SCAPE - SW Colorado Accelerator Program for Entrepreneurs

10/16/2026

The Center for Innovation, SCAPE’s home on Main Avenue, has been relaunched as the Fort Lewis College FLC Downtown Center, a shared space for partnership, workforce development, and regional collaboration.

SCAPE is proud to join FLC@Work, AI Institute at Fort Lewis College, City of Durango - Government Prosperity Office, the The La Plata Economic Development Alliance, and the Colorado SBDC serving Southwest Colorado under one roof.

As SCAPE Executive Director Heather Otter shared, in-person conversations capture nuance that emails and applications can’t, and having this space downtown makes it easier to build relationships with the founders and companies we work with. “It’s really about in-person and real-life connections,” she said. Stop by 835 Main Ave. to see what we’re building together, and read more about the launch, link in comment.

10/14/2026

Congrats to Higher Purpose Homes on being named 2026 Company of the Year at the EDIE Awards by the Economic Development Council of Colorado - EDCC!

Their off-site construction model is a smart answer to the housing shortage and short high-country building seasons, and it creates year-round manufacturing jobs in SW Colorado.

The EDIE Awards spotlight the businesses and partnerships driving Colorado’s economy, and this year EDCC is celebrating its 50th anniversary. Well deserved, team!

10/07/2026

A little looky loo at some of the swag at our next West Slope Startup Week event. SCAPE and Backlit are hosting It Takes a Village!, a high-energy, delightfully quirky meetup for local founders, emerging startups, and business support organizations.

Thursday, October 8, from 2:00 to 4:00 PM. Everyone's welcome, so bring a friend or a fellow founder, register: https://whova.com/portal/registration/UNRIEFmZMRD7I2oCb9W1/

Prizes will be awarded for a few wacky competitions. Don't miss an opportunity to go home with something special from Farm to Summit, Tectonic, or win a Growth Session from our friends at Psyche Digital.

Come meet your neighbors, find your next collaborator, and see what makes Southwest Colorado's startup community so vibrant!

10/06/2026

Digging in deep to kick things off at West Slope Startup Week! Big theme at last nights fireside chat with Startup Colorado and Rural Angel Investor Network (RAIN) Chapter leads — heart and head connections.

Much of the focus in investing can be around the numbers, in our smaller communities people to people connects matter just as much. So get out there this week, talk to people, find what common passion brings you together. You never know where that can lead!

10/02/2026

SCAPE has two very community centric events during West Slope Startup Week! We'd love for you to join us, register: https://whova.com/portal/registration/UNRIEFmZMRD7I2oCb9W1/

Opening Night Party, Happy Hour + Fireside Chat with Seth Levine
Monday, Oct 5 | 5:00-6:30 PM | The Rochester Garden Courtyard, Durango
Start the week with mingling, appetizers from Graze Colorado, and a cash bar. At 5:30, Seth Levine moderates a candid fireside chat with notable rural founders on the evolution of capital, the opportunity in rural entrepreneurship, and how to build lasting investment ecosystems outside major metros. You'll also get a sneak peek at Startup Colorado's upcoming Rural Angel Investment Network and SCAPE's partnership with this new capital opportunity.

It Takes a Village!
Thursday, Oct 8 | 2:00-4:00 PM | UnCommon Scents, Durango
Startup ecosystems don't happen in a vacuum. Join local founders, emerging startups, and business support organizations for a high-energy, delightfully quirky meetup built for connection and fun. Whether you're a longtime company or brand new to startups, come meet your neighbors and find your next collaborator.

Both events are free, but registration is required. Everyone's welcome, so bring a friend or a fellow founder.

09/30/2026

This one is for our food/bev companies to add to their West Slope Startup Week agenda - Summit to Shelf: Founder Showcase

This event is design for the specific kind of hard food and beverage founders face. The day will be full of resources with 5 companies having the opportunity to pitch to Naturally Colorado. Thanks to local cheerleaders The Good Food Collective for bringing this programming to the area!

https://whova.com/portal/registration/UNRIEFmZMRD7I2oCb9W1/

Five food and beverage founders. Three judges. One shot to pitch.

That's Summit to Shelf: Founder Showcase, new this year at West Slope Startup Week. Attend the workshop and you could be one of the five founders selected to take the stage, three minutes and one slide to make your case, then five minutes of questions from the judges.

Food and beverage founders know the grind is different. Tight margins, real regulations, and getting from kitchen to shelf takes more than a good recipe. This showcase is built to give you honest, practical feedback from people who get it.

📍 The Subterrain, 900 Main Ave Unit F, Durango
🕡 6:30-8:00pm MT, Monday October 5th

Grab your workshop spot 👉 https://www.naturallycolorado.org/events-programs/

09/29/2026

We're one week out from West Slope Startup Week and getting our ducks in a row for a busy, meaningful week ahead! Here's a look at session highlights featuring our very own Heather Otter, plus SCAPE partners and mentors you won't want to miss — be sure to add them to your agenda. Registration is required to add these to your calendar, so get in on the action now!

https://whova.com/portal/registration/UNRIEFmZMRD7I2oCb9W1/

The ROI of Investing in Your People
Mon Oct. 5, 3:30 PM - 4:30 PM
Speaker: Sarah Tober (La Plata Economic Development Alliance)

Opening Night Party: Happy Hour + Fireside Chat
Mon Oct. 5, 5:00 PM - 6:30 PM
Speakers: Seth Levine (Foundry), Ashley Eager (Startup Colorado), Heather Otter (SCAPE), Andrew Zobs & Justin Bradshaw

Does Your Brand Reek of Machine Breath?
Tues Oct 6, 11:30 AM - 12:30 PM
Speaker: Kate Ishay (Psyche Digital)

AI Has Hands: Making Real, Physical Things with AI
Wed Oct 7, 11:30 AM - 12:30 PM
Speaker: Nicholas Goodman (Backlit)

Building Alone, Leading Differently: The New Playbook for AI-Enabled Founders
Wed Oct 7, 3:30 PM - 4:30 PM
Speaker: Marc Nager (Howdy Partners)

Protecting Creative Work in the AI Era
Thu Oct 8, 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM
Speakers: Heather Otter (SCAPE), Ken Shiau (Melete Legal), Maggie Emerson (Beaucoup Babe), Kathryn Waggener (Durango Creative District) & Paul Spitzer (Verra)

It Takes a Village: A Startup Community Meet-up *Sponsored* by SCAPE and Backlit
Thu Oct 8, 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Hosts: Heather Otter (SCAPE) & Nicholas Goodman (Backlit)

Rural Women in Entrepreneurship Networking
Fri Oct 9, 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM
Speaker: Vanessa McCrann (Startup Colorado)

09/25/2026

Fort Lewis College's Four Corners AI for Business Certificate series kicks off next month; six sessions of AI aimed straight at the parts of your business that eat your week.

This isn't theory. From session one, you're hands-on with the latest AI tools, building working parts for your business, not just learning concepts. Think: projects that remember your business, agents that handle multi-step work on their own, and something real built by the end of every session.

Learn more & register:

09/21/2026

Storytelling, one of the oldest forms of connection! This session in Startup Colorado's Capital Bootcamp series will help you define what's important in your pitch and how to tell a compelling founding and company story. Join us for an in-person watch party at the Center for Innovation tomorrow!!

In this 5-week bootcamp, Colorado business owners will receive technical assistance to complete their application for state funding programs. Drop-in for a single session that you specifically need help on, or attend all 5-weeks and receive a “Capital Ready” certification along with all the tools needed to complete your application. Additional office hours available for 1-1 support.

Week 4: Pitch Prep: Telling your Story

Learning outcomes:
•How to articulate your business story in a clear, lender-focused pitch
•How to tailor your narrative to the specific program your pursuing
•Identify common pitch mistakes and correct before approaching a lender

Join us tomorrow at 12pm!

RSVP: https://startupcolorado.org/event/capital-bootcamp-pitch-prep-telling-your-story-learning-outcomes/

09/18/2026

Wow — and we mean WOW — Pact Minis won 1st place at the Hy-Vee Opportunity Supplier Impact Summit Series! The Series connects innovative small businesses with Hy-Vee category managers, merchants, and leaders in domestic product manufacturing.

We'll let the numbers speak for themselves: 1,200 suppliers applied, 80 were selected to attend, and only 3 got the shot to pitch. Pact Minis was one of them — and they didn't just show up, they took home first place and $15K!

We're so proud to see a local company represent SW Colorado on a national stage like this. This is exactly the kind of growth and momentum SCAPE loves to champion — congrats to the whole Pact Minis team, Brooke and Chaz Shelton, you earned this one!