Meet Trailblazer Mundi Ross

Today we’d like to introduce you to Mundi Ross.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Mundi. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I believe everyone has an opportunity to start somewhere or small because an idea can spark a movement and my journey as an entrepreneur began with a cookie. I launched a cookie company in 2013 called Salt and Butter Co, baking uniquely flavored cookies and selling them at local farmers markets. I began to fall in love with Colorado Springs and the community of artisans and small business owners I was meeting and wanted to find a creative way to celebrate their stories. So, I rallied an incredible team of creatives and started Colorado Collective (COCO), an online and print publication that told the stories of small business owners and artisans in craft and culture. COCO brought the community together around tables with pop-up dinners, workshops, and hundreds of stories read and told of collaboration and celebration of ideas and people in our region and beyond. Two years into Colorado Collective, I decided to take the concept a step further and opened a storefront called COCO Crafted as a venue to celebrate the DIY culture by providing hands-on workshops. I celebrated the opening of Crafted in March of 2017 and received the most devastating news on June 6, 2017, that would turn my world upside down. My father was diagnosed with ALS otherwise known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease and told he would have 9-11 months to live. I quickly made a decision after struggling emotionally and mentally to keep the storefront afloat, to close the doors and spend the next two years with my family. Before my father’s diagnosis, life was bright. Along with opening Crafted, I was moving COCO towards a creative agency with the partnership of an agency out of Dallas and was looking to launch a nationally branded food and beverage publication. Dying, death, and the grief that followed put my life into perspective and challenged me in ways I never expected. It was one of the darkest times of my life that forced me on my knees, to reevaluate my why and motivations. Through my grief journey, I knew it was time to make some changes.

After some time muddling through, I ran into a dear friend at a coffee shop and asked her what she was up to and she told me she was crunching numbers on a venue and bar. (Perspective: The weekend before I was in Santa Fe with my husband dreaming as the fog was lifting and decided that the next thing for me to do was pursue a venue and bar idea I had in my head since moving to Colorado Springs in 2003.) So, I sit down next to her with a smile on my face and share with her my weekend in Santa Fe. Opening summer 2019, ALMAGRE Venue + Bar. is the newest endeavor in which I am partnering up with my dear friend Grace Harrison to bring together regional food boards and barrel-aged cocktails along with an urban venue anchored in the heart of Colorado Springs.

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?
I have been in entrepreneurship for six years now and there are times in which my side hustle became full-time and there were times in which my full-time venture became a side hustle once again. There are days of celebration and days in which I wanted to throw in the towel. There are seasons in which I needed to show myself a little grace and jump back into a 9-5 because the concept was too soon or the idea needed a bit more tweaking or more importantly, my health and well-being were being sacrificed at the sake of this longing to become (fill in the blank). AND let’s be honest, no one plans for the death of a loved one. The road to being an entrepreneur is a long one and it takes a certain amount of grit to press on. I think it so important to pause every once in a while and reevaluate the why. Is it still in line with the direction in which you are headed or desire to head? Show yourself some grace and be patient with the process. Most importantly, make sure you have allies for support and accountability.

We’d love to hear more about ALMAGRE Venue + Bar.
I was recently chatting with someone about creativity in leadership and the best way I can describe myself is that some see sheet music and can only focus note to note. I see more than just the notes on the page, I see a colorful melody before I even begin and the endless possibilities. I lead with vision and see Colorado Springs as an endless opportunity. I am passionate about placemaking and a community that over the course of the past six years has allowed me to reinvent myself and ask what’s next with full support and enthusiasm.

I am currently working on my one and only project, ALMAGRE Venue + Bar with my dear friend Grace Harrison. Partnerships always come with challenges but I couldn’t have picked a more perfect person to align myself with. The journey with her has been so fun. The Bar at ALMAGRE will feature a barrel-aged cocktail program, unique list of house cocktails alongside quintessentially classic cocktails, top wines from around the world and a few Colorado beers and the food program focuses on elevated charcuterie from around the world. The 4,000 square foot venue is a first of its kind in the Pikes Peak Region, with an urban industrial style and endless possibilities to create whatever can be dreamed up and can accommodate 150 guests for a wedding ceremony and reception, and up to 300 for a standing style event. I am thrilled to open doors to the public end of August.

What’s the most important piece of advice you could give to a young woman just starting her career?
Develop your why and find your supportive allies.

Contact Info:

• Address: Almagre Venue + Bar
  2460 Montebello Square Dr.
  Colorado Springs, CO 80918
• Website: www.almagrecollective.com
• Email: hello@almagrecollective.com
• Instagram: @almagrevenue @mundikay
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/almagrevenue/

Image Credit:
Lauren Reece and Devin Richter

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