and education, we’re preparing the next generation for the real challenges and opportunities ahead.”

Jeanne Davant is a senior writer for the SoCo Business Forum & Digest.

Submitted photo.

Humane Society’s Engaging Posts are Social Media Hits

BY JEANNE DAVANT

The Humane Society of the Pikes Peak Region is running a Facebook campaign that expresses animals’ personalities and is an example of social media done right, digital marketing experts say.

The HSPPR is engaging its followers with posts that are in turn hilarious, charming or heartbreaking, and they are getting results. For example:

“Greetings, unfortunate soul. You might be reading this because you’re considering adopting a feline. How precious. You’re probably envisioning a soft, purring cuddle-muffin who gazes at you like you’re the sun and the moon.

“Allow me to shatter that delusion like a glass unicorn under a combat boot.

“I am Wednesday. I’m not named after her; I am her. Same dry soul, different number of legs. Rainbows disgust me. Birds chirping? Offensive. Tail wagging? Grow up.”

The post, which received more than 2,300 likes and almost 300 comments, resulted in Wednesday’s adoption the same day.

“They’re humanizing animals, making a personal connection by talking in the first person from the perspective of the animal,” says Lauren Hug, consultant and content creator at HugSpeak. “Every one of these posts is another entry point for different types of personalities and different people to connect with.”

Here’s another excerpt:

“In the year of our Lord 2025, a small, orange sovereign named Napoleon was delivered unto our shelter, carried in like a tiny, profoundly offended monarch by a concerned neighbor.

“From the moment he crossed the threshold, Napoleon regarded us all with a withering glare that clearly said, ‘How dare you interrupt my plans for a second Iberian campaign?’ But alas, even the greatest military minds must occasionally pause for snacks and naps.”

Alyssa Baumgardner, HSPPR digital communications manager, is known to

online friends as Three Orange Cats in a Trench Coat.

Baumgardner says the HSPPR adopted a different approach from the conventional wisdom about digital marketing, which is, “Keep it short! Keep it snappy! People have no attention span!”

“We believe our audience deserves more credit than that,” she says.

“These are people who cry when a cat is reunited with its family and cheer on a senior dog looking for a new home.” So, she decided to write full stories instead of just witty captions — stories that drive engagement and build relationships, inspire adoptions and encourage donations — and create community.

Since shifting to this story-driven approach, the posts’ engagement rate has jumped 127% and impressions are up 87%. But Baumgardner says metrics aren’t the only measure of the campaign’s success.

“We receive so many follow-up photos and messages from adopters who say, ‘We saw their story online and knew it was meant to be.’ And to us, that’s proof of something powerful,” she says. “You feel it every day, in the inbox full of thankyou notes and testimonials, in the people who donate to help our most vulnerable animals, and the community that rises, again and

Chloe’s face and story on social media resulted in her adoption.

again, to make sure these animals are seen, loved and homeward-bound.”

When people feel like they’re part of something meaningful, “social media stops being an advertisement and becomes a conversation. That kind of connection is hard to measure but impossible to ignore,” Baumgardner says.

Baumgardner’s comments indicate that the Humane Society has clear and deep knowledge of its customers, and tailors messages to them. But not all small businesses have the resources to do extensive research and may not have dedicated social media staff.

For those who want to start or improve a social media presence, Hug suggests enlisting the whole team to participate, “starting where your team is comfortable, on whatever social media platform you like using, and grow from there. Have fun — this is ephemeral. You can do things more fun, whimsical and temporary.”

Content that feels authentic will have a greater impact.

“When you focus on relational content, you’ll tap into the share factor,” Hug says.

Tom McClintock, owner of Relationship Martech online marketing firm, says the Humane Society’s posts are succeeding because they are building story around their brand and their calls to action.

Napoleon’s story, for example, illustrated the value of the microchip that enabled the little emperor’s return to his family.

Social media was groundbreaking technology when it was invented 20 years ago, McClintock says, but although the landscape has changed, there are still billions of users.

“The important thing for businesses to bear in mind is to determine what their audience is using,” McClintock says. Then build posts around what differentiates the business from its competitors.

Testing social media effectiveness can help businesses fine-tune their digital marketing, he says.

“Don't assume that you know what your customers and prospects are thinking,” he says. “Give it a try. See if it works. Find out how much time you are spending and decide based on your ROI [return on investment] whether you’re getting value out of it.”

Jeanne Davant is a senior writer for the SoCo Business Forum & Digest.

Ashka was adopted after the Humane Society posted her story on Facebook.

Photo credits: Humane Society of the Pikes Peak Region

A Legacy Carried Forward by the

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Redevelopment Incoming Infrastructure Improvements Intended to Revitalize North COS Corridor

BY ANDREW ROGERS

Nevada Avenue has historically been one of the main thoroughfares through Colorado Springs. The longtime main business corridor, which served as the thoroughfare between Pueblo and Denver before Interstate 25 was built, has seen several changes throughout the years. The city has embarked on a public-private project to revitalize the business district’s northern portion, between Fountain Creek to the south and Austin Bluffs to the north.

“That area is an old county enclave that was annexed into the city many years ago,” says Richard Mulledy, public works director for the City of Colorado Springs. “That area has struggled to redevelop [in the past] so this whole project is [intended] to spark the redevelopment of the area.”

A public meeting that the city, local stakeholders and the Urban Land Institute facilitated took place in April to gauge feedback on the area’s needs into the future.

“They interviewed close to 80 people including private citizens, landowners, public officials, city staff — a whole array of people — to get a feel for what the people would like to see from a redevelopment standpoint,” Mulledy says.

Among the top responses to the wish list for the area’s future starts with several infrastructure improvements.

If You Build It …

“Major transportation improvements [are needed] in the area,” says Mulledy. The outdated infrastructure stems from the avenue’s rural past. The corridor initially was built to county road standards, not the needs of a city street.

“It’s got bar ditches. It’s not an urban street design so it doesn’t have curb and gutters, it doesn’t have multi-use sidewalks, doesn’t have opportunities for transit lanes,” he explains.

Plans are underway for a $103 million project, funded by the Pikes Peak Rural Transportation Authority (PPRTA) tax, for various road and

utility infrastructure projects to bring the roadway up to “modern” street standards. That project is expected to be completed within the next eight years.

That will be “the backbone of infrastructure that will connect the Old North End to the south boundary of UCCS,” Mulledy says.

Many who attended the public workshop noted that the lacking infrastructure has led many prospective companies to choose other areas of the city when seeking new locations.

“Specifically, storm water, which has been one of the largest barriers to redevelopment … we’re putting in a lot of mainline conveyance, the underground piping,” he says.

Honoring the Past

The various stakeholders who expressed opinions about the corridor’s future were unanimous in one important aspect of whatever the future will hold for the area: character for the district.

“They didn’t want it to look just like any other part of the city. It has a lot of unique features. There was some film industry back in the day. Some of the original buildings still stand, including the Birdsall Utilities building, a very old building that has some unique character,” Mulledy says.

Among the new businesses that are already showcasing the area’s unique history: Blackhat Distillery and The Public House at the Alexander, a craft distillery that partnered with the local gastropub in the Alexander building, just north of Fillmore on North Nevada. The building dates back to 1928 and once housed Alexander Film Co., along with the Alexander Aircraft Co., which grew out of the need to transport crew and equipment for Alexander’s commercial film production needs nationwide.

“The inspiration for getting this building [came after] Blackhat started in another location but [Joe Koscove, Blackhat’s owner] really wanted to make it something bigger and better, and to bring the excitement and event space, along with that history and his passion for creating distilled spirits,”

says Lisa Lintjer, director of sales and marketing for Blackhat Distillery.

The neighborhood’s history, along with its central location in the city, represents a unique opportunity as the business district is reborn. The combination of businesses is also seeing an influx of customers from the city’s Old North End neighborhood along with more interest as Downtown’s northern section continues to see increased development.

“What we’re hoping to see is, this becomes kind of that central hub. You’ve got I-25 right there, Powers isn’t far; Nevada is almost like another interstate to get you across the city. We’re really in a prime location and excited about the history that’s going to be tied in,” Lintjer says. “We want to see these old buildings be revamped like this, not torn down.”

Long-Term Plan

The full report from the Urban Land Institute is still being developed and has not been presented to the city, but initial conversations suggested the formation of a development district, with a board of directors comprised of area stakeholders. They would advocate for the area, similar to the Downtown Partnership or Old Colorado City Downtown Development Authority.

“You have a representative board that can help to work out land deals,

work out investment, promote and invite investment from different companies. [Along with] working with landowners for purchase and sales,” Mulledy says.

The project’s overall goal will not only boost businesses directly along the North Nevada corridor, but also to provide more amenities to the adjacent neighborhoods, primarily east of Nevada.

“Outdoor dining and cultural centers, things like that. What we heard was that if it was going to be redeveloped, [residents] want it to have unique areas that celebrate the local area, local culture of that particular area and then have places where people can go [to] have a unique experience,” he adds.

Creating that agency and hiring staff members for the future development authority are in the very early planning stages. But with the dedicated PPRTA funding to provide the necessary infrastructure improvements already approved, and the project to be completed within the next six to eight years, the discussions for what the future holds for the area are underway.

“It’s not 10 years away, but it’s not in the next couple of months,” Mulledy says.

Andrew Rogers is a staff writer for the SoCo Business Forum & Digest.

Community Leadership: Insights from a Chamber President

BY LOLA WOLOCH

Community leadership is more than a title or position — it’s a commitment to nurturing connections, empowering others and fostering growth that benefits the collective good. From the unique vantage point of a chamber president, community leadership means being a catalyst for economic vitality while preserving the essence of the community’s identity.

Authentic leadership is taking accountability and responsibility. It also means being credible, honest and transparent. It involves inspiring and energizing others through passion for them to reach their fullest potential. It is also about setting a positive example. It requires a firm grasp of the region’s economic pulse. Identifying opportunities for innovation, understanding the challenges that local businesses face and being the conduit

through which solutions are introduced. Whether it’s fostering partnerships, advocating for fair legislation or organizing events that highlight local talent and enterprise, the chamber president’s leadership is defined by proactive engagement.

I believe there a few simple pillars of good leadership: Service, Collaboration, Advocacy, Integrity, Vision, Honesty and Passion. Collaboration is at the heart of effective community leadership. As a chamber president, I’m uniquely positioned to bring together stakeholders from various sectors — small businesses, large corporations, government entities, nonprofit organizations — to discuss shared goals and forge paths toward common objectives.

Advocating for fair policies that encourage growth is a cornerstone of the chamber president’s responsibilities.

SETTING THE STAGE FOR POWERFUL CONNECTIONS

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Photo credit: Southern Colorado Women’s Chamber of Commerce

Internship Programs Blossom in Southern Colorado Communities

BY JEANNE DAVANT

Asuccessful internship program in Fremont County is being replicated in Las Animas and Huerfano counties through the efforts of the Emergent Campuses in Florence and Trinidad.

While the Fremont County campus focuses primarily on the technology space, “our efforts are a little more dispersed,” says Emergent Campus Trinidad Executive Director Christine Louden. The internship program is in various stages of rollout across 10 school districts in Las Animas and Huerfano counties.

“Because technology is a part of nearly any business, we are looking for those kinds of opportunities, in addition to working at the bakery, a retail shop, the insurance agency,” Louden says. “We hope to get somebody at one of our surveying companies, and we need accountants and engineers, so I’m trying to find opportunities for students that are also needed within our community.”

Fremont County began in 2018 when the Cañon City school district won a state P-TECH (Pathways in Technology) grant, says Makenzie Konty, program manager at the Emergent Campus Florence.

After receiving the grant, Cañon City High School created the PaICE (Practicing Academics, Independence and Community Exploration) program to provide work experiences for students. The Fremont Economic Development Corp. and its TechSTART program were early supporters of the program, which had 35 participating students and 50 businesses its first year.

“Since then, Cañon City High School has really developed their internship program,” Konty says.

“Florence [High School] now also has a program. Emergent Campus helps support by providing businesses and helping with intern matching within the tech space.”

Last year, the program served more than 250 students and 200 businesses, and this year, the Florence campus is looking to expand it even

further. The campus hosted an internship development kickoff event May 7 to introduce new businesses and show them how internships can translate into workforce development.

“We are working hard to prepare businesses to make those internships even more meaningful by giving them a blueprint of what you can do with your intern, and we’re working with a technical writer who is helping bridge the gap between the schools and what kids are learning, and what businesses are expecting them to know,” Konty says.

At Cañon City High School, every student is required to complete an internship during their junior year, and students are provided a $500 stipend. That is the model the Trinidad School District is looking to create, Louden says. By the time the current freshmen at Trinidad High School are seniors, an internship will be a requirement for graduation. Through an Opportunity Now grant, Trinidad will award $500 stipends to participating students by the 2026-27 school year, she says.

The Trinidad program currently

has about 30 businesses on board and plans to recruit more over the summer, Louden says. Mount San Rafael Hospital has provided the bulk of internships in Las Animas County so far.

The campus is looking to obtain grant funding to expand the program throughout Huerfano and Las Animas counties, says Joze Betrich, business analyst at Emergent Campus Trinidad. The financial stipend is important, he says, to incentivize students and businesses and to aid lower-income families.

Jonathan Haas, owner of Haas Technical Writing in Cañon City, is working with both campuses to develop learning modules for interns on a digital platform. Haas, a former educator, “had this amazing idea of how to bridge the business-tostudent gap,” Konty says. “It gives the business several levels of support to establish good processes, and moves on to how to onboard a new employee. Your intern should be

3 Rocks Engineering interns assisted with tests and designs.

Sophomores from Cañon City, Cotopaxi and Florence interview for internships at a PaICE Employer Fair.

CONTINUED FROM P. 17

Community Leadership

Whether lobbying for tax incentives or addressing concerns about zoning policies, the chamber president must strike a balance between business interests and community welfare.

Leadership is inherently tied to vision. I embrace a forward-looking perspective. Strategic initiatives that put our members and the community first can have transformative impacts on local economies. Balancing diverse interests requires diplomacy, patience and transparency.

As community leaders, we also must be resilient in responding to crises, whether economic downturns or natural disasters. During such times, leadership translates into mobilizing resources swiftly, reassuring stakeholders and crafting recovery plans that prioritize the welfare of all.

Some leaders are willing to win at any cost and, when that happens, they compromise ethics, honesty, transparency and moral compass. Community leadership is not just about guiding — it’s about inspiring others to realize their potential and contribute to the greater good.

Service, Collaboration, Advocacy, Integrity, Vision, Honesty and Passion are important pillars of leadership that I continue to bring to the business community of the greater Southern Colorado area. By embracing all these pillars, I believe all community leaders can leave lasting legacies that uplift businesses and create vibrant, resilient communities.

Lola Woloch, is the President & CEO of SCWCC.

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CONTINUED FROM P. 18 Internship Programs

onboarded just the same as you would a new employee, because the experience we’re trying to provide them is a job experience.”

The modules are customized for each business, such as the ones in use at 3 Rocks Engineering and Second-61.

“We’re going to take that structure into the hospital,” says Betrich, so that interns can be hired after completing their internships. For example, a scrub technician, for which educational requirements are low, could be hired right away. Others, like lab technicians, could earn needed certifications while in high school. Other requirements, such as any compliance issues healthcare workers must face, would be integrated into the learning modules.

Konty, Louden and Betrich see the internship programs as a vital workforce and economic development strategy that can create a talent pipeline for current businesses, stop the “rural brain drain” and attract more businesses.

“If the word comes out that we are building a really smart workforce with the right soft skills, they’re going to think, ‘I can go into the rural community where my overhead is lower and I have devoted employees who are going to stay,’” Betrich says.

“We can start breaking down bigger companies into smaller, adjustable chunks, and more people are going to have stable, good-paying jobs.”

Jeanne Davant is a senior writer for the SoCo Business Forum & Digest.

DEADLINE TO NOMINATE Friday, June 27 scwcc.com

AWARD LUNCHEON

Annually since 1994, the Accolades Business Leader of the Year Awards has celebrated and highlighted the accomplishments of remarkable women in the Southern Colorado business community.

SPEAKER Connie Podesta, MS, CSP, CPAE Hall of Fame Keynote Speaker & Award-Winning Author Business Leader of the Year • SCWCC Member of the Year • Minority Owned Business of the Year • Emerging Leader of the Year • Don Brown Entrepreneur Award • Veteran Owned Business of the Year

ACCOLADES AWARD LUNCHEON August 12 | 11am – 1:30pm The DoubleTree by Hilton

In-basin Collaboration will Ensure Best Use of Arkansas Basin Water

BY TRAVAS DEAL

As Colorado’s population has grown, so has the need to cooperatively manage limited water resources. Cities, farms, recreation and environmental health are all vital in the Arkansas River Basin. For the basin’s largest city — Colorado Springs — this means implementing a balanced approach to meeting future water demand that optimizes water use, as well as partnerships, to ensure collective success for water users in the basin.

Colorado Springs Utilities (Springs Utilities) is implementing solutions with its farming partners in the Arkansas Basin to meet part of that future need. These individuals have been instrumental in guiding the city’s water sharing program to its current iteration, finding innovative ways to collaborate to preserve the agricultural economy

in the Lower Arkansas Valley.

Agriculture is a valuable contributor to the state economy and to food security. Municipalities also contribute substantially to the state’s gross domestic product (GDP.) Although often the target of frustration for the challenges that come with population growth, cities comprise only 7% of statewide water use, but serve more than 4.5 million residents, as well as businesses, industry and essential services. Colorado Springs is home to many of these, including five military installations, specialized healthcare and higher education institutions that serve the region, state and nation. Importantly, Colorado Springs’ location in the Arkansas River Basin distinguishes it from other Front Range cities when it comes to the use of basin water.

CONTINUED ON P. 22

BIG ENOUGH TO FINANCE YOUR COFFEE SHOP.

Photo credit: Mike Sweeney

City residents pay a sizable portion of the taxes that support the administration of the FryingpanArkansas Project. Springs Utilities is an integral partner in the basin’s voluntary flow-management programs and, because they plan for dry years, they can continue the historic practice of providing surplus water to Lower Arkansas Valley farmers in wetter periods. This supply is an important part of the water used throughout the valley and would be difficult to replace.

City residents in Colorado understand that water must be used responsibly. Colorado Springs customers have reduced their per capita consumption by 40% since 2001. Additional water savings are identified in the utility’s long-term plan to help meet projected future

demand, as well as guard against drought. The plan’s balanced portfolio of programs and projects also includes an agricultural water-sharing program, as well as increased water storage and reuse.

As the largest water user in the state, the Colorado Water Conservation Board has identified agriculture to help close the state’s projected water supply gap. Both the Colorado Water Plan and Arkansas Basin Implementation Plan identify water sharing as the preferred method for transferring a small percentage of water from agriculture to other uses. Springs Utilities’ water-sharing program operates within these guidelines.

Most Lower Arkansas Valley agriculture still relies on flood irrigation. The utility’s water-sharing program pays for installation of more efficient center pivot irrigation on farms. The city takes delivery only of the water associated with the corner acres that are no longer in production.

STATE OF THE UTILITY

The economics of the farm are preserved, and the remaining water is tied to the farmland in perpetuity.

As with all existing watersharing projects in Bent County, an intergovernmental agreement (IGA) with the Board of Commissioners was created, which limits the volume of water that may be developed, as well as the amount of dry-up that can occur. The IGA also provides ongoing economic mitigation payments to the county. This kind of agreement ensures benefits go directly to the impacted community, versus a regional district.

Water quality and Fountain Creek’s impact on the Lower Arkansas Valley are issues being addressed collectively. Springs Utilities participates with other cities and agriculture representatives throughout the basin using a sciencebased approach to identify the causes of water-quality issues. Springs Utilities provided $50 million for the Fountain Creek District formation and

mitigation efforts, which are showing positive results, while funding more than $1 million annually for on-going monitoring. The study also considers agriculture practices that can affect water quality.

Colorado’s history with water provides important lessons about how the management of this essential resource can be adapted to the state’s ever-changing needs. Continued collaboration and meaningful dialogue will produce solutions that allow all Arkansas Basin communities to thrive.

Travas Deal is the CEO of Colorado Springs Utilities.

Leverage No-Cost Resources to Launch or Grow Your Business

BY BECCA TONN

As a savvy entrepreneur, you’re constantly juggling clients, staff, vendors — and your own expectations. Some days you pinch yourself in wonder at how far you’ve come, on an endorphin high after closing another deal. But other moments you wonder what you’ve gotten yourself into. Let’s be honest — there are extreme highs and lows with being the one running the show and signing payroll.

You’re not alone — Colorado ranks fourth in the U.S. for startup activity, according to ColoradoCareers.com. And there are more than 691,000 small businesses in the Centennial State, employing about 1.2 million people, according to the Colorado Chamber of Commerce.

Not only that, but we have a bevy of local, regional and statewide resources at your fingertips — and that’s just the support offered at no cost to you and your business. Intrigued yet? Let’s get started.

Workforce Center

Business Resources

At the Pikes Peak Workforce Center, we have a team of business specialists to meet with you to conduct a workforce-needs assessment, which includes finding out your goals and needs and matching our available services. Our labor market information provides real-time insights into regional hiring trends, competitive salaries and available workforce skillsets. If retention becomes an issue, we have data on unemployment and staff turnover statistics.

Also, we hold monthly First Wednesday job fairs, with 200 individuals attending. We promote these job fairs to job seekers, so you can show up with your booth setup and start recruiting. We thrive on finding ways to make it easier for you to focus on running your business. Register today for one of our upcoming job fairs at ppwfc.org/ourjob-fairs

Training Support

Another valuable partner for your company, the Better Business Bureau of Southern Colorado, has offices in Pueblo and Colorado Springs — serving 25 counties across Southern Colorado.

If you haven’t tapped into their business expertise, you are in for a treat. For starters, they offer a variety of in-person and virtual classes — including “Intro to Digital Ads,” “Beyond Google: Make Your Business Discoverable in the Age of AI,” “Intro to Social Impact,” “ChatGPT Basics” and “Harnessing Generative AI for Small Businesses.”

And they have partnered with Google to offer Google AI Courses and Google Career Certificates for BBB Accredited Businesses. Learn more at bbb.org/local-bbb/bbb-of-southerncolorado

County Incentives

For businesses located in El Paso County, there is an Economic Development Department dedicated to helping businesses through diverse incentive programs, including tax credits and rebates, as well as state and federal funding opportunities. Check out elpasoco.com/economicdevelopment for more details.

Startup Support

If you’re still in the startup phase, there are resources for you as well. Check out the Pikes Peak Small Business Development Center, right here in Southern Colorado. They’re dedicated to helping new businesses grow and prosper by providing free advising and no- or low-cost training programs. They have a team of business experts ready to help you create and retain jobs, secure loans, increase sales, win government contracts, obtain certifications and more. Visit sbdc.colorado.gov/ pikespeak to explore startup support. Also, start-up companies in Colorado Springs may avail themselves of the COS Open for Business and COS Business Navigator sites, available at coloradosprings.gov/ economicdevelopment.

Veteran-Owned Business Resources

If you’ve served in the armed forces or are a military spouse or family member, the Veterans Business Outreach Center (VBOC) provides entrepreneurial development resources for service members, veterans, National Guard and Reserve members, military spouses and family members

interested in starting or growing a small business. They are a program of the U.S. Small Business Administration.

VBOCs team up with SBA district offices and Transition Service Managers on military bases to run Boots to Business classes for service members and military spouses. They also help lead B2B Reboot classes off base for veterans of all eras, as well as National Guard, Reserve members and military spouses. You can visit their Southern Colorado office at Mt. Carmel Veterans Service Center in Colorado Springs.

As you can see, there are myriad options in Southern Colorado for entrepreneurs and small business owners. Don’t travel this journey alone. Just as you’d gather family and friends to celebrate an achievement, reach out for help when you encounter a hurdle. We all flourish when we connect, collaborate and work together.

Becca Tonn is the communications manager for the Pikes Peak Workforce Center.

Madera Cyber Innovation Center Prepares Cadets for Their Future

BY THERESA WOODS

The Madera Cyber Innovation Center at the U.S. Air Force Academy, which opened April 25, has 29 miles of cable connecting cadets with the future of cyber space. All academy cadets are required to complete “Computer Science 110: Introduction to Computing and Cyber Operations” before graduation, in recognition of the pivotal role these studies play as they graduate from cadet to warfighter.

The 48,000-square-foot facility houses the Department of Computer and Cyber Sciences, CyberWorx, The Institute for Future Conflict and 14 specialized laboratories and classrooms. The new center enhances cadets’ education and training in military conflict preparedness and cyber warfare — both offensive and defensive — as well as in cyber technology and security.

A Game-Changer for Cadet Training

“We’re most enthusiastic about the increase in industrial control system education. This comes from our cyber city setup that we have, and we’re increasing the amount of industrial control systems that are available to the cadets to conduct cyber attack/cyber defense,” says Lt. Col. James Maher, Computer and Cyber Sciences Department head and associate professor of the Industrial Controls & Platform Security Lab, a model city for testing and simulation. Industrial control systems are the hardware and software that make critical infrastructure work.

“They can control traffic lights. They can control airport systems, radars, anything. … We’re really excited that the cadets are going to get more opportunities to interact with that.”

A key feature of the new facility is a sensitive compartmented information facility (SCIF), the Cross Domain Command & Control Lab. It is connected to active-duty Air Force and Space Force intelligence data and operations for real-world training in real world situations. “It’s going to build that linkage between operational cyber and cyber that we’re teaching,” Maher says about the updated and expanded lab.

“We’re also excited about the ability

to interact with industry and government in this facility for increased cyber and artificial intelligence research with outside entities,” says Maher. Partnerships with local autonomous systems, artificial intelligence and cybersecurity companies bring the latest developments to the cadets.

The Cyber Competition Team will relocate to the center. The building features multi-disciplinary workspaces and an open plan to foster collaboration. Additional classes in autonomous systems and drones and the capability for indoor drone flights are improvements the new building makes possible.

The $52 million construction project was financed through donations and military construction funds. The Air Force Academy Association of Graduates and Foundation contributed $38 million from almost 20,000 donors. The remaining $30 million came from the Department of Defense. The center is named for retired U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Paul Madera, class of 1978 and Silicon Valley venture capitalist, and his wife, Joan, in recognition of their financial support and leadership. This advanced cyber training facility, envisioned by Lt. Col. Richard McConn and Gen. John Hyten 10 years ago, began construction in August 2021.

Cyber Gear Up

Digital vulnerability and national preparedness drove Paul Madera’s interest in funding a new facility. The same concerns generated a wave of cyber center construction at military academies over the past decade.

At the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, New York, the Cyber & Engineering Academic Center (CEAC) broke ground in December 2020. The state-of-the-art, 146,000-square-foot building is scheduled for completion in fall 2025. CEAC is designed to support preparing cadets for the complexities of modern warfare, particularly in cyber and engineering domains. The $200 million project was financed through military construction funds and donations from private individuals, alumni and businesses. The amount raised through donations has not been publicly disclosed.

Laboratory Facilities at each Military Academy

Specialized, state-of-the-art laboratories available to students.

Hopper Hall in Annapolis:

• Classified Education and Research Facility (CERF)

• Observational Astrophysics Facility and telescopes

• Power Lab

• The Surface and Underwater Robotics Facility Computer Engineering Lab (SURF pool)

• Aerial Robotics Testing and Mission Lab (ARTeMis Lab)

• Gamma Lab

• Hydromechanics Laboratory (NAHL)

• Waterfront Activities Lab (WAL)

• Advanced Networking Lab

• Photonics Lab

• Electronic Materials Lab

• Data Science Lab

• Multiple computer labs and project-based learning rooms

The Madera Center at USAFA:

• Cross Domain Command & Control Lab

• Immersive Environments, Data Visualization & Decision Support Lab

• Cyber Forensics & Reverse Engineering Lab

• Industrial Controls & Platform Security Lab

• Cyber Security, Networking, Radio Frequency & Telecomm Lab

• Policy, Strategy, Cyber Law, Ethics & Digital Humanities Lab

• Robotics & Autonomous Systems Lab

• Cyber Training Lab

• Multiple computer labs and cyber education classrooms

Paul Madera, class of 1978, and Joan Madera, at the opening of the advanced cyber training facility named in their honor. Every Air Force Academy cadet for years to come will pass through the Madera Center for Cyber Innovation.

Photo sources: U.S. Air Force Academy

The U.S. Coast Guard Academy in New London, Connecticut, opened a new $1.5 million Cybersecurity Laboratory in the existing McAllister Hall in 2021. The 2,000-square-foot renovation began in 2018 and was fully funded by the alumni association.

The Naval Academy Center for Cyber Security Studies, Hopper Hall, opened in October 2020 in Annapolis, Maryland. Construction began in October 2016 on the 206,000-squarefoot facility. The Naval Academy Foundation raised $45 million in private donations for construction; the total construction cost was $106.7 million.

Hopper Hall features innovative spaces, cutting-edge technology, a project-based learning focus and the synergy of cyber-related technical fields, all housed together. All midshipmen must complete “Cyber I” and “Cyber II.” The Naval Academy was the first to require a computer class for graduation. Similar to the Madera Center, it has a secure facility, a rapid prototyping lab, specialized laboratories and classrooms and multidisciplinary workspaces, and houses the cyber competition team. The Naval Academy added an observatory with optical and radio telescopes and a Surface and Underwater Robotics Facility (SURF Pool).

Hopper Hall is named for Rear Adm. Grace Hopper, a pioneer in computer programming often referred to as “Amazing Grace” and “the mother of computing.”

A plaque in her honor is inside the Madera Center, alongside other computing and cyber pioneers.

“These facilities are critical to the success of our Cyber Studies curriculum and our ability to commission officers fluent in cyber operations for the fleet,” Naval Academy Superintendent Vice Adm. Sean Buck said at Hopper Hall’s opening.

This statement was widely echoed from the air and space forces at the Madera Center’s opening. “Our hope is that it [the Madera Center] brings the entire DoD [Department of Defense] fully up in terms of research and preparedness,” Maher says.

The Madera Cyber Innovation Center, McAllister Hall, CEAC and Hopper Hall are more than new facilities. They are engines for innovation, bringing together students, industry leaders, academia and military service members to solve the complex problems an increasingly wired and networked world faces within those wires.

Theresa Woods is a staff writer for the SoCo Business Forum & Digest.

Construction of the Madera Cyber Innovation Center was funded by $30 million in public funds from the Department of Defense construction budget and private donations to the Air Force Academy Foundation, a 501(c)(3) public charity. Wyatt Hornsby, Senior Vice President of Marketing and Communications for the Association of Graduates and Air Force Academy Foundation, confirmed that “1,199 donors contributed $38 million toward the Madera Cyber Innovation Center. It was a $58 million facility, and the funding came from public dollars and private support.” The original goal for private donations to support construction of the center was $30 million. Included in the $38 million figure are materials and equipment donated to outfit the building by Cisco Systems, Corning Optical Communications and Siemens Industry. Steven Lincoln, Senior Development Writer and Editor with the Association of Graduates and Air Force Academy Foundation, stated a “good portion” of the additional $8 million raised is attributable to these material gifts. “None of the money raised over the initial goal is being used on other projects. It will all be used for the Madera Cyber Innovation Center,” he said.

4 5 TH U.S.

June 2 5-29 | The

The Air Force Academy Foundation supports the Air Force Academy and its graduates through a variety of programs and philanthropy. Fundraising for the Madera Center was part of a broader campaign, Defining Our Future, begun in 2018. As of the end of 2024, Defining Our Future raised $330.6 million in donations from 19,643 donors. Academy graduates were responsible for $240.8 million, 72% of the total amount donated to the campaign.

Bluestaq Gains Foothold in Europe with U.K. Subsidiary

BY WAYNE HEILMAN

Colorado Springs information technology company Bluestaq has formed a United Kingdom subsidiary to pave the way for its expansion into other U.S.allied nations in Europe, financed by a recent $50 million investment.

The U.K. unit, which follows the company’s expansion into Australia two years ago, started with two employees with a third added this summer, five more next year and reaching 20 or more in five years, Bluestaq CEO Seth Harvey says in an email. Bluestaq said in an April news release that it is “expanding its sovereign, mission-critical data solutions to allied defense and space

organizations worldwide.”

The subsidiary, Bluestaq Ltd., is aimed at providing its data analysis products to members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, which includes the U.S., Canada, the U.K. and 29 other European nations. The operation will “provide secure, incountry solutions for space domain awareness, defense interoperability and mission-critical data sharing,” according to the release.

“By building Bluestaq Ltd. in the U.K., we’re in a better position to codevelop, iterate faster and scale our solutions across NATO countries that are hungry for innovation, but operate within complex defense frameworks,”

says. “It’s one thing to talk about coalition operations from a Zoom call in Colorado. It’s another to be literally across the table with a cup of tea, solving real-time problems with NATO partners.”

The expansion came four months after a $50 million investment from ONE Bow River, a Colorado Springsbased alternative asset management firm headed by local developer and investor Kevin O’Neil. The investment was the first from the $500 million ONE Bow River National Defense Fund I, a private equity fund focused on privately held middle-market companies that offer data solutions for national defense.

Bluestaq continues to add employees as part of a plan to grow to 600 employees in the next five years — the company has added 44 employees so far this year, and now has a staff of 180 people; they expect to reach 200 workers later this year, Harvey says. In 2022, the Colorado Economic Development Commission approved $5.57 million in state credits over eight years for the company to reach the 600-employee goal.

The company, launched in 2018, has played a key role in developing the Unified Data Library to allow the U.S. Space Force to keep track of space objects for more than 10,000 businesses, governments, military and intelligence agencies in 60 countries. The library is becoming a formal government program and will expand to provide secure, scalable and realtime access for maritime, cyber and ground operations.

“This investment allows us to scale our technologies faster and deliver even greater impact,” Harvey says. “We’re ensuring our allies have the secure, real-time data fabric they need to make data-driven decisions with confidence. Sovereign data solutions are the foundation of modern defense and space operations, and expanding into the U.K. reinforces our commitment to empowering allied missions worldwide.”

The investment also allows Bluestaq to expand its target customers from defense and intelligence into other highly regulated industries such as healthcare, finance and critical infrastructure, Harvey says. The funding will be used to hire specialized talent, integrate the company’s products with advanced artificial intelligence and accelerate addition of “key capabilities that would have taken years” to develop, he says.

Bluestaq also is expanding its support for higher education from internships and scholarships to launch graduate and doctoral programs in defense- and intelligence-focused artificial intelligence and data engineering at three universities, which are yet to be identified. Harvey says the company is “going to fund and grow the future AI-focused thought leaders for the DoD (Department of Defense) community.”

Wayne Heilman is a senior writer for the SoCo Business Forum & Digest.

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Economic Forum

The Institutional Foundations of Prosperity

BY DR. BILL CRAIGHEAD

The total value of goods and services produced per person in a country in a year is often used as a yardstick — albeit an imperfect one — for economic prosperity. According to the World Bank, in 2023, GDP per capita, adjusted for purchasing power, ranged from $141,554 in Singapore to $920 in Burundi. The United States had the highest figure among countries with populations greater than 10 million, at $82,769, more than three- and-a-half times the world average of $22,850.

What explains these vast disparities? This is one of the most important, and difficult, questions in economics. The best explanation we currently have attributes the differences primarily to “institutions” — a somewhat vague term that describes the social and political context that shapes incentives for economic activity.1

Economists generally believe that markets provide incentives for the best use of resources, fueling prosperity and growth. But markets do not exist in a vacuum — legal and political systems, as well as social norms of behavior can shape and distort incentives in ways that reinforce or hinder effective resource allocation.

Consider an entrepreneur in a midsize city with an innovative idea for a new coffee shop concept. To start a shop, she depends on government to make sure infrastructure is available for utilities and for people to come to her store.2 Law enforcement — as well as norms of behavior — are

needed to protect her investment from being stolen. The local government also needs to provide health inspection to make sure that people feel confident patronizing her business. Her incentive to invest in the business would be undermined if she faced the risk of being extorted for bribes from either the police or the health inspectors.

If her business is successful locally, to expand nationally she needs to be able to raise money in financial markets. Being able to issue shares or debt requires an effective legal framework where would-be investors are confident their rights would be enforced in a predicable way. A national government that puts its thumb on the scale to favor some businesses over others — perhaps due to familial connections to the ruling family — would also be a barrier to success.

That is, flaws in the institutional framework — corrupt police or health inspectors, a failure of public goods provision, an ineffective legal system or an executive branch that does not act impartially — could

interfere with markets encouraging and rewarding our entrepreneur’s new product innovation.

The importance of institutions is why economists look with concern on recent actions, like the administration’s executive orders targeting law firms who have represented political opponents with retaliatory treatment that would harm their business and drive away clients. An economy where business success depends on staying in the good graces of a particular political party or leader rather than on producing the best goods and services is one that allocates resources less effectively.

To be sure, America’s institutions have always been less than perfect. Some institutional degradation will not turn the United States into Zimbabwe overnight, but it could distort the allocation of resources in a way that diminishes long-term growth prospects. Argentina is a cautionary example — at the beginning of the 20th century, it was among the richest countries in the world, with a per

1. The most recent Nobel memorial prize in economics was awarded to Daron Acemoglu, Simon Johnson and James A. Robinson for their work on this topic; Acemoglu and Johnson wrote about their ideas for a general audience in the book Why Nations Fail.

2. The government doesn’t need to provide the infrastructure itself but must set up an effective regulatory framework to ensure its provision.

capita GDP comparable to that of Canada. Canada provided a strong institutional framework, while Argentina saw intervals of populism and dictatorship. That didn’t impoverish the country, but it did grow more slowly — between 1900 and 2022, its real GDP per capita grew at an average annual rate of 1.1%, versus 1.9% in Canada. Over time, that diminished growth caused it to fall out of the ranks of the world’s high-income countries. Avoiding a similar fate for the United States requires maintaining an institutional environment that incentivizes the efficient use of resources.

Dr. Bill Craighead is the director of the UCCS Economic Forum.

SAVE THE DATE

The 29th Annual UCCS Economic Forum will take place Thursday, Oct. 2, 2025. More details to come!

Buenos Aires, capitol of Argentina.

SKR+Co. Becomes Sorren

BY WAYNE HEILMAN

SKR+Co., the largest accounting firm in the Colorado Springs area, has joined with 12 other similar firms in eight states to create Sorren, a nationwide accounting and consulting organization with 20 U.S. and three foreign offices.

Sorren, which is based in Meridian, Idaho, and employs more than 1,000 accountants and other professionals, will rank among the nation’s 50 largest accounting firms with annual revenue estimated at $168 million. The merger was completed in January and financed by New Yorkbased private equity firm DFW Capital Partners, which also took a minority stake in Sorren, and resulted from a year of negotiations.

“We’ve had several offers to sell the company, but this is the only one we accepted,” says SKR Managing Partner Jordan Empey. “We are not joining a large organization but putting one together on our own. We knew each other and had strong relationships through the BDO Alliance (an organization of independent accounting firms) and we all shared similar values and culture, such as work-life balance.”

The combined organization will be able to offer additional areas of expertise that SKR didn’t have or had only limited offerings, such as government audits, lowincome housing tax credits and business and transaction advisory services, Empey says. The merger resulted from “changing dynamics in public accounting,” including client needs for more resources and services and senior professionals retiring, he says.

The name Sorren blends the meanings of “master of craft” and “coming together as one,” according to a SKR news release announcing the merger. Sorren will offer broader experience in specialties such as transaction advisory services, litigation and

forensic accounting; access to national-level talent as well as greater investment in innovation, technology and other tools, according to the release.

“We realized we could do so much more – for our teams, our clients and our communities – by working together,” Sorren President Josh Tyree said in the release. “At Sorren, our clients will still work with the trusted advisors they’ve always known, but now those same teams are backed by enhanced capabilities and infrastructure. Together, we’re more powerful. We’re better equipped to solve the industry’s most pressing issues.”

Stockman Kast Ryan + Co. was formed in 1995, when partners and employees from the Colorado Springs office of Deloitte acquired and merged their practice with Stockman & Kast, a local accounting firm. The company shortened its name to SKR and now employs 125 people, including 15 partners, generating annual revenue of $19.5 million and opened an office two years ago in Greenwood Village.

The merger was led by Meridian, Idaho-based Harris & Co. and also includes Chigbrow Ryan Murata of Boise, Idaho; SBF Advisors and Hoerber Tillman & Co. of St. Petersburg, Florida; KDP Advisors of Medford and Capital Nomics Valuations of Bend, both in Oregon; Pisenti & Brinker of Santa Rosa and Roeser Accountancy of Fresno, both in California; KMA Advisors of Madison, Wisconsin; Aycock & Co. of Houston; Acuity of Atlanta; JRJBF of Chicago.

Wayne Heilman is a senior writer for the SoCo Business Forum & Digest.

EPIIC Launches New Programs to Reshape Entrepreneur Support

BY WAYNE HEILMAN

The El Pomar Institute for Innovation & Commercialization (EPIIC) is in the midst of its first major remake in 17 years with a new endowed chair, who is its acting director, and several new programs targeted at entrepreneurs.

Started under a different name in 1991 with grants from the El Pomar Foundation and the University of Colorado, the organization has always been focused on helping local entrepreneurs and students at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs turn their innovative business ideas into economic opportunity. The original grants also funded endowed chairs at UCCS that form the core of EPIIC’s staff.

The grants funded three faculty positions at UCCS, but Michael Larson, the endowed chair of engineering and innovation, left UCCS a year ago to become senior research scientist at the Florida Institute for Human & Machine Cognition; Thomas Duening retired in September from his role as the chair of business and entrepreneurship and was replaced by Larry Plummer, who now also serves as EPIIC’s acting director; and Terry Boult recently retired as chair of innovation and security. Larson wasn’t replaced, and the process of replacing Boult is just beginning, UCCS Provost Lynn Vidler says.

UCCS officials are considering whether to restructure Boult’s former chair, which was linked to the campus’ College of Engineering since he specialized in computer science. Once a new chair is named, they will join Plummer and Luke Doster, who recently became EPIIC’s strategic program director, to restart several of the organization’s current programs and launch several new initiatives, Vidler says.

“We are excited for the new leadership and chairs and to continue to make an impact in innovation and entrepreneurship in Colorado Springs,” Vidler says. Boult’s former chair is expected to be filled sometime in the 2025-26 academic year, they say.

“We have a new vision, and my mandate is to reinvigorate and revive our programs,” Plummer says. “Terry (Boult) deserves credit for making cybersecurity a big thing for both the university and the city as a whole. We can bring in someone (to fill the other El Pomar chair) who will be the next big thing for the university and the city. Our job is to help (UCCS) students and the community develop an entrepreneurial mindset.”

EPIIC was founded to help students and local entrepreneurs start businesses, but Plummer says entrepreneurship is about more than just startups. Many large corporations look to hire employees with an entrepreneurial mindset to start a new division, launch a new product or develop new markets, he says. EPIIC is envisioned as a catalyst for a thriving environment of entrepreneurship and startups.

“This is a reboot of EPIIC,” Plummer says. “I left one of the best business schools in Canada to come to a campus with a student body that

has a much different profile, which is about as close to an entrepreneurial opportunity as an academic can get.” Plummer and Doster are restarting EPIIC’s current programs, including:

• The Garage — An on-campus student entrepreneurship center that offers access to resources, equipment and services to establish student businesses and foster connections for mentoring and guidance from UCCS faculty and local business leaders. One of the program’s most successful graduates, Colorado Springs-based Salt Athletic, produces bags that reduce odor of sports cleats stored in them; the bags are used by more than 1,000 professional and 2,000 collegiate athletes.

• EPIIC Nights — Feature guest speakers on business and innovation, including a recent program on the neuroscience of storytelling, celebrations and other events designed to be a catalyst for innovation and networking.

• Lion’s Den Pitch Nights — Student entrepreneurs from local colleges compete for prizes by pitching their business plans to a panel of judges that include local business owners, faculty from local colleges and others in a format similar to the television show “Shark Tank.”

• Venture Attractor at UCCS — A university-based research initiative to boost regional economic development and strengthen the local startup community, focusing primarily on early-stage startups in the sports and outdoors, health innovation and human performance sectors.

• Scale to $1 Million Boot-Up Camp — Open to startups worldwide with cohorts of 12 companies selected by experienced investors, it offers a four-month online curriculum that entrepreneurs and faculty nationwide teach to help participating ventures develop a foundation for growing their company’s value to $1 million.

• Ventures in the bootcamp compete for $50,000 Torch Grants that don’t require founders to give up a stake in the company, but do require recipient companies to move to Colorado Springs for at least a year. Grant recipients are expected to hire UCCS graduates, employ students as interns, participate in research on startups or teach a class, if they don’t give the school a stake in the company. Nightingale Caring Solutions, which provides nursing care analytics to hospital administrators, won a Torch Grant last year and moved to Colorado Springs from Philadelphia.

Plummer also is raising $500,000 to launch the following programs:

• Lab2Market STEM Startup Lab program — Designed to help Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) graduate students commercialize their research. Plummer hopes to use $75,000 to fund the first three years of the program that would

The Lion’s Den Pitch Competition brings together some of the brightest minds from various educational institutions in Colorado Springs.

Photo source: EPIIC

make small grants to student entrepreneurs for producing prototypes of their concepts.

• Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans — UCCS is applying to join seven other business schools in offering a program that Syracuse University started in 2007. The cutting-edge, experiential training in entrepreneurship and small business management will be directed to post-9/11 veterans. Plummer wants to raise $300,000 for the first three years of this program.

• Membership in the Intercollegiate Angel Network — UCCS wants to join two other universities in a new online platform Duening started to connect student and faculty entrepreneurs to accredited investors (high-net-worth individuals), including alumni, donors and boosters from member campuses. Investors pledge a part of any returns

they make on deals to the school connected to the venture in which they invest.

EPIIC also supports the UCCS Center for Entrepreneurship, a College of Business program Plummer directs, and promotes entrepreneurship, venture creation and economic development in Southern Colorado through research, teaching and service projects.

EPIIC also supports the business school’s entrepreneurship major, an entrepreneurship minor open to all UCCS students and the campus Entrepreneurship Scholars Program for researchers.

Wayne Heilman is a senior writer for the SoCo Business Forum & Digest.

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Colorado Springs Utilities Racing to Provide Wastewater Infrastructure

BY ANDREW ROGERS

The Colorado State

Demography Office expects El Paso County’s population to grow by nearly 100,000 residents by 2030 and could very well surpass one million residents by 2050. With Colorado Springs being the county’s most populous city, the administration continues to find ways for growth to facilitate and support the expected headcount increase.

The direction of the city’s growth is limited due to the mountains to the west and federal properties, including the U.S. Air Force Academy to the north and Fort Carson to the south — most of the city’s growth will be to the east.

Many developers are racing toward the city’s eastern fringe with several newly planned developments. Norwood Development Corp. is building the Percheron planned community on Woodmen Road, east of Marksheffel Road. Norwood also still owns the development rights for thousands of acres in the Banning Lewis Ranch area. ONE LaPlata is proposing the Karmin Line development near Schriever Space Force Base, which will require a public vote on June 17 to approve the proposed “flagpole” annexation into the city limits, using Bradley Road as the connection point to the city’s existing boundaries.

ONE LaPlata was formed via merger between the O’Neil Group and La Plata in late 2024, after the Colorado Springs City Council shot down La Plata’s annexation plan for the Amara development southeast of the city’s boundaries, using a similar annexation method, in August 2024.

With the city’s undeniable growth projections, Colorado Springs Utilities is planning ahead to help provide

crucial infrastructure to accommodate for the city’s expanding footprint.

“All of these new homes and businesses will need utilities, and building wastewater infrastructure is a vital first step,” says Travas Deal, CEO of Colorado Springs Utilities.

In November 2024, a five-year capital spending plan was approved for several utilities upgrades of the municipal utility’s four services. One of the most important but least flashy: wastewater services. Utilities officials say that, with the current pace of building, the current wastewater infrastructure will be at or over capacity sometime between 2028 and 2030.

Up the Tube

The five-year spending plan calls for a total of $470 million in wastewater upgrades; much of the work will be included in the Eastern Wastewater System Expansion project, which will transport wastewater from the city’s growing parts to the current wastewater treatment facility on Las Vegas Street.

“The first phase of the project includes installation of 16 miles of pipeline and two new lift stations, costing approximately $396 million,” says Tara McGowen, water and wastewater engineer for Springs Utilities.

The two new lift stations will also accompany an expansion of the existing Sand Creek lift station on the city’s east side, along with the main Las Vegas Street treatment plant.

“Thirty million gallons of product is processed [at the Las Vegas plant] every day. With the capacity upgrade, the plant will process approximately 50 million gallons per day,” Deal explains. “That’s over a 60% increase.”

Springs Utilities says that expanding the existing facility, rather

than building a second treatment plant, was a fiscally prudent move that also helps maximize the existing water rights the municipal utilities owns by tying the new utilities infrastructure to the Arkansas River basin.

Footing the Bill

The Springs Utilities board of directors, made up of City Council members, approved a rate increase in November 2024 of between 4% and 9%, depending on the type of service.

(Specifically, the approved increases are: 4% natural gas, 6.5% water, 6.5% electric and 9% wastewater.) The board will start this year to fund the total capital plan, which carries a $3.9 billion price tag. Residential users are seeing, on average, an additional $14 a month on their bill; the increase for commercial ratepayers is closer to $83.70 and $1,744 for industrial users.

There is a mechanism in place for the new growth to help recoup the cost of building Phase 1 of the Eastern Wastewater System Expansion, which is estimated at $396 million.

“Recovery agreements are set up

for the newly developed areas that will use the infrastructure that we’re putting in place. [Springs Utilities] will [receive] dollars as new homes or businesses are built in that area that goes back to offset future cost of service,” says Tristan Gearhart, chief finance officer for Springs Utilities. Gearhart also says that the municipal utility will be responsible for building the backbone elements for the expanded wastewater service, and developers will be responsible for extending service as their respective projects are built out.

Springs Utilities says that investing in these wastewater improvements is intended to meet the demand from Colorado Springs’ growing east side. In addition to residential projects, that includes the ever-expanding Colorado Springs Airport and Colorado Springs Utilities’ new Horizon Utility Campus, which will host additional units generating natural gas and electricity, enhancing service for the entire city.

Andrew Rogers is a staff writer for the SoCo Business Forum & Digest.

Major infrastructure upgrades are underway as Colorado Springs braces for rapid growth, with wastewater systems topping the priority list.

Cutting Through the Chaos: The Power of Understanding in Marketing

BY PAUL YANKEY, MBA

If marketing had to be replaced by a single word it would be understanding. Understanding means more than recognizing data points or predicting behavior. It’s about being attuned to what people are actually experiencing — emotionally, practically and professionally. And in today’s world, that kind of sensitivity is no longer optional.

Uncertainty is everywhere: economic swings, tariffs shifting overnight, government departments freezing or folding. People are weary, teams are stretched and decision-making is harder than ever. Generic messaging doesn’t cut through that. It gets ignored — or worse, resented.

My experience at Dell, Cisco and Salesforce showed that the most effective marketing and sales teams didn’t win by outshouting the competition. We won by listening. We took time to understand what our customers were up against — their fears, internal politics and changing targets. That’s where traction began.

In uncertain times, leaning on true understanding can mean the difference between forging new partnerships and

watching them slip away. People want to see that you grasp their challenges and respect their anxieties. When you acknowledge their unspoken pressures, you build more than loyalty — you build real influence.

Understanding isn’t soft. It’s strategic. It sharpens messaging. It earns trust. It improves timing.

When a person feels seen, they engage. Not because your message was perfect, but because your presence was real.

Marketing isn’t about clever; it’s about clear. It’s about noticing what others overlook — needs that aren’t stated, frustrations that aren’t voiced.

And the irony is: when you stop trying to be impressive and start being truly attentive, you become far more relevant.

You don’t need to know everything; you just need to care enough to notice.

Lead with understanding and everything else — strategy, response and long-term reputation —tends to follow.

Paul Yankey, MBA, is an Ethical Marketing & Growth

Springs.

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Colorado S enior G ame s June 6-8

St ar S pangle d S ymphony & Four th of July F ir ewor ks July 4

D epar tment of D e fen se War r ior G ame s July 17-27

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It’s All about Relationships

BY MAX CUPP

Almost a year ago, I sat down with Vance Brown in a small Salvadoran restaurant called Hidalgo’s Kitchen over on Circle Drive. We were talking about Exponential Impact (XI), and Vance was trying to get a read on the type of leader I was, as he was looking for someone to take on his role as the executive director.

I remember talking about the resilience of the business owners of Hidalgo’s Kitchen, as someone had just broken both of the restaurant’s front windows. A giant board covered the holes, with “Still Open” written across the front. We talked about everything from running small businesses, to his time starting and running Cherwell Software, to the concept of “Mudita” that helped our Harrison High School baseball team have its best season in 20 years. Although we talked about

many topics, one thing from that conversation still sticks with me; I hear Vance repeating it (in my head) over and over again each week as I’ve gone through this first year.

“It’s all about relationships.”

What I found in joining XI is, to quote our Board Chair Jay Jesse, “a community of past, present and future entrepreneurs.” We’ve got people who have been venture-backed CEOs seven or eight times working alongside people bootstrapping their first startup. We have a community of people willing to share any and everything they have learned through their entrepreneurial adventures — including the numerous failures that have come with each success.

This, to me, is the real power of having an organization like Exponential Impact, and partner organizations like Catalyst Campus for Innovation and Technology. We provide spaces and places for

entrepreneurs in our community past, present and future — to share wisdom.

Treating you like a friend, not a policy number.

Insurance is about the people behind the policies.

That’s why we work to get to know you, your needs, and your goals and then design plans customized to each. But we don’t stop there. Higginbotham is with you every step, providing risk management, claims advocacy and superior support throughout the life of your policy.

higginbotham.com

In my first year on the job, I’ve witnessed folks who have gone through divorce and found new life through our community of entrepreneurs, a network of people who have supported a tech founder and his family who went “all-in” just a little too early, and I’ve been invited to share holidays with people who understand that entrepreneurs can often be lonely. What I keep seeing, and I keep feeling, is that we’ve created a community that is “all about relationships,” and it’s our job to build that community even further.

This column is the first of XI’s regular contributions on the tech and innovation ecosystem here in Colorado Springs. To create these, we will rely on our community members and partners who have been in the arena of starting and building businesses. We will provide updates showing data on our tech ecosystem and feature entrepreneurs providing practical advice on how to best scale your business. We’ll make sure to include failures in there too, as we all know that’s where true learning happens.

So, whether you are a current

CEO who can provide feedback on a product or service that an entrepreneur is creating, an entrepreneur who is looking to mentor or receive guidance from others in our ecosystem, or a technical expert who wants to give back or participate in innovation, this is your invitation to engage in the Startup Ecosystem we are building at XI. We have space for anyone looking to build. Come to one of our Thursday morning Tech Connect coffees to learn more and be part of the community. After all, business really is “all about relationships.”

Exponential Impact.

Max Cupp is the executive director for

Vance Brown speaks at the groundbreaking ceremony for the Colorado Springs School of Technology on May 5.

New Grocery Store Aims to Bring the Taste of Mexico to Pueblo

BY TIFFANY UNDERWOOD

Anew grocery store opening on Pueblo’s east side will do more than stock shelves; it aims to bring authentic Mexican products and culture to the community, fill a geographic food gap and build a space that reflects the needs and identity of its customers.

Co-owner Evans Gonzalez, originally from Santa Fe, New Mexico, moved to Denver in 2015 and later relocated to Pueblo in search of community and opportunity. His local entrepreneurial journey began at the Pueblo Mall with a clothing

boutique. After closing that business, he partnered with his aunt and godmother to open a Mexican candy store in the same location. The community’s enthusiastic response revealed a deeper need for authentic Mexican goods, leading the family duo to envision a fullscale grocery and butcher shop.

“We saw that people were missing the meat display and other essentials,” Gonzalez says. “It sparked the idea to open a butcher shop, especially since the east side really didn’t have anything like this.”

Top: Evans Gonzalez Left: Signage for Gonzalez's new Mexican grocery store.

Photo credit: Zachary AllenThe Pueblo Chieftain

Join Us

Saturday, July 5th,

2025

Norris Penrose Event Center 1045 Lower Gold Camp Rd

Colorado Springs, CO 80905

Doors Open 4:30PM

2025 Headliner:

Nashville Legend Darryl Worley

Including “Behind the Music” with Nashville’s Top Songwriters

Rob Crosby | Jimmy Nichols | Billy Montana | Ed Montana

Prime Rib Dinner courtesy of Coors Cowboy Club, Amarillo, TX

CONTINUED FROM P. 37

Drawing from experience, Gonzalez’s aunt, who already owns a butcher shop in Las Vegas, New Mexico, helped guide the business transition. Gonzalez himself has deep roots in selling goods, recalling childhood memories of helping his father sell produce and candy in the plazas of Chihuahua, Mexico. That handson experience has shaped his approach to running a business centered on trust, quality and cultural familiarity.

The new store, located in a former Dollar Tree, is set to offer 100% authentic Mexican products — many of which Gonzalez personally sources from Mexico — including candy, piñatas, drinks and snacks. He currently travels to Mexico to purchase products, often creating custom pallets that are later shipped to Pueblo. This direct sourcing allows him to offer competitive pricing, sometimes nearly 50% lower than other regional stores, and ensures the quality and authenticity of his inventory.

The shop plans a soft opening on May 24 and will initially offer produce and prepackaged meats. Bakery and butcher services are expected to launch following health and permitting approvals. A full grand opening event, including music, food, and a community celebration, is planned for later this year once all operations are in place.

In the meantime, Gonzalez is focused on neighborhood engagement, offering accessible grocery staples and welcoming feedback from customers. “If

they ask for something specific, we write it down,” he says. “If we can get it, we do; and if it sells well, we keep stocking it.”

Beyond commerce, Gonzalez is also launching Foundation Gonzalez, a nonprofit aimed at educating the Pueblo community about Mexican history and traditions. Its first major event is in planning stages — a celebration of Mexican Independence Day on Sept. 16. “I went around asking people why we celebrate Cinco de Mayo, and most couldn’t give the right answer,” Gonzalez says. “I want to create events on the actual dates that matter in Mexican culture and bring education to the community.”

The foundation will focus on hosting culturally accurate events throughout the year, including traditional holidays and celebrations that reflect the rich heritage of the MexicanAmerican community in Pueblo. Gonzalez credits the City of Pueblo and its staff for helping streamline the permitting process, noting that the city’s support has been instrumental in moving both the business and foundation forward. “It’s all about networking, talking to people and being kind,” he says.

With a long-term vision of expanding throughout Pueblo, Gonzalez hopes the new store will become a hub for authentic Mexican culture and daily essentials. “We just want people to come and experience the taste of Mexico,” Gonzalez says.

Tiffany Underwood is a staff writer for the SoCo Business Forum & Digest.

Why Military Veterans Make Good Entrepreneurs

BY LARRY PLUMMER

Since 2008, I have been an instructor for the Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans (EBV). Led by Syracuse University, the EBV Consortium includes 10 universities — now including the University of Colorado Colorado Springs — offering a first-class education experience for entrepreneurial veterans. Through the years, I have come to understand some of the reasons why military service makes veterans good entrepreneurs — and why sometimes they struggle with business ownership.

First on my list: Most veterans have an empowering appreciation of what defines a “bad day.” As an educator, it’s my duty to explain that only about 40% of new businesses will last two years and only about 10% last four years. Although many are daunted by such risks, veterans seem to take it more or less in stride. As one combat veteran put it, “as long as no one is shooting at me, I’m good.”

Such grit extends to all veterans, not just those who served in combat. Indeed, if nothing else, early military training instills discipline and resilience — two critical entrepreneurial traits. Veterans

understand the importance of consistent effort, following processes and persevering through difficulties. I can go on about how military service cultivates essential leadership qualities — an ability to make decisions under pressure, manage diverse teams and maintain composure in challenging situations.

Despite possessing valuable skills, recent research by Aaron Phipps of the U.S. Military Academy and William Skimmyhorn of the College of William & Mary suggests that the relationship between military service and entrepreneurial success is more complex than commonly believed.

The structured military environment can create adaptation difficulties

when veterans enter the unstructured business world. The military provides clear chains of command and defined procedures, but entrepreneurship requires comfort with ambiguity and self-directed decision-making without established protocols.

Veterans also may face financial obstacles. Many leave service with limited savings or financial literacy, making it difficult to secure startup capital. Additionally, time spent in service represents years when civilians might be building professional networks and industry knowledge.

The transition from military to civilian life itself presents challenges. Veterans must simultaneously navigate new social norms, career paths and

possibly health issues while attempting to launch businesses. This cognitive and emotional load can overwhelm even the most resilient individuals.

There are many ways to support veteran entrepreneurs in our community. One is supporting the Veterans Business Outreach Center at Mount Carmel, which serves veterans statewide. Another is to learn more about EBV. This year, Colorado Springs will host two versions. In June, the Wounded Warrier Project will host its unique edition of EBV, followed by our UCCS EBV in August.

Larry Plummer holds the El Pomar Chair in Business and Entrepreneurship and is the interim director of the El Pomar Institute for Innovation and Commercialization (EPIIC) at UCCS. He is internationally recognized for his research on regional entrepreneurial ecosystems and development.

https://ivmf.syracuse.edu/programs/ entrepreneurship/start-up/ebv/ Phipps, A. and Skimmyhorn, W. (2025). Entrepreneurship among veterans: Comparative evidence from recent surveys. International Small Business Journal, 43(1), pp. 76-95.

Content is No Longer King

BY DAWN DAWSON

This year, I was honored to be invited as a speaker at HubSpot’s uber-grand industry event, Inbound. While there, I attended a session by Neil Patel, one of my favorite marketers. He highlighted a trend that I have been noticing in our advertising in the last six to eight months.

The old king is dead. The days of content churning are no more.

There are now 4.6 billion pieces of content being produced per day, which means that our audiences are overloaded and overwhelmed.

Now, the assignment, if we choose to accept it, is all about quality. What is quality? It is the center of a wellstrategized user experience (UX), engagement and content strategy in your business advertising.

Here are things that no longer matter as much as they used to:

• Quantity: more is not more anymore.

• Vanity metrics: your follower count and the number of views.

• Algorithm-chasing content: generic is out, tailored to your audience is in.

• Keyword gaps: these can still work but check how profitable it is; it may be a gap for a reason.

• Brand dissonance: trust is key, not just on digital, but across all media.

Here are things that matter now more than ever:

• Targeted audience: Know your audience even better than you know yourself.

• Authenticity: AI should be a tool to enhance UX, not the primary driver of content. You are the main driver.

Dawn Dawson is the CEO of Reflections Advertising and the CMO of Mortgage Solutions Financial.

• Offering value: If you know your audience, you can meet them where they are.

• Length: “Tiktokification” is real, and you need to offer value in a shorter amount of time.

• Engagement: Polls, live tours, augmented reality and virtual reality, behind-the-scenes, comments, gamification.

• Short-form videos: Instagram and LinkedIn reels, TikTok, and YouTube shorts.

• Long-form content: take your short-form ideas that have performed well and go bigger.

We have to meet our consumers where they are. The content that we serve them has to be on par with a white glove experience; very specific, carefully curated and extremely relevant. That’s how businesses have the hope of standing out in a saturated landscape.

New Economic Force in Southeast Colorado

Trinidad Las Animas County Chamber of Commerce becomes Colexico Alliance

BY THERESA WOODS

The Trinidad and Las Animas County Chamber of Commerce (TLACC) is now doing business as Colexico Alliance. The regional business advocacy and economic development organization works across two states, three counties and nine municipalities.

The rebranded chamber’s new mission is collaborating with neighboring counties to produce economic development throughout the region within a culture of cooperation, not competition. “We needed to do that a long time ago. It’s about time we did this,” says Pat Howlett, Colexico Alliance president and long-term resident of Trinidad, who engineered the transformation. “Most of our areas are hurting economically.”

A new 501(c)3 organization, the Colexico Foundation, is also launching. This foundation is a region-wide funding entity and cooperative grant seeker, applying on behalf of the most advantageous local candidate and coordinating support among other organizations. Its mission is to address quality-of-life issues and similar factors impacting economic development. It will also supply matching grant funds for other organizations. A loan program is envisioned to service micro-loans and support projects traditional banking declines.

The Royal Gorge Chamber Alliance inspired the formation of the Colexico Alliance, which serves Las Animas and Huerfano counties in Colorado and Colfax County in New Mexico. This includes Angel Fire, Aquilar, Cimmaron, Eagle Nest, La Veta, Raton, Segundo, Springer, Trinidad and Walsenburg.

“Think Regional and Act Local!”

The 2024 discussions with EcoTech BioFuels to site their plant is an example of how Colexico Alliance will benefit the area. Months of work positioned Trinidad as the site, but transportation infrastructure derailed the plans. The business community of Walsenburg, more familiar with

railroad logistics, thought from the start they were the better site. They turned out to be correct. Permitting is proceeding for the biofuel plant in Walsenburg.

If Las Animas County and Huerfano County were cooperating in 2024, those months of work would have been reduced to weeks. The outcome is the same. One community has a biofuel manufacturing plant and the other is positioned to attract new residents. But the time, effort and cost to get there — for county and municipal governments as well as the involved businesses — is substantially reduced.

Building relationships among diverse governments, organizations and businesses to accomplish this began 18 months ago. “The biggest challenge was getting people to really understand we’re a collaboration,” says Howlett. In practice, this means alliance members support each other’s initiatives, understand when another member is a better candidate and rethink the size of the community they advocate for.

“We’re working at a county level,” he says about the partnership. “We’re getting great buy-in from the counties.” Municipal governments

across the region are not currently active participants in the alliance, but Howlett is confident there will be future collaboration. The alliance is also attracting attention from the governor’s office in both states. “I know they’re very eager for us to be successful,” he says.

New Leadership, New Strategy

Immediate priorities are seating a new board of directors, assessing the competitive strengths of each alliance member, identifying where synergies exist and the creation of cooperative outreach materials. These tasks will be undertaken at the first meeting under the new bylaws held this month. The seven-member chamber of commerce board is now an 11-member regional business development alliance board. Three seats are filled from Colfax County, three from Huerfano County and five from Las Animas County.

“We were the ones that did that [the Colexico Alliance], explains Howlett. “We’re going to unapologetically keep control of that.”

The outreach strategy is to incorporate strengths of the region as a whole while highlighting what each place specifically offers, and to

Trinidad and the surrounding communities embark on a journey to “Think Regional and Act Local” through the newly formed Colexico Alliance. Three counties are collaborating to enhance the region’s economy, taking their cities and towns along for the ride.

seek specific industries for specific areas. Trinidad seeks to attract smallscale manufacturing and strengthen its creative industry sector while Colfax County strengthens its film and television industry and attracts the energy sector. Other towns have fledgling outdoor recreation appeal to foster or the advantage of a railway connection.

Colexico Alliance started with 100 members on day one in May. “Our goal is to have 500 alliance members before the end of the year,” says Howlett. “It’s a great story…coming from no money and ‘Let’s dissolve this thing’ to ‘Hey we’re in there. We’re in expansion mode’ … it’s [TLACC] alive and kicking.

“We’re like a 143-year-old startup,” Howlett concludes.

Theresa Woods is a staff writer for the SoCo Business Forum & Digest.

Professionals on the Rise

Southern Colorado’s Workforce Achievements!

Space Workforce for Tomorrow (SWFT), a strategic initiative of Space Foundation and the Aerospace Corp., has announced the winners of the 2025 National Space Sustainability Competition. In celebration of National Space Day, the competition invited students in seventh and eighth grades to develop solutions to address orbital debris and long-term space sustainability. Entries were evaluated for creativity, feasibility, technicality and business plan, with industry experts selecting the top submissions. First place went to HexaTrap, designed by a team from PVNet Advanced Technology Education Center in Rolling Hills Estates, California. The team members, eighth-grader Eugene and seventh-graders Harry, Phillip and Ethan, will travel to Washington, D.C., for tours and meetings.

Gayle Sturdivant, city engineer and deputy director of Public Works for the City of Colorado Springs, received the General Palmer Award from the American Council of Engineering Companies of Colorado. The award is given to a nonmember of ACEC who has made a significant contribution to the State of Colorado, received recognition and made advancements in the engineering community, and has impacted future generations. Sturdivant is only the second award recipient from Southern Colorado in the 37 years the award has been given. Sturdivant, who holds a bachelor of science degree from Seattle University, is overseeing some of the most transformative infrastructure projects in Colorado Springs.

CRP Architects, Colorado Springs, announced the appointment of Nadine Hensler as chief executive officer, marking a bold new chapter for the firm. Hensler joins President and Principal Architect Brian Risley and Vice President and Principal Architect Chris Mannino, combining their decades of experience in the built environment and a shared vision rooted in community, design excellence and strategic growth. Hensler spent more than five years serving as senior business development manager at GE Johnson, now known as DPR Construction, and has an MBA from Colorado Technical University.

John Martinson and Randy Helms have received the U.S. Air Force Academy’s Distinguished Service Award, which is presented to recognize long-term dedication to the Academy.

Martinson, a 1970 Academy graduate, earned the Distinguished Flying Cross after flying more than 500 combat missions over North Vietnam in 1972. He has donated generously to the Academy’s Honors Program and the Academy Planetarium and STEM Center. Helms, a 1979 graduate and former Colorado Springs City Council member (2021-25), retired from the Air Force after 29 years. His efforts on the Academy’s behalf include shepherding a seven-year fundraising campaign and representing the graduate community at memorial services and in the Association of Graduates.

CommonSpirit Penrose Hospital earned an “A” Hospital Safety Grade from The Leapfrog Group, an independent national nonprofit watchdog focused on patient safety. Leapfrog assigns grades to general hospitals across the country based on more than 30 measures of errors, accidents, injuries and infections as well as the systems hospitals have in place to prevent them. This program is peerreviewed, fully transparent and free to the public. Grades are updated twice annually, in the fall and spring. Medical errors, infections and injuries kill more than 500 patients per day in the United States.

Jessie Kimber, economic development director and military affairs liaison for the City of Colorado Springs, has been inducted as the 2024 Fort Carson Good Neighbor by Maj. Gen. David Doyle, commanding general of the 4th Infantry Division. Kimber, a 24-year Navy veteran, was instrumental in hosting or participating in more than 140 career workshops and hiring fairs, assisting more than 220 military spouses and family members through a partnership with the Fort Carson Employment Readiness Program. Kimber also leads community outreach projects to assist veterans transitioning from the military into civilian life.

Nadine Hensler Brian Risley

Maj. Gen. David Doyle (left) & Jessie Kimber

John Martinson Randy Helms

Gayle Sturdivant

Larry Dozier has been promoted to senior vice president at Integrity Wealth Advisors in Colorado Springs, recognizing his outstanding leadership and nearly two decades of service. He is an accredited trust and financial advisor (ATFA) and an alumnus of the American Bankers Association Graduate Trust School. He specializes in financial and estate planning, business development and long-term relationship management.

Also, Jason Akridge has been promoted to executive vice president at Integrity Wealth Advisors, marking a significant milestone in his 25-year career in financial services. His career began as a Midwestern registered investment advisor (RIA) and has taken him from wealth advisor to vice president, and most recently, to senior vice president at Integrity Wealth.

Sallie Clark has been appointed to serve as the U.S. Department of Agriculture rural development state director for Colorado. Clark served in the same position during President Donald Trump’s first presidency. Most recently, she was the senior adviser for government and military engagement in the Mayor’s Office of Community Affairs in Colorado Springs, overseeing public policy, military engagement and the Sister Cities International program. State directors serve as the chief executive officer of USDA Rural Development and lead teams to carry out the mission of rural development.

Sparks Willson P.C. has announced the addition of two distinguished attorneys, Casey J. Downing and Thomas P. Dolphin Downing specializes in commercial litigation, focusing on trials and appeals, with more than 10 years of significant trial experience in federal and state courts. Born and raised in Colorado Springs, he is excited to return home and continue representing clients in litigation. Dolphin brings 19 years of expertise in real estate, financial transactions and corporate matters to Sparks Willson.

Madhu Prabhakaran, MS, has joined Lahjavida as the new director of experimental medicine. She has more than 11 years of experience with the National Institutes of Health, where she served as a senior scientist and group leader. She has led more than 60 preclinical studies and contributed to numerous Phase I clinical trials using cutting-edge serological and cellular analysis techniques. Lahjavida is a Colorado Springs-based pre-clinical biopharma company that has developed a first-in-class dye-drug conjugate technology with the potential to make cancer therapies safer.

The Downtown Partnership of Colorado Springs has named Chelsea Gondeck its interim CEO, effective June 1. The executive committee made the strategic decision to “recalibrate” its search for a CEO and opted to task Gondeck with leading the organization through the Experience Downtown Master Plan update, expected to be completed in February 2026. Gondeck, who has worked for the Downtown Partnership for more than four years, was named chief operating officer in April 2025.

The Downtown Partnership also has named Pat Rigdon as director of downtown safety and public space management, beginning in late May. Rigdon retired in 2022 from the Colorado Springs Police Department, where he had attained the rank of deputy police chief after beginning his CSPD career as an officer in 1995. Rigdon, who also owns a downtown business called Mary’s Mountain Cookies, will carry out a collaborative effort to respond to community priorities and increase public confidence in Downtown Colorado Springs.

Jason Akridge Larry Dozier

Sallie Clark

Madhu Prabhakaran, MS

Pat Rigdon

Chelsea Gondeck

Thomas P. Dolphin

Casey J. Downing

Before the National Register of Historic Places, There was Dana Crawford

BY THERESA WOODS

Dana Crawford was a pioneer in urban renewal and adaptive reuse of historical buildings in the United States. She combined the roles of preservationist and developer, using old buildings to create new vibrant spaces within them. Her firm, Urban Neighborhoods, consulted on redevelopment and preservation projects for more than 50 cities all over the country.

“My passion was to find an area that I thought would work from a historic building perspective, and also be a place where generations come together and celebrate their city,” she said in a 2016 interview with Colorado Experience.

Denver

Larimer Square, one of the earliest projects in the nation to preserve historic buildings in an urban center and transform them into mixed use-development, stands as one of Crawford’s premier accomplishments. It’s hard to imagine Larimer Square as glass skyscrapers, but that is what it would be today if not for Crawford wrestling the 1400 block of Larimer Street away from the wrecking ball. When banks wouldn’t loan her money, she funded the project through private investors. She purchased the entire city block, restored the derelict and abandoned buildings and attracted new tenants. She went on to do the same at Union Station, the Ice House, Coors

Field, The Flour Mill, Wynkoop Brewing Co., Confluence Park, the Oxford Hotel and many others.

Pueblo

Crawford partnered with Pueblo developer Ryan McWilliams, who repurposed the former meat packing plant into Watertower Place to transform decommissioned Power Stations in Downtown Pueblo into a Riverwalk extension. She worked with City Council to designate it a historic landmark in 2016 and received the Governor’s Citizenship Medal in 2018 for her work there. The site is undergoing environmental cleanup funded through a 2024 Environmental Protection Agency grant, the first step in revitalizing significant sections of Downtown Pueblo.

Trinidad

After decades of success, Crawford started a new project in her 80s. “I am currently obsessed and have fallen in love with Trinidad, Colorado,” she told Colorado Experience then.

She bought 10 buildings and began restoring the Fox West theater in 2019. “The idea is to take a structure built in 1906 and rehabilitate it for use in the 21st Century, so it would still be here in the century after that … a whole lot of money will need to be raised, but it can be done,” she told the Trinidad Chronicle-News in 2019.

She consulted on numerous other Trinidad projects, including the National Bank Building. At the

time it was built, this project was considered to be the most beautiful building west of the Mississippi, and Crawford was part of bringing it back to life.

Her Legacy Preserved

Crawford was a civic and a business leader in Denver for more than three decades and a generous supporter of many nonprofit organizations. She served on the boards of Downtown Denver, History Colorado and The National Trust for Historic Preservation. She founded Historic Denver, the historic preservation society that saved the Molly Brown House from demolition, and she was president of Preservation Action, a national preservation-lobbying group.

The International Conference of the Women’s Forum honored

her as a Colorado Woman Who Made a Difference, and the National Trust for Historic Preservation gave Crawford its highest honor, the Louise duPont Crownenshield Award, for nationally extraordinary work in preserving and redeveloping urban neighborhoods.

Since 1990, the annual Dana Crawford Award for Outstanding Achievement in Historic Preservation honors significant contributions to preserving Colorado’s built and archaeological history and landscapes. University of Colorado Denver College of Architecture and Planning’s historic preservation degree program is named the Dana Crawford Preservation Program after “a trailblazer for historic preservation and urban revitalization.”

Photo credit: Sage Hospitality Group

Dana Crawford

Crawford believed historic buildings have intrinsic value. Her work has been criticized for sanitizing history to use it for commercial purposes, but even critics don’t deny that Crawford changed Denver and the philosophy of urban redevelopment nationwide. She was inducted into the Colorado Women’s Hall of Fame in 1996 and the Colorado Business Hall of Fame in 1997. Dana Crawford died Jan. 23, 2025.

Theresa Woods is a staff writer for the SoCo Business Forum & Digest.

For a long time, I said I was a preservationist. Then I said that I was a civic entrepreneur. And then I said I was a developer. I’m back to being a preservationist.

— Dana Crawford, in 2016

Larimer Square in Denver.

45th U.S. Senior Open Brings Green to Colorado Springs and The Broadmoor

BY PAM BALES

The 2025 U.S. Senior Open marks The Broadmoor’s ninth United States Golf Association (USGA) championship, dating back to the 1959 U.S. Amateur tournament. One of the most prestigious tournaments in senior golf, this event is expected to attract thousands of visitors, including players, their teams, media professionals and fans from across the U.S. and the world.

The tournament is set for June 26-29 on the East Course, which is nestled on the Rocky Mountains foothills at an elevation of more than 6,300 feet. Designed by Donald Ross and opened for play in 1918, it is now a combination of holes from Ross’ original layout and holes that Robert Trent Jones Sr. designed in 1952.

“We expect more than 120,000 visitors to this year’s U.S. Senior Open,” states Russ Miller, director of golf at The Broadmoor. “The economic impact is estimated to bring in more than $24.4 million to the local economy over the course of the week.” (The estimate is based on the economic impact study by Peak Analytics Consulting.)

In addition to the golfers, more than 1,700 volunteers are needed to staff the event, according to the USGA. Local businesses, particularly those in catering, retail and event management, also benefit from increased demand due to the event’s hospitality tents, media presence and perks of the higher-level tickets.

This year’s U.S. Senior Open Honorary Chair is Colorado’s own Hale Irwin, winner of the 1998 and 2000 U.S. Senior Open. His legendary career includes five USGA Championships and three U.S. Open victories in 1974, 1979 and 1990. He became the oldest player to win the U.S. Open in 1990 (45 years and 15 days). Irwin spent his high school and college years in Boulder.

The first U.S. Senior Open, in 1980, was for golfers 55 and older. The USGA lowered the age the next year to 50 to coincide with the fledgling Senior PGA Tour (now the PGA Tour Champions). This year’s starting

field of 156 golfers is open to any professional or amateur golfer 50 years of age or older as of June 26, 2025.

In addition to Irwin, there have been five more two-time winners of the U.S. Senior Open: Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus, Allen Doyle, Kenny Perry and Bernhard Langer.

Several major champions are among this year’s group of exempt

players, meaning they don’t have to qualify for the tournament. They include Masters winners Angel Cabrera, Fred Couples, Langer, Vijay Singh and Mike Weir; PGA champions Padraig Harrington, Davis Love III, David Toms and Y.E. Yang; and Open champions Mark Calcavecchia, Stewart Cink, Darren Clarke, Ernie Els, Tom Lehman and Justin Leonard.

First-round coverage begins Thursday, June 26, with the final and fourth round ending on Sunday, June 29. For information about tickets, go to broadmoor.com/usso2025

Pam Bales is a senior writer for the SoCo Business Forum & Digest.

The 45th U.S. Senior Open is returning to The Broadmoor. Photo credit: The Broadmoor

Hale Irwin

Ouimet Trophy

Photo credit: The Broadmoor

Competing in the Age of AI: Strateg y and Leadership When Algorithms

and Networks Run the World

by Marco Iansiti & Karim R. Lakhani

288 pages • Published on Jan. 7, 2020

Read how AI-centric organizations exhibit a new operating architecture, to redefine how they create, capture, share and deliver value.

Marco Iansiti and Karim R. Lakhani show how reinventing operations around data, analytics and AI removes traditional constraints on scale, scope and learning that have restricted business growth for hundreds of years.

From Airbnb to Ant Group, Microsoft to Amazon, research shows how AI-driven processes

are vastly more scalable than traditional processes, allowing massive scope increase, enabling companies to straddle industry boundaries and creating powerful opportunities for learning — all of which can account for ever-more-accurate, complex and sophisticated predictions.

When traditional operating constraints are removed, strategy becomes a whole new game, one whose rules and likely outcomes become clear. The authors:

• Present a framework for rethinking business and operating models

• Explain how "collisions between AI-driven/digital and traditional/analog firms are reshaping competition, altering the structure of our economy, and forcing traditional companies to rearchitect their operating models

• Explain the opportunities and risks created by digital firms

• Describe the new challenges and responsibilities for the leaders of both digital and traditional firms

This read is packed with examples and based on research of hundreds of companies and industries. Consider it your essential guide for rethinking how your company will operate in the era of AI.

Also, for a more local access point to the greater AI discussion and the implications for your business, we strongly recommend connecting with the BBB of Southern Colorado. We are fortunate to have the resources gathered and vetted by resident expert and CEO of the BBB, Mr. Jonathan Liebert, and his team.

Visit www.bbb.org/localbbb/bbb-of-southern-colorado for more information and find classes, presentations and more from your BBB.

Jonathan Liebert

Advertiser Index / In Alphabetical Order

Thank you to each and every advertiser listed.

Add Staff Inc.

Altitude Hospitality Group

APG: Advanced Printing & Graphics

Bank of Colorado

Bird Dog BBQ

Bryan Construction

Busey Bank

Business Digest Weekly Radio

Colorado Springs Celebrity Classic

Colorado Springs Chamber & EDC

Colorado Springs Sports Corporation

Colorado Springs Utilities

COS City Hub

Exponential Impact

Garden of the Gods Resort & Club

Garden of the Gods Catering & Events

Higginbotham

The Homestead Collective

InBank

Minuteman Press

NORTH Magazine

Ntiva

Olsson

Pikes Peak Small Business Development Center

The PLACE

Sherman & Howard / Taft

Silver Key Senior Services

Sparks Willson

SoCo StillFest

Southern Colorado Women’s Chamber of Commerce

United States Golf Association

Vectra Bank Colorado

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