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DCI launches free online education portal for rural Colorado communities
ColoradoBiz Staff //November 5, 2025//
Photo courtesy of Downtown Colorado, Inc.
Photo courtesy of Downtown Colorado, Inc.
DCI launches free online education portal for rural Colorado communities
ColoradoBiz Staff //November 5, 2025//
DENVER — Downtown Colorado, Inc. (DCI) has launched a new online education portal to help rural communities strengthen local economies, support small businesses and guide redevelopment efforts across the state.
In Brief:
- Downtown Colorado, Inc. launches a free online education portal to support small businesses and redevelopment in rural communities.
- The platform offers self-paced courses for community leaders, entrepreneurs, and small business owners across Colorado.
- Courses include small business network development and the Colorado Challenge Accelerator Program for redevelopment planning.
- The initiative is funded through the USDA Rural Business Development Grant and Kansas State University’s Brownfields program.
The Downtown Education Portal offers self-paced courses tailored for community leaders, entrepreneurs and small business owners. Two courses are currently available, free for a limited time to both DCI members and nonmembers.
The first course, Strengthening Regional Small Rural Business Networks, focuses on building partnerships, improving communication and securing funding to help rural businesses collaborate and grow. The second, Colorado Challenge Accelerator Program, provides a step-by-step redevelopment framework that helps communities move projects from concept to implementation.
“The new online courses are uniquely tailored to the needs of busy community leaders and business owners through self-paced learning,” said Katherine Correll, executive director of DCI. “They build on DCI’s library of training sessions covering topics such as small business support, financing, event planning, and downtown activation.”
DCI’s programs emphasize collaboration between public and private partners to help investors and entrepreneurs expand their skills and connect with additional local resources. The goal is to strengthen business ecosystems and create sustainable growth in Colorado’s downtown areas.
The new courses were made possible through funding from the USDA Rural Business Development Grant and the Kansas State University Technical Assistance for Brownfields program.
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