Last week, Grand Valley middle school student entrepreneur Roan Baldwin represented Colorado at the Young Entrepreneurs Academy (YEA!) Saunders Scholars National Competition in Frisco, Texas. After earning the title of local Saunders Scholar earlier this year, Roan advanced to compete alongside some of the nation’s top young entrepreneurs. He presented his business, Munch Mode Machines,…
Last Thursday evening, the Grand Junction Area Chamber of Commerce proudly celebrated the graduation of the Mesa County Leadership Program Class of 2026 at Bookcliff Country Club. Family members, employers, alumni, community leaders, and program supporters gathered to recognize 30 graduates who dedicated the past 10 months to immersive learning, community exploration, and leadership development….
Last weekend, the Mesa Mall was transformed into something different: a marketplace of student-owned businesses. The annual Young Entrepreneurs Academy (YEA!) Trade Show gave local students the opportunity to showcase businesses they have spent months developing and preparing to launch. Through the afternoon, shoppers stopped by booths to learn about products and services, ask questions,…
Funding is currently available through the Chamber’s West Slope Works program to help employers offset costs associated with Registered Apprenticeship Programs. The Grand Junction Area Chamber of Commerce, through its role as a Qualified Apprenticeship Intermediary, has grant funding available to support apprenticeship-related expenses, including mentor or journey worker wages, instructor costs, training supplies, and…
Healthcare continues to be one of the most significant challenges facing employers today. Across industries and business sizes, employers are navigating rising premiums, increasing employee healthcare needs, workforce recruitment and retention pressures, and growing uncertainty about future costs. For many businesses, healthcare benefits represent one of their largest and fastest-growing expenses. At the Grand Junction…
The Grand Junction Area Chamber of Commerce is proud to release its 2025 Annual Report, highlighting a year defined by momentum, measurable impact, and a continued commitment to strengthening Mesa County’s business community. In a year marked by economic uncertainty, workforce challenges, shifting policy discussions, and increasing pressure on employers, the Chamber remained focused on…
There are certain weeks in Grand Junction when you can feel our community shift into a different rhythm. This is one of them. The Alpine Bank NJCAA Division I JUCO World Series kicks off this week, with the banquet on Friday, May 22, and tournament play beginning Saturday, May 23, at Sam Suplizio Field. For…
Business leaders from across Mesa County gathered this week for the Grand Junction Area Chamber of Commerce Legislative Wrap Up Breakfast, where lawmakers, policy experts, and employers took a candid look at the 2026 legislative session and the growing concerns surrounding Colorado’s economic competitiveness. The event featured Janice Rich, Rick Taggart, Matt Soper, and DJ…
As Colorado’s legislative session comes to a close, businesses across Mesa County and the Western Slope are once again left evaluating what the decisions made under the Gold Dome will mean for their future. From workforce policy and housing to regulation, taxation, energy, insurance, and the overall cost of doing business, the impacts of state…
Every spring, there is a different kind of energy that settles across Grand Junction. Storefronts begin filling with team banners, baseball caps become part of the daily uniform, and conversations around town start revolving around brackets, innings, and walk-off wins. JUCO is once again right around the corner, and with it comes one of the…