Arvada

Victor Teran

I was first introduced to Taekwon-Do at age five, training under my instructor SahyunNim Rodolfo Carrera in New York City. Presently training under my Great Grandmaster Kwang Duk Chung in New York. I became a Black belt at age 13, where I first started my initial training as an assistant instructor, teaching children and assisting the adult classes under my instructor’s supervision. At the age of 15, I had the opportunity to compete at the Tri-State Championship in Virginia taking Gold in sparring and silver in the Grand Master Championship. I also became a Silver medalist for the All-American Grand National Championship in New Jersey. Throughout my martial arts training, I have competed in many Regional, State and National level championships. Read more>>

Will Carver

I grew up bouncing around from small town to small town in rural Missouri. My life seemed to always be changing, but the one constant I can remember was my love of drawing. I was always drawing as a kid all the way through school. I was so excited in high school because I had the opportunity to take a formal art class and two years of graphic design through a vocational school in my small town. I knew I absolutely loved drawing, but like many kids growing up in the rural south, I was always steered in the direction of what many called “real jobs”. So, I immediately found myself working in many trades like metalwork and construction. When I was 18, I decided to get my first tattoo. I immediately fell in love with the art form. Read more>>

Aurora

Kimberly Kilhoffer

Up until three years ago, I was One. Hot. Mess. I was addicted to alcohol, addicted to complaining, addicted to drama, addicted to self-pity, addicted to anxiety, addicted to stress, addicted to prescription meds, and on and on and on…..I was living life in a very dormant, yet dramatically anxious way. I wasn’t happy. I didn’t know how to be happy. I looked for my happiness outside of myself. If, while seeking external happiness I only found pain, I numbed it. I knew I wasn’t living anything close to my purpose, and I was slowly starting to care less about purpose and more about just trying to survive life. And then I finally got to the point where I didn’t even care about that anymore. And when I lost my will to live, I found my rock bottom. Read more>>

Kendrick Washington

Over the years, as I developed as an artist, and also developed a keen sense in business. I graduated from Rangeview with a full-ride scholarship, later dropping out in 2014 after being tired of school. Being a young college entrepreneur eventually got wind that an intern position with Ru Johnson and her consulting company Roux Black would soon pop up. Until August of 2017, I learned various aspects of the music business and the key to running my own business in my two years with this internship. In January of 2018, I then launched my own music management business “Rocky Mountain Music Management”. RM3 COLORADO for short. I then began to prosper from the promotion seed previously planted with the internship. Read more>>

Boulder

Callie Cavanaugh

My love for food was sparked at a young age. I grew up with a mother who had a deep love of food and cooking. She spent hours clipping recipes from magazines and researching the best restaurants. We dined everywhere from Michelin star spaces to the dirtiest hole in the walls. I loved both. I was the kid that ate everything. At age five, when most of my friends were playing with dolls or Legos, I was in the kitchen concocting food for my own cooking show as my parents sat on the other side of our island and counted down the minutes until they were forced to eat the, mostly inedible, dishes. Read more>>

Jonathan Machen

I am an artist, age 56, living in the outskirts of Boulder, CO with my wife and two kids, ages 12 and 14. I have been pursuing art as my passion and inspiration for many years; I grew up in New Mexico and was inspired at an early age, around 16, to interpret the landscape through drawing. I also discovered an interest in portraiture. Additionally, I have been studying music for many years, studying the violin in grade school and attending music camps, and currently am focusing on the Classical Guitar, but I also play the banjo. I graduated with a BFA degree in Art and Art History from the University of Colorado in 1987 and ended up staying in Colorado. Today I am making my living with landscape and portraiture, and I am working out of The Eldorado Springs Art Center. Read more>>

Shannon Rice

I felt lost most of my life in terms of life purpose and career. As a young person, I struggled to find meaning in my life, often comparing myself to friends who seemed to have careers aligned with their passions. I turned to unhealthy coping mechanisms to help me feel “better.” In my late twenties, I learned about the graduate programs at Naropa University and knew on a full-body level that this was where I needed to be, so I moved with my partner at the time from Portland, OR to Boulder. I had never taken real risks on my own behalf or listened to my gut so intimately. I did not know what I was doing and felt terrified. The next three years, I was able to study Buddhist psychology at Naropa. These were the most revealing, heartbreaking, and liberating years of my life. Read more>>

Centennial

Maggie Boesen

Having worked in the event industry for ten years, I’ve always had a passion for planning, whether it’s a big festival or a small wedding ceremony. After moving to Colorado at the beginning of 2019, I realized there was an opportunity to turn my event planning experience into my own business as a day of wedding coordinator. Many venues across Colorado require a day-of coordinator, which made me aware of the need in the state. I believe that all couples should enjoy their wedding day stress-free and not have to worry about the details. This allows me to fulfill my passion for executing their vision while they get to enjoy their day with family and friends. Read more>>

Gina Schreck

After many years as a single mom and a working mom with four kids, I knew I wanted to create a space where women felt supported and celebrated for all the incredible things they did every day! I wanted to create the ideal work environment for myself, my two daughters, and other entrepreneurial women. It just so happens, others want that same workspace! The Village was born to help people feel as if they belonged. My two daughters and I decided it was time to create a workspace that wasn’t just a BROworking space… we wanted a fun, collaborative coworking space! Entrepreneurship is hard… Shouldn’t our workspace exist to make life EASIER and more fun? Read more>>

Melissa Clement

I’m a self-admitted foodie – the kind that just simply adores food. I love to cook it, eat it, shop for it, look at it, read about it, tell people about it, and teach about it. I’ve been obsessed with food for most of my adult life, thanks to some amazing jobs as an Event Planner, which allowed me to travel and eat very, very well. In 2003, I was laid off from my job in the tech industry and was taking some time off to be a stay-at-home mom. I had three very active boys who were between the ages of 3 and 8 at the time while my husband, at the time, traveled constantly. I needed somewhere to go to meet up with other moms and grab a cup of coffee where people wouldn’t stare as the boys were, well, being boys. Read more>>

Debbie Stark

I can’t imagine my life without dance. As a little girl, I played “dance class” whenever I had free time. I spent very little time in actual dance classes due to financial restraints. I auditioned for the Dance Dept. at Colorado State University and was accepted. Although I loved the performing arts, I knew my calling was to teach. After college, I studied with my mentor, Darlene Handler and began my teaching career. Fifty years later, I have taught dance to literally thousands of young people and I am now teaching children of my past students. I have also been fortunate enough to choreograph for many local theaters in our community. That leads me to the highly acclaimed Theater Company Phamaly. Phamaly is a one of a kind theater company that gives artists with disabilities a vehicle to perform and educate audiences around the world. Read more>>

Colorado Springs

Kendall LaCombe

My dad was a professional photographer for over 25 years and made his living doing that during my entire childhood. Once I was old enough, he started taking me with him to weddings. I remember going with him to my first wedding and getting to hold the bride’s dress for her while she walked and I was hooked. In high school, I decided that I wanted to follow in his footsteps and started taking senior photos for my friends. In 2016, I shot my very first solo wedding and I haven’t slowed down since. I now primarily do wedding and elopement photography but also have expanded to fitness, professional, family, and lifestyle photos. Read more>>

Aisha Glenn-Bracey

I was THAT mom who stayed up all night on Pinterest looking at children’s party ideas and wanting to do them ALL. I got started in the event world with full-service weddings and parties, but quickly realized it was hard for me to showcase my originality in Such an oversaturated market. Most of my clients at the time wanted me to recreate exactly what they saw on Pinterest, so it wasn’t easy for me to come up with new designs and concepts. I realized that Balloon styling was a good mixture of both. It allowed me to stay up with the hottest trends in the event world while putting my own unique spin on things. I see balloon styling as a way to express myself while giving people a beautiful work of art to enjoy at their events. Read more>>

Jennifer Denman

After attending culinary school at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY- I have worked as a Pastry Chef in NY, GA, TX and CO. I gained experience working in high-end hotels and resorts, baking everything from wedding cakes to cookies. Locally, I was the Exec Pastry Chef at Glen Eyrie Conference Center for three years. Upon leaving this position, I decided to go out on my own and start Snowberry Bakehouse. I felt like there was an opportunity to bake for local coffee shops, providing consistent high-quality baked goods. Although we love selling directly to customers, wholesaling to the amazing local shops here in COS has become our bread and butter. It has been really fun forming relationships with the owners and managers of these shops. We are coming up on three years of operation and are excited about what it to come! Read more>>

Terry Behrman

The idea of Terry’s Naturals and owning and selling hemp-based products began in 1989 when Terry Dawn Behrman began her education in the properties of hemp. Living and working in Colorado the wanderlust soon took her after she had her first child in 1990. By 1994 she took her education on the road and traveled off the highways from Missouri and California circuiting the many rainbow gatherings in-between, but always coming back to her home of Colorado. She and her husband drove twin city transit buses jury-rigged for road living. In the vast downtime, Terry mastered hemp crochet and even won awards for her patterns and design in 1997. By 1998 she had three kids and felt it was time to settle back down and devote herself to family life. Read more>>

Dawn Lincoln

I have always enjoyed taking photographs. I was the one in the family who, when everyone got together for holidays, would be the one to take photos. In 1998, my dad died unexpected at the age of 52. my dad was my biggest fan and a huge source of love and support for me. All I have of him are the photos I took and they are priceless to me. After he died, I went into a big depression for a long time. My kids were young when he died. We have a gap of ten years, where we have no family portraits. Once I realized that I insisted that we get a family portrait done. That is when I picked up my camera again in 2008. Read more>>

Gordon Lewis and Grace Easley

Roma Ransom started out when Grace and Gordon met in Springfield, Missouri. Gordon had recently quit college and decided to take his banjo with him downtown. When he arrived, he met his friend on the square who was a pedicab driver so he hopped in the back and played his banjo as he went around downtown. On his voyage, he happened to spot Grace playing violin with her friend. At first, the pedicab went around the block so Grace didn’t know where Gordon had went. All of the sudden he appeared and asked if she would like to jam. He was waiting to go on a float trip so Grace and Gordon busked until he had to leave. Read more>>

Denver

Dania Brissett

Growing up, I was always told that I had to go to a good school and get an education with the promise of being able to become “whatever you want to be”. I had never thought of turning a craft/ hobby into a business, it was something that just didn’t seem feasible to me. It wasn’t until I noticed that my mentor had turned her craft into a viable business that something sparked in me; “I could turn my passion into a profit”. I’ve always wanted to go to work and be happy about what I am doing, but surprisingly I haven’t always wanted to do photography. At the age of ten, I was on social media when I shouldn’t have been and when it all got taken away, I would watch YouTube on most days. Eventually, I would start to wonder how people would edit their videos and start looking up tips & tricks. Read more>>

Zach Heckendorf

I’m a Denver born and raised songwriter/performer, who recently moved back into town after four years in NYC. I picked up the guitar when I was ten years old and wrote my first song the same night of my first guitar lesson. I haven’t stopped since. When I was a student at Cherry Creek High School, I recorded and released a five songs EP that spread throughout the Colorado community. Within a year, I had management and was opening up for national acts at the Bluebird Theater, the Soiled Dove Underground, and the Fox Theater in Boulder. The whole process moved very quickly, and by the time I was getting ready to go to college, I got the opportunity to sign a major label deal with Aware/Universal. I decided to take that ride. Read more>>

Paul Whitacre

After moving from Indianapolis to Denver in 2016 to pursue rock climbing, I “accidentally” found myself in the music scene. The stars aligned perfectly and I was introduced to Mark Cunningham and Chase Perry, who would eventually become the bandmates that helped me form “Whitacre.” We spent years touring with some of our favorite bands, garnering 1 million+ streams to date and playing the legendary Red Rocks Amphitheater. Unfortunately, Covid-19 canceled 20+ tour dates and has been one of the hardest seasons to endure. The best thing that has come from less shows is the ability to record from home and release music a lot more frequently. I’ve started writing and releasing a lot of music under my solo project as a result of not knowing when live music will return. Read more>>

Gabriel Vanaver

I was born in New York. My mother is a dancer and my father, a musician. Together they created a world music and dance company called The Vanaver Caravan (vanavercaravan.org) – collecting, performing, sharing and teaching folk-dance and music from around the world. Growing up in this environment afforded me a perspective richly steeped in culture. Wherever we would go, my parents would collect new songs and dances to share with the world. Their mission is to spread the importance of culture – to celebrate our differences as a way to unite us. Stories are inherent in the folk arts. Every song has a story and every dance enacts a tale. From my experience, there isn’t much art that is created “just for fun.” So I grew up connecting to culture through these stories; learning the importance and values that these cultures hold. Read more>>

Brian Valant

I first got into real estate as a mortgage broker in 2003. I enjoyed helping clients get into their dream homes. I then became a licensed realtor as well. I moved to Hawaii where I also practiced real estate before coming back to my home state of Colorado to raise my family. I recently opened my own real estate brokerage called Urban Pine. We help people buy and sell homes and can assist people in managing their rental properties as well. Read more>>

Jill Callan

I was a designer in NY for almost 20 years. In 2008, I opened my first children’s shop. I moved to Colorado about three years ago and discovered that there weren’t any kid’s clothing shops in Parker. It was then I decided to dissolve the NY store, put down roots in Colorado and open a shop here! In 2020, I opened up on Mainstreet and it’s been amazing. Read more>>

Tania Van

I started as a writer and producer of indie film in NYC. I even wrote and produced a TV pilot about the restaurant biz in New York. When I moved to Denver, I started writing the book Ageless Diet after a few years of managing the successful lifestyle site, HappinessSeries.com. I wanted to feel better than I felt and certainly look better than I did! I felt like there had to be a trick to this aging thing, like how does one get older without aging prematurely like my aunts and grandparents and every other middle-aged person I knew growing up. Turns out by dealing with inflammation and what triggers it, I could mitigate the effects of aging and feel a whole lot better. And what worked for me worked for others. The book sold out on Amazon, and I got a fair amount of attention internationally, thanks to interviews on TV. Read more>>

Victor Ngo-Smith

New Cottage Arts has been the ultimate dream for owner and director, Victor Ngo-Smith for the better part of ten years. A lifelong piano player, music lover, multi-instrumentalist, and graduate of the Juilliard School, Victor began thinking of a music and arts school with late-night, excited talks with his husband about how he could shake things up in the arts education and arts venue worlds. He wanted to build a space where arts education wasn’t thought of as extra, or a luxury – a space that would above all else promotes inclusion, accessibility, and diversity in arts education, which brought us to our mission: a music and art school for all. New Cottage Arts aims to provide the highest quality, fun, and rewarding class and lesson programming to our community, inspire a collaborative relationship between the musical and visual arts and offer a fun and delightful gallery space for all to enjoy. Read more>>

Jeff Scaman, Tiffany and Brad Cooke

All great ideas are born over good meals with friends! In 2017, I was on a business trip in Dallas and met some good friends, Brad and Tiffany Cooke, for dinner. A great meal and catching up on lost time lead to the most riveting of discussions—patents, software apps, and technology of course. To make a long story short, we got talking about dash cameras, Nest, and the ever-increasing need for security in ride-shares. The idea of NEST, but for your car, even came up. This got everyone’s wheels turning. What if we developed a dual-camera dashcam app for phones, allowing people to record inside and outside their vehicles simultaneously. We all recognized the immense value this could have to parents of teenage drivers and ride-share drivers and riders. Read more>>

Richard Corso

I was raised in North Denver. I became interested in filmmaking at a pretty young age. Around 2010, I started taking steps towards my film career. Mostly really bad shorts with friends in high school. After that, it’s really just been making shorts as often as I can – pursuing a feature film as my five years goal. That’s really about it. Read more>>

Mitch Wenig and Matt Carnes

Matt Carnes and I became friends through our common love of music, film, and art. We both have backgrounds and degrees in Audio Engineering/Production and have been working in the creative media industry for a combined 30+ years. In 2019 we decided to put all of our life experiences, passion, and skills together to create DownBeat Denver. We both have an immense love and adoration for Colorado music. We believe there is a unique and authentic music community here in CO and we wanted to find a way to share that with the world. DownBeat Denver is a music series that highlights local bands/musicians through recorded music performances and interviews. Something that makes us different than other music shows such as Tiny Desk is that we include artist interviews in our show. Read more>>

Sam Rose

The RoseBud journey began in 2016, shortly before I finished college. That April, after spending over a year working a business plan, I presented my idea for an Oregon marijuana dispensary to a potential investor and was laughed out of the presentation. After the meeting, my friend and I were smoking a joint as I questioned what I should do with my life now that my dreams had just been crushed. My friend jokingly suggested that I start a marijuana ice cream shop in Denver. I took his joke seriously and went out and bought an ice cream machine. Soon after buying the hardware, I started teaching myself how to make ice cream from scratch and how to infuse it with THC. That June, I graduated college the moved to Colorado in July telling myself I’d have a THC ice cream business within six months of moving there. Read more>>

Gertie Harris

I grew up in Winnetka, IL — a northern suburb right outside of Chicago. As the oldest of four siblings, I’ve always been a natural leader and a big self-starter. I was accepted to The University of Denver for my undergrad and decided to head West (the skiing was a big draw as well). Turns out, heading to Denver in 2014 was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. Not only was Denver on the cusp of massive growth and development, but there were so many opportunities for me to be a part of it. And that’s what I really wanted… to grow alongside the city and contribute to the development of it. Read more>>

Farrah Nicole Martin

It started with a water bottle. I was a Biology/Pre-Med undergraduate student at Xavier University that had a clear vision for my future… move to Atlanta for medical school, start my own practice at 30, marry, have 2.75 kids (that was what statistics said was the average household number for children during that time), have a dog, and live happily ever after. Yet, I went to an on-campus career fair where my desire to get a water bottle sparked a conversation that would alter my life forever. I graduated college, deferred medical school, and began teaching middle school science in one of the most impoverished communities in New Orleans. Everyday I drove 15 minutes from the school where I was teaching to attend graduate school at Tulane University. Read more>>

Dr. Danelle Wesley

I received my first chiropractic adjustment when I was only seven years old. I woke up one morning, after a normal day of being a country kid and playing outside, but was unable to get out of bed. I couldn’t get my body to cooperate and quickly determined I could only wiggle my fingers and toes. My parents, just as frightened as I was, sprung into action calling our local small-town physician. With the physician unable to see me, my parents decided to take an alternative course of action. They found the number for our local chiropractor who was able to see me that afternoon. At that point in time, no one in my family went to chiropractors or even knew what they did exactly. Using TV trays to slide underneath me like a stretcher, they carried me to the backseat of the car and drove me into town. Read more>>

Aaron Diaz

Got my first tattoo at age 18 by James foster. He was the first person in the industry to give me a shot and helped me out anyway he could (still friends with him to this day). I was really inspired by the tattoo industry and growing up always being hooked on anything that related to Hispanic culture especially art from lowriders to smile now cry later masks old English and lots more. People like mister cartoon were my first big inspirations at a young age. I always wanted to be like him. Eight years later, I specialize in lettering tattoos and calligraphy inspired work. I jumped through lots of styles before finding my love in lettering. Read more>>

AJ Battle

A three-sport athlete played Football, Basketball and ran Track. University of Northern Colorado Student-Athlete. Some say I have a lot of passion and gift for massage and helping people feel great on a daily basis. My specialty is in helping my clients move better without any restrictions holding them back. Whether it’s overcoming chronic pain, recovering from injuries/surgery, or enhancing general body function and sports performance. My style of bodywork integrates structural, deep tissue and sports massage techniques that are designed to create more space in the joint and lengthen the muscles. There is never one thing have to when working on an individual, my unique way of working comes from what the clients explain, with what I feel and my own personal experience with a particular pain. Read more>>

Sommer Grandchamp

I started showing signs of OCD at age 11 but was misdiagnosed for 12 years. I was properly diagnosed at age 23. When I started therapy, I wanted exercises to work on between sessions, but I couldn’t find any workbooks that were private enough to work on at coffee shops or the office – Google “Therapy Book” and you’ll see!! So, I created my own guided wellness workbook in an old journal. And I brought it to my session and my therapist said “hang on! I’m going to need some of those!” A journal that I had no intention of selling was then self-published and open for purchasing starting in May 2020 for Mental Health Awareness month. Due to the majorly positive reaction, I sent for my second mass print run just three months later! Read more>>

Alison Ferriera

I’m a Denver native who lives down the street from the childhood home where I grew up. I’ve always been interested in the variety life has to offer, which was reflected early on, when I was searching for the right career. In high school and college, I immersed myself in fine art, advertising, media, sociology, gender studies…all with a common theme that I would return to, of my need and desire to support, learn and connect to others. I was adopted at a young age from S. Korea and always felt comfortable with my narrative. I grew up in a family who did not look like me, and only as an adult have been able to process, confront, and grow with how that plays into my presence in this world, and how it helps me to understand the complexities that others might navigate in their own lives. We all have those pieces that are complex about us. Read more>>

Englewood

Devonee Thaxton

Born and raised in Colorado. I started with a passion for music and fell into a passion for organization and operations. I’ve spent over ten years working in the corporate setting in admin work and project management until I decide right at the beginning of COVID to start my business and it’s been the best decision I’ve ever made. I’ve been able to help so many bold entrepreneurs achieve their goals. The organization, strategic planning and implementation excite me and I love taking big ideas and breaking them into actionable steps. Read more>>

Adrian Ritchie

I spent years looking for and buying hats. “I need a new hat” I would think, I would look for one while traveling or spend hours online trying to find a style, design, color that I liked. If I was lucky enough to find one, I would cross my fingers hoping that when I received it, it was what I had expected. Was it high quality, was it comfortable, was the color the same? The majority of these occurrences, the answers to those questions was no. So I decided to design and sell my own. So I could get it right. Why doesn’t anyone talk about the size of a crown? Or show how a hat fits from all angles? Still Company started with a goal to properly describe and define a hat so that a customer can receive what they expect. And therefore doesn’t have to waste money or take chances on many hats. They can stick to just one. Because we make hats you love. Read more>>

Woody (Caitlin) Olson

I am currently the President of Denver Roller Derby (DRD) and have been skating with the league for three and a half years now. I got my start with DRD back in January 2017 when I attended one of the league’s new recruit nights. I fell in love with the world of roller derby and have been immersed in it ever since. When I first started, I had never roller skated before in my life but that didn’t stop me from starting DRD’s new skater program (aptly named “Flight School”). I made my way up through Flight School alongside my Derby Wife, Julia Gulia. We weren’t able to pass test-ups without each other! Read more>>

Kim Le and Scott Nguyen

Twenty-twenty will definitely be a year to remember. When the stay-at-home order was put into effect in March, over 80 million Americans were forced out of work during a global pandemic. Unfortunately, we both lost our jobs as many businesses were forced to shut down and for some, permanent closures.If you told us that we would come out of quarantine as business owners, we would have never believed it. It all started when we heard the news that the infamous Market in downtown Denver was closing its doors permanently. That was our favorite bakery to satisfy our Spring Fling craving, so we are so sad to hear the news of their closing. Soon after, I was really craving the Spring Fling cake and decided to try making Spring Fling cupcakes. Read more>>

Fort Collins

Mason Lindbloom

What started my creative journey was a 5-minute film class in high school where you had groups of people create a 5-minute film in one week. It was a wonderful process, but looking back at my video it was downright awful. About once a year, I go back through and watch my 5-minute film, which is filled has so many ideas I had and not the technical know-how. I am amazed each time I watch to see the creative potential although similarly disgusted by the outrageous number of copyright claims that I had no idea about as a first-timer just trying to piece together a grade. Read more>>

Jephta Bernstein

I moved back to Fort Collins in 2011 after being gone for 25 years — college and grad school, musical performing life, numerous cities around the country, marriage and two children later — from Austin, TX with my family. Reuniting my children with my parents and being in my home town to raise them felt like the ultimate resting point. Having no idea what I would now do I began to explore whether the chamber music program in the public schools that I ran for Salon Concerts (in Austin) would be a possible fit for Fort Collins. Thus Off the Hook Arts was born in 2012. I welcomed my good friend, International renowned classical composer Bruce Adolphe, who resides in New York and works at the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center as their Director of Family Concerts and Resident Lecturer, as our Artistic Director. Read more>>

Wendee Brungardt

My heart and motivation in starting my company began when I was dealing with some tough health issues in 2015. I was experiencing anxiety, depression, hormonal imbalance and some major pain issues. I have always been a believer in natural health and healing our bodies from within and taking good care of myself. I am an ex-college athlete and have enjoyed being physically and mentally fit. When I started experiencing these tough health ailments, I was at a loss and felt hopeless. I visited a medical Dr. and was prescribed an anti-depressant. That was a miserable six months of being on that, which made me feel even worse! Thankfully, a friend from the gym suggested I go to a dispensary and buy some CBD oil. I honestly had no clue what it was and was worried she was encouraging me to take something that would be considered a drug, something I was uncomfortable with. Read more>>

Ashley Kaufman

I had worked in Corporate Finance for almost ten years and my heart knew I was not in the right place. After some soul searching and a lot of prayers, I decided to walk away from the career I had worked so hard for. I had always loved flowers and loved even more the joy they brought people. I took a number of classes and read many books and decided to give it a shot, to pursue my true dream of working for myself and spreading love and joy through the beauty of flowers. I started small, doing daily arrangements for birthdays, anniversaries, etc. through word of mouth and in Year 2, I did my first couple of weddings and really found my niche. I am now in Year 5 of my business and do only wedding flowers, but continue to be in awe of how much I have grown in 5 years and how much love and joy I have been able to help create and spread. Read more>>

Lakewood

Kristen Kapoor and Theresa Halliburton

As co-founders of Flouwer Co. we met as neighbors but became friends over a shared enjoyment for entertaining others through food and socializing. We started out styling cheese and charcuterie boards and were simply looking for ways to set ourselves apart with fun and unique ideas. Theresa is an avid gardener and thought of incorporating edible flowers into our recipes and when we started baking our artisanal crackers, we knew we had stumbled upon something special. We began supplying local restaurants with our Flouwer Co. Artisanal Crackers in 2019. Shortly after, we were being asked where individuals could purchase a box, so we decided to expand into our retail line this year. Read more>>

William Duncan

I’ve been a musician all of my life. Usually, when you tell someone you are a musician they have a look of either pity or something close to it. This reaction probably has to do with the fact that musicians struggle to make a living with their art despite being talented or driven. I have lived all over the country writing and performing my music and the music of my colleagues. I love it and will never stop. But, making a living with the art form is the tricky part and it is also the least fun. After my time in New York City, I realized that I may be on my own. So my wife and I started a music publishing company based in Idaho Springs, Colorado. Read more>>

Longmont

Jessica Johnson

Horses are what initially drew me into veterinary medicine as I grew up in a Suburban area on the beach in Southern California. Despite having no farm/ranch/livestock experience, I always had a love for farm animals and food/agriculture and was inspired by the stories of country vets like James Herriot (All Creatures Great and Small). While pursuing both my undergraduate and veterinary degrees, I always found my way to various volunteer opportunities on farms and with farm animal veterinarians. I graduated from UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine in 2012 and immediately moved to Colorado. I then completed a one-year internship in Livestock Medicine and Surgery at Colorado State University. Read more>>

Monica Lee

I’ve always been an artist. Since the day I was handed crayons, I was always drawing. People like to talk a lot about talent in the arts. And though savants are occasionally born, art is mostly practice. And that’s me, I’ve been practicing all my life. I started college as an art major but dropped out. As the only artist in my family, we were taught art was an impractical education. But art as a profession found me! I was living on the Big Island of Hawai’i, mostly being a beach bum and working in the service industry. I ended up serving coffee to a couple of lovely tattooers who gave me a lot of encouragement to pursue the arts. I was so lucky, and it’s beautiful to have folks in your life who believe in your potential even when you can’t see it yourself. And it was perfect timing too, I was in a pretty intense quarter-life crisis. Read more>>

Westminster & Thornton

Dana Paige

I moved from California, where I was born and raised, to Colorado in 1995. I was 34 and wanted to change career paths. I had been a hairstylist since I was 19 and wanted to do something with a bit more depth and feeling. I wanted to have a different effect on people. So I studied and became certified in therapeutic massage at the Massage Therapy Institute of Colorado in Denver. Once I graduated, I set out to build my clientele in Broomfield. At the same time that I was starting my massage business, I also enrolled in a martial arts school offered through the local recreation center. I had always been athletic and a dancer and I knew that this massage career path was going to require strength. I also remember thinking, ” a person can only take so much peace and calm! Read more>>

Greg and Rachel Lowe

We both grew up with a love of the camera. Rachel toted one everywhere, studied under a professional portrait artist in Oregon, and won competitions in 4H. As she got into college and the digital revolution happened, she fell away from photography but kept her love of the medium. Greg documented field trips, vacations, and family at home with a point and shoot film camera or one of his mom’s many cameras. He eventually took a photography class in college; a class that ultimately turned him off completely to it as an art form. Photos we took after we met were mostly with early point and shoot digital cameras; we were just playing around and having fun documenting the memories we were making. Read more>>