A new CU Boulder initiative, COventure Forward, is determined to help Colorado’s small businesses hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic. 

“When the COVID-19 crisis first hit us, we knew this would turn many entrepreneurs’ lives upside down and would bring new and difficult challenges,” said Scott Fox, an entrepreneur in the cellular and wireless industries and an entrepreneur-in-residence at Venture Partners at CU Boulder.

Launched in April 2020 by the Deming Center for Entrepreneurship at the Leeds School of Business, COventure Forward connects small businesses, startups, scale-ups and entrepreneurs with a cadre of seasoned faculty members and business leaders able to mentor struggling businesses at no charge.   

“Most of these mentors have navigated downturns in the past,” said Erick Mueller, executive director of the Deming Center. “Now they can share their expertise and guide newer businesses through those challenges.”