Case Study: Startup Colorado achieves scalable, statewide support for rural entrepreneurs with Hivebrite

Startup Colorado connects rural entrepreneurs with vital resources to support them to thrive

Startup Colorado is a nonprofit that connects rural entrepreneurs with the human, social, and financial capital needed to start and scale businesses. Facing thinly dispersed resources and an unsustainable model of driving thousands of miles to meet founders, Startup Colorado partnered with Hivebrite to create a fully branded online community — the Rural Entrepreneur Network — to better reach and support entrepreneurs across the state.

Hivebrite built the Rural Entrepreneur Network using its platform (Communication and News Feed, Event, and Resource Center modules) to centralize a searchable Resource Center, Funding Database, member profiles, 15 targeted subgroups, and event management. The community has grown to 1,202 members in under two years, published 551 Startup Colorado and partner events, and supported pilot programs that helped 24 entrepreneurs across 18 industries — 13 of which launched businesses — while giving Startup Colorado scalable insights from member data to drive more effective, targeted support.

Startup Colorado

Margaret Hedderman

Communications and Editorial Director