BLDRPPL

I never thought I would live that long. So I just crammed things in. I rock climbed and mountain climbed and ice climbed and raced my bike. I still worked, it’s just that I had… It’s not like I lived this life where I thought I would be around forever. You should do what you want to do first, and then you can always work till you die. So I kind of always lived that kind of life. Michelle Grainger is a cycling coach, personal trainer and life-long athlete. Ingrid Alongi...read more

  “People are capable of doing so much more than they think they are. It’s a matter of finding your why. If your why is powerful enough, you can make yourself do it.” We are here today with Jonathan Woodard and Jared Kohlmann. Jonathan is a Michigan native who studied Computer Science at U of M before moving to Boulder. He has tons of experience as a software developer and has founded several startups over the years. He is known around town for board games, paleo, and CrossFit. We will...read more

Ingrid is the CEO(Consulting) and Co-Founder of Quick Left, a web development and consulting firm with offices in Boulder, Portland and San Francisco. She taught me everything I know about the industry as I worked for her as an apprentice developer and eventually, director of marketing for the first two years of my career.                                              Ingrid Alongi, CEO-Consulting of Quick Left So, you’re a Boulder native? I am a Boulder...read more

BansheeTreeMusic.com How did you start in music? Kalyn: I started when I was young, but quit because of the judgmental side of it. I was going to vocal assessments as a young child and that tainted the music world for me. I wanted it to be about passion and just enjoying myself. When we met, Thom was already playing and performing in front of people and that made it a lot easier for me to perform with him instead of just by myself which was terrifying.  Thom: When I was really...read more

“My favorite part about boulder is the street culture close to the mountains.” How do you pronounce your last name? Cho-Peck. Wicked polish. Tell us about working at The Kitchen I was working at The Kitchen a year ago. Moved back to Boulder after having lived in San Diego and LA. I got typical “Boulder” jobs, part time at Laughing Goat and the Kitchen. Graduated from CU with a film degree. I came across Madelife after it was recommended by a friend, picked up a video internship, became video coordinator...read more

Ryan Wanger is a Senior Software Engineer at MapQuest and an Organizer for both Boulder Startup Week and Ignite Boulder. Ryan earned a B.A. in Computer Science from Hamilton College and a Game Design Certificate from the Academy of Game Entertainment Technology. His journey to Boulder included stops in New York, Boston, and Los Angeles. “If somebody gave me back all of the time that I have spent on the internet, I definitely wouldn’t spend it the same way! I think that people who succeed in the next 10-20 years are going to have...read more

Becca is a Co-Founder of RiverandLark and an Organizer at Block 1750. She studied Molecular Biology and Business at CU Boulder, served as the Director of Marketing for Quick Left, and worked at a startup in Silicon Valley before rediscovering her home here in Boulder, Colorado. Boulder people understand what is important in life. It isn’t making scads of money, getting featured in TechCrunch, or bought by Google. It’s being outside, and spending time with friends & family. Regarding RiverandLark We really believe in the power of storytelling, and so we try and help people with that. We...read more

Royce Haynes is a Facilitator for Startup Weekend in Denver and a former Hackstar with Techstars Boulder. He is currently working as a Senior Software Developer with Pearson North America and pursuing an MS in Computer Science at The University of Colorado Boulder. We spoke with him about his journey from Kansas to Boulder, new projects, and his work with the Risingstars program. I have this expectation to be a successful entrepreneur. I don’t know how, when, or where. I think it is engrained in me. It also comes from my family....read more

Rachel is a Connecticut native who studied Computer Science at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute before moving to New York City. Since then she has done a variety of work including a 4 year stint at Etsy as a senior software developer. Rachel recently accepted an offer to work at Gnip here in Boulder, so that is one of the things that we spoke with her about. “I like people who are out doing interesting things and not letting preconceptions about what they should or shouldn’t be doing determine what they are...read more

Last weekend I had an amazing conversation with my friend Dan Andrews. He is an Alaska native who worked at RightNow and Oracle in Bozeman, Montana before moving to Boulder and working as a Software Developer at Techstars. We discussed everything from dancing and public speaking to technology and venture capital. “To say it's about hype, I think really misses the point. Venture capital (VC) is what allowed companies like Apple to get their start. Hype helps in the short-term, but a successful VC in the long-term has their eye...read more