What Business, Community and Education Leaders Are Saying About Colorado's New Competitiveness Council to Drive Economic Success Across the State

DENVER – Today, Governor Jared Polis, the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT), and members of the business and innovation communities announced the formation of a new public-private partnership, the Governor's Competitiveness Council. Here is what business, community and education leaders are saying about the news:

"Restoring Colorado's affordability and economic competitiveness is essential if we're going to achieve the Chamber's vision of Economic Empowerment for Every Coloradan. We look forward to this council driving real policy change to return Colorado to a more affordable and more competitive state," said J. J. Ament, President & CEO, Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce.

"Colorado has always been a place of builders and risk-takers — an entrepreneurial spirit that, over the past two decades, has grown into one of the nation's great innovation economies. But we stand at an inflection point. Compounding public policy decisions have tilted the scale the wrong way, and other states are now courting our companies with clearer signals of opportunity and faster paths to grow. Reversing these trends will take bold moves and bold collaboration. Business is a force for good — and we must focus on making Colorado a great place to attract capital, build businesses, and create jobs and opportunity," said Debbie Brown, President of the Colorado Business Roundtable.

"The best future for Colorado is one where every Coloradan shares in the economic and cultural prosperity that follows when the state is the world's leading hub for innovation. The loss of momentum in how Colorado is being viewed by those who deploy capital is a crisis that harms every Coloradan. It's fixable if our community rallies together to forge a compelling vision and execution plan. This Council is a big step in the right direction," said Dan Caruso, Managing Director of Caruso Ventures.

"For the past four years, the Colorado Chamber has tracked and released reports on Colorado's competitiveness through extensive research, state-by-state rankings, and annual business surveys. This advance work clearly proved that public policies adopted over the past decade has made Colorado less competitive. We've not only identified these challenges but also advanced bipartisan legislation and a strategic plan to strengthen Colorado's business climate. We appreciate the focus on competitiveness and the Colorado Chamber's research and data provides a strong foundation for bold, evidence-based policy solutions," Loren Furman, President and CEO, Colorado Chamber of Commerce.

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"Colorado's long-term economic success depends on our ability to align leaders across sectors around a shared vision for competitiveness. This initiative creates a powerful platform to leverage data, collaboration, and bold action to strengthen our business climate, support innovation, and ensure Colorado remains a place where companies choose to grow, invest, and create opportunities for communities across the state," said Raymond H. Gonzales, President of the Metro Denver Economic Development Corporation.

"Colorado's small-business ecosystem (~170K businesses) faces significant pressure from the high costs of childcare, housing, and health care, as well as regulatory burdens that impede growth. The Competitiveness Council's strategy is to listen thoughtfully, assess current conditions, and collaborate on solutions that provide relief and open growth opportunities for the employees, customers, and communities they serve," said Wendy Lea, Co-founder Chair of Energize Colorado

"Colorado's technology industry is the third-most concentrated in the country and supports approximately 10 percent of the state's employment, underscoring how much is at stake in this competitiveness conversation," said Brittany Morris Saunders, President and CEO of the Colorado Technology Association. "Growing challenges are making it harder for companies to invest and expand in Colorado. This Council brings business and government together to confront those barriers and develop a lasting roadmap to guide future state leadership, strengthen Colorado's economy and support innovation."

"Colorado's competitiveness challenges are no longer theoretical—they are showing up in boardrooms, hiring decisions, expansion plans, household budgets, and state revenues," said Johnna Reeder Kleymeyer, President and CEO, Colorado Springs Chamber & EDC. "If we want Colorado to remain a destination for jobs, investment, innovation, and talent, we must move with urgency. The Council's work must lead to action: fewer unnecessary barriers, faster decisions, a more predictable regulatory environment, and policies that help businesses grow while improving affordability for the people who call Colorado home."

"What we've heard from businesses across the state is that the compounding effect of regulations is a heavy burden, making the need for robust small business support and capital access more critical than ever," said Kim Woodworth, Executive Director of the Economic Development Council of Colorado. "However, the true takeaway from these listening sessions is that Coloradans want to collaborate. This work is a marathon, not a sprint, and it cannot be done in a vacuum. Every one of us approaches economic development from a unique perspective, and by combining our subject matter expertise, we can turn these challenges into opportunities. We are inspired by the feedback we've received and look forward to an ongoing dialogue to build a stronger, more competitive economy together."

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"This council represents a collective effort amongst our business community to commission a data driven study which will support Colorado's leaders in ensuring Colorado remains a state that is open, competitive and welcoming to businesses for years to come," said Walker Stapleton, former Treasurer of Colorado and Commissioner of the Colorado Economic Development Commission.

"Looking forward to working with the business sector on ways to support a business-friendly Colorado bringing and retaining high quality careers for the people and businesses that want to come and/or stay in our amazing state. Colorado has always been my home; it has become more difficult to thrive because of rising costs and the exodus of quality businesses investing in our state. Working with these brilliant minds provides an opportunity for thinking through how to maintain high quality careers and support business growth," said Jason L. Wardrip, Business Manager of the Colorado Building and Construction Trades Council.

About Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade

The Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) works to empower all to thrive in Colorado's economy. Under the leadership of the Governor and in collaboration with economic development partners across the state, we foster a thriving business environment through funding and financial programs, training, consulting and informational resources across industries and regions. We promote economic growth and long-term job creation by recruiting, retaining, and expanding Colorado businesses and providing programs that support entrepreneurs and businesses of all sizes at every stage of growth. Our goal is to protect what makes our state a great place to live, work, start a business, raise a family, visit and retire—and make it accessible to everyone. Learn more about OEDIT.

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