Podcasts about longmont

In this episode of the Drop In CEO podcast, Deb Coviello welcomes Lance Cayko, a serial entrepreneur, architect, builder, and co-founder of F9 Productions. Lance shares his journey from rural North Dakota to building a vertically integrated business in architecture, construction, and real estate development. The conversation explores the value of mentorship, the design-build model, affordable sustainability, and the importance of finding the right business partner. Lance also offers advice for aspiring entrepreneurs and insights into building a client-focused, resilient business. Episode Highlights: 06:10 Early Lessons in Entrepreneurship and Money 15:30 Discovering Architecture and the Power of Mentorship 23:45 Building F9 Productions During the Great Recession 32:20 The Design-Build Model Explained 39:00 Niche Client Selection and Business Philosophy 45:15 Affordable Sustainability in Architecture Lance Cayko is an award-winning architect, builder, educator, and serial entrepreneur. As co-founder of F9 Productions, a top-rated design-build firm in Longmont, Colorado, Lance brings deep expertise in architecture, construction, and real estate development. He holds degrees in Building Construction Technology, Environmental Design, and a Master of Architecture, graduating top of his class with the McKenzie Thesis Award. Lance teaches at CU Boulder and NDSU, co-hosts the Inside the Firm podcast, and leads Longmont Community Gardens as founder and president. A proud dad and professional fisherman, Lance is passionate about building stronger communities—one project, class, and garden at a time. Connect with Lance Cayko: Instagram: @fishingwithlance Company Website: f9productions.com For more information about my services or if you just want to connect and have a chat, reach out at: https://dropinceo.com/contact/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Howdy my friend, God bless you! This is DAY 338 ☕️ LAST BOOK — "Charity edifieth, it really does." And thank you for serving Christ out in the market place in your city.—JC. ★ Support this podcast ★

Discover how to break free from the chains of disappointment and restore your faith through the powerful story of the man at the pool of Bethesda. For 38 years, this man waited for healing, watching others receive their breakthrough while he remained in his condition. His story mirrors many of our own experiences with unanswered prayers and delayed promises.This message explores what happens when disappointment becomes our lens for viewing life and God's work. Like David who was anointed king but spent years running for his life, or Joseph who received divine dreams but ended up falsely imprisoned, we often find ourselves questioning God's timing and methods.Learn how Jesus approaches our disappointment with the vulnerable question: 'Do you want to be made well?' This question challenges our comfort with familiar circumstances, potential victim mentality, and fear of hoping again. The breakthrough for the man at Bethesda came not through the expected waters, but through the unexpected word of Jesus.This teaching includes a personal testimony of waiting six years for housing breakthrough that finally came—but in an unexpected package. Discover why God sometimes makes us wait and how Romans 8:28 guarantees that He works all things for our good, even when the outcome doesn't match our expectations.This sermon was recorded at a Sunday morning gathering at Church of the Lookout in Longmont, Colorado.Visit our websiteFollow us on FacebookFollow us on Instagram

Good morning my friend!! God bless you; I so appreciate you for all that you are doing in the body of Christ. This here is DAY 334 ☕️ LAST BOOK — To be spiritually minded is life and peace. Amen.—JC. ★ Support this podcast ★

Howdy my friend! God bless you. This here is DAY 333 ☕️ LAST BOOK — Tribulation Worketh Patience. A message that we have to listen closely to understand all that is being said? Thanks!—JC. ★ Support this podcast ★

On November 1, 1955, United Airlines flight 629 from Denver, Colorado to Seattle, Washington took off from Denver's Stapleton Airfield at 6:52 pm, carrying thirty-nine passengers and five crew members. Roughly ten minutes later, the aircraft exploded in the air, killing all forty-four people onboard and scattering fiery debris across several miles of Colorado's landscape.By the early 1950s, air travel had become a popular means of travel for more and more Americans and, while air disasters weren't unheard of, they nonetheless called into question the safety of traveling on a passenger flight. This time, however, investigators quickly determined that the explosion of flight 629 hadn't been an accident; someone had intentionally sabotaged the flight with a suitcase bomb.The explosion of United Airlines flight 629 marked the first time a passenger plane had been bombed in the United States, something few if any authorities ever thought would happen. In the event of an act of terror, an individual or group typically comes forward quickly to claim credit; however, in the case of flight 629, no one came forward and investigators were left to wonder, what possible reason could someone have for killing forty-four people with no obvious connection between them?Thank you to the Incredible Dave White of Bring Me the Axe Podcast for research and Writing support!ReferencesAnastasio, Jeff. 2024. A worst act of terror. August 2. Accessed August 6, 2024. https://www.denver7.com/news/local-news/a-worst-act-of-terror-the-mission-to-build-a-memorial-to-remember-the-bombing-of-flight-629-in-colorado.Associated Press. 1955. "Arraignment for Graham postponed." Daily Sentinel, November 17: 1.—. 1955. "Charge of murder planned in Denver on mother's death." Fort Collins Coloradoan, November 15: 1.—. 1955. "FBI begins investgation of Longmont air crash." Fort Collins Coloradoan, November 8: 1.—. 1955. "Graham denies plane bombing." Fort Collins Coloradoan, November 18: 1.—. 1955. "Graham linked to dynamite." Fort Collins Coloradoan, November 21: 1.—. 1955. "Judge orders hospital check." Fort Collins Coloradoan, December 9: 1.—. 1955. "Paper says bomb evidence found in UAL plane crash." Fort Collins Coloradoan, November 7: 1.—. 1955. "Probe is started by bomb expert." Fort Collins Coloradoan, November 3: 1.—. 1955. "Victim's son bought insurance policy before flight, FBI says." Fort Collins Coloradoan, November 14: 1.2013. A Crime to Remember. Directed by Christine Connor. Performed by Christine Connor.Field, Andrew. 2005. Mainliner Denver: The Bombing of Flight 629. Denver, CO: Bower House Publishing.Garner, Joe. 2005. "Terror in the Colorado sky John Graham's legacy: The mass murder of 44 people in Nov. '55." Rocky Mountain News, October 14.Gauss, Gordon. 1955. "44 die in crash near Longmont." Daily Sentinel, November 2: 1.John Gilbert Graham v. People of the State of Colorado. 1956. 18058 (Supreme Court of Colorado, October 22).Pitman, Frank. 1956. "Graham reportedly resigned to death, overheard telling lawyer 'don't want to appeal'." Daily Sentinel, May 6: 1.United Press. 1955. "44 on plane die in crash in west." New York Times, November 2: 1.Stay in the know - wondery.fm/morbid-wondery.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Peace be in your house my dear friend. This is DAY 331 ☕️ LAST BOOK — The labourer is worthy of his hire. Thank you for listening to this talk, I hear wisdom in it.—JC. ★ Support this podcast ★

Discover the transformative power of being truly seen. This message explores how Jesus' interaction with a skeptical Nathanael reveals God's intimate knowledge and love for each of us. Nathanael initially questioned whether anything good could come from Nazareth—but his skepticism dissolved when Jesus demonstrated supernatural knowledge of his private moment under a fig tree. That personal recognition led to Nathanael's immediate confession of faith. The message dives into how Jesus sees past our carefully constructed masks to our authentic selves—and how the experience of being fully known yet fully loved can change everything. It explores the difference between seeking Jesus and being seen by Him, and offers practical guidance on how to position ourselves to receive God's love. This teaching connects Nathanael's story to Jacob's ladder in Genesis, showing how Jesus fulfills the ancient promise of connection between heaven and earth. It addresses common struggles with authenticity, fear of rejection, and the challenge of believing we are truly loved by God. Whether you're a skeptic like Nathanael or a longtime believer, this message offers fresh insight into how Jesus meets us exactly where we are, sees our true selves, and loves what He sees. Learn how to create space for divine encounters, recognize God's voice of love in your daily life, and extend that same seeing and loving to those around you.This sermon was recorded at a Sunday morning gathering at Church of the Lookout in Longmont, Colorado.Visit our websiteFollow us on FacebookFollow us on Instagram

God bless you my friend! Praise ye the LORD. LETTER 0320

Good morning! God bless you my dear friend. This here is DAY 327 ☕️ LAST BOOK — The Churches established in the faith. And it's a very long class once again, and again, I apologize for going so long. I'm still not sure why I've been so long winded lately?—JC. ★ Support this podcast ★

Boy oh boy... for an episode about equality this one sure has a lot of boys! And boy, do they talk boy stuff. Though - honestly, not as much as you might think. Brady is joined by Producer Johnny and Bruce Parker, COO of Rocky Mountain Equity. And yes, they talked about games and comics, but there's SO MUCH good stuff about love and equality and community and being your true self. Bruce was an absolute gem in the studio. Show him some love! Thanks to Any Eppler and David Cutter Music for our intro and outro music.Thanks to Johnny Schober for the lift on production.

Good morning my friend! God bless you. This is another long class, I feel like I need to apologize, but I must follow the Holy Ghost, not my own agenda. DAY 326 ☕️ LAST BOOK — "...when the Apostles Barnabas and Paul..." Thank you for understanding.—JC. ★ Support this podcast ★

Police are looking for a woman who is accused of defrauding banks for $180k.

Dr. Rick is a longtime old town east-sider with lots of ideas and love for his neighborhood. As a retired family practice doctor, he spends his time writing books (you can purcahse at Composition Book Shop on Main or here), serving on the Historic Preservation Commission, volunteering in his community, and pondering history. We talk Longmont stories, historic preservation and we might bring up trains. Annie gets a little hard hitting. (Don't worry. - she wasn't up and night for a week stressing about being an inhospitable host). Dr. Rick was a gracious guest and we learned a lot in this fun east-side interview.Thanks to Anyd Eppler and David Cutter MUsic for our intro and outro music.And thanks for Johnny Schober for the lift on production.

Praise the LORD! God bless you my friend. This is a very very long class. DAY 325 ☕️ LAST BOOK — It Pleased The Jxxxx. There is material here that is not accepted in modern new age churches.—JC. ★ Support this podcast ★

Choosing the Better Portion: Finding Intimacy with Jesus in a Busy World explores the powerful story from Luke 10 where Jesus affirms Mary's choice to sit at His feet while gently correcting Martha's anxious service. This message reveals how we can experience deeper intimacy with God in our distraction-filled lives. Discover what it truly means to sit at Jesus' feet and how this heart posture transforms our spiritual practices from mere activities into life-changing encounters. Learn to recognize the warfare against God's presence in your life - from constant notifications to work demands to family responsibilities - and how to overcome these challenges. Understand why Mary was so drawn to Jesus even before witnessing His miracles, and examine whether familiarity has dulled your wonder of God's presence. This teaching provides practical applications for creating space to receive from God rather than always doing for Him, experiencing the transformation that comes only through His presence - healing, joy, peace and rest that cannot be taken away. Perfect for anyone feeling overwhelmed by busyness, struggling to prioritize time with God, or desiring deeper spiritual intimacy.This sermon was recorded at a Sunday morning gathering at Church of the Lookout in Longmont, Colorado.Visit our websiteFollow us on FacebookFollow us on Instagram

Good morning. God bless you. This is a hard message and may not be appreciated by some or many? DAY 324 ☕️ LAST BOOK — Walking in the comfort of the holy Ghost. Thank You.—JC. ★ Support this podcast ★

Good morning! God bless you. This is the last part of First Corinthians 9, verses 17 to 27. DAY 320 ☕️ LAST BOOK — "Part 3-How Does A Preacher Get Paid?" This chapter is very important to all of us, not only the church elders. Okay?—JC. ★ Support this podcast ★

Good morning my friend! I had to do a part 2 from yesterday's class. DAY 319 ☕️ LAST BOOK — "Part 2 - How Does A Preacher Get Paid?" And tomorrow we'll do part 3 to finish 1 Corinthians 9. Amen.—JC. ★ Support this podcast ★

Howdy! Today's message is quite a bit different, and not of the schedule in our truth study book. DAY 318 ☕️ LAST BOOK — "How Does A Preacher Get Paid?" This is what the holy Spirit quickened me to talk on. And it a long talk! Thanks!—JC. ★ Support this podcast ★

The Ultimate Power Move: Understanding Jesus' Approach to Authority explores how we can break free from the endless cycle of power struggles that dominate our world. Everyone knows what it feels like to be powerless, and we typically respond by fighting back, folding under pressure, or fleeing from conflict. These patterns create an exhausting cycle of escalation visible in everything from personal relationships to international conflicts. But Jesus showed a completely different way. When standing before Pilate—facing torture and death—Jesus demonstrated remarkable peace and clarity, understanding that all authority comes from God. This teaching examines the crucial difference between power (strength or ability) and authority (the legitimate right to use that power). Jesus' crucifixion appeared to be defeat, but His resurrection proved to be the ultimate power move that broke the cycle of death and domination forever. Learn how the early apostles came to embrace weakness rather than fighting for control, finding that God's power is made perfect in our surrender. Discover practical ways to stand in non-anxious presence during your own moments of powerlessness, trusting in the resurrection power that has overcome the world. This message offers biblical wisdom for anyone feeling trapped in power struggles, facing intimidation, or seeking to lead with Christ-like authority in their family, workplace, or community. This sermon was recorded at a Sunday morning gathering at Church of the Lookout in Longmont, Colorado.Visit our websiteFollow us on FacebookFollow us on Instagram

Good morning my friend! Happy Monday here... DAY 317 ☕️ LAST BOOK — These things were written!!! And thank you for being here and listening to these talks. Blessings!!—JC. ★ Support this podcast ★

Good morning... Happy Sunday! This show is my reading of this LETTER 0319

Greetings fellow travelers. Here at the airport ministering as the Spirit leads. Preacher John at Denver International Airport-DEN/DIA. Praise the LORD.—JC. ★ Support this podcast ★

God bless you! Hope all is well with you, in Jesus name. Amen. DAY 312 ☕️ LAST BOOK — The Gospel according to S. John. Chap.j. The true light.—JC. ★ Support this podcast ★

Good morning my friend! May the Lord Jesus bless you with all your needs met. Amen. DAY 311 ☕️ LAST BOOK — Continually in the Temple.—JC. ★ Support this podcast ★

Good morning. God bless you! Today's class is extreme... and covers a possible conflicting message. Please pray in the holy Ghost (as in Jude 1:20) as you listen or view this talk. Thank you, sincerely and truly. Amen. DAY 310 ☕️ LAST BOOK — Who kissed him?—JC. ★ Support this podcast ★

Good morning my dear friend... God bless you. I hope you have a great day! LETTER 0318

If you've already sprung a leak, it's time to call an expert fast! Apex Restoration & Roofing (303-691-5035) can help with same-day repairs for almost any roof. They have an effective inspection and repair program that makes roofs last longer, while costing less. Visit https://apexroofingusa.com/commercial/ Apex Restoration & Roofing City: Centennial Address: 7076 S Alton Way, Centennial, Website: https://apexroofingusa.com/

Good morning my friend! It's a great day in JESUS, yes, even when things may not look good. Trust in the LORD. Amen. DAY 306 ☕️ LAST BOOK — When you make a feast, call the poor.—JC. ★ Support this podcast ★

Good morning my good friend! It's a great day in JESUS CHRIST the Saviour of the world. Amen. DAY 305 ☕️ LAST BOOK — Beware of covetousness.—JC. ★ Support this podcast ★

Good morning! This is an unusual talk, I hope you are able to relate to it. DAY 304 ☕️ LAST BOOK — Question: What is heaven? Thank you so very much!—JC. ★ Support this podcast ★

Good morning my friend! It's a great day in JESUS, no matter what is going on in the world. Okay? DAY 303 ☕️ LAST BOOK — When he saw Jesus,—JC. ★ Support this podcast ★

If your commercial roof is leaking, there's no time to spare. Every second it leaks, the problem is getting worse - and that means it's costing you money. Need a fast local expert in Longmont, CO? Try Apex, at 303-691-5035 or visit https://apexroofingusa.com/commercial Apex Restoration & Roofing City: Centennial Address: 7076 S Alton Way, Centennial, Website: https://apexroofingusa.com/

Understanding Jesus' Encounter with Nicodemus explores the profound late-night conversation between Jesus and a respected Jewish leader. Discover why Nicodemus, despite his religious knowledge and status, felt compelled to seek Jesus secretly and what Jesus meant by the mysterious requirement to be 'born again' to see God's kingdom. This teaching unpacks the powerful metaphors Jesus used - birth as something we receive rather than achieve, and the wind as a picture of God's unpredictable yet purposeful Spirit. Learn how Jesus referenced Ezekiel's prophecy about water and Spirit bringing new life, and why this message is relevant for both religious and non-religious people today. Whether you identify more with the rebellious prodigal son or his dutiful older brother who stayed home, Jesus offers the same invitation to experience spiritual rebirth. This message will help you recognize where religious routines may have become spiritual ruts in your life and how to position yourself to receive the fresh wind of God's Spirit. Perfect for anyone feeling spiritually stagnant, questioning their faith journey, or wanting to understand the true meaning of being born again. Discover how spiritual transformation isn't something you accomplish through effort but something you receive through grace. This sermon was recorded at a Sunday morning gathering at Church of the Lookout in Longmont, Colorado.Visit our websiteFollow us on FacebookFollow us on Instagram

Good morning my friend! LETTER 0317

Good morning my friend... God bless you! DAY 299 ☕️ LAST BOOK — Confirming the word.—JC. ★ Support this podcast ★

At long last, we present Mat Bobby. This was a delightful interview with an extremely talented photgrpaher. If you can, we encourage oyu to have Mat's website pulled up while you listen: www.matbobby.com.Thanks to Andy Eppler and David Cutter Music for our intro and outro music!

Good morning my friend! God bless you. DAY 298 ☕️ LAST BOOK — Go! Say! Make Ready!—JC. ★ Support this podcast ★

Jimmy calls in to Longmont, Colorado to chat with Leslie and Steve Kaczeus of Boot Strap Brewing. The husband-and-wife duo discuss how they got started as brewers, the importance of community, international distribution, and what it takes to keep a brewery alive for so long. Bootstrap was founded by Leslie and Steve Kaczeus in 2012, who left the high-tech industry to follow their dream of creating an adventurous craft brewery dedicated to producing a wide range of high-quality ales and lagers.

We've got road signs that say BOOB, a rain dance, bike to work day, discussions of beige brick, and lots more to support the accusation that Longmont is aggressively average. We also have a guest! But he's heavy on the listening side. Join us to find out more. Thanks to Andy Eppler and David Cutter Music for our intro and outro music!

This sermon was recorded at a Sunday morning gathering at Church of the Lookout in Longmont, Colorado.Visit our websiteFollow us on FacebookFollow us on Instagram

Annette Dutenhoffer, CSB, from Longmont, Colorado, USAYou can find The Monitor Daily Podcast, as well as a wide range of other audio content, at christianscience.com/audio.

oasting in Weakness: The Paradox of Spiritual Strength explores the counterintuitive biblical principle that our weaknesses can become our greatest source of spiritual power. Based on Paul's revelation in 2 Corinthians 12:7-10, this message unpacks how God's power works best through our acknowledged limitations. Instead of hiding our weaknesses or making excuses, we're invited to embrace them as opportunities for divine strength to manifest in our lives. Learn how the statement 'when I am weak, then I am strong' transforms our approach to challenges, failures, and personal limitations. Discover practical ways to access God's strength in areas where you feel inadequate, whether in your thought life, relationships, past failures, or health challenges. This teaching includes a powerful real-life example of a worship leader finding supernatural strength in a moment of complete inadequacy. If you're struggling with perfectionism, self-reliance, or feeling insufficient for your calling, this message offers biblical wisdom on how the Holy Spirit can guide you daily and transform ordinary moments into divine appointments. Explore the spiritual discipline of dependence and learn how to leave a legacy of strength in the Lord rather than human accomplishment. This sermon was recorded at a Sunday morning gathering at Church of the Lookout in Longmont, Colorado.Visit our websiteFollow us on FacebookFollow us on Instagram

Today, we explore grief and how to cope with it in Aging Matters. Plus, we visit a clothing and coffee shop in Longmont where they host weekly "grief circles." Then, how has Colorado state law about policing changed since George Floyd was murdered by police in Minneapolis five years ago. And later, Colorado Wonders about why there aren't more fruit trees in cities like Denver. 

The Kingdom of God: Miracles, Signs, and Wonders Today explores whether supernatural healing, prophecy, and other spiritual gifts continue in our time. This powerful teaching examines Jesus' ministry pattern of combining authoritative teaching with supernatural demonstrations of power. Looking at passages from Matthew, Mark, and 1 Corinthians, we discover that Jesus consistently validated His message through healing the sick, casting out demons, and performing miracles as testimonies that the kingdom had arrived. The teaching addresses common questions: Have miraculous gifts ceased? Is healing based on faith or compassion? What is the biblical pattern for ministry today? Through examination of Scripture and contemporary testimonies of divine healing, supernatural knowledge, and miraculous interventions, we see compelling evidence that God's power remains available to believers. Paul's approach to ministry wasn't based on eloquent speech but on demonstration of the Spirit's power. This message challenges believers to step beyond theological limitations and unbelief to participate in demonstrating God's kingdom through the power of the Holy Spirit. Perfect for those questioning whether God still performs miracles, those seeking biblical foundation for supernatural ministry, or anyone wanting to see the kingdom demonstrated with power in their everyday life. Discover how ordinary believers can participate in extraordinary demonstrations of God's power today.This sermon was recorded at a Sunday morning gathering at Church of the Lookout in Longmont, Colorado.Visit our websiteFollow us on FacebookFollow us on Instagram

Hosts Jo Firestone & Manolo Moreno play listener-created games with callers!Games played: My Chihuahua! submitted by Kim Sherwood from Providence, Rhode Island, Un-Lucky Charms submitted by Cordy Thatcher & Timothy Daniel Flynn from Costa Mesa, California, and Dr. Horse DropCallers: Greg from Holland, Michigan; Chelsea from Longmont, Colorado; Timothy, Cordy, & Huxley from Orange County, California; Andrea from Truckee, California; Lydia-Mae, Emily, & Elaina from Portland, Oregon; Chris & Anna from Wichita, KansasOutro theme by The Happy RappiesNew video about the penultimate Dr. Gameshow Earwolf episode recording is available at moslo.xyzThis episode sponsored by:  Green Chef - Head to greenchef.com/50GAMESHOW and use code 50GAMESHOW to get 50% off your first month, then 20% off for two months with free shipping! 

***QUICK PROMO: Come see us at a live podcast recoding at LMP on May 31 at 7 pm*****What can we say, we absolutely smoked this episode. Come find out why David Barton, Longmont resident and founder of the BBQ accessory business, DripEZ, agrees that the thermometer is a very important tool (and Brady thinks Meater is clever copy), how he paid off his kids' college tuition and why he is amazed Longmont shuts down a US highway four times per year.Check out his que-tastic products at https://bbqdripez.com/Thanks to Andy Eppler and David Cutter Music for our intro and outro music.

* I discovered that I was pregnant at age 29 a month after opening my own solo legal practice in a suburb of Cleveland, OH* My partner and I grew up in Louisville, KY. Our families were there, so we had no day-to-day support from them* My law school colleagues were practicing law 5 to 6 hours' drive away from where I was living.* I had to build my own tribe as a working mother.  My partner was working 70 or more hours a week.  So, although he was providing food and shelter, I was on my own as a parent and business woman.* I suffered a bad miscarriage when my son was 2 years old, and was hospitalized for a week because of heavy bleeding and passing lots of blood clots.  My mother flew in and took care of my son and brought him to the hospital to visit me. It was years later that I finally felt the grief of this loss and allowed myself to heal from this trauma.* I divorced when my son was almost 3 years old and he developed ADHD. I went on a healing journey to help him, and in the process began healing myself. I studied all kinds of healing modalities in an effort to keep him off drugs for his condition.* I have been a working mother - married, divorced, remarried and single since my son was born* He is now a successful entrepreneur with a son of his own.For years, I was an attorney.  I am still licensed to practice law in Colorado.  I owned a sold a solo practice that I started in Lakewood, OH, a suburb of ClevelandI used the proceeds of the sale to buy into a firm in Longmont, CO, near Denver, and became a partner in the firm. We sold the firm several years agoI opened Jewel Consultancy, and am the CEO of the company offering Work-Life Harmony and Balance Coaching, Transformational Mentoring and Soul Readings.FIND HER HERE:https://jewelconsultancy.comhttps://www.facebook.com/arlene.jewel/https://www.linkedin.com/in/arlene-cohen-miller-54435b59/https://x.com/JewelCoachPCChttps://www.instagram.com/jewelcoach2/https://www.tiktok.com/@jewelcoach2?lang=enhttps://www.youtube.com/@arlenecmiller

A decade ago, Zach Borton had a lightbulb moment when studying energy economics at Ohio State University: the grid was trending toward decentralization. That realization set him on a path that would eventually lead him to Colorado, where he now serves as DER services manager at Platte River Power Authority.Platte River's 2024 integrated resource plan includes an ambitious goal: 30 megawatts of virtual power plant capacity by 2030. But building a VPP across multiple utility territories isn't just about technology -- it's about coordination, customer engagement, and breaking down organizational silos.This week on With Great Power, Zach explains the technical architecture behind Platte River's VPP strategy, which relies on two interconnected systems: grid derms and edge derms. He also discusses the challenges of aligning five different organizations, the importance of seamless customer enrollment, and why he believes curiosity-driven leadership is his superpower in the energy transition.With Great Power is a co-production of GridX and Latitude Studios.  Subscribe on Apple, Spotify, or anywhere you get podcasts. For more reporting on the companies featured in this podcast, subscribe to Latitude Media's newsletter.Credits: Hosted by Brad Langley. Produced by Erin Hardick and Mary Catherine O'Connor. Edited by Anne Bailey. Original music and engineering by Sean Marquand. Stephen Lacey is executive editor. The Grid X production team includes Jenni Barber, Samantha McCabe, and Brad Langley.TRANSCRIPT:Brad Langley: Back in the early 2010s, apps skyrocketed in popularity. Apple had just launched its famous "There's an app for that" commercial, and within a few years, more than a million apps were available for download in the app store.Commercial clips: Ever wish you could really read people's emotions? Well, now there's an app for that. Don't have a great voice or any real musical talent? Well, there's an app for that too. You want to get the potholes filled? Well, there's an app for that. There's an app for that...Brad Langley: Zach Borton's family was right there with the rest of America, feverishly downloading apps to manage finances or track the weather or achieve personal fitness goals.Zach Borton: Fitbits were becoming popular and my mom and dad would all compete against different steps, and we wanted to bring that kind of competitive element to the energy space.Brad Langley: At the time, Zach was studying business and sustainability at The Ohio State University.Zach Borton: Most of my classmates were going down the road of corporate social responsibility, sustainability reporting, but I took an energy economics course and that kind of shifted my path.Brad Langley: As part of that course, Zach was presented with some graphics of the power system. One showed the traditional energy value chain with big centralized generation. Another showed the declining cost of rooftop solar and an upward trend for installations.Zach Borton: I realized at that moment we're going from this horse and buggy to car event. Every few generations will have that shift, and I wanted to be a part of that shift.Brad Langley: After graduation, Zach and two friends decided to launch their own energy-focused app, the idea was to show people the impact of their environmentally focused investments.Zach Borton: What we were trying to build is a visualization tool to track environmental metrics such as carbon saved or trees planted, and also kind of that competitive nature of seeing what your friends were investing, what types of projects they were investing in, and then competing with your friends or tracking that with your friends to drive that competitiveness.Brad Langley: Unfortunately, for Zach and his friends, their app didn't make millions, but it did motivate Zach to keep working on some of the big complex problems unfolding in the power sector. So he took a job at American Municipal Power in Columbus, Ohio.Zach Borton: I was a power supply engineer. There was learning kind of the nuts and bolts on how to serve a community with generation, really how to stack those assets for energy, capacity, and transmission. But really despite everything I was learning, I kept going back to those two graphics from that energy economics course.Brad Langley: He just couldn't get one question out of his head. How would the legacy power system interact with all these new DERs? And he wasn't the only one thinking about it.Zach Borton: There was utility of the future white paper coming out of MIT, and so we were really going through that and understanding rather than a centralized approach from these large generators, how can we hedge against energy, capacity, and transmission from within the load?Brad Langley: Once Zach locked into this problem, he just couldn't let it go. So he headed west to Colorado where he now works at a public power utility helping build a virtual power plant.Zach Borton: My job is to take distributed energy resources and make use of them as we transition to a non-carbon grid.Brad Langley: This is With Great Power, a show about the people building the future grid, today. I'm Brad Langley. Some people say utilities are slow to change, that they don't innovate fast enough, and while it might not always seem like the most cutting edge industry, there are lots of really smart people working really hard to make the grid cleaner, more reliable and customer centric. This week I'm talking to Zach Borton, the DER service manager at Platte River Power Authority, a public power utility that serves the communities of Estes Park, Fort Collins, Longmont, and Loveland in Colorado. Platte River provides wholesale electricity generation and transmission for its member communities, each of which has its own local electric utility. So a major part of Zach's job is figuring out how to build a VPP across all of those different utilities.Zach Borton: So each have their own technology suite, which makes integrations maybe a little bit more difficult. So we're all at different paths in this integration and technology suite, but getting there is going to require more collaboration and breaking down those silos.Brad Langley: I wanted to dive into the mechanics of building this kind of VPP, but first I asked Zach how the initiative came about and how Platte River planned to break down those utility silos. So let's dig into your work at Platte River. Platte River's 2024 Integrated resource plan includes 32 megawatts of VPP by 2030, which is a significant amount. Tell us about that project. How did the initiative come about?Zach Borton: Yeah, so it can all kind of go back to the 2018 resource diversification policy. In that policy, there's a few things that line out how we can get to a non-carbon future, but it really suggests better integration and coordination across the systems from the generation transmission system down to the distribution. So senior managers, utility directors, and a few different public engagement sessions really sparked this vision and guiding principles for a DER strategy. Next came kind of a gap analysis, so we tried to understand what systems we have today and what we need, and so this really showed us where we need to go with how to make this technology work. Finally, we got to that potential study, which you saw in the 2024 IRP. This showed us kind of the market size and the potential and really gives us a goal to hit. It tells us what types of programs we should run and where we should head into that 2030 mark that you said, 30 megawatts.Brad Langley: And what is your role as DER services manager on the project? What are you specifically tasked with?Zach Borton: It's really trying to coordinate and develop these programs with our owner communities. We can think about our strategy in two different approaches. It's really that best thinking available today, which you can see in the SEPA article Decoding DERMS. It's going to require two different systems, and that's the grid DERMS and the edge DERMS. But really I want to circle back to VPP isn't just a piece of software, it's a utility strategy. It's a system level approach that brings together people, technology and data to orchestrate this cleaner and more flexible grid.Brad Langley: So we've established there's two main components to this. There's the grid DERMS and there's the edge DERMS. Talk me through specifically what the grid DERMS is doing as well as what the edge DERMS is doing.Zach Borton: Absolutely, yeah. So we can think about the grid DERMS as the brain of the future utility operation. It's going to hold our network model. It's going to monitor the state of the distribution in real time, say watching for those stress points and identifying where flexibility could be made available. Some of this technology is in place today, but a lot of this needs to be developed over the next several years, whereas the edge DERMS manages the customer side. It's going to help us enroll devices into the programs, optimize them, and then deliver those optimized energy shapes, load shapes or blocks into the grid DERMS as kind of like, here's a block at this hour. Here's the shape that you can use here for this stress point, and together these two systems kind of coordinate those individual devices into actionable blocks.Brad Langley: Can you go into more detail in terms of what those components are? I assume it's a mix of hardware and software, but any specific technologies you're able to call out.Zach Borton: When we think about our owner communities, they're kind of laying the foundation for the grid DERMS for that distribution system awareness, whether that's smart metering, switching, things like that. We need to build out that process with our owner communities to bring in those data points and make that distribution grid a little bit more intelligent. We can think about the future of advanced distribution management. When we think about the edge DERMS, there's a lot of processes and people involvement: enrolling customers and engaging with those customers. Obviously there's a lot of software optimization on the backend, but that's where we lean on our partners.Brad Langley: So two distinct yet connected systems for owner communities. What kind of challenges are you either experiencing or do you foresee in making this program a reality?Zach Borton: There's quite a bit of challenges. I'd say one of our biggest challenges is aligning across the five organizations. It's sometimes hard enough to break down the department silos, but then breaking down the five organization department silos is really complicated. So everyone might agree on this goal of a functional customer friendly VPP, but getting there in sync is the hard part, which kind of brings us to the next challenge, which is a unified vision and consistency. Like I said, we have incredibly talented people working on this from all sides, but aligning on a common path with consistency is critical. We may ask, why is that so important? Well, we risk confusing the customer if we're changing things as we go or sending mixed messages. So we need to really build that trust and participation with our customers and our own communities. That brings us kind of to the third point, which is the customer patience and experience.We're building something new and with that comes unavoidable, really growing pains. So making the enrollment and engagement process as smooth as possible in that first year is going to be so important for us to scale to that 2030, 30-megawatt goal. And that's the last piece is that OEM maturity and industry coordination. Like OEMs are learning how to build and design for flexibility, but it's a learning curve and everyone's taken their unique approach. Whereas the utilities, I can call up a utility that has a similar goal to us and they'll share the lessons learned where I feel like some of the OEMs aren't sharing those lessons learned with each other.Brad Langley: It's an interesting point. We're big believers in partnerships in this space. I think partnerships are super important. Are you encouraging the OEMs to talk to each other? Because it's tricky, they might be competitive, but they're implementing similar programs, so lessons shared can be important. How do you navigate that? Are you finding openness for OEMs to be more collaborative or is it kind of a walled garden so to speak?Zach Borton: It seems like a walled garden, but I would like for all of us utilities to try to break that down and share like, Hey, we're trying to get to this non-carbon future and open up all of these opportunities for flexibility. And so I think if a lot of us will say that to the OEMs, maybe they'll start listening. So I think if we can band together and really get the OEMs to listen, we can get to this non-carbon flexibility future.Brad Langley: You mentioned you'll start enrolling customers early next year. Does that mean the project is complete? What are some of those stages or milestones that kind of happen before or after that? Maybe give us the one to two year look into the various stages of the program following customer enrollment?Zach Borton: Yeah, so I mentioned the two types of DERMS and there's kind of different working paths for each of those, but I'll kind of talk about the edge DERMS really enrolling customers there early next year. So I think we're breaking this strategy out into three different years. First year we really want to boost up the enrollment and awareness of these programs. So enrolling customers, boosting up satisfaction and increasing that program awareness. It's going to take many actions to get there, like streamlining that DER onboarding process and establishing incentive structures and engagement methods with our customer base. That's going to be critical for scaling the VPP all testing in that first year dispatches with a small number of megawatts and devices. In that next year, we're really going to be looking for analytics and post-event insight, so leveraging event data to better understand how we're forecasting and modeling DR.So we're going to lay out the infrastructure needed to capture dispatch data and analyze that across the systems, whether it's on the distribution or the generation transmission system. And then that third year is going to be building out scale. To get to that 2030 goal in the third year, we're really going to be trying to grow those legs and pick up our speed, and it's all going to be about scalability of the dispatch and optimization. I think this is where the edge DERMS becomes integrated with the grid DERMS. So as the grid DERMS is getting intelligent and connecting to all of those devices in the field, we'll build out that integration to kind of build this full VPP fully integrated using those historical insights. And really in that year, we start to see the real time grid data and the integrations.Brad Langley: How did the customers react to the VPP announcement? Are they excited about the prospect of integrating this type of technology? What was their overall sentiment towards the program when it was announced?Zach Borton: Yeah, absolutely. There's a lot of excitement around this. When we think about our customer base, they love technology. We have a lot of EVs in our service territory. We have a lot of solar. We're starting to see that solar being paired with storage. So I think there's a lot of interest in helping us get to that non-carbon goal. And it's really the foundation we've built over the past 50 years, our community ownership, our collaborative mindset, and a long-term vision. We're not just building it alone, we're building it with our members, our partners, and every customer who chooses to be part of the solution. And it's really great to see a lot of those customers show up to the stakeholder meetings and suggest really great ideas to get to this VPP.Brad Langley: How many customers are you initially targeting and what's the scale of that look like over time?Zach Borton: Yeah, so the first few years, our big focus is on seamless integration, enrollment and engagement with those customers. We're going to most likely start within three different program groups, so EVs, batteries and thermostats and expand offerings from there. We hope to have roughly one megawatt in that first year, but again, I want to focus mostly on building out the seamless enrollment process and engagement. We can't build that 30 megawatts by 2030 without the customers and the devices, so having that poor engagement or poor enrollment process isn't going to help us scale. So we really need to build out the processes we have and kind of scale up to that 30 megawatt number by 2030.Brad Langley: Well, hey, we call this show With Great Power, which is a nod to the energy industry. It's also a famous Spider-Man quote. With great power comes great responsibility. So Zach, what superpower do you bring to the energy transition?Zach Borton: That's a really great question. I would say that curiosity-driven leadership. I'm highly adaptable and I have this ability to connect with all types of people, meet them where they're at, and build that real trust through kind of empathy, curiosity. I find common ground and help bring out the best in others, whether it's a technical person, strategic customer focus, I know how to relate and inspire those folks and share a sense of purpose. The ability to connect with folks is key when bringing together a diverse team with the single vision that we have.Brad Langley: And I'd add a great sense of fashion. I know our listeners can't see it, but I love the VPP hat you're rocking. It's right on point. So nicely done with that. Well, Zach, thank you so much for coming on the show and we wish you the best of luck with the program.Zach Borton: Yeah, thank you. I appreciate you having me, Brad.Brad Langley: Zach Borton is the DER service manager at Platte River Power Authority. With Great Power is produced by GridX in partnership with Latitude Studios. Delivering on our clean energy future is complex. GridX exists to simplify the journey. GridX is the enterprise rate platform that modern utilities rely on to usher in our clean energy future. We design and implement emerging rate structures and we increase consumer investment in clean energy all while managing the complex billing needs of a distributed grid. Our production team includes Erin Hardick and Mary Catherine O'Connor. Anne Bailey is our senior editor. Steven Lacey is our executive editor. Sean Marquand composed the original theme song and mixed the show. The GridX production team includes Jenni Barber, Samantha McCabe, and me, Brad Langley.If this show is providing value for you and we really hope it is, we'd love it if you could help us spread the word. You can rate or review us on Apple and Spotify, or you can share a link with a friend, colleague, or the energy nerd in your life. As always, we thank you for listening. I'm Brad Langley.