Naturally Boulder and Colorado Food Works merge, rebrand

Naturally Boulder, the Rocky Mountain region’s leading natural and organic economic development organization, is merging with Colorado Food Works and rebranding as Naturally Colorado, Naturally Boulder officials have announced.

In its 19th year, the nonprofit Naturally Boulder is known for galvanizing innovation and entrepreneurship among wellness CPG brands along Colorado’s Front Range. This strategic merger with natural networking group Colorado Food Works unites two robust organizations with shared missions of supporting and empowering Colorado’s natural and organic products community.

The merger is expected to be complete in the first quarter of 2025.

“Since 2005, Naturally Boulder has been the driving force behind the natural and organic movement across Colorado and the country," said Kristine Carey, executive director of Naturally Colorado. “We’ve helped favorite farmers market brands such as Justin’s, Bobo’s and Birch Benders to Purely Elizabeth, Quinn Snacks and Cappello’s become household names. With the addition of Colorado Food Works, we’ll cultivate a statewide ecosystem to inspire and support the next generation of natural and organic brands with the economic impact to match.”

Naturally Colorado will continue to host signature events such as the annual Pitch Slam and Spring Fling while introducing new programs tailored to different regions and sectors across the state. The integration will strengthen partnerships with educational institutions like the Colorado State University Spur and Food Innovation Center in Denver and key retailers, including Lucky's Market, Kroger, Natural Grocers, Whole Foods and more to nurture pioneering brands and foster innovative initiatives.

Related:Lentiful stands tall on a hill of legumes after Naturally Network Pitch Slam

“We’re excited to bring together our two organizations," said Sari Kimbell, president of Colorado Food Works. “We began in 2016 to replicate what Naturally Boulder was already accomplishing. We’ve grown to a network of 200 entrepreneurs across the Front Range, so it makes sense that we would join forces."

"This expansion isn't just about growth—it's about impact," added Brandon Hernandez, chairman of Naturally Colorado’s board of directors. "Boulder is where new companies challenge the system and bring new ideas and innovations to industry. Colorado is shining brightly with amazing, better-for-you businesses sprouting up, and we can share our communities' wealth of knowledge, mentorship, and collaborative mindset—and measure success not just by financial gain, but also by conscious business practices that positively impact the state." The new organization has set five key objectives:

Related:Expo West NEXTY Awards nominations close Dec. 2

Creating a new Colorado industry

Naturally Boulder was the first organization of what has become a national nonprofit that supports conscious companies in the natural products industry. A 2017 New York Times story hyped Boulder as a “foodie mecca” and how Naturally Boulder supported those founders.

The second local, Naturally Bay Area, opened in 2018 as a regional partner in Northern California. More local Naturally groups followed in a hub-and-spoke model; Naturally Boulder was the hub.

The following year, Naturally Boulder had more than 1,500 members and Naturally Network, the governing body of all the Naturally affiliates, was born.

"People were seeing what was happening in Boulder and wanted to know how to replicate that. So we would give out free advice, including 'This is how we do the pitch slam,' 'This is how we found our board members,'" Arron Mansika, then the executive director of Naturally Boulder, told New Hope Network in 2019.

Naturally Boulder helped forge the natural and organic food industry in Colorado, contributing more than $3.1 billion to the state’s economy, per 2019 data. Nationally, the industry has tripled to more than $300 billion in 2023 from $97 billion in 2007.

"The Naturally Boulder community was vital to scaling the Justin's organization,” said Justin Gold, founder of Justin’s Nut Butter, “With the expansion to Naturally Colorado, I’m looking forward to seeing how many other companies and people can benefit from this valuable network.”

This growth of natural industries has spurred Naturally Boulder to create content-rich events focused on education, networking and mentorship. As a community builder, Naturally Boulder has been a voice for the industry.

Naturally Boulder will host its Expanding Horizons Celebration at 5:30 p.m. Oct. 23 at eTown Hall, 1535 Spruce St., Boulder, Colorado. A presentation on the expansion is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m., followed by a Q&A session, then live music, snacks and beverages. More information and registration are available here. Early-bird registration is available through Sept. 24.  

Correction: The expected date of the merger's completion was incorrect when this was published. It was corrected on Sept. 24, 2024.