Celebrating BEN’s First Inclusive Impact Catalyst Cohort

The first cohort of the Inclusive Impact Catalyst (IIC) has officially completed the program, opening the door to a stronger, more inclusive innovation ecosystem in Denver.

BEN, in collaboration with the City & County of Denver, launched the IIC earlier this year to help underserved Denver-based tech founders strengthen their foundation, refine their business model, and build a confident pitch for near-term capital fundraising.

Over the course of the program, founders met bi-weekly as a cohort and engaged in regular one-on-one sessions with expert advisors. Each meeting gave way to newfound clarity and business refinement, and the advisory support helped founders think more critically about the future they’re building and how to position their growth and potential to investors. (To take a deeper look at the IIC program, click here.)

“The BEN program helped us sharpen our strategy and accelerate revenue growth through focused, high-impact guidance. We’re already seeing measurable results,” says Patsy Landaveri, Founder & CEO of Impacto Strategy and IIC program participant.

Another participant, Dr. Ezequiel Villanueva, Founder of Global Green Collective, said, “The Inclusive Impact Catalyst (IIC) Program is helping us become truly capital-ready by providing free, expert coaching to strengthen our Business Model Canvas, Investment Summary, and pitch deck—while giving us dedicated time to practice our pitch and connect with the right investors. Because of IIC’s support, we’re accelerating Global Green Education’s Foodscaping Smart Green Futures—landscaping with edible plants—so Title I bilingual schools can transform underused land into measurable STEAM learning, climate resilience, and food-security outcomes, and we’re fundraising with far more clarity and confidence.”

While each founder’s journey is unique, what they now share is a stronger foundation for growth, rapid and actionable business model feedback, and a clear understanding of how to pursue capital with confidence. That growth is a testament not only to the entrepreneurs themselves, but also to the advisors, investors, partners, and community members who continue to pour into Denver’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. The completion of this first cohort reflects the collective belief that innovation thrives when more voices, more backgrounds, and more lived experiences are represented at the table.

IIC Program Director Katie Bedard says, “Launching this pilot cohort reinforced how important it is to equip Denver entrepreneurs with the skills, strategies, and connections they need to be capital ready and prepared to grow their businesses. Watching founders close critical business gaps through coaching and targeted resources is exactly why the Inclusive Impact Catalyst was developed.Seeing our cohort members learn from our expert advisors, and from one another and grow together has been one of the most rewarding parts of launching the Inclusive Impact Catalyst program.”

The first IIC cohort showed what can happen when founders are given access to expert advisors and targeted resources. Their progress over the past three months speaks to the importance of investing in this kind of targeted, customized programming.

The IIC program is one of BEN’s six major programs that serve startup, scaleup, and underserved female, minority, and rural founders statewide.

“BEN offers custom early to growth stage programming to assist promising entrepreneurs across the many stages of their business lifecycle with the support of expert, volunteer advisors,” said Mick Freeman, BEN’s CEO & Executive Director. “The IIC program helps entrepreneurs with capital readiness and practice reps to optimize their chances to scale and strengthen the entire region’s innovation landscape. When underserved founders have access to opportunity, resources, and high-quality guidance, their businesses don’t just grow, they help grow the ecosystem around them.”

With the first IIC cohort now complete, we’re looking ahead to welcoming a new group of founders to the program in January. Applications are open, and we invite you to apply if you’re a Denver tech-industry business preparing to raise capital in 2026. 

To every founder who trusted BEN to be part of their journey, and to every advisor who contributed their expertise and encouragement, thank you. Your participation helped build this program.