As the son and grandson of small business owners, Bryan Lindert has seen the positive impact small business can make. He recently accepted the position as the Executive Director of the Colorado Small Business Development Center (SBDC) serving the San Luis Valley, located in the 91è School of Business Building.
“The San Luis Valley is home to a wide-range of independent small businesses that make this region a unique destination,” said Hannah Krieger, Colorado SBDC State Director. “Having grown up in a multi-generational small business family, Bryan brings a first-hand perspective that we are confident will help him create the business relationships necessary to strengthen the local business community and expand access to essential resources.’
During his career, Lindert operated a consulting shop that provided expertise to state and local governments regarding quality assurance and using data more effectively. He has managed and written large federal and private philanthropic grants including the San Luis Valley Early Head Start grant. “I am looking forward to leaning into the history and unique character of the Valley and further building the connection between Adams State and our community.” As a recent Adams State Master of Public Administration graduate, Lindert is excited to put his education into practice. School of Business Director Liz Hensley, Ph.D., said: “I have the utmost confidence in Bryan and believe he will be a tremendous asset to the community as director of the Colorado SBDC in the San Luis Valley.”
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indert has already begun community outreach, including attending Chamber of Commerce meetings. “I look forward to building on those connections.” He also plans on attending coffee connections, First Fridays, and other local community events to get the word out and establish relationships.
His immediate goals include ensuring the community is aware of what the Colorado SBDC can offer, including no-cost advising, low/no-cost educational programs, and connections to vital local and statewide resources. Lindert’s grandparents owned an arts supply store for decades and his father still owns and operates a picture framing business. “These businesses changed the communities where they operated providing more than the many jobs they created.”
Lindert will begin connecting local businesses to a network of industry leaders that can help them with any stage of business development from incubation to business sale. And he plans on expanding the availability of the Colorado SBDC in the San Luis Valley through evening hours by appointment so local businesses have easier access to these resources.
Through his leadership, Lindert says the local Colorado SBDC will contribute to the overall economic development of the San Luis Valley. “I will enhance the connection between Adams State and the community by delivering on promises made.”
Lindert earned a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Virginia. Before accepting the position at the Colorado SBDC in the San Luis Valley, he was Deputy Director of the Alamosa Department of Human Services and he served as the Chief Program Officer of the Early Childhood Council of the San Luis Valley. Lindert has managed data, reporting, and quality assurance for a national nonprofit with multiple service lines and over $300 million in revenue. He has developed and delivered training and consulted in 15states. He brings a background of strategic planning, quality improvement, and project management. His work has been recognized with congressional invitations and federal bi-partisan reports.
The Colorado SBDC is funded in part through a Cooperative Agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration. The Colorado SBDC is a partnership between the State of Colorado, Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade, the Small Business Administration (SBA), Colorado’s institutions of higher education, local economic development organizations and local chambers of commerce.
“I witnessed the impact small businesses can have on the community,” Lindert said. “I used the skills I learned working in my family’s small businesses to help pay for college. Those businesses provided for my family and for me. My late aunt grew the family art supply store into a community art fair, space for collaboration and a main street stalwart in a small Minnesota town. I believe current and future small businesses in the San Luis Valley have the same potential to thrive and grow.” For more information or to schedule an appointment call 719-587-7460; email lindertb@adams.edu; or .
