Lead Organizer:
Vanessa McCrann

Vanessa has been building community in Colorado for 7+ years and she’s thrilled to be at the helm for West Slope Startup Week. Her whole life has been leading to this moment.

Programming Lead:
Celeste Herron

Celeste Herron is a brand architect, strategist, and founder at Northern Crown Media, who helps business owners and startup founders confidently launch and profitably scale their companies, products, and services through brand positioning, messaging, and design.

She is also a founder and facilitator at Female Founders WestCO, a community for women building companies on the Western Slope of Colorado.

Tech Track Captain:
Justin Lewis

Justin Lewis builds digital public goods for governments, global health, and climate through TerraFrame and Bedrock Labs. He’s the founder of West Slope Technologists where he helps support a community of technologists to support their communities, organize events, and strengthen the network.

Toolbox Track Captain:
Matt Martensen

Matt is a passionate member of the Startup Colorado community and a proud Founder Coopetition graduate. He’s on a mission to get you the equity you deserve for your internet clicks, and, to do that, he’s organizing a consumer-owned web browser cooperative, called “User Cooperative.”

Money Track Captain:
Spencer Ingram

Spencer has worked around the globe to provide access to capital to underserved markets. He currently works with Energize Colorado to bring smart funding to rural entrepreneurs.

Comms Track Captain:
Natalie Horner

Meet Natalie Horner, Brand Revitalizer and Owner of Peppered Labs. Natalie is dedicated to spicing up established B2B Brands for Builders and Makers. With a keen eye for strategy and an expertise in branding, she’s your go-to expert for unlocking real business impact across your marketing. She’s a Startup CO and SCAPE mentor and believes B2B doesn’t have to be bland.

Makers Track Captain:
Meghan Rauker

Raised in Idaho and now rooted in Colorado, Meghan is an active collaborator within local entrepreneurial ecosystems. Their extensive experience includes managing statewide programs, fundraising, and providing business advisement to entrepreneurs as they navigate the funding landscape, especially for creative industries.

Zero Waste Lead:
John Armstrong

I am passionate about sustainable systems and finding creative solutions that benefit the environment and people we serve. I founded B1 Energy as a solution for waste and renewable energy in rural communities by creating an advanced recycling facility powered by waste-organics.