Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade

4 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 3, ISSUE 3 BVM: What would you say makes Colorado an advantageous location to live and do business? Kraft: “Colorado is a unique and special place for many reasons. We have one of the most highly-educated workforces in the country, which contributes to a prosperous and diverse economy and with a variety of primary employers in different sectors. Colorado offers a great quality of life with its natural environment, providing lots of outdoor recreation activities to enjoy. Coloradans love to be active and with access to the mountains and the plains and the available activities like cycling, hiking, skiing, rock climbing and more, and these outdoor recreation opportunities attracts a strong workforce. Colorado is a lower cost area compared to many of the country’s coastal areas, and, from an income tax perspective, we have a stable, moderate state tax structure which businesses appreciate. Colorado has a business-friendly reputation and good, common sense government policies at the state level. This contributes to a good regulatory climate.” BVM: What roles does OEDIT encompass? Kraft: “OEDIT is a part of the Governor’s Office; an umbrella organization of different offices and agencies that work collectively to promote economic development and economic activity in Colorado. Within our offices, we have the Global Business Development division that responds to request for proposals and works directly with company executives and site selectors to recruit and retain companies and illustrate the value of doing business in Colorado and supports high technology start up companies through the advanced industries grant program. “We also have a Small Business Support division that runs small business development centers that provide technical assistance across the state. This division examines rural prosperity issues, and operates a minority business office, promotes employee ownership and a cannabis equity program. Colorado prioritizes providing support to small businesses in particular regions COLORADO OFF I CE OF ECONOMI C DEVELOPMENT AND INTERNAT IONAL TRADE and populations that are under resourced. “My particular division, Business Funding and Incentives, executes and contracts various incentives and tax credits and access to capital programs. This is to support economic recovery but also to advance the success of start-up businesses and places where private capital markets have gaps. We work to fill those with small amounts of public capital. “Another OEDIT division is the Colorado Office of Film, Television & Media that promotes film production and assists production companies. This work has expanded into e-games, television commercials and documentaries and more. “The Colorado Tourism Office (CTO) is a huge