They say necessity is the mother of invention. Well, geography must be part of it, too.
Consider this: Colorado is the fifth most entrepreneurial state in the country, home to three of the top 15 innovative tech hubs (Boulder, Fort Collins and Denver) and five of the best cities in the U.S. to start a company (again Boulder, Fort Collins and Denver, as well as Colorado Springs and Greeley). Plus, Denver is a top metro area attracting millennials and was named the fourth best city in the U.S. to start a career.
When it comes to innovation, our western roots play a role. You simply couldn’t be successful in the Wild West without bravery, an independent spirit, a desire to pave your own way, an attitude to do things a little differently AND people willing to help each other succeed.
This week I spoke with the Colorado chapter of Innovators International about just this topic. We discussed how innovation isn’t about improvement or enhancements to a current product or idea—innovation is about transformation. Here’s some examples of companies in Colorado doing just that:
Nokero: This company, whose name is short for no kerosene, works to replace kerosene lamps and candles with affordable solar-powered bulbs, and they’re providing light at night in 120 countries! They’re lighting up places for many of us, too—like in that shed in the backyard without electricity running to it.
Sharklet Technologies: This company drew it’s inspiration from shark’s skin. They noticed that shark’s don’t have a lot of stuff (that’s a very technical term) attaching to their skin that other fish do. They found that using the unique, microscopic diamond pattern found on shark skin on other surfaces would also prevent bacteria from attaching to them. This discovery has incredible applications in not only the medical world, but also for personal use items, like that case carrying your smartphone (which you are probably reading this on right now).
Love Grown Foods: A couple of DU graduates thought they would enter one of the most competitive food markets you can find (breakfast cereals) with something very different and highly nutritional. They decided to make a gluten free, high protein and high fiber cereal from beans. (Yes, beans.) And, it’s delicious. (I highly recommend the chocolate flakes.)
Coolerado: Using up to 90 percent less energy, Coolerado’s air conditioners help you be green without giving up your AC in the summer. They were our Green Business of the Year in 2010, and for good reason!
Your doctor’s office: Many of us can text, email or even have a video chat with our doctor instead of going to his or her office. What a time saver for everyone!
Education: Organizations like Galvanize are delivering focused, tangible and marketable skills in areas like coding so their students can work in the tech industry without spending the same kinds of resources (both time and money) on a degree. Also, programs like Arts Street and Youth on Record are providing real-world experience to high school kids in field of art and music.
You’ve all heard the quote from Henry Ford, “If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses.” These organizations are examples of how innovation requires someone to see opportunities that most of the rest of us haven’t even considered. What these companies are doing is not just cool—their efforts are critical for Colorado’s future.
Kelly Brough is the president and CEO of the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce.
[Photo by Andrés Nieto Porras]