Brandon Leuallen, The Business Times 

In a bid to foster economic mobility and retain young entrepreneurial talent in rural Colorado, Homegrown Pathways has launched a program called Spark Labs to find and aid Western Slope youth with dreams of building their own businesses right in their home communities. 

Colin Lacy, founder and CEO of Homegrown Pathways, grew up on the Western Slope and graduated from Ridgway High School. He shared that he personally has seen many friends and family members who would have liked to stay in the area but left for economic reasons, potentially missing out on opportunities to either work with high-quality, local companies or to start their own business in the area.

“We need to create more intentional pathways,” he said.

Lacy said many companies in the region, both startups and larger businesses, are struggling to fill roles. He started Homegrown Pathways to connect workforce needs with local talent to address those gaps and drive economic mobility for young people. 

In addition to connecting local talent with existing businesses, Lacy and his team saw an opportunity to reach youth with an entrepreneurial spirit. That’s where Spark Lab comes in.

“Spark Lab is the pilot that’s focused on those entrepreneurial pathways and ultimately building a local workforce that has an entrepreneurial mindset as well,” Lacy said.

Homegrown Pathways secured $300,000 in federal and private funding, including AmeriCorps planning grants and support from Denver-area donors. This funding supports the program’s staff and initiatives, including the Spark Lab pilot program.

Spark Lab partners with Startup Colorado to offer a nontechnical pre-accelerator for young entrepreneurs. The pilot program recently concluded with a pitch event where $10,000 in seed funding was awarded to 12 rural innovators aged 15 to 19 years old.

“We’re really excited with the success of the first pilot,” Lacy said. “The participants developed their business ideas and built social capital with local entrepreneurs.”

The young entrepreneurs hail from Mesa, Delta, Montrose, and Ouray counties, representing a diverse range of business concepts.

“One-hundred percent of the participants said they would recommend the program to a friend,” Lacy said. “They also reported significant advancements in their businesses and skill development.”

The program’s success has attracted support from the Morgridge Family Foundation, which provided the seed funding for the pilot program.

Among the 12 businesses that received seed funding were the following four recipients:

Aspire to Inspire

Jizelle Cisneros-Muniz of Grand Junction started Aspire to Inspire, a nonprofit dedicated to helping unemployed individuals find purpose and career opportunities through community-based work. Aspire to Inspire was awarded $750 in seed funding, with $550 supporting nonprofit leadership and grant-writing courses and $200 covering a 12-month Squarespace subscription. 

Jackaroo 

Cash Thomas, Evan Eddy and Luke Robertson from Olathe started Jackaroo, a landscaping and handyman business with a passion for community and quality service. Jackaroo received $1,500 for professional development opportunities and to expand across multiple locations with Olathe as its headquarters, along with a special Citizens State Bank Financial Consulting Package to support long-term business growth.

Swxxtcreations 

Monserrat (Monse) Perez from Olathe started Swxxtcreations to specialize in crafting custom-designed, chocolate-covered strawberries and other unique desserts. Swxxtcreations received $1,500 in seed funding, allowing Monse to invest in essential tools, equipment, professional development and marketing to expand her business.

You can find Swxxtcreations on Instagram! @swxxtcreations

CareerMe

Neva Hines, a student at Ridgway Secondary School, started CareerMe as a platform that helps companies efficiently recruit, hire and train high school students for key internship roles. CareerMe was awarded $900 to fund UI/UX design courses and cover an all-expenses-paid trip to West Slope Startup Week, where Hines will expand her network as Startup Colorado’s youth ambassador.

Homegrown Pathways invites others in the community and beyond to get involved and support efforts to retain and empower the next generation of business leaders. For more information, visit homegrownpathways.org.