Veteran Business Networking in Denver, Led by Army Veterans
You already know how to work as a team, plan the mission and follow through. DenverIS puts those habits to work for your business: Goal Diggers, a referral group run by veterans and open to all owners; Tactical Llamas, a free Wednesday meetup just for veterans; and coaching for the government contracts many veteran-owned companies go after.
Built by Veterans, for Business Owners Who Get Things Done
DenverIS was founded and is owned by Brian Johnson, with co-owners Jim Franklin and Watik Aleem. All three served in the U.S. Army. They built DenverIS as a Networking In Action (NIA) franchise because the NIA model matches how veterans already operate: clear roles, accountability and people who show up for each other.
Leaving the military and starting a business often means rebuilding a network from scratch. A referral group gives you a standing team of business owners who know your work and send you clients, and it gives you a room of people who understand where you came from.
Tactical Llamas: Our Free Weekly Veterans Meetup
Tactical Llamas is the DenverIS veterans networking group: a free meetup for veteran business owners, entrepreneurs and professionals every Wednesday from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM at Topgolf Centennial. Tactical Llamas covers the bays, there’s no fee and no membership, and you register week to week. Register for this Wednesday.
Want a paid referral seat? That’s Goal Diggers.
Goal Diggers is the DenverIS referral group. It’s open to all business owners, veterans included, and meets the 1st Tuesday of each month at 3:30 PM at On the Rox in Parker. It runs on the NIA model:
- One seat per industry, so you’re the only one in the room in your line of work.
- Member vetting, so the people you refer your clients to are people you can stand behind.
- A paid group leader who is accountable for keeping the group running well.
- An ROI guarantee, plus a CRM, review and video tools bundle for following up on referrals.
- Network With The Nation and regional mixers to meet NIA members outside Denver.
See the Goal Diggers page, or our Denver business networking group page for how DenverIS works overall.
Government Contracting for Veteran-Owned Businesses
Many veteran-owned companies want federal, state or local government work but aren’t sure where to begin. Our Gov Contracting Pro membership adds 1:1 government contracting coaching, help with SAM.gov setup, capability statement development, opportunity alerts, introductions to prime contractors, a featured directory listing, and a free seat in our quarterly government contracting class.
Two of the first steps are covered in our guides: SAM.gov registration help for Colorado businesses and capability statement help.
Membership Options
- Member (Goal Diggers): $200/month with a 12-month commitment. All NIA benefits, your Goal Diggers industry seat and a listing in the public member directory.
- Gov Contracting Pro: $450/month with a 12-month commitment. Everything in Member plus the government contracting package above.
- Growth Hub add-on: $97/month, cancel anytime. A CRM and marketing platform for your business.
Compare everything side by side on the membership page.
Come meet the team for up to two free meetings
Guests can visit up to two Goal Diggers meetings for free, meet the members, and see whether your industry seat is open.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who runs DenverIS?
DenverIS was founded and is owned by Brian Johnson, with co-owners Jim Franklin and Watik Aleem. All three are U.S. Army veterans.
What is Tactical Llamas?
Tactical Llamas is a free DenverIS meetup for veterans only, every Wednesday from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM at Topgolf Centennial. There’s no fee and no membership, and you register each week. Paid membership and industry seats are part of Goal Diggers, which is open to all business owners.
Can DenverIS help my veteran-owned business win government contracts?
Gov Contracting Pro members get 1:1 government contracting coaching, SAM.gov setup, capability statement development, opportunity alerts and introductions to prime contractors. We can’t guarantee contract awards, but we can help you get registered, positioned and in front of the right people.
Is SAM.gov registration the same as SDVOSB or VOSB certification?
No. SAM.gov registration lets you do business with the federal government. VOSB and SDVOSB certification is handled separately by the SBA through its VetCert program.
How do I visit a meeting?
Guests can visit up to two Goal Diggers meetings for free. Fill out the guest form on our membership page, or call Brian at 720-252-4288 or email [email protected]. For Tactical Llamas, just register for the Wednesday you’re coming on the Tactical Llamas page.