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Thursday, March 13
 

10:00am MDT

Being a Good Employer Improves Profits SEATS AVAILABLE
Thursday March 13, 2025 10:00am - 10:45am MDT
Foxtail 1
Is being a world-class employer too expensive? Owners of growing businesses yearn to offer jobs like they themselves would take. But what about the fear of high costs against low return on investment? Wise leaders learn methods to tie high performance of employees who earn a living wage and benefits to better services and better products. Learn cutting-edge methods to avoid the "Vicious Circle" of low pay, low service, declining revenues. Instead, set up the "Virtuous Circle" of decent pay, great service, and increasing revenues.
Speakers
avatar for Robert Anderson

Robert Anderson

Director, Business Navigators, Colorado Enterprise Fundm, Director, Business Navigators
• Manages CEF's team of in-house small business consultants trained to help our borrowers succeed. • Has a track record of small business success, identifying harmful constraints and implementing solutions to restore long-term organizational and financial health. Also served in... Read More →
Thursday March 13, 2025 10:00am - 10:45am MDT
Foxtail 1 1200 Raintree Dr, Fort Collins, CO 80526
  Builder Track

10:00am MDT

Painted Baby: Connect with Clients Through Brave and Vulnerable Storytelling SEATS AVAILABLE
Thursday March 13, 2025 10:00am - 10:45am MDT
Foxtail 2
Painting a picture of perfection prevents true connection.

Every business leader has a dirty little secret tucked away, never dreaming they would share it with anyone, let alone prospective clients. But revealing it tells an important story and lays the groundwork for genuine connections between you, your clients, and those you serve. It inspires others, showing them that honesty is a priority and accountability is unconditional.

Revealing this secret empowers you to show the best version of yourself by sharing how you have handled your worst moments—which is exactly what your clients want to understand.

In Painted Baby, serial entrepreneur Matt Shoup shows how to establish real and deep connections, build true rapport, and create long-lasting trust with clients and others you serve. He invites you on an empowering journey to explore your imperfections and grow comfortable with your guard down, allowing the rawest, most compelling version of yourself to shine through. You’ll learn the tenets of great storytelling, why crafting your message counts, and how to communicate with conviction, even when you’re vulnerable. Are you ready for a challenge? Step outside your comfort zone with this innovative approach to embracing imperfection.
Speakers
avatar for Matt Shoup

Matt Shoup

Entrepreneur, Author, Speaker, M & E Painting and Roofing and MattShoup.com
Matt Shoup is a Jesus follower, husband, father, an award-winning serial entrepreneur, author, keynote speaker, Spain aficionado, aspiring paella chef, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt, and Spanish coffee addict. Matt’s entrepreneurial journey began at the age of 10, when he started... Read More →
Thursday March 13, 2025 10:00am - 10:45am MDT
Foxtail 2 1200 Raintree Dr, Fort Collins, CO 80526
  Builder Track
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10:00am MDT

Stop the Revolving Door: Build and Motivate High-Performing Teams That Stay SEATS AVAILABLE
Thursday March 13, 2025 10:00am - 10:45am MDT
Stage
Are your top performers heading for the door while the ones you wish would leave stick around? Is turnover leaving you stuck in the weeds, tackling operational headaches instead of focusing on strategy? Retaining top talent doesn’t happen by accident—it takes the right systems, clarity, and leadership to create a workplace where high performers thrive.

In this session, we’ll explore what’s driving your retention challenges and the hidden factors pushing your best employees out the door. You’ll discover how to create a work environment that supports, motivates, and keeps top talent, while reducing the frustrations that hold your team—and your business—back.

This session will not only provide fresh insights but also give you actionable tools to slow the revolving door immediately. Turn your team into your biggest competitive advantage.
Speakers
avatar for Samantha C. Prestidge

Samantha C. Prestidge

Chief Solutions Enthusiast, I Help Owners & Leaders Overcome Growing Pains and Build High-Performing Teams
Samantha C. Prestidge is the founder of Auxo Business Services, a consultancy dedicated to empowering managers, streamlining operations, and building high-performing teams for growing businesses. With years of experience partnering with field-service companies, nonprofits, and entrepreneurial... Read More →
Thursday March 13, 2025 10:00am - 10:45am MDT
Stage 1200 Raintree Dr, Fort Collins, CO 80526
  Builder Track

11:15am MDT

Considerations for a Well-Rounded IP Strategy SEATS AVAILABLE
Thursday March 13, 2025 11:15am - 12:00pm MDT
Sand Lily
Intellectual property (IP) often becomes an afterthought in the fast-paced entrepreneurship environment. Yet, a thoughtfully crafted IP strategy is essential for protecting and enhancing your business's value at every stage. This session will explore why IP deserves an active, ongoing role in your business planning and how a well-rounded IP strategy can become a dynamic asset as your business evolves.

Join us for a fireside chat led by CSU STRATA’s Director of IP Strategy, Jessica Trostel. We’ll explore the realities of establishing, adapting, and sometimes reshaping IP strategies alongside an attorney experienced in guiding entrepreneurs and an inventor-entrepreneur who has navigated the complex IP landscape. You’ll gain insights into choosing the right IP protections, how to make strategic decisions about adding, dropping, or overlapping IP, and why no single type of IP is inherently more valuable than another.

This discussion, perfect for founders, innovators, and business leaders, will offer practical tips on making IP a cornerstone of your business strategy.
Speakers
avatar for Jessica Trostel

Jessica Trostel

Director of IP Strategy, CSU STRATA
Jessica joined CSU STRATA in 2018 to support the Colorado State University System’s technology transfer team in licensing efforts and protecting intellectual property. In 2021, Jessica became the Director of Intellectual Property Strategy to lead the development of the system’s... Read More →
Thursday March 13, 2025 11:15am - 12:00pm MDT
Sand Lily 1200 Raintree Dr, Fort Collins, CO 80526
  Builder Track

11:15am MDT

From Fluff to Facts: Find The Real Truth Through Conversations SEATS AVAILABLE
Thursday March 13, 2025 11:15am - 12:00pm MDT
Foxtail 2
Are you tired of market research conversations that seem to go nowhere? I’ll walk you through my approach to asking the right questions—the kind that lead to real, actionable feedback. It’s not about surface-level chats or vague promises; it’s about getting specific, diving deep, and learning what really drives your customers.

The key? It’s not about pitching your idea. In fact, it’s about avoiding it entirely. I’ll show you how to shift the conversation to focus on your customers' lives, their problems, and their real-world experiences. Instead of asking hypothetical questions like, "Would you use this?" or "Do you think it's a good idea?" you’ll learn how to ask about what they’ve actually done. That way, even your mom couldn’t lie to you about it!


Here’s what you’ll get out of it:

A new approach to customer conversations: Learn how to structure chats that reveal actionable insights instead of vague, surface-level responses.

Question techniques that work: Discover the exact questions that dig into past behaviors and help you get past fluff to find the stories that actually matter.

Common pitfalls to avoid: Learn how to steer clear of the mistakes that lead to misleading feedback, like fishing for validation or compliments.

How to get honest feedback: Shift the focus to your customers' real experiences to uncover genuine insights that will shape your product decisions.

Practical tools you can use right away: Walk away with question frameworks and strategies you can start using immediately to make every conversation count.

This session is all about making sure your market research is actually useful, so you can build something your customers really need, not just something they say they want.
Speakers
avatar for kateryna quinn

kateryna quinn

Founder, ASTASH | Uplify AI
Kateryna Quinn is a mom, an immigrant, and a proud small business owner in Northern Colorado. Recognized as a Forbes Next 1000 honoree and one of NOCO's 30 Under 30, she has made a name for herself as a leader in marketing and web design. As the founder of ASTASH an award-winning... Read More →
Thursday March 13, 2025 11:15am - 12:00pm MDT
Foxtail 2 1200 Raintree Dr, Fort Collins, CO 80526
  Builder Track

11:15am MDT

TRUST is Your Competitive Superpower SEATS AVAILABLE
Thursday March 13, 2025 11:15am - 12:00pm MDT
Foxtail 1
AI is dramatically changing the way customers search and how you get found.

• AI-assisted search means customers find answers without visiting websites
• Gartner expects organic web traffic to drop by 50% by 2026
• AI generated content is flooding the web
• Traditional marketing is becoming less effective

This is making building trust and authority online more important than ever. Traditional search engines, AI search and humans are all looking for signals of experience, expertise, authority and trustworthiness.

Building this trust requires a special kind of content. We like to call this “thought leadership,” but it could also be called “subject matter expertise.” The goal of this type of content is to establish your credibility, differentiate you in a crowded market, and build trust with prospects.

It may sound complex, but you’re actually creating the seeds for this content every single day. Every project you work on, every conversation with prospects and customers, every project meeting can be a source.

In this session, you’ll learn how to turn conversations your team is having every day into impactful content that showcases your expertise.

Content that can be used again and again on multiple platforms to reach the right audience.

We’ll simplify the process using AI tools, making it easy to leverage your existing knowledge and rapidly produce engaging content while maintaining your unique voice.

Discover how to position yourself as a trusted resource, nurturing relationships that lead to
lasting client engagement and growth.
Speakers
avatar for Candyce Edelen

Candyce Edelen

LinkedIn Social Selling Expert, PropelGrowth
Candyce Edelen is a seasoned entrepreneur with plenty of road rash earned by co-founding two fin-tech companies, one of which made the Deloitte Fast 50 list in 2004. In 2018, she and her partner decided to pivot to a new target market where they didn’t have an existing network... Read More →
Thursday March 13, 2025 11:15am - 12:00pm MDT
Foxtail 1 1200 Raintree Dr, Fort Collins, CO 80526
  Builder Track

1:00pm MDT

Affordable Cybersecurity: Protecting Your Small Business Without Breaking the Bank SEATS AVAILABLE
Thursday March 13, 2025 1:00pm - 1:45pm MDT
Stage
Think cybersecurity is too expensive or complex for your business? Think again. In this session, you’ll learn practical, cost-effective ways to safeguard your operations from cyber threats without breaking the bank.

Discover how to identify and address the most common vulnerabilities facing businesses today and why ignoring them could cost you far more than prevention. We’ll unpack real-world strategies—many of them free or low-cost—that you can implement immediately to protect your data, operations, and reputation.

You’ll also learn how affordable partnerships with cybersecurity professionals can give you peace of mind while educating your team on essential best practices. Walk away with the tools and knowledge you need to strengthen your digital defenses and keep your business safe in a connected world.
Speakers
avatar for Reece McGregor

Reece McGregor

Owner, GenTeks MSP
Reece is a seasoned cybersecurity professional with many years of experience helping businesses safeguard their digital assets from evolving cyber threats. As a passionate advocate for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs), Reece specializes in delivering practical, affordable... Read More →
Thursday March 13, 2025 1:00pm - 1:45pm MDT
Stage 1200 Raintree Dr, Fort Collins, CO 80526
  Builder Track
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1:00pm MDT

Create SEO Content that Scales Marketing, Grows Traffic & Fills Pipeline: Full Step-by-Step Process SEATS AVAILABLE
Thursday March 13, 2025 1:00pm - 1:45pm MDT
Sand Lily
Follow this proven, step-by-step process to create SEO content that ranks on Google & AI overviews, grows organic search traffic to your website, and converts users down-funnel to Sales.

* Identify and target the right keywords and AI prompts that your audience is searching
* Write titles and headlines that rank on Google, earn citations in AI overviews, and drive clicks to your website
* Outline articles and subheadings that genuinely guide your reader down the funnel toward the right purchasing decision
* Include your own unique unique experience, expertise, authority, and trustworthiness (EEAT) to rise above your competitors and build credible relationships with prospective customers
* Cross-link content the right way to build topical authority that ranks content faster, higher, and more competitively
* Leverage AI to accelerate your research and drafting process 2-4x faster than traditional manual methods
Speakers
avatar for Lee Cooper

Lee Cooper

Co-Founder & CEO, Cooper Marketing
Lee Cooper is Co-Founder & CEO of Cooper Marketing, the SEO agency exclusively for scaling B2B tech companies to grow organic search traffic from Google to their website. Lee acts as a strategic SEO consultant to help B2B tech CMOs and VPs of Marketing at venture-backed, Series A-D... Read More →
Thursday March 13, 2025 1:00pm - 1:45pm MDT
Sand Lily 1200 Raintree Dr, Fort Collins, CO 80526
  Builder Track
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1:00pm MDT

Leading With Vision That Others Can See SEATS AVAILABLE
Thursday March 13, 2025 1:00pm - 1:45pm MDT
Twinberry Auditorium
Leaders are usually visionary. Those who are not leaders may be more focused on the immediate task at work, the current daycare challenge, the pressing financial concern, or any other issue that keeps them focused on the here and now.

Unfortunately, many leaders do not know how to communicate vision in a way that others can really see it. Done well, vision is unifying and inspiring. If seeing is believing, then one of the most important responsibilities of leaders is to help others see beyond the immediate to a compelling future.

The other unfortunate thing is that most "Vision Statements" aren't visionary. They're often restatements of the mission, or are said so generically that they could apply to numerous other companies, rather than being a picture of the future that the leader wants others to see.
Speakers
avatar for Mark Weaver

Mark Weaver

Open Door Organizational Solutions
Mark started Open Door in 2009 to help organizations radically define their culture. He also provides non-conventional people strategies tailored to radically reinforce organizations’ cultures, once defined. His clients are businesses and Not-For-Profits ranging in size from startups... Read More →
Thursday March 13, 2025 1:00pm - 1:45pm MDT
Twinberry Auditorium 1200 Raintree Dr, Fort Collins, CO 80526
  Builder Track

1:00pm MDT

Customer Discovery Workshop from CSU's Venture Validator [Institute for Entrepreneurship] SEATS AVAILABLE
Thursday March 13, 2025 1:00pm - 2:45pm MDT
Foxtail 2
Join us for the Customer Discovery Workshop, an immersive seminar designed to equip entrepreneurs with the essential tools for validating business ideas. In this session, you'll dive deep into the customer discovery process, learning how to conduct empathy-driven interviews, gather meaningful insights, and refine your value propositions. We'll explore key frameworks like the Business Model Canvas and customer segmentation strategies to ensure your venture aligns with real market needs. Whether you're launching a new product or refining an existing one, this workshop will give you actionable techniques to move from assumption to validation with confidence.
Speakers
avatar for Mark Schreiber

Mark Schreiber

Institute for Entrepreneurship, Colorado State Business of a Better World, Colorado State University
Mark serves as the Entrepreneurship Specialist where he strives to community members and schools and students to add more entrepreneurial programs and mindsets into their lives, schools, and businesses. He enjoys doing presentations about the Business Model Canvas and creating tools... Read More →
Sponsors & Partners
avatar for Institute for Entrepreneurship at Colorado State University
Thursday March 13, 2025 1:00pm - 2:45pm MDT
Foxtail 2 1200 Raintree Dr, Fort Collins, CO 80526
  Builder Track, Workshop

2:00pm MDT

Building a Brand Identity That Sets You Up for Success SEATS AVAILABLE
Thursday March 13, 2025 2:00pm - 2:45pm MDT
Foxtail 1
In an unpredictable world, your brand identity is more than just a logo or tagline—it’s the foundation that helps your company connect, adapt and thrive. In this session, we’ll explore how to build a brand identity that:
- resonates with your target audience
- can flex with change
- creates lasting connections with your community
- integrates the latest innovations, like AI, to stay relevant in an evolving market.
We will talk about why a brand identity matters, what makes up a brand identity, and how it can help you connect authentically and create resiliency.
Speakers
avatar for Lori Wiles

Lori Wiles

Owner, Fractional CMO, Lori Wiles Fractional CMO
Lori Wiles, ABC, is a marketing and branding expert with more than 30 years in start-up, medium, and Fortune 500 companies. She excels at building brands that stand apart and excel at growth. Creating a strong brand involves setting clear direction, identifying messaging that resonates... Read More →
Thursday March 13, 2025 2:00pm - 2:45pm MDT
Foxtail 1 1200 Raintree Dr, Fort Collins, CO 80526
  Builder Track
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2:00pm MDT

Mastering the Intangibles: Build a Business You Can Sell Tomorrow (and Love Running Forever) SEATS AVAILABLE
Thursday March 13, 2025 2:00pm - 2:45pm MDT
Stage
This talk dives into the often-overlooked drivers of true business value: the intangible capitals. Building a business that's ready for sale tomorrow means creating an enterprise so strong, scalable, and self-sufficient that you might never want to part with it. Jill will guide attendees through actionable steps to assess, improve, and maximize their business’s intangible assets—Human, Customer, Structural, Social, and Financial Capital—ensuring they build a business that's both irresistible to buyers and fulfilling to operate.
Speakers
avatar for Jill Simonds

Jill Simonds

Founder & CEO of Savvy Strategic Partners, Savvy Strategic Partners
Jill is Founder & CEO of Savvy Strategic Partners – a full-service C-Suite team for hire: executing vision, increasing business value, and helping founder owners realize freedom. Our experienced collective of executive leaders across operations, revenue, and finance execute your... Read More →
Thursday March 13, 2025 2:00pm - 2:45pm MDT
Stage 1200 Raintree Dr, Fort Collins, CO 80526
  Builder Track
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3:15pm MDT

Exit Planning: How to prepare and what to expect when selling a company SEATS AVAILABLE
Thursday March 13, 2025 3:15pm - 4:00pm MDT
Stage
Selling a business, whether fully or partially, presents challenges regardless of size. While timing may differ based on size and complexity, the fundamental process remains consistent across transactions.

In this discussion, we will answer common questions we receive as M&A advisors, provide guidance on preparing for a future exit, and outline what to expect during the process.
Speakers
avatar for Aaron McCambridge

Aaron McCambridge

Managing Director, Citadel Advisory Group, Citadel Advisory Group
Aaron joined Citadel Advisory Group in 2011. His primary responsibilities include sourcing, evaluating, and executing transactions for sell-side M&A clients with a focus on energy and industrial services, commercial services, building materials, manufacturing, and transportation in... Read More →
Thursday March 13, 2025 3:15pm - 4:00pm MDT
Stage 1200 Raintree Dr, Fort Collins, CO 80526
  Builder Track
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3:15pm MDT

Future-Proof Your Workforce: Employers' Guide to Apprenticeships SEATS AVAILABLE
Thursday March 13, 2025 3:15pm - 4:00pm MDT
Sand Lily
The top concern for many employers is how to attract and retain skilled talent to drive business growth. This presentation explores the benefits of apprenticeship programs for employers, showcasing how these programs can serve as powerful tools for workforce development through building your talent pipeline and enhancing employee retention, productivity, innovation, and diversity.
Speakers
avatar for Heather Everett

Heather Everett

Work-Based Learning & Apprenticeship Manager, Fort Collins Area Chamber of Commerce
Heather Everett is the Work-Based Learning & Apprenticeship Manager at the Fort Collins Area Chamber of Commerce. She spent over 20 years in senior care before making a career change in 2023 to manage the Work-Based Learning Incentive Program grant for the Fort Collins Chamber. From... Read More →
Thursday March 13, 2025 3:15pm - 4:00pm MDT
Sand Lily 1200 Raintree Dr, Fort Collins, CO 80526
  Builder Track
 
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