Area of Business

Erin Royal, Owner/Founder

A Shining Example of Success

Erin Royal joined the Leading Edge for Entrepreneurs program with the North Metro SBDC with a vision and determination to build something remarkable. With more than 18 years of experience as a project manager for another construction company, Erin had the foundational knowledge and expertise to excel. However, she sought the right tools, strategies, and network to launch her own venture successfully.

Engagement and Implementation

Throughout the course, Erin was the epitome of engagement. She actively participated in every session, eagerly absorbed the material, and consistently shared valuable tips and insights with her fellow classmates. Her collaborative spirit and willingness to help others created a vibrant learning environment, benefiting everyone involved.

First Contract and Beyond…

A Trailblazer in Service to the Hispanic Community

Carol Ortiz’s journey from Mexico City to the United States over 24 years ago is a testament to resilience, determination, and the pursuit of the American dream. Today, she stands tall as a successful entrepreneur, a devoted mother, and a beacon of inspiration for her community.

Una Pionera en la Búsqueda del Sueño Americano

El viaje de Carol Ortiz desde la Ciudad de México a los Estados Unidos hace más de 24 años es un testimonio de resistencia, determinación y la búsqueda del sueño americano. Hoy, ella se destaca como una empresaria exitosa, una madre devota y un faro de inspiración para su comunidad.

Owning and operating a business is challenging. Doing so as someone who is underrepresented in business as well as their own industry ads even more hoops to jump through. For Miriam Rodriguez though, the challenges are worth struggling through to live everyday doing the work she loves.

What drives a person to boldly venture down the winding path of owning their own business varies from entrepreneur to entrepreneur. For Megan Giehl, the motivation developed over years of training and experience in the systemic relationship therapy field. She knew she wanted to provide quality care to her clients for the long haul and felt owning her own practice would provide her the flexibility she was desiring to do so in a way that felt authentic to her.

There is rarely a linear path to entrepreneurship. Often, it is a series of twists and turns, ups and downs, that wind us through the business journey. That has surely been the case for Lori Christensen, owner of Rocky Mountain Brownies. Lori was sailing through a highly successful law career, when a series of life altering circumstances forced her to reconsider what she valued most and what kind of life she wanted to lead.

Dan Willman and his wife, Jessica, are co-owners of Do Gooder Games Café, a hybrid games store with an inclusive community where patrons are invited to play games with others while enjoying their favorite beverages and snacks from the café. The store also features new and diverse offerings for customers to purchase games and supplies. To further build community and set themselves apart from similar enterprises, they champion a unique rewards program where customers not only earn points for dollars spent, but also for participating in events such as meetups, art shows, and more.

A strong online presence is crucial to a business’s success, especially in our ever-increasing digital world reliant on technology. For many business owners, the skills needed to create and manage a professional website are daunting and ultimately a barrier to their business’s growth. To address the gap in digital skills, especially among minority business owners, the North Metro SBDC started a website program led by Diego Leyes, Bilingual Digital Marketing Specialist and Spanish Programs Outreach Consultant. The selected client for the first round of the website program was Jorge Torres, owner of JCS Cleaning Services.