Colorado-Israel Chamber Of Commerce Boosts Economic Ties For Mutual Growth‌ ‌

Israel and Colorado may mutually gain from the partnership. ZACHY HENNESSEY.

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In a move to strengthen economic ties between Colorado and Israel, the new non-governmental Colorado-Israel Chamber of Commerce aims to foster business relationships and promote collaboration.

“Colorado and Israel are basically natural friends. It’s actually a shame that something hasn’t really gotten going until now,” explains Jordan Kastrinsky, cofounder of the chamber.

While many US chambers of commerce have government backing, the Colorado-Israel chamber is a grassroots effort led by Kastrinsky and cofounder Jeremiah Baronberg.

“We don’t get any funding from the state,” Kastrinsky clarifies. “Maybe that will change at some point. But as of right now, we don’t.”

Instead, the chamber has garnered support from various stakeholders.

“We have partners at the state level in Colorado, at the municipality level, and also in the private sector who are interested in seeing something like this develop and want to be a part of it,” Kastrinsky says.

These partners include state-level organizations like the Denver Economic Development Council and the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade. The Colorado Bioscience Association has joined as a private-sector member, signaling the potential for collaboration in the medical and biotechnology fields.

Kastrinsky explained that while in some cases, these partnerships are supported by a shared Zionist interest, they are largely being forged due to the mutual desire to foster strong business connections.

According to the chamber, Israel is ranked the third most innovative country by the World Intellectual Property Organization. It is home to over 6,000 startups, the highest per capita in the world. Boulder is recognized as the second-best US city for startups and entrepreneurs and is a leading state for talent in the bioscience, energy, and water sectors.