Colorado’s blend of geographic diversity — snow-capped mountains, sunset-hued expanses of desert and rock and bustling metropolitan areas — is as eclectic as its economic diversity.
From world-renowned ski resorts and agricultural heartlands to tech hubs and cultural hotspots, the state has solidified itself as a place where natural and manmade wonders coexist and thrive, drawing in both adventurers and innovators from all corners of the country and the world.
According to the Colorado Technology Association’s 2022 industry report, the tech sector contributes 9% of the state’s employment and 18% of its gross product. Despite economic challenges, it has added 9,680 jobs since 2019. With tech roles projected to grow 11% over the next five years, Colorado has the sixth-highest predicted growth out of all states.
At companies like Crusoe, Guild and AirDNA, varied missions and technological solutions are being developed by tech leaders. From reducing emissions in oil fields to optimizing the vacation rental industry, these companies and four others capture the area’s innovative spirit and diverse ecosystem.
What Crusoe Energy Systems does: Crusoe aims to eradicate routine flaring in the oil industry and reduce cloud computing costs, transforming wasted energy into computational power for the digital economy while fostering efficiency, community relations and environmental responsibility.
Crusoe’s perks and benefits:
- Mentorship program and promote from within
- Tuition reimbursement
- Generous parental leave
- A highly diverse management team
Significant growth: In August, Crusoe reached 49th on the Inc. 5000, an annual list of U.S. companies’ revenue growth. Founded in 2018, the Denver company has seen 8.15% revenue growth in the past three years.
What Guild does: Guild’s Career Opportunities Platform empowers employers to invest in employee growth through educational programs and coaching, plus provides a marketplace of curated learning with support for translating new skills into career pathways.
Guild’s perks and benefits:
- Flexible parental leave
- Documented equal pay policy
- Tuition and student loan reimbursement
- Financial wellness and planning through certified financial planners
Strength in diversity: As Guild scales, promoting DEI remains a central focus. “True diversity should mean more than gender and race, but a diversity of fresh ideas and thoughts to foster a collaborative team culture where people feel included. We are committed to being a team with diverse voices and experiences,” said Chief Accounting Officer Sohela Lalvani in a 2022 interview with Built In CO.
What AirDNA does: AirDNA is a travel and vacation rental data provider, offering the MarketMinder platform for Airbnb hosts and customized solutions for enterprise clients, tracking over 10 million rental properties globally.
A major redesign: Last month, AirDNA released a revamped platform that aims for simplicity and ease of use. Users can now browse short-term rental investment data in markets worldwide, understand property earning potential, track trends and competitor data, and customize and filter searches.
A recent acquisition: This summer, AirDNA announced it had acquired location intelligence platform Arrivalist. This move aims to offer sharper insights and a comprehensive view of the short-term rental market for clients. “It’s a natural fit because both companies were industry pioneers and first movers in their space,” AirDNA CEO Demi Horvat said in a statement.
What Conga does: Conga simplifies revenue lifecycle management for companies, transforming order and contract processes with a flexible data model and championing customers to adapt to evolving business models and streamline revenue operations.
Conga’s perks and benefits:
- 24 hours per year of paid volunteer time
- Pet insurance
- Performance bonus
- Flexible work schedule
Meaningful opportunities: Conga has dedicated staff who ensure team members feel they are applying and growing their skills. “My focus is on creating opportunities for people to be part of a great culture and build their careers. I want people to look back on their time at Conga and feel like they’ve been part of something special,” said Senior Director of Colleague Engagement and Leadership Development Adrienne Alessandro in an interview with Built In CO.
What Contentful does: Contentful is the intelligent, composable content platform that unlocks all of an organization’s digital content to deliver impactful customer experiences, making content a strategic business asset. The Contentful Platform, Contentful Studio and the Contentful Ecosystem combine the flexibility of composable content with the intelligence of AI, empowering digital teams to drive business momentum through collaboration, speed and scale. Contentful powers innovative content experiences across brands, regions and channels for organizations around the world, including nearly 30% of the Fortune 500.
Contentful’s perks and benefits:
- Adoption assistance and childcare benefits
- Flexible work schedule
- Fitness stipend and onsite gym
- Diversity employee resource groups
An engaged team: Built In CO learned how Contentful’s team members are invested in its mission in May. “I’ve been the most creative, productive and fulfilled when supporting an ambitious, meaningful and worthwhile goal. I’m excited to come to work and feel I’m contributing to something more significant and critical than merely pursuing a paycheck,” said VP of Engineering Jeremy Goldsmith.
What Signpost does: Signpost helps local service businesses succeed through software that creates campaigns, boosts reviews, tracks payments and engages with customers.
Signpost’s perks and benefits:
- Wellness programs and mental health benefits
- Performance bonus
- Home-office stipend for remote employees
- Customized development tracks
Continual learning: Software Engineer Natashia White shed light on how she keeps her skills up to date and how Signpost supports continued education and upskilling. “I’ve received a lot of support in pursuing personal learning goals that are relevant to the tools we use at Signpost, even if it’s not directly related to my normal workload,” White said in a 2023 interview with Built In CO.
What Skupos does: Skupos is a platform connecting the convenience retail industry, focusing on independent stores and small chains to enable better customer understanding and service, drive sales and expand their customer base.
Skupos’ perks and benefits:
- Unlimited paid time off
- Charitable contribution matching
- Continuing education available during work hours
- Mean gender pay gap below 10%
Helping small businesses: In a 2023 interview, Chief Revenue Officer Christine Shriver explained how Skupos is a conduit for convenience stores to operate like grocery stores. “It’s really a no-brainer to finally operate with data and be able to run programs across this enormous market segment that’s often right behind the grocery or Walmart channel,” Shriver told Built In CO.
