In the nearly three years since we first expanded outside of the Denver Metro area, we’ve learned that there is strong demand for RMMFI’s services in rural parts of the state. There is so much entrepreneurial energy in our rural communities, and we’re proud that we’ve been able to share an inclusive and accessible approach to local small business support.

As we move from piloting a few rural sites to solidifying our footprint in rural Colorado, we have officially activated RMMFI’s Rural Colorado Region – our second alongside our Denver Metro Region. More than just a name, this second region reflects the formalization of a model for growth we’ve been developing for several years. By reorienting our teams and processes around a rural region, we can add efficiency through shared regional services, better connect rural sites to our back office systems, create more effective management structures, and refine our roadmap for future expansion.

The Rural Colorado Region currently includes two full program sites. The first is our Eastern Rural Colorado site, which combines our Sterling and Trinidad-based programming and can now support entrepreneurs beyond the formerly incarcerated community. The second is our San Luis Valley and Southwestern Colorado site, run in partnership with First Southwest Community Fund. We have developed a strong partnership with FSWCF and were excited to expand our SLV programming to include the southwest part of the state.

By activating our second region, we are making strides toward two major goals: better serving the rural communities we are already working in and building sustainability and scalability for additional growth of the RMMFI system.