Boulder-based TapInfluence recently announced its sponsorship of the student-created and run co-working space Spark Boulder.
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An industry leader in the realm of influencer marketing software, TapInfluence knows how significant it is for start-ups to receive proper financial backing and community support, which is why it's $5,000 sponsorship will combine with the company's desire to guide and mentor start-ups in the community to bring more than just a new business to Boulder, CO. I recently had the chance to catch up with both TapInfluence and Spark Boulder to find out how this productive partnership is helping to further the city's furious pace of growth and infuse it with a sense of community.
We're all familiar with the concept of co-working, but Spark Boulder is aiming to be more than just a space. In fact, the goal of the student-led start-up is to become a hub of innovation. Going beyond the basics of co-working, Spark Boulder will supply its patrons with the tools and opportunities they need to design, create and innovate ground-breaking ideas. Why? Because the core group behind Spark Boulder knows first hand how difficult it can sometimes be to get a good idea going. After several attempts to get Colorado University to either provide or fund a space, original co-founders Ben Buie, Fletcher Richman and Bill Shrum (all CU students at the time, and all student entrepreneurs) decided to make it happen themselves. With a little luck and a whole lot of work, they found the funding to open the doors early next year. A reality made all the more evident by TapInfluences recent contributions.
"This space literally wouldn't exist without our community sponsors, TapInfluence being one of the bigger monetary supporters," said Spark Boulder's Ben Buie. "Although we've built a sustainable financial model, we needed a significant amount of money to build walls, put in lights, and by electronics. TapInfluences contribution is helping us turn a cement slab into the first space for startups at CU."
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For TapInfluence, the reasons to support an initiative like Spark Boulder can be boiled down to two essential elements. "Entrepreneurs (especially new ones) need two major types of resources to help navigate the many land mines and hurdles of starting a new business. One of them is knowledge and the other is money," TapInfluence's Co-Founder and CMO Holly Hamann told me. "While books, podcasts blogs are an excellent source of insight, nothing can replace sitting down with someone who's been there, hashing through your unique scenario and talking thru the best way to solve a problem. CEO Rustin Banks and I both spend lots of time each year mentoring students and helping other entrepreneurs. Taking that support to the next level with a financial investment seemed like a natural and exciting step. For the first year of TapInfluence, we worked out of public libraries and coffee shops. Having a place to work that exposes students to other entrepreneurs in a collaborative space is huge. Having the support and experience of local business leaders in those critical early stages can help these students keep going at a stage where most start-ups quit."
If that sounds like the concept of community fully on display, it's because the team at TapInfluence believes that it's a part of something special going on in Boulder, CO. "Part of the success of Boulder as a business scene is the quality of life and the spirit of its people," said Hamann. "Its one of the healthiest, smartest, most educated, and beautiful places to live in the world. Boulder also has a very independent energy about it. People explore ideas, they build things, they are open to new ideas, and they think about what is possible. This breeds innovation. And because this town is also very collaborative and social, there are lots of opportunities to bring these like-minded people together. People work hard and there is a passion for innovation that is unmatched in any other city."
The idea of community involvement doesn't just apply to TapInfluence's top team members though - it's something that the company cares about infusing into all of its identity. In fact, TapInfluence employees are encouraged to find ways to contribute to the entrepreneurial community. They attend NewTech Meetups, Open Coffee, hack-a-thons and other local events that bring together others wanting to learn and network. Hamann is a member of the National Center for Women in Technology (NCWIT) and sits on the Board of the Deming Center for Entrepreneurship Women's Council. She is part of the Leeds School of Business mentorship program and meets with students on a monthly basis for coaching and mentorship. Raviv Turner (TapInfluence VP of Product) is part of a mentorship program that coaches new product managers. Rustin Banks (TapInfluence CEO) mentors CU students and shares his knowledge of fund-raising at various events. One of the main reasons the company believes in doing all of that is because someone took the time to mentor them when they were starting out.
While the financial funding and community support will certainly help get the doors open for Spark Boulder, it's the spirit of collaboration and entrepreneurship that it drives around campus that's also a leading cause in the concept becoming a reality. In fact, it's the student volunteers who have designed the space, built the website and helped raised sponsorship dollars amongst other contributing factors that has set the tone for student-led success.
But despite the fact that it has been mostly students who have, quite literally, provided the spark thus far, the space is also meant to serve the community while capitalizing on an environment of interactivity. "The overall cause is to drive entrepreneurship on and around campus," said Sparks' Ben Buie. "The student entrepreneurs need resources, development opportunities, funding, mentorship, and team members. When a community member comes to Spark to provide any one of these things, they make the overall community better. In return, they get easier access to student talent and to university resources. It is a symbiotic relationship."
While 2014 is sure to further an already burgeoning start-up scene, the possibility of pursuing an impact on campuses and communities beyond Boulder exists as well. "If it continues to gain traction like it has up to this point, we're going to start thinking seriously about expanding this model to other entrepreneurial universities that lack a space dedicated to startups," said Buie. "Although entrepreneurship is a buzz word among educators, surprisingly few schools have opened their pockets to support something like Spark Boulder."
And so, it is the concept of community, first-hand financial support and the idea that innovative energy should always be payed forward that is igniting quite the spark in Boulder at this exciting time in its history. Fortunately, a high standard of helping others is being set by company's like TapInfluence, and it sounds like that won't be slowing down any time soon. "When someone takes the time to support you in your early days, its natural to want to give that back when you can," Hamann said. "Supporting others when they are just starting out helps keep that cycle alive."
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