Launching the 2026 Impact Report.

More than a collection of numbers

Impact is easiest to count when it appears as a dollar amount, a finalist list or a room full of people. Those measures matter. The report records more than 230 businesses supported, more than $350,000 invested in entrepreneurs and a network of over 90 volunteer mentors. But the report is designed to make the human work visible, too: the early conversation that turns into a pitch, the mentor who shares hard-won experience, and the community member who decides a founder’s idea is worth backing.

A picture of an ecosystem

The report follows the connections that make the Innovation Center more than a program. It recognizes student leaders, alumni, faculty, donors, community partners and the founders themselves. It looks at the Innovation Challenge alongside the Magis Factory, the Alumni Matrix and the partnerships that make learning, investment and opportunity possible at different points in an entrepreneur’s journey.

That ecosystem begins at Regis but does not stop there. The Center welcomes community businesses alongside student ventures, connects founders to Colorado’s entrepreneurial community and helps open pathways for younger innovators through work with Arrupe Jesuit High School. The report captures an approach to entrepreneurship grounded in accompaniment: building with people rather than simply building around them.

Stories behind the milestones

Across the report, ventures make the case for why this work matters. From businesses advancing maternal wellness, clean energy and mental health to ventures reimagining transportation, commerce and food access, founders are applying practical ideas to problems that affect real people. Their progress is not always linear, and the report does not present entrepreneurship as a solitary success story. It shows the role of feedback, funding, workspace, introductions and persistence.

The report also makes room for the relationships that hold a community together. Alumni Matrix gatherings, mentoring sessions, pitch events and partnerships create the conditions for people to meet, exchange perspective and recognize that they are part of a wider network of builders.

A tool for what comes next

Publishing the Impact Report is not the end of a year’s work. It gives future founders, mentors and partners a clearer view of the opportunity in front of them. It offers a record of what has been tried, what has been supported and who has helped carry the work forward. It is also a commitment to keep measuring progress in ways that honor both outcomes and people.

As the Innovation Center enters its next chapter, the report serves as a starting point: an open invitation to join the community, share expertise, support an idea and help the next founder build something that matters.