The Little Bird Bakeshop opened its doors on December 14, 2010 and in the past year has developed a loyal following. On any given morning, a passerby wandering through Old Town Square in Fort Collins can peer through the bakeshop’s inviting façade and watch customers sipping coffee and enjoying delicious chocolate croissants, chocolate walnut cookies, and other pastries. With its friendly atmosphere and fresh, creative confections, it will take only a glance before you walk

Kevin Molick is a custom cabinet contractor and outdoorsman. The idea of building a teardrop trailer for his camping adventures intrigued him, so he built one to suit his needs. It wasn’t long before he was getting inquires on social media about how one of these trailers could be purchased. By the end of 2016 he had built and sold 12 of these custom made trailers. “The consulting and direct assistance from the Small Manufacturing

Boulder-based company Black Swift Technologies was founded by three PhD students from the University of Colorado. The three men were inspired to start the company from their work in the field during their studies. At CU, they learned how to chase storms and collect data using old military equipment, which is relatively complicated to use. They set out to simplify the process with unmanned aircraft systems and Black Swift Technologies was born. Although they are

Marcus Garcia has been the owner of the Rock Lounge (RL), an indoor climbing gym in Durango, since 2014. Marcus had transitioned from being a RL employee, a rock climbing guide, and owner of a small construction company before then. The RL was profitable in his first year, yet he thought there was more potential to be realized. Marcus had sent his business manager to a locally sponsored event which introduced them to the Small

Bob O’Borne was taught by his father at the age of 5 to shoot a long bow. When he was old enough, he harvested the mighty “Wapati” and joined the United States Air Force. He traveled around seeking out different animals with his bow until he settled in Colorado. Bob has always had a desire to own his own shop but did not have the time or opportunity. He believed, “You will never rise to

Spidertrax Off-Road Thom Kingston, owner and co-founder of Loveland-based Spidertrax Off-Road, poses in the manufacturing area of his 8,000-foot space facility, where he and his staff of 16 manufacture parts for the off-road industry. Story written by: Shelley Widhalm Photos: Courtesy of Spidertrax Thom Kingston helped start Loveland-based Spidertrax Off-Road not in a garage like some startups but in a fully equipped shop at the New Jersey Institute of Technology. In 1999, Kingston and his