2. The roost stand.

• Author: Peterson, Eric
• Position: SMALL BIZ: MADE IN COLORADO - Brief article

James Olander moved from Silicon Valley to Denver in 2013 and launched The Roost, an ergonomic laptop stand that mitigates users' usual hunched-over position. Looking to fund the launch via Kickstarter, he had a target of $9,300, and hit $200,000. It took him about two months to ship 2,500 units to campaign supporters, cutting aluminum parts with a laser cutter and building the stands by hand. "It was kind of a traumatic experience--fulfilling all of those orders," he says. Olander now works with local contract manufacturers to assemble the stands as he...