There’s a saying about the cruel effect that money has on the quality of a product: “It eats quality and poops quantity”, William Burroughs. (Ok fine, he uses a different word for poop). For so many expanding businesses, this insight seems to be true. Quality of product is surrendered to the quantity produced, as companies’ main goals are to become as large as possible, while trading in the integrity of their original products. Newton Running Shoes and ROLL Recovery (in my last two posts) have proved to evade this sentence, succeeding based on their commitment to quality, rather than quantity,... Read More

   “Leave the research to us. We’ll leave the training to you.” Admit it. You’ve ordered something online for the sole purpose of getting to look forward to a package coming in the mail. It’s really not that sad or desperate. Getting something specifically sent to you feels awesome and let’s you know someone out there took the time to prepare the thing, send it, and now it’s here. Just for you. Runnerbox, the Boulder start-up founded in 2012 by marathoner and nurse, Staci Dietzel, harnesses a similar concept. Except ordering a Runnerbox requires even less deliberation... Read More

There was a time not long ago that recovery devices for endurance athletes were limited to sticks, foam rollers, ropes, and some good-old-fashioned stretching mats. If it were up to most, this recovery routine would not have changed because it seemed satisfactory enough. But for Jeremy Nelson, the inventive runner behind the “R8” ROLL Recovery device, those tools belong to the past, while the “R8” is the revolutionary recovery tool of the future (and the now!). The “R8” invention emerged from a perfect storm of Nelson’s passion for running, strong education,... Read More

 “We are scholars, artists, musicians, scientists and students. We thrive on exploration and dialogue. Boulder is our home and our inspiration. Our product flavors are representative of local landscapes and seasons and our brewery is located off the bike path and designed to feel like a retreat from the commerce-focused downtown.” – Jamba Dunn, Founder and President of Rowdy Mermaid Kombucha. Before we talk about Kombucha, can we talk about haikus? A haiku is one of the many types of poetry with a strict structure. There are three lines. The first with 5 syllables, the second... Read More

Flatirons Running Inc. is a speciality running store in South Boulder that began as a family business in 2009 with RL Smith and Tricia Vieth. The store was first named “In-Step”, and offered specific attention to individual runners. RL builds custom insoles that are used by world-renowned runners and athletes around the world. His experience in diagnosing foot issues and resolving other common running ailments. He’s known as a “Foot Whisperer” because he diagnoses and solves foot issue on site by building the insoles “on location”. What truly makes the... Read More

Flatirons Running Inc. is a speciality running store in South Boulder that began as a family business in 2009 with RL Smith and Tricia Vieth. The store was first named “In-Step”, and offered specific attention to individual runners. RL builds custom insoles that are used by world-renowned runners and athletes around the world. His experience in diagnosing foot issues and resolving other common running ailments. He’s known as a “Foot Whisperer” because he diagnoses and solves foot issue on site by building the insoles “on location”. What truly makes the... Read More

“Quinn Popcorn was started with a very simple mission. We wanted to clean up a classic snack. We dove in head first.” Over two years ago, just shortly after bringing a new born baby boy home from the hospital, Kristy Lewis and her husband Coulter decided to get started on another baby named Quinn. But this Quinn would be an edible, organic, non-GMO start-up natural food with a goal of changing popcorn for the better. Quinn Popcorn was born with the hope of to “cleaning up” a classic snack. Popcorn is a classic snack isn’t it. Who doesn’t like a food you... Read More

“Ally Stacher has always been a foodie. She is always cooking up some of the most amazing concoctions in her kitchen. It was her love for food and adventure that lead her to creating ‘Ally’s Bar’. A unique blend of sweet potato, dates, quinoa, nuts, and berries combined with all natural Agave and coconut sweeteners, Ally’s bar is as healthy as it is tasty.”  Cyclists, athletes, and health “foodies” flock to Boulder streets for training and inspiration at all times of the year. So my Boulder business today isn’t actually a Boulder business at all, rather... Read More

“Ally Stacher has always been a foodie. She is always cooking up some of the most amazing concoctions in her kitchen. It was her love for food and adventure that lead her to creating ‘Ally’s Bar’. A unique blend of sweet potato, dates, quinoa, nuts, and berries combined with all natural Agave and coconut sweeteners, Ally’s bar is as healthy as it is tasty.”    Cyclists, athletes, and health “foodies” flock to Boulder streets for training and inspiration at all times of the year. So my Boulder business today isn’t actually a Boulder business at all,... Read More

Hard-working, innovative, and creative entrepreneurs are not your average joes. But in Boulder, they seem to be around every corner. The start-ups I’ve encountered each week have been full of excited, hard-working and inspirational people that will all say the same thing about their business: “We are still a small company, and we have our values”. And despite sales and outreach being far from small, each remains humble and driven to stick to the Boulder-esque natural food company ideals. Oddly enough, “just around the corner” is quite literally where I ran into Jodi Feinhor-Dennis,... Read More