Colorado Springs Rising Professionals is a nonprofit organization that works to empower young professionals in the region through professional development, civic engagement, mentoring, and networking.

The success of the program has been tremendous since its inception in 2006 and ten years later, 2016 is prepped to be another successful year. We sat down with five of the organization’s members to tell that story.

Image via Facebook.

Jeremy Wimer is the Manager of Admissions Services at Colorado Technical University. Wimer moved to Colorado Springs in 2002 and first became involved with Colorado Springs Rising Professionals after becoming a Supervisor at CTU and hopes many people achieve their goals through the program.

Innovators Peak: Tell us a little about yourself. How did you get involved in Rising Professionals and what do you hope to accomplish?

Jeremy Wimer: I am originally from Maryland and moved to Colorado Springs with my parents in 2002. My time outside of work is spent being involved in the community through volunteer roles and what spare time I have spent with friends as my parents have moved back east to retire near the grandkids. I work at Colorado Technical University (CTU) which has been celebrating 50 years this year. We offer degrees from Associate’s all the way through Doctorate, and in multiple colleges of study.

My involvement in CSRP started when I became a Supervisor at CTU, and my boss asked me to take over managing our Corporate membership with CSRP. Since that day three years ago, I have been a general member, Co-Chair for the Membership/Sponsorship committee, and am now serving on the Board of Directors for 2016-2017.

My accomplishments with CSRP thus far have been a major increase in my professional and personal network. My involvement on the BOD comes at a time when CSRP is going through an important structure change, and I am looking forward to helping ensure a smooth and successful change for the organization to continue making a positive impact in the community and on the members.

Image via Facebook.

IP: Why should Colorado Springs be interested in Rising Professionals? What do they have to offer?

CSRP is a unique organization unlike any I have encountered. Most professional networking groups focus on connecting professionals through basic networking events at a bar, club, concert, and sometimes at local community events. CSRP not only hosts its own networking events at a local business, but we also offer a professional and personal development curriculum through our diverse committees. CSRP connects the members through events organized by our Professional Development, Civic Engagement, Sports and Culture, Membership, and Mentorship committees. These committees work hard to offer events every month, and are always improving upon the events via member feedback.

I would also let individuals know that CSRP can give someone a sense of belonging in the community. I am the only member of my family living in Colorado, yet I still feel as Colorado Springs is my home as a result of the connections I have made with CSRP, as well as the ability to be involved with my community as a result of the events that are coordinated by our committees.

IP: In terms of innovation and entrepreneurship, why is Colorado Springs like Denver? Why is this the place to be? Why should people bring their businesses and their ideas there?

Colorado Springs has just as much, if not more, to offer in the area of innovation and entrepreneurship. We have yearly events geared towards both. Pikes Peak Community College (PPCC) has the “Ice House” program that encourages and develops entrepreneurs, and there are organizations and universities here that provide support toward these goals. The advantages that Colorado Springs has over Denver, in my opinion, is the closeness to the mountains, as well as the number of parks we have.

IP: What are some of the people you’ve come across in Rising Professionals like? What are their goals?

I have met a very diverse group of individuals within CSRP, but the commonalities would be the eagerness to get involved, as well as the desire to meet new people. I have been impressed with the number of members that want to get involved in the events, and the number of hours they spend doing so.

IP: What are some of the more fascinating things you’ve seen come out of Rising Professionals thus far?

Our involvement with the Rocky Mountain Young Professionals Summit in 2013 and the Crowd Marshall role that we have secured with the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb are two major things I can think of.

IP: What would you say to anyone skeptical about bringing their ideas and businesses to Colorado Springs?

I would tell them that they should consult with the Rising Professionals so that they could see how many individuals would want to work for their company, as well as the interest in what that company would bring to the community. These individuals are the ones who will build the future of Colorado Springs, while they work with the older generations who are helping to plan that future.

IP: What’s next for the Colorado Springs Rising Professionals? What’s next for you? How can the community help make Rising Professionals better?

Right now our goal is to set in motion our new goals of bettering the workforce, increasing mentorship involvement and opportunities, and increasing voter engagement. For me, the next step is to help achieve these goals by partnering up with different organizations and city leadership. The best way the community can help CSRP become more effective is to help get the word out that we exist and to also get involved through civic engagement.