ABOUT LOCO THINK TANK
CRAZY ABOUT GROWING BUSINESSES
We exist to connect small business owners to solutions supported through perspective, accountability and encouragement from other like-minded business owners.
BEHIND LOCO THINK TANK
FACILITATORS
9+ Chapter Facilitators
MEMBERS
Over 75 Chapter Members
LOCO HQ
3 Team Members
EXPERT SPEAKERS
Multiple Guest Speakers
LoCo (LOCAL COMMUNITY) Think Tank
Collaborative Solutions for Business Owners to make Business Dreams a Reality.
We help business owners feel more confident and grow their business faster by gaining perspective, accountability, and encouragement from peer business owners through monthly peer collaboration meetings, professionally facilitated by a successful business veteran. We do this by custom mixing 12 non-competitive business owners from diverse industries to be guided by a facilitator who leads owners through a Lo-Collaborative process to find unique, collaborative solutions to timely business challenges and opportunities.
Grow your business through collaboration - not networking.
MORE ABOUT LOCO THINK TANK
The story of LoCo Think Tank can be told through our historic taglines and gaglines
Value Driven Peer Advisory is how we provide effective and affordable peer advisory services because of our LoCo Facilitators, the give-back mindset business veterans who deliver our services. We ask of our needs and we share of our abundance. at LoCo Think Tank, and we encourage and admonish with kindness. We hold our members loosely, with no long-term contracts, and our LoCo Facilitators, the same. We are a coalition of the willing.
LoCo stands for LOcal COmmunity Think Tank - or, make you crazy if you don’t talk to someone about your small business challenges...or, make your spouse crazy if you ask them ONE MORE TIME what they think you should do?
Peer Advisory For All! This reflects the development of our chapter models designed for all phases of a business journey - the Builders, Thinkers, and Next Level memberships. It also reflects our belief that peer collaboration is a beneficial engagement for anyone.
It’s not a support group, it’s an excellence manufacturing center! Honestly, it is a support group, and a damn effective one. We acknowledge that we can often see ourselves more clearly through the eyes of others, and that no one has ever built anything of significance by themselves.
Our Last, Brief Philosophies:
Two parts business, one part personal.
The chapter owns the chapter.
Our diversity is our strength.
"Awesome organization! We owe a lot of our business growth and success to the ideas and strategies sourced through ThinkTank and fellow members."
Brandon Avery
Former LoCo Member now LoCo Facilitator!
THE LOCO TEAM
CURT BEAR
LoCo Founder
Curt’s professional experience has always supported business owners. His 15-year business banking career connected him to local businesses looking to scale through financial resources. During that time, he was a part of a high-priced peer-group where he quickly learned the value of having 10 others collectively think through one’s work problems. Ten brains have 10x more ideas than just one, right? He sought to bring this model to the business owners who needed it the most, small businesses, at an affordable price.
That’s when LoCo Think Tank was born, as Curt attempted to leave banking to pursue his food-business dreams. Later, as Curt processed whether and how to scale his mobile food operation, Bear’s Backyard Grill, the collective feedback helped him see that his passion was growing LoCo Think Tank. LoCo’s mission, then and now, is to uplift business owners to create the business and life they’ve always imagined through the power of collaboration. We currently serve over 80 business owners and have nine highly-skilled experienced business facilitators and are growing in new locations!
CONNECT WITH CURT
Debbie Pyles
Member Experience Coordinator
Debbie Pyles came on board in October of 2019 as our new Member Experience Coordinator. Deb has an extensive background in administrative, inside sales, and customer support. She has always been customer-focused and considers it to be her artistic expression. She strives to anticipate, meet and even exceed customer needs, wants and expectations. She will act as an advocate for her customers (in LoCo’s case, our members) and responds with a sense of urgency. Deb believes willingness, initiative, and work ethic is a talent and that there is a smart way to work hard. Passion, focus, intensity, curiosity and being fiercely loyal are all characteristics that have enabled her to achieve success. Deb fosters rescued dogs and considers camping and the mountains as her favorite vacation get-away.
Alma Ferrer
LoCo Intern
Alma joined LoCo in March 2021 as our intern. Alma is currently a sophomore at Front Range Community College studying business. At first, she was studying restaurant management and then transitioned to business and marketing. She strives to learn everything about LoCo and build skills she can use toward our marketing and member needs. She also volunteers at her church as the Department Leader of Live & Video, where she has improved their live streaming graphics and training processes. Alma believes knowledge is power and experience goes way beyond what can be read in a textbook. Curiosity, eagerness, and ambition are characteristics that have enabled her to succeed in life and vocation. Alma loves cooking and baking to bring people together. She makes a mean triple berry crisp.
Even More About
Monday Morning Coffee with Lance Cayko featuring Curt Bear
If you'd like to learn even more about LoCo, this podcast shares the inside story from the founder himself.
Inside The Firm host, Lance Cayko, was so inspired by our Lo-Community model that he has now become a LoCo Facilitator for the Longmont region!
LISTEN HERE
OUR EXTENDED LOCO TEAM
The LoCo Think Tank Advisory Board includes Co-Founder Mike Labate (Rocky Mountain Westy, Van Cafe, and Mr. Mechanic) and longtime members Moses Horner (Horner Painting) and Brandon Avery (Colorado Insurance Advisors). Each is a minority shareholder, and invested time and talent into ensuring the success of LoCo Think Tank at an early stage in the development of LoCo. Thank You.
The LoCo Facilitators are the experienced guides that keep LoCo the incredible business resource it is. Our LoCo Facilitators are an incredible cast, and each represents a mentor to many, including chapter members, other facilitators, and Curt, our Founder. Iron sharpens iron. See all our Facilitators here.
Our members are also a vital part of the team at LoCo Think Tank. Thank you for sharing abundantly, asking of your needs, and being with us along this journey of growth and helping small businesses, like yourself. You are the force that keeps your chapter and LoCo moving forward!
