As we shed our winter coats, I can’t help but think how our weather feels a lot like the economy right now—ever-changing in unpredictable ways, bringing both great enthusiasm (hello, Sundance!) and uncertainty (looking at you, national leadership). Instead of an expected uptick in mergers and acquisitions, we got chaos: mass federal firings, unclear tariff policies, and, yes, bird flu.
Yet, our special town is resilient—full of incredibly smart people—and we always find reasons to celebrate.
First on the celebration list: SUNDANCE. Inside this report, you’ll find a great story about what this could mean for Boulder and Colorado. What hasn’t been talked about enough is the value of the Stanley Hotel—or, as it’s now known, the Stanley Film Center. Sundance recently announced a partnership to host its Directors Lab there, which will feature a 13,000-square-foot world-class auditorium, along with several outdoor theaters for “films under the stars.” The Stanley is also home to the Horror Film Center… The Shining, anyone? Thank you, Jack Nicholson.
Second to celebrate: Up on campus, CU’s Outside Lab—a collaboration with Outside Interactive—has become the hub for testing and product development aimed at identifying the next big thing in gear. Makes perfect sense, considering we have the best backyard for outdoor adventure 365 days a year.
Third: Elevate Quantum officially announced its Quantum Incubator, which will be housed right here in Boulder. It’ll be exciting to see what companies emerge from this in the years to come.
Fourth: Local companies like Southwest Research, Sci-Tech, and Atom Computing are expanding—and more companies are looking to follow suit. Demand for multifamily housing is also heating up.
Now, let’s talk about the real estate market.
COVID gave us the mantra: “Survive until ’25.” And truthfully, 2025 is shaping up a little differently than many of us imagined. Hard to believe it was only about a decade ago that offices were filled with foosball tables, kegerators, and open-concept lounges designed for collaboration. Then COVID arrived, and plastic dividers popped up. Showings were done in masks. Eventually, many buildings had more unhoused individuals in their lobbies than actual workers.
2025 has brought a push to get employees back to the office—but now those offices need to be top-tier: convenient, near amenities and parking, and ready to accommodate a hybrid schedule. Most workers are in just three days a week. A year from now, I think the office market will look different yet again. I’m not exactly sure how—but I do firmly believe that people need in-person connection to truly create, innovate, and produce.
No, we haven’t fully recovered from all the storms that have hit our economy over the past five years. But I believe we’re headed toward more blue skies than not in the months ahead.
And because this is Boulder, there will always be something to celebrate. Just don’t put that winter coat away quite yet…
-Becky Callan Gamble, CEO
