Reinvented the company, tore it all down and built it up again
1140_ 1/9/2012 - We are back with another winner, that is Colorado Companies to Watch winner, Aspenware Internet Solutions CEO, President and owner, Josh Swihart. Aspenware builds custom software. Aspen Leaf Software was founded in 2001 offering a content management and commerce system. It ran into trouble late 2008. The economy faltered. Client's budgets were slashed. Sales of the product went dry. However, the troubled economy provided a unique opportunity to recruit the region’s top talent. Josh Swihart joined the company as its new CEO with a charter to help the company change course. He reinvented the company, tore it all down and built it up again. Aspen Leaf Software became Aspenware. Prior to Aspenware, Josh was the vice president of corporate marketing for K2, a global software company based in Redmond, Washington. Before K2, Josh served as a global practice manager for EMC Corporation, a practice director for the Interlink Group which included long-term assignments in India and San Francisco to establish branch offices, and was a co-founder of 3t Systems. Josh was a finalist for Colorado Technical Association's Entrepreneur of the Year in 2010. In spite of a significant recession and without incurring debt or outside funding, Aspenware established a new brand, defined its focus and pulled together a team of highly skilled people to form the foundation of its business. Aspenware has a terrific reputation and momentum. Aspenware's clients include notable Colorado companies like Vail Resorts, helping them build their award-winning EpicMix, and New Belgium Brewing. In addition to its work for clients, Aspenware has created an innovation engine to develop leaders and intellectual property. As a result, Aspenware will spin off two new companies in 2012. Listen for more...
Related Links: Aspenware || Colorado Companies to Watch || Colorado Companies to Watch Channel || Top 50 Companies to Watch || Gala Event || Keywords: Josh Swihart, Aspenware, Internet Solutions, Stephanie Steffens, Edward Lowe Foundation, Colorado Companies to Watch, COCTW, Second Stage Companies, Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade bytes=7656074
LISTEN to Josh Swihart, Owner, President & CEO, Aspenware - COCTW 2011-12

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Include the entire state, regions outside of Denver Metro
1142_ 1/9/2012 - Monday, Nov. 28, 2011 — Gov. John Hickenlooper announced the Colorado Innovation Network to promote collaboration among Colorado’s private, public and academic organizations. The Colorado Innovation Network (COIN) will stimulate economic growth, help create jobs and attract new businesses by supporting innovative business activities and establishing Colorado as the best state for business. “The Colorado Innovation Network is a roadmap for making Colorado the best state for innovation and where every road must lead to new jobs,” Hickenlooper said. “We’ll work statewide with industry leaders to build a business environment which promotes innovative practices, creates jobs and grows our economy.” w3w3® Media Network sat down with Kelly Quann, Executive Director of COIN to discuss how COIN will attract new businesses to the State of Colorado by supporting innovative business activities and establishing a reputation for Colorado as the most innovative state in the country. Larry asked Kelly, "1.How is COIN different from prior attempts to create an innovation council in Colorado? 2.What are your immediate (one-year) priorities for COIN? 3.How will COIN work with the academic sector? 4.What is COIN pursuing or supporting in this upcoming legislative session? 5.How will COIN include the entire state, namely the regions outside of Denver Metro, in its activities? Listen and watch this lively discussion...
Related Links: Gov. Hickenlooper's Announcement || COIN || Launch Press Conference || Denver Business Journal || Kelly Quann LinkedIn || Blog || Keywords: Kelly Quann, COIN, Gov. John Hickenlooper, The Colorado Innovation Network, Colorado
WATCH Video: Kelly Quann, Executive Director, COIN

Discussing the benefits of social business enterprise
1136_ 1/2/2012 - Behind the scene with a candid moment, Kim Jordan, CEO/Founder, New Belgium Brewing, Chris Pelley, Managing Director/Founder, CIMCO and Larry Nelson of w3w3.com discuss the benefits of social business enterprise. We get an update on Roisin Pelley's work in India and much to Kim's delight, Larry confesses to his love for Fat Tire. We're off to a good start. Of course, Chris Pelley is the leader in our region, in fact, our state in the area of social enterprise/entrepreneurship and we're grateful he's brought Kim Jordan's company New Belgium Brewing Company to our attention. How could you not want to work there? When you hear Kim talk about her people, the teams and the culture - it's a great lesson for new entrepreneurs, but also for established older companies. Kim's response was, "I'm always impressed by my 'co-workers'. Sometimes they make me cry because they're so dedicated, creative and playful. I still have many pinch me moments." Twice a year New Belgium Brewing has their 'New Owner Induction" that's when you've passed the mark for being one year vested for the employee stock ownership plan, they have a ceremony and Kim makes a Mojo for every person who is in that six month time frame. People say it's their favorite day of the year because of the enthusiasm from the new owners about why this is important to them. First year anniversary, employees are presented with a bicycle and at the fifth year, Kim, takes them to Belgium for a week, traveling around and learning about beer culture. Their annual retreat has been very powerful because it creates a level of trust and transparency and also an expectation that people be involved. There's much more detail about tapping into your people's strengths... Watch and Listen Now.
Related Links: New Belgium Brewing || CIMCO || Community Reach || Social Entrepreneurship || M&A Channel || ACG Denver || Rocky Mountain Corporate Growth Conference || Keywords: Kim Jordan, New Belgium Brewing, Social Entrepreneurship, Social Enterprise, Association for Corporate Growth, Denver, ACG, Chris Pelley, CIMCO, Community Reach
WATCH VIDEO, Kim Jordan Founder/CEO, New Belgium Brewing Co & Chris Pelley, CIMCO

Expanding Colorado's High Speed Internet Service

1138_ 1/2/2012 - w3w3® Media Network looks forward to the annual Colorado Rotary State of the State reception at the Governor's mansion in Denver because they always have an important and valuable project to share with us. This year we're speaking with three people working on the Colorado High Speed Internet Project. Committee Chair Harriet Downer has a consulting firm Logical Connections, she is here in the capacity of Chair of the Colorado High Speed Internet Project along with Seth Patterson, president of the Rotary Club of Denver [and commercial real estate broker]. John Klug, the third member of our trio, says he's never worked harder and never made less - but he spends about half his time on Rotary which excites him so much, and that's his story. Seth is convinced the most important thing he can be involved in is education because it leverages everything else and ultimately should provide a solution to every other problem. John Klug, said, "We looked out a couple of years ago and we saw that Colorado was forty-sixth in the nation in terms of internet speed and was paying 10 - 15 times the cost that our neighbor states of Nebraska and Utah were paying." The Eagle Net (Educational Access Gateway Learning Environment Network) Project is part of the solution - it's the middle mile. Beyond that there's a need to connect all the classroom buildings, a need for technology in classrooms, digital content and we need to train teachers how to use this. That's really the next phase of the project. Our plan is to mobilize all of Rotary in Colorado as well as other service clubs. The problem and the need is big enough. To engage with local school districts learn and help them determine the needs and then help meet those. Larry asked what individuals and businesses can do to help. "Keep the conversation going. We have 21 months to get this done - August 2013. And this is an interstate system - without the connection into the community, it's an interstate without entrances and exits. It's the community that will take it from the school district building into the classrooms that empower the communities and that's our charge. This will impact every home and business by providing gigabyte access to every part of the Colorado." Get involved, there's more to listen to...
Related Links: EAGLE – Net Project || Rotary Club of Denver, Club 31 || Rotary District 5450 || In the News || Keywords: EAGLE – Net, Rotary, High-speed Internet, Harriet Downer, Seth Patterson, John Klug, Federal Stimulus Grant, Colorado, School Districts, Colorado High Speed Internet Project - Bytes: 6773763
LISTEN to Rotary Denver - High Speed Internet Project

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How do I get involved, what do I do, what's this all about
1139_ 1/9/2012 - The CU Tech Transfer Office has a tremendous reputation in the business arena and over the past number of years TTO has overcome obstacles in a difficult economic environment and made great achievements... CU Tech Transfer ranks in the top five for all universities in the country. We are with David Allen, Associate Vice President of Tech Transfer to learn about an exciting event that's coming up. Dave said, "People come to us all the time, 'how do I get involved, what do I do, what's this all about? This event provides an opportunity to get that. I don't know of many universities that offer this help. It's the one-stop-shop for us. I'd love to see all the people there, it'll be an engaging session." Dave explains the idea is that what TTO does is something that is not common. The people that we work with are obviously very experienced. But, there are a lot of people who want to understand more about Tech Transfer. As it is, people must learn this by experience. Dave uses the black box analogy. There's input - dollars, people, inventions going into the box and out the other side comes licenses and companies and development programs. What happens in there, often, is not very transparent. "Basically what we're doing is taking that box and opening it up. Let people that are broadly part of the business community understand the forces at play that hinge on the technology that comes from the university and how it goes through the process and what it looks like. Who's involved, what are the policies... out of that comes a much better understanding about us. Dave worked with Paul Nelson, a clean tech serial entrepreneur to develop an agenda. The program is three hours and will be held on the 24th of January. Look for the agenda on the Tech Transfer web site/Events. People attending will typically be business people involved in this community. And a lot of people are looking at this as an opportunity to create a company - to learn how does that all work and match up. So who should attend? Someone who may be interested in this field in general or through the Boulder Innovation Center, CU Cleantech, the Deming Entrepreneurship Center and places like that...there's more...
Related Links: TTO Public Event: Tech Transfer at the University of Colorado || CU Technology Transfer Office || CU TTO Channel || TTO Blog || Keywords: David Allen, Technology Transfer, University of Colorado, Paul Nelson, Boulder Innovation Center, CU Cleantech, Deming Entrepreneurship Center - bytes=9218406
LISTEN TO: Dave Allen, Associate Vice President, Tech Transfer Office, University of Colorado

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Denver - Women owned businesses employ more than 100,000 people
1141_ 1/9/2012 - We are here with a very interesting person, Barbara Bauer who is the director of, ABLE for WOMEN, The Entrepreneurship Center in the Womens College at the University of Denver. While we feel the answer should be obvious, Larry asked Barbara why we should care about women entrepreneurs. Barbara tells us, It is an important question and if you look at the data, the metro Denver area has the second largest percentage of women owned startups in the country. But only three percent of those startups break through the million dollar revenue bench mark. If we just look at the Denver area by itself, women owned businesses employ more than 100,000 people, and generate more than $19 billion in sales. But very few of those grow and reach what might be considered to be their full potential. We could have a tremendous economic gain in the state if we could change that. This is fascinating, but what does ABLE offer women that isn't already available? Barbara says it is important that there are other outstanding organizations already offering resources. But many times women and men don't know about what they offer and when it's appropriate to use them and what they need to be prepared with in order to take advantage of them. So we are concerning and connecting women in particular with what is already out there. Then ABLE is taking a look at the questions entrepreneurs are asking and the community and the professional organizations themselves and saying, you know, what's missing here? What isn't available that might make a difference for women entrepreneurs? The research that is available about women entrepreneurs suggests are two areas where they benefit. They have less successful networks in terms of their business needs. So providing opportunities for them to get connected in ways that they can't do on their own is important. Many of the ABLE programs are directed at that issue. The ABLE Entrepreneurship Center has monthly programs called Profit Matters, Practical Matters, ABLE Experts, all of these are designed to help women get connected to different resources than they might not be able to do on their own. Listen for more details and success stories...
Related Links: ABLE for Women || Social Entrepreneurship || Entrepreneurs Channel || In the News || Podcasting Directory || Keywords: Barbara Bauer, ABLE for WOMEN, The Entrepreneurship Center in the Women's College at the University of Denver, Women Entrepreneurs, Green Energy, Aerospace, Biotech - bytes=7041256
LISTEN TO: Barbara Bauer, Dir., ABLE for Women, Women's College at - DU

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Teach for America or a Peace Corps for Geeks
1135_ 1/2/2012 - The National Center for Women In Technology (NCWIT) is very proud to bring the stories of incredible you women to your attention. We are talking with Jennifer Pahlka, founder of Code for America. She recently described Code for America, "It's like a Teach for America or a Peace Corps for Geeks". People in government, senior managers with projects they think could benefit from web based solutions can make an appeal to Code for America to get volunteer help to build these projects out. This is not the first thing Jennifer has done, she's a serial entrepreneur and has extensive experience in gaming and media. Jennifer says they're a new organization having just finished up their first fellowship year. They had 19 fellows work with them all year long and work with the cities doing great projects. An example of one project is the "Adopt a Fire Hydrant App", which came out of the fact that fellows go visit their cities for five weeks. Their Boston team was treated to a massive 'snowpocalypse' and they saw the city struggling to clear the streets. They never really get to digging out the fire hydrants, but the citizens were right in front of them and they could dig them out. So the 'fellows' created a little web app that allowed the citizen to clean the fire hydrant and agree to dig it out when it snows. Jennifer's advice to a budding entrepreneur: You have to really care, deeply care about the problem you're trying to solve and think it's an important problem. And care about your people. If you don't deeply care about your work others won't either and you won't be successful. Jennifer didn't feel like an entrepreneur until she came up with the idea for Code for America. She suddenly felt she could be incredibly useful to the world and she could make a difference and it was the power of the idea and the notion that no one else was going to do it that made her start this organization. Listen for more... Related Links: Code for America || NCWIT Home || NCWIT Practice || NCWIT Blog || Heroes Channel || || Keywords: Jennifer Pahlka, Code for America, National Center for Women In Technology, NCWIT, Lucinda Sanders, Geeks, Entrepreneurs, People in Government, Apps - Bytes: 16827353
LISTEN to - Jennifer Pahlka, Founder/CEO, Code for America

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Hot new trends in marketing your company
1137_ 1/2/2012 - "The demand for marketing and marketing projects all the way through to individual marketers became so high..." that Melodie Reagan launched this new brand from i2i Workforce, called Crazy Good Marketing. "It is a full service marketing firm with a twist", says co-founder, Melodie Reagan. Larry asked Melodie with all the hot new trends, how do we stay ahead? Melodie replied, “Well you stay ahead of the trends by paying attention to them. There is one that I'd like to share, because I think it will be impactful. I'm referring to one that started in Europe and bring it back to America. There's a firm called Iconoculture, they've identified a macro trend. It's called "National Gross Happiness. Why it relates to America? There are some trends going on in America in our markets and they're called 'Random Acts of Kindness', generosity and cause with a fact and fundamentally what this trend is about is political and economic uncertainty are putting a spotlight on how we feel and about our happiness and can we make a difference." Listen for more details. Melody goes on, "The Kern Organization completes an annual study of top marketing executives and for 2011 the number one trend that they pointed out is better integration of online and offline data collection and analytics is essential. It is essential and needs to be measurable for marketing. In terms of the online to offline, it really is about your market. Social media is important; it's about interaction - engaging with your prospects and your customers. At a minimum, any business today needs a website, and they need to get into LinkedIn and setup a page. What they do beyond that really and truly depends upon the market. If you're in a real high-end, face-to-face sell, all the social media isn't as critical - but again, Melodie says she's going to tell you website and LinkedIn. If you're selling to consumers - mobile, location based is very critical. We now have more and more smart phones. The other thing Melodie states with reaching various customers, for example w3w3.com, you provide a mechanism to reach businesses in Colorado. Very simply do things where you're getting an interaction with interviews or blogs with w3w3..." Listen for more insightful ideas...
Related Links: i2i Workforce || Colorado Companies to Watch || In the News || Podcasting Directory || CO Companies to Watch || Keywords: Melodie Reagan, CrazyGoodMarketing, i2iWorkforce, Colorado Companies to Watch, Talent Strategy, Recruiting, Jobs, Unemployment, Manpower, Training, Iconoculture, Kern Organization - Bytes: 7159539
LISTEN to Melodie Reagan, Crazy Good Marketing

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Achieving Your Personal and Professional Goals
933_ 11/29/10- Don't Let Another Year Go By - The Ultimate Win is Yours - Larry Nelson has taught this material in seminars in over a dozen countries, from China to Canada, from Norway to Australia, from Germany to Japan as well as throughout the USA. He shares the results of his international research about the Characteristics of an Achiever and then goes on to help you lay out your "personalized blueprint" to personal and professional success. Larry is an internationally published author, has been a consultant to many Fortune 1000 companies and is best known for his train-the-trainer programs. ...listen now a complete step-by-step program including a downloadable manual and resource guide...this is an in-depth strategic planning and goal setting system for achievers...Read More about how to Supercharge Your Business... The links below are valuable and extremely helpful to setting your course for the next year! And they're free. Related Links: Ultimate Win Resources || Training Trends || 3-Filters Technology™ || Podcasting Directory || Your Goal || Keywords: Ultimate Win, Your Goal, Training Trends, 3-Filters TechnologyTM, Setting Goals, Larry Nelson; 11/29/10 Chnl: Entrepreneurs

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