An Economy that Works for All
A joint initiative launched in 2019 by the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce, Metro Denver Economic Development Corporation and Denver Metro Chamber Leadership Foundation, Prosper CO brings together the public, private and nonprofit sectors to identify, understand and eliminate the barriers to opportunity in Colorado.
52% of white or Asian men in Colorado with some college or a certificate have a job that pays above median wage and offers benefits, but only 40% of Latinas with a college degree have a job that meets these criteria.
1 in 4 Coloradans on Medicaid.
Fewer than half of Black Coloradans and 54% of Hispanics or Latinx own their homes, compared with nearly ¾ of white Coloradans.
Our Vision
Prosper CO is committed to making Colorado the best place to live, work and do business – no matter your race, ethnicity or gender. It is our pledge to every Coloradan, especially women and people of color who continue to face barriers, that we will take action to remove barriers and create an economy that provides access to opportunities for all Coloradans.
Why Do This Work
In Colorado, things have gone well.
#1 economy three years running.
#2 best place to live.
#1 in prosperity when considering growth, prosperity, inclusion and inclusion by race.
Denver ranked in the top 10 cities best positioned to recover from coronavirus.
But we can do better.
- 1 in 4 Coloradans on Medicaid.
- 52% of white or Asian men in Colorado with some college or a certificate have a job that pays above median wage and offers benefits, but only 40% of Latinas with a college degree have a job that meets these criteria.
- Women own only 11.4% of Colorado businesses, even though they make up 47% of population.
- Hispanic and Black Coloradans account for only 5% of all small business ownership.
- Fewer than half of Black Coloradans and 54% of Hispanics or Latinx own their homes, compared with nearly ¾ of white Coloradans.
- In August 2020, the average metro Denver home sale price surpassed $600,000 for first time ever.
Our Areas of Focus
Together, we’re working in concert to better understand the barriers to opportunity and develop partnerships and solutions to better address them. Our cross-sector committee spent months reviewing data from local, state and national sources, and surveyed and interviewed hundreds of community members, business leaders and public officials.
Today, we’re focused on three lanes of work.
- Jobs: Move more Coloradans into jobs that pay well and have good benefits and continually work to ensure more women and people of color can access those jobs. View our goals and strategies.
- Entrepreneurship: Start and grow more small businesses owned by women and people of color. View our goals and strategies.
- Homeownership: Provide stability and the opportunity to begin to build wealth through homeownership. View our goals and strategies.