Strategic Partners
Our community thrives thanks to the support of strategic partners who bring valuable resources, expertise, and collaboration opportunities. These partners include local businesses but also business associations and business improvement districts, educational institutions, nonprofits, and industry leaders who share our commitment to growth, innovation, and meaningful impact.
40 West Arts District is a nonprofit, state-certified creative district located along Lakewood’s historic West Colfax Avenue. Working with its local partners, its mission is to enrich the community and enhance the creative, cultural and economic vitality of the West Colfax corridor by creating community arts spaces and community arts events and showcasing creative enterprises and activities in the district. 40 West Arts district includes a wide range of galleries, creative businesses, studios and more. It includes the Hub, a community gallery space at 6501 W. Colfax Ave., and the 40 West ArtLine, a four-mile walking and biking art experience with 70+ art installations connecting three community parks. 40 West Arts is an active partner in promoting the corridor as a destination through its social media campaigns and free arts programming, including First Friday openings, Colfax Art Crawls, a curated outdoor mural program, and the annual Colfax Canvas Mural Festival.
Alameda Connects is a membership organization located along the Alameda corridor made up of businesses, neighbors and community leaders, dedicated to creating opportunity and driving prosperity by building connections and celebrating the corridor’s vibrant community. Alameda Connects promotes the corridor by hosting monthly community meetings, securing and sponsoring community grants, and collaborating with local leaders to address neighborhood needs.
The ACBID was established by ordinance on July 28, 2003. Its service area covers commercial property/business owners in Lakewood with boundaries adjacent to Alameda Avenue from Sheridan Boulevard to Carr Street on the north, and Sheridan to Allison Parkway on the south. Within the corridor, commercial property owners voted to tax themselves to make their community cleaner, safer and more vibrant. ACBID focuses on the three key areas: street beautification, economic development and corridor safety.
The ABA focuses on the northwestern portion of Lakewood and the greater Applewood community. It consists of businesses, neighbors and community leaders who have an interest in the area. The association promotes the corridor by offering business networking opportunities, sharing valuable information with the community, and building strong relationships.
OEDIT works with statewide partners to create a positive business climate encouraging dynamic economic development and sustainable job growth. Under the leadership of the governor, it strives to advance the state’s economy through financial and technical assistance in support of local and regional economic development activities throughout the state. It offers a host of programs and services tailored to support business development at every level including business retention services, business relocation services, and business funding and incentives. The office includes 14 divisions and offices that focus on different industries, regions and sectors.
The Colorado Small Business Development Center Network (CSBDC) is dedicated to helping existing and new businesses grow and prosper in Colorado by providing free and confidential consulting and no- or low-cost training programs. The CSBDC has locations around the state with a team of business experts ready to help entrepreneurs start, and existing business owners create and retain jobs, secure loans, increase sales, win government contracts, obtain certifications and more. The CSBDC also offers specialized programming in areas such as cybersecurity, technology commercialization, childcare programming, and exit planning. Denver Metro SBDC specifically has been a cornerstone of the Jeffco business community. With its one purpose of putting Coloradans to work, it helps clients pursue a career in business ownership and become active community contributors, job creators and wealth producers.
Downtown Colorado, Inc. (DCI) is a non-profit organization that aids Colorado’s downtowns, commercial districts, main streets, rural communities, and town centers. DCI is dedicated to creating vibrant, inclusive, and innovative downtowns that foster economic growth and community engagement. With a focus on building partnerships that support community involvement and drive economic vitality, DCI offers five key services to those involved in downtown and commercial district development: advisory services, educational events, advocacy and information, downtown financing mechanisms, and the Colorado Challenge Program.
ICSC is a member organization focused on advancing the marketplaces and spaces where people shop, dine, work, play, and gather, recognizing them as essential to communities and economies. It fosters connections and drives deals through impactful experiences, advocates for policies that shape the industry, and creates marketing and public relations campaigns that influence public opinion. It provides a platform for professional success, delivers forward-thinking content with actionable insights, and fuels industry innovation and growth.
The Jefferson County Business & Workforce Center (The Jeffco Business & Workforce Center) is a dynamic resource dedicated to fostering successful connections between job seekers and businesses across Jefferson, Clear Creek, and Gilpin counties. With a mission to promote economic vitality, the center identifies, develops, and matches a skilled workforce with business needs, providing essential services for both individuals and companies. The Jeffco Business & Workforce Center saves businesses time and money through every step of the recruiting process. Along with finding pre-screened candidates for open positions, workforce experts help employers grow their own talent by building mentorships, apprenticeships and on-the-job training opportunities, all at no cost.
Jeffco EDC is a public/private, not-for-profit partnership dedicated to preserving and enhancing the economic vitality for the citizens of Jefferson County through the attraction, retention and expansion of primary jobs.
The Lakewood Business Association (LBA) is dedicated to promoting the economic vitality of Lakewood and its nearby neighbors. The LBA protects the business interests of local businesses, executes outreach to residents, neighborhood groups, merchants, and commercial property owners, implements projects to enhance the area and bring people to the area for shopping and recreation. It also works with other established organizations to enhance the economic vitality of the community.
The City has established a cross-departmental group called the Development Assistance Team (DAT) to oversee the efficient and thorough review of all development proposals. Several divisions from within the Planning and Public Works departments participate in the DAT, which meets weekly to coordinate the review of all development proposals in Lakewood to ensure all development is of high quality, meets all safety standards and is consistent with the City’s goals.
The Lakewood-West Colfax Business Improvement District (LWCBID) is located along Lakewood’s historic West Colfax corridor. It focuses on district advocacy, identity, business attraction and economic development activities. As the primary funding and operational partner for the West Colfax Community Association and 40 West Arts, LWCBID works with local business and property owners and other local partners to evolve this historic corridor in a way that aligns with the vision and values of the community, as articulated in the corridor-led and city-adopted West Colfax Vision 2040 Action Plan. The LWCBID’s overarching goal is to shape West Colfax into a place where locals and visitors come to create fresh opportunities, connect with diverse experiences and celebrate culture both old and new—all in a safe, connected, vibrant, creative community.
Metro Denver EDC is the nation’s first regional economic development entity, bringing together more than 70 cities, counties and economic development agencies in the nine-county metro Denver and Northern Colorado area. The organization works with communities to help with site selection, expansion, connection of information and market decisions. It also provides specialized data services, access to partners, site tours, community involvement and advocacy.
Since 1969, Red Rocks Community College has been creating pathways to success for students across the state. With over 125 degree programs and 285 certificate programs, available in traditional as well as online formats that allow for a more flexible time frame, the college focuses on providing education that is rooted in real-world applicability.
The Small Business Administration (SBA) offers a variety of resources to help entrepreneurs at different stages of their business journey. It explains in detail various business funding options, including loans, grants, and investment capital and how to apply for these resources through programs like 7(a) loans, microloans, and disaster loans. It helps with business planning through a wealth of educational materials and online courses, provides connections with location resources, information on contracting opportunities and even regulatory assistance.
The EDCC is a statewide non-profit organization committed to promoting responsible and successful economic development throughout Colorado. As the leading resource for economic development in the state, EDCC serves both public and private sectors, fostering strong connections with communities. They offer valuable educational opportunities, reliable resources, and advocate for policies and programs that support a thriving economy and improve the quality of life for all Coloradans.
UCP is a group established to foster businesses relationships along the Union Boulevard Corridor. The purpose of this group is to strengthen the ties of the local business community, give business owners the opportunity to network and collaborate with their neighbors and hear business and development updates specific to the area from local officials.
The West Colfax Community Association is a nonprofit coalition of engaged neighborhood, business and civic leaders focused on providing a unified local platform to foster and advance the quality of life, economic vitality and values of the West Colfax community. Working in collaboration with its local partners, WCCA hosts and supports events and programs that strengthen and invigorate the community. WCCA is the area’s oldest association serving both businesses and residents in the corridor. Its monthly meetings are the best venue to connect with the energy and momentum of the historic West Colfax community.
Established in 1947, the West Metro Chamber of Commerce is the regional chamber for Jefferson County and the west metro area. Its mission is to build a strong business community through collaboration, leadership, development, education and advocacy. It produces more than 100 events and programs a year. The West Metro Foundation also runs Leadership Jefferson County, a renowned leadership program seated each year through an application process.