Make your business idea a reality leveraging the expertise of the Four Corners’ economic hub. Find mentorship from a successful business leader or put your experience to service mentoring a new entrepreneur. Collaborate with businesses and innovators from across the region, including FLC, Durango, and the Southern Ute Tribe.
Multiply your philanthropic dollars by investing in your community’s economic growth. Building on the work of FLC’s Katz School of Business and the Southwest Colorado Small Business Development Center, the Innovation Center will develop local businesses and entrepreneurship through incubation, business acceleration, and workforce training.
Innovation Center has been created through the collaboration of the following partners:
In the past 10 years, the SBDC has consulted with over 2500 small business owners in 9706 sessions totaling over 13,000 hours of support. Additionally, the SBDC has provided 603 training events to 10,329 attendees. Hawk Tank provides formal training in market analysis, business law, revenue projection, cost projection, fixed assets, working capital, and business plan presentation skills.
SBDC training and consultation sessions have resulted in 265 new business starts, 965 new jobs created, and 840 jobs retained. Hawk Tank has resulted in the creation of over 100 business plans and fully launched 3 companies.
The SBDC is responsible for over $75 million in capital investment and over $13 million in increased sales. Hawk Tank has awarded over $35,000 in new business seed funding to students and recent alumni.
The Innovation Center will allow for Durango to become an even stronger entrepreneurial ecosystem. Specifically, the occupants of the Innovation Center will facilitate: Women’s Small Business Conference, Small Business Consulting for Veterans, Entrepreneurs of the Southwest Meetups, SBA Innovate Her, Go Code Colorado, OEDIT Advanced Industry Tours, Colorado Tech Tours, Hawk Tank, Leading Edge, Startup Showcase, Introduction to QuickBooks, an Entrepreneurship Speaker Series, Internships, Consulting, Mentoring, Targeted Workshops, and more.
To get involved as a local business leader or entrepreneur, contact:
Steve Elias, Dean Katz School of Business 970-247-6737 selias@fortlewis.edu
To contribute philanthropically to the Center for Innovation, contact:
Katie Nester, Director of Outreach and Donor Relations Fort Lewis College Foundation 970-247-7069 nester_k@fortlewis.edu