Meet Dani Grant of Mishawaka Amphitheatre in Northern Colorado

Today we’d like to introduce you to Dani Grant.

Dani, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I started my entrepreneurial career in commercial real estate, moved to manufacturing sales and operations, then business consulting, then management and operations of entertainment industries. My husband and I purchased a small chain of bowling centers and branded them Chipper’s Lanes after his late brother Chip. The poor man was fondly personified as a cheery chipmunk caricature. It was at Chipper’s, where we opened our first stage and began working closely with the local music scene. We had a rock n boll in mind for the center located near CSU.

I found myself drawn to developing creatives and launched a non-profit incubator for musicians that also served as an economic development engine for the city of Fort Collins and, ultimately, Colorado. In order to serve the musicians I was advocating for, I acquired the Mishawaka Amphitheatre, a 100-year-old outdoor restaurant and venue in the Poudre Canyon. The place had been poorly managed for years, had extensive deferred maintenance but was a revered concert venue nonetheless because of its charm and scenic location. I began to reinvigorate the place and over the last ten years. This place was iconic and so important to the community. We had to make sure it could withstand time. Mishawaka has been ranked in the top 100 outdoor venues in the world (Pollstar 2017, 2018, 2019)

Over the years and after continued work on the place, more and more national artists came to play. This intimate 1000 capacity stage nestled in the canyon next to the raging class 5 Poudre river is a respite for weary touring artists and has a reputation of incredible hospitality. River rafting, fly fishing and other perks are possible on a stopover at Mish. After fires, floods and now the plague, we still serve local and national musicians, host 100,000+ guests a year and remain a coveted community center.

In addition to my work at Mish and Chippers, I serve on several boards The Colorado Sound, The Music Policy Forum and I currently work on a national leadership team consulting with 11 major US cities, Canada and the UK on how to reopen venues safely (REVS) in the current Pandemic crisis.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Struggles are inherent to small business and entrepreneurial careers. I have lost businesses and, in order to pay a debt, sold my home and everything I own, forcing me to move my family in with parents. The High Park fire in 2012 that threatened the Mish and closed the canyon for 30 days caused incredible physical and financial stress.

SpokesBUZZ, the non-profit I ran, bled my savings dry and caused my marriage to be at risk for a while. I ended up having to shut the non-profit down due to a lack of funding and to provide for more time with my family. That was crushing as the incubator I built and the programs I was running were incredibly effective for the artists and the music scenes. However, without funding to fuel it, the machine will not run. The benefits it generated for the musicians and the cities are still prevalent to this day.

We’d love to hear more about Mishawaka Amphitheatre.
I’m known for running community-minded, socially conscious, fair businesses in the entertainment sector. Chipper’s Lanes Bowling, Mishawaka Amphitheatre and all other investments I am involved in revolve around family and fun.

Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
I believe everything happens for a reason and you get what you deserve. I have spent a lot of time building good karma. That doesn’t mean I haven’t had some rough luck but generally, I think change is good no matter how difficult the delivery system.

Contact Info:

• Address: Mishwaka – 13714 Poudre Canyon Highway, Bellvue CO 80512
• Website: www.themishawka.com; www.chipperslanes.com
• Phone: 888-The Mish
• Email: dani@themishawaka.com
• Instagram: @mishawakaamphitheatre
• Facebook: Mishawaka Amphitheatre
• Twitter: @themishawaka

Image Credit:
Sunny Side Productions Cody Allmer

Suggest a story: VoyageDenver is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.