Summary

The Spark Lab program was designed to empower young entrepreneurs and makers in rural communities in West-Central Colorado by providing mentorship, hands-on activities, interactive discussions, and networking opportunities. Over six weeks, participants refined their business ideas into 3-minute pitches, culminating in a pitch event where seed funding (over $10,000 raised) and professional development opportunities were awarded to support their ventures. The program was developed and implemented by Homegrown Pathways, in partnership with Startup Colorado.

The Challenge

Young people indicate a strong interest in entrepreneurship with 60% of teens saying they are more interested in starting their own business instead of working a traditional job. Currently, Colorado is developing one of the most dynamic entrepreneurial ecosystems in the country. However, Colorado youth, especially those in rural and underinvested urban communities, have limited pathways into this ecosystem. Additionally, in the West-Central region of Colorado alone, there has been a 120+% increase in median single-family home sales prices over the last 5 years. In the absence of pathways to a family wage career, the majority of rural students will not be able to stay, or return, to their home community. Spark Lab aims to change that by empowering rural youth with the entrepreneurial skills, social capital and seed funding needed to not only begin to build businesses and social ventures, but to advance participants’ durable skills, and their own quality career pathways within their home communities.

Target Population

This program was designed for young people (ages 14-21) with an existing business or an early business concept.

Program Structure

Spark Lab is a 6-week program designed to support young entrepreneurs through thought-partnership, learning “meetups”, and real-world networking opportunities on their way to deliver a 3-minute business pitch at the culminating Pitch Event. The 6-weeks can happen consecutively, or be split up over holiday breaks, as was the case with the pilot cohort. The pilot cohort consisted of 12 participants, or “innovators,” that engaged in a weekly in-person meetup (for one hour and fifteen minutes, with a virtual option), with optional virtual office hours to assist in “pre-work” activities prior to meetups. The program features an accompanying participant guide that features what to expect, key terms, and includes live links to all associated pre-work and reflection activities. Additionally, the Homegrown Pathways team worked with innovators one-on-one as “thought-partners” to help refine their business ideas and pitches.

Below is a weekly breakdown of Spark Lab:

Week 1 – Introductions & Foundations. Participants are introduced to the entrepreneurial mindset, but the primary focus is on fostering trust and building a strong sense of community within the cohort. With this taking place in rural Colorado, and bringing together many participants from our broad geographic region, building trust within the group is essential.

Week 2 – Rural Entrepreneur Speed Networking. An innovator favorite! Participants engage in small-group speed networking with rural entrepreneurs from the region, where they discuss entrepreneurship in rural communities, mindset, and personal growth. These conversations provide real-world insights and help participants expand their networks.
Week 3 – Pitch Prep: Golden Circle & Pitch Canvas. This session breaks down the components of a strong pitch with a deep dive into purpose and heart of each participant’s business idea.
Week 4 – Funding Overview & Pitch Drafts. Participants complete a Financial Overview Assessment, challenging them to take a closer look at their business models before this meetup where they are then joined by local bank and venture capital representatives who explain their roles in the entrepreneurial landscape and discuss financial opportunities for young entrepreneurs.
Week 5 – Feedback & Refinement. Leading up to this session, participants complete pre-work to prepare their draft pitch for presentation and feedback to small break-out groups. The entire session is dedicated to near-peer feedback, allowing participants to refine their pitches while practicing essential durable skills such as presenting, giving and receiving quality feedback, and effective communication.
Week 6 – Pitch Event. The program culminates in a final pitch event, where participants present their refined business ideas along with a pre-identified, specific ask. For the Pilot Pitch Event, Homegrown Pathways fundraised $10,000 to award in seed funding and brought together over 60 attendees, including parents, entrepreneurs, educators, superintendents, chamber leaders, bank presidents, mayors, and venture capital representatives. By filling the room with engaged community leaders, the event reinforced Spark Lab’s core mission of empowering young entrepreneurs and amplifying their ideas. Seeing these leaders take the time to listen, ask questions, and show genuine interest in the participants’ ventures demonstrated to the young innovators that their voices and ideas matter and their contributions to community are deeply valued. For more information about the individual businesses and their pitches, you can visit the Spark Lab Alumni page.

Post Spark Lab Follow Up. Our team remains committed to seeing how we can continue to support each participant, offering further mentorship, resources, and opportunities for connection. We also feature their businesses in our newsletters and aim to uplift their ventures wherever we can, including in local news publications about the Spark Lab program.

Spark Lab participant, Madi, works on a pitch canvas.

Spark Lab participant and entrepreneur, Monsi, presents during the Spark Lab Pitch Event

Examples of the sweet treats that Monsi makes and sells through her business.

Spark Lab participants and the Homegrown Pathways team.

Key Designers

The Homegrown Pathways team initially based the design on a youth-focused version of Startup Colorado’s Idea Factory. However, with the support of Curriculum Consultant, Jessica Morrison, the Homegrown Pathways team refined it into a unique program, tailoring curriculum, delivery, and operational elements to better serve a younger audience.

Key Partners

Key partners for Spark Lab included Jessica Morrison who designed and refined the curriculum; Startup Colorado, which provided the initial program framework, and the Morgridge Family Foundation whose match campaign helped raise $10,000 in seed funding for the pitch event. Additionally, Alt Space, a co-working space organization, generously provided the venue for all meetups and the Pitch Event, creating an entrepreneurial atmosphere that participants greatly enjoyed. This collaboration enhanced virtual and in-person participants’ interactions and helped elevate the overall experience.

Program Timeline

Spark Lab program and curriculum development began in August 2024. Participant recruitment commenced in October 2024, using word of mouth and flyers, with applications remaining open for two weeks. The Pilot Cohort officially launched on Wednesday, November 13, 2024 and over the 6-week Spark Lab program, we took 3 week-long breaks in observance of Thanksgiving and Winter breaks. This allowed participants even more time to refine their pitches. The Pitch Event took place on Saturday, January 19th, 2025.

Challenges

Spark Lab addresses a significant gap in the community, with many teachers, young people, and community leaders expressing a strong need for entrepreneurial programming like this. However, the challenge lies in capacity. We heard from numerous stakeholders about the desire for more opportunities like Spark Lab, and as we look to grow the program, the key challenge is scaling it to meet that demand.

Young people are busy! Balancing Spark Lab with their academic and extracurricular activities was difficult for some. This reinforced the importance of building an in-school model (something Homegrown Pathways is working toward), as the out-of-school nature of the program posed a commitment barrier for some participants.
A pre-Spark Lab program focused on design thinking would be hugely beneficial for participants who come in with initial ideas but need more refinement. For these participants, one-on-one thought-partnership was essential, but a more structured design-thinking approach prior to Spark Lab would be beneficial.

Outcomes

There were several key findings and impacts from the Spark Lab program that not only benefited participants but also contributed to strengthening the local entrepreneurial ecosystem. Survey results from participants indicated self-perceived improvement in communication skills, confidence, community connectedness, and understanding of available resources to support them in their entrepreneurial endeavors. Below are a couple of key findings from our formal pre and post surveys:

100% of participants reported that Spark Lab has made them more likely to take action on future business ideas, highlighting the program’s role in building confidence and empowering young entrepreneurs.
Participants developed valuable networks with funders and peers, with a notable shift in their sense of peer support going from “disagree” to “strongly agree” in believing they had peers who could support them in starting a business.

For organizations considering a similar program, there are a couple of key considerations. First, offering a pre-program focused on design-thinking and connecting their business ideas to purpose and “heart” could help participants refine their ideas before entering the pre-accelerator, allowing them more time to focus on pitch refinement. Additionally, in order to bolster the youth entrepreneurial ecosystem in your region, fostering connections between participants and creating a supportive peer network is crucial for collaboration among young innovators.

Contact

Taylor Poynor, Director of Operations and Communications, Homegrown Pathways

taylor@homegrownpathways.org

Case Study

Piloting a Youth Entrepreneurship Pre-Accelerator Program in Rural Colorado