2016 Grand Junction Young Entrepreneur Academy Participants
The second quarter of the year from April through June is traditionally one of our most active periods in terms of serving our members and making progress on our annual business plan. Shown below are just a few of our accomplishments:
- Led the community effort to celebrate Economic Development Week in coordination with our economic development partners, GJEP and BIC. A video that can be used to showcase how businesses can take advantage of the resources we offer to grow is now posted on the website.
- Defended the local business climate by legally challenging the Grand Valley Drainage District’s fee assessment on businesses which resulted in individual businesses being billed in excess of $8,000. The matter is still in the courts. Our argument is that this is a defacto tax and subject to a vote under the Taxpayer Bill of Rights.
- Graduated eleven new CEOs from the Young Entrepreneurs Academy ranging in age from 11 to 18. Each has launched a new business.
Served as the business voice on over 39 pieces of legislation introduced in the Colorado General Assembly and published a scorecard of how our local delegation voted on bills of importance to the business community. - Initiated business retention/expansion activities that resulted in visits to over 20 companies and the convening of two industry roundtables (technology and energy) that uncovered several expansion projects that have the potential for creation of over 250 jobs in the next 12-15 months.
- Led the opposition on the Western Slope of Colorado to Amendment 69, a ballot initiative aimed at creating a single payer health care system by taxing businesses which voters will decide in the fall election.
- Created the foundation for a new funding mechanism to underwrite Chamber business assistance programming known as the Total Resource Campaign.
- Hosted three Business After Hours events, three Networking at Noon sessions and assisted 12 companies in accessing big data to identify and market to customers through a partnership with the Mesa County Library.
Click here to download full version of the Grand Junction Area Chamber of Commerce July 2016 Newsletter.