Community Partnerships

The Power of Collaboration

Our Aim

Colorado Thought Leaders Forum is proud to forge powerful partnerships within and on behalf of the business community. Our aim is to elevate the work of others, share expertise, and help our partners make the greatest impact possible for Colorado.

Association for Corporate Growth (ACG) Denver

ACG Denver is the middle market business community providing access to a network of relationships, knowledge, and resources committed to supporting the growth of Colorado businesses.

ACG Denver includes representatives from companies, private equity, finance, and professional service firms. They help Colorado business owners and senior executives navigate the growth business community with valuable content, best-of-class resources and capital formation. They also offer networking and connections with an influential community of executives who are growing companies locally, statewide and worldwide. Leaders focused on building value in their organizations belong to ACG.

Colorado Inclusive Economy

Colorado Inclusive Economy is a statewide movement of design, intent, and action led by CEOs and leaders.

CIE support leaders through regular facilitation, an evolving resource toolkit, and peer support to help them build specific Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) strategies that align with their overall organizational goals.

Members of Colorado Inclusive Economy have made a long-term commitment to the movement and will report regularly on shared metrics to ensure that we are making regular and sustained progress towards Colorado’s inclusive economy.

Colorado Thought Leaders Forum joined CIE as a founder and commits time, expertise, and resources to administer peer groups to enable CEOs to do their own personal work to enable them to make this important work possible in their companies. We are also committed to helping companies join this important movement.

Denver ScaleUp Network

The Denver ScaleUp Network (DenSUN), a program developed by Denver Economic Development & Opportunity (DEDO), along with partners Blackstone Entrepreneurs Network (BEN Colorado) and Colorado Thought Leaders Forum, is an intensive six-month training program for selected local startups looking to achieve their next level of strategic growth.

Launched in 2017 in response to the challenges of firms looking to expand beyond their initial rounds of capital, the program has grown from a cohort of six firms to help more than 60 local startups, 65 percent of which have been women/Black, Indigenous, Persons of Color (BIPOC)-owned or led. Past DenSUN participants have influenced the creation of over 480 jobs and have raised more than $63M in capital after participating in the program. One of DenSUN’s core competencies is the facilitation of connections between its participants and seasoned leaders and funding sources. 

“The partnership of our three organizations has been incredibly successful in large part due to our shared commitment to supporting entrepreneurs in their growth,” said Sara van Rensburg, president & CEO of the Colorado Thought Leaders Forum. “It’s inspiring to see the progress these business owners make during the program and to watch them realize the impact of their entrepreneurial ideas within the Colorado economy.”  

Read the 5-Year Anniversary Press Release here.

Global Landing Pad

The Denver Global Landing Pad is a business acceleration program providing a virtual introductory tool kit on doing business in Denver. We aim to create ideal conditions for foreign small businesses to validate their fit in the US market and explore opportunities in Denver.

The program offers:

  • Collective workshops with experts on the legal requirements for the creation of a company in Denver, how to hire talent, and to open a bank account
  • Access to resident experts within the Denver entrepreneurial ecosystem
  • A group experience during Denver Startup Week
  • Dedicated support from Denver Economic Development & Opportunity

CTLF facilitates transformational sessions to enable entrepreneurs to design their roles to thrive and unleash their own potential, so that the potential of their companies expands.

Key Partners

Veronica Munoz

Veronica Munoz

Regional CEO, West & Executive Director, ACG Denver

Kay Henze

Kay Henze

CEO, Blackstone Entrepreneurs Network

DJ Whetter

DJ Whetter

CEO, CiviCO

Stephanie Knight

Stephanie Knight

CEO, Colorado Inclusive Economy

Michael Bevis

Michael Bevis

Innovation & Entrepreneurship, City & County of Denver

Interested in the work of our valued partners? 

Drop us a note and let us know.