Colorado Biz and Not Just the Magazine!

I have a passion for Colorado and all things leading to the success of Colorado as a market. Maybe it is that I do not ever want to have to leave this town because I cannot make a living here. There are a couple of shout-outs that I feel are due, or past due in that they support the growth that our market needs and highlights the innovation within Colorado.

TechStars (http://www.techstars.org/) is an amazing concept founded by:

David Cohen

Brad Feld (http://www.feld.com/), who is completely brilliant, down to Earth, and interesting even to non tech types on his blog

Jared Polis, who founded Blue Mountain Arts, which I love, and is running for public office (http://www.jaredpolis.com/)

David Brown

Their concept gives opportunity to innovation in the form of seed funding, advice/mentoring, and connections. Best of all, they require the recipients to live and breathe in Boulder. I lay in bed at night trying to create something that would allow me access to these guys on a regular basis, and yet, a sales monkey I remain! Well done, well done indeed!

Although I do love ColoradoBiz magazine, this shout-out is for the Best Companies to work for 2007. Gone are the days when we started drinking in the office at noon, worked until 3pm on Fridays, had company picnics on the lawn once a week, or enjoyed any of the hundreds of perks that the late 90's introduced us to as a workforce, but obviously there are companies in our grand city that know a thing or two about unique benefit offerings and appreciate their employees through deeds and not just words. You can find the list at http://www.coloradobizmag.com/, as well as register for celebratory luncheon.

Last, but by far never ever least in my book, is CSIA (Colorado Software and Internet Association) http://www.coloradosoftware.org/. There are not words to describe the exhausting and tireless work done by these folks for technology in Colorado. Not just software organizations or Internet organizations, but all technology! The DEMO gala is coming up in October, so if you have a cool sexy technology that you can showcase to 850-1250 attendees, get yourself nominated in a red hot hurry! There will be a conference this year, which is largely exciting, and an awesome key note speaker - but I am sworn to secrecy thus far. CSIA has also partnered with CSU for the CSIA CSU Inspire to Innovate Technology Scholarship and we are actively fundraising. Our partnership with not only CSU, but DSST and Adams County School District provides us with the opportunity to introduce technology as a career path to the young minds of our state, grow the Colorado talent pool, and introduce amazing companies in which they can intern.

I have to thank Su Hawk for allowing me the opportunity to grow both professionally and personally though the volunteer work I am afforded with CSIA. Oh where do I start when it comes to Su Hawk, professional, thoughtful, intelligent, driven, passionate. I cannot articulate the respect and admiration I feel for this powerhouse of a woman. I wrote the following about her in a nomination form:

The impact of such a dynamic woman reaches out to business, education, government, law, the arts, public service, and technology, to name a few. The measurement of her reach is in her ability to make things happen and she always has a line of volunteers ready to turn direction into action. Under the leadership of Su Hawk, the CSIA DEMOgala of 2006 was the first corporate event to highlight the achievements in a real-world application of college students and many corporations sponsored the attendance of high school and college students, counselors, deans, and other education representatives. From the CSIA Public Policy and Economic Development Committee, an Education Committee has formed through Su’s leadership and dedication to the attention towards growing IT talent within our great state and beginning the process earlier in a student’s education.

Su Hawk is impressive because of her leadership, her role modeling, and as an agent of change, she is breaking new ground. She is a woman that treats everyone she encounters with dignity and respect, even faced with a situation in which it is not reciprocal. Su Hawk is the definition of “Bold” and I am very proud to know her and to serve as one of her many volunteers.

If you know her, please congratulate Su Hawk as a Denver Business Journal "Outstanding Woman in Business" nominee for 2007. The award luncheon is August 15th and if she does not win, it is because someone is asleep at the wheel. If you do not know her, WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? Introduce yourself, and then congratulate her!