Thrive Colorado Springs

10/16/2026

A special thank you to Zachary Barker for the invitation and for helping secure a scholarship for me to attend the IEDC Annual Conference and Entrepreneurship Conference in New Orleans!

As the Executive Director of The Thrive Networks, so much of my work centers around economic development and creating opportunities for entrepreneurs in historically under-resourced communities. I believe economic development isn’t just about attracting large companies or creating jobs. It’s also about investing in the people who already live in our communities, helping them build businesses, create wealth, and contribute to a stronger local economy.

I’m especially excited for the opportunity to learn from economic development leaders across the country, exchange ideas, build relationships, and bring back strategies that can strengthen the work we’re doing right here in Southeast Colorado Springs.

I’m grateful to Zach for recognizing the importance of including organizations like Thrive in these conversations. The communities we serve deserve to be represented in the rooms where economic development strategies, investments, and opportunities are discussed.

Looking forward to New Orleans and all the learning and connections ahead!

10/05/2026

🎓 Celebrating our newest Baseline graduates! Now it’s your turn. Our next FREE Baseline Program starts in just 8 days, and registration closes soon!

These photos capture our graduates celebrating and presenting their Theories of Change: identifying something in their own lives they want to change and creating a plan to move forward.

Baseline focuses on personal development, helping you grow, set goals, and take steps toward meaningful change. It’s also the first step before joining our Business Incubator, where the focus shifts to developing your business.

📅 Starts Tuesday, October 13
🕠 Tuesdays, 5:30–8:00 p.m.
📍 In person at the Family Success Center
✅ FREE to participate!

Ready to invest in yourself? Register before registration closes!

👉 https://zurl.co/sGcng

Know someone who would benefit? Share this opportunity with them!

10/03/2026

Our community needs small businesses.

Local businesses create jobs, keep dollars circulating locally, and reflect the heart of our neighborhoods. But starting and sustaining a business requires guidance, education, and support.

One participant shared, “Learning business fundamentals alongside other entrepreneurs helped me not feel so alone in starting my business.”

The Road to 100 supports the education and mentorship that helps small businesses take root and grow. When we invest monthly, we invest in long term local impact.

We are looking for 100 people to give $10 a month. Join the road at the link below.

Click here to join: https://zurl.co/UWt7L

Help Us Build a Thriving Community!At The Thrive Networks, we believe in transforming challenges into opportunities. We help Colorado Springs residents start…

09/25/2026

🚨 LAST BASELINE PROGRAM OF 2026!

If starting a business has been on your mind, this is your last chance to join a Thrive Baseline program this year!

Our next program begins October 13, and registration is now open.

Baseline is designed for aspiring entrepreneurs and early-stage business owners who want to take their idea and start building a strong personal foundation. Throughout the program, you'll work on personal life skills that will prepare you for starting a business. This program leads into our incubator program which walks you through the early steps of turning your idea into a business, connect with helpful resources, and gain clarity on what comes next.

📅 Starts October 13
🎓 Last Baseline program of 2026

Don't wait until next year to start working on your idea. Join us this fall and start building your business!

👉 Register here: https://zurl.co/qQueS

Know someone who has been talking about starting a business? Share this post with them!

09/16/2026

Thinking about opening a storefront or purchasing commercial space for your business?

Our partners at the Colorado SBDC are hosting Project Storefront, a FREE workshop designed to help small business owners better understand the process of purchasing or leasing commercial real estate.

Participants will learn about permits, licenses, zoning, access to capital, and other important considerations that come with finding the right space for your business.

📅 October 8
⏰ 5:00–7:30 PM
📍 Integrity Bank & Trust, 13540 Meadowgrass Dr., Colorado Springs
💲 FREE

This is a great opportunity for entrepreneurs who are considering their first location, currently leasing and thinking about buying, or looking for guidance on commercial property.

Register Here: https://zurl.co/4ozOM

09/14/2026

💜 Be Part of the 85% Empowerment Giving Circle

What if 85% of the people you believe in had the tools, resources, and support they needed to move forward?

That’s the vision behind The Thrive Network’s 85% Empowerment Giving Circle—creating pathways to economic opportunity, entrepreneurship, and personal empowerment in our community.

Your investment helps us provide the tools and support people need to move from potential to possibility.

✨ $85/month
✨ $1,000/year

This isn’t just giving.
It’s an investment in people. An investment in opportunity. An investment in the future of our community.

Join the 85% Empowerment Giving Circle and help us THRIVE together.

👉 Join today: 85% Empowerment Giving Circle (https://zurl.co/etvOW)⁠

85% empowered. 100% committed to community.

09/09/2026

One of my favorite parts of this work is graduation. There is something pretty incredible about watching people walk into a program with an idea, a goal, or sometimes just the feeling that they are ready for something different—and then watching what happens next.

Andi and I have had the privilege of seeing a lot of those moments at Thrive, and lately I’ve been thinking about what all of those individual graduations add up to.

Since launching our programs, 299 people have enrolled in our Business Startup Program, and more than 190 businesses have been launched after participating in Thrive.

And those businesses are creating real economic impact. Graduation always reminds me that the impact started with people.

People who decided to take a chance on an idea. People who showed up after a long day of work. People who did the homework, asked the hard questions, changed their plans, learned their numbers, practiced their pitch, and kept going.

And behind them is a team that cares deeply about whether they succeed. I’m pretty lucky to get to do this work alongside people like Andi.

This is what economic development looks like to me—invest in people, help them build something sustainable, and watch that investment ripple through families, businesses, and our community.

09/08/2026

Our newsletter goes out TOMORROW!

Don’t miss the latest from The Thrive Network! This month’s issue is packed with exciting updates, opportunities, and celebrations from our community, including:

🏆 Thrive alumni winning awards
🎤 An upcoming Pitch Night event
🌱 Our next Baseline Program
💡 An Alumni Business Spotlight
🤝 The 2026 ACHIEVE Business Resource Fair

Want it delivered straight to your inbox? Join our newsletter list today so you don’t miss tomorrow’s issue!

Sign up here: https://zc.vg/qW5aq