About Founder Danny Walsh
Danny holds a B.S. in Biomedical Engineering and an MBA in Sustainable Business from Northeastern University. Before founding Peak State, he worked as a product manager in the outdoor industry. Inspired by Yvon Chouinard's belief that business can be one of the greatest forces for positive change, Danny wanted to build a company with exceptional quality while using the business model to improve outcomes for both people and the planet.
To keep Peak State alive in the early years, Danny converted an old utility truck into a camper and lived in it to reduce his living expenses. He fulfilled orders during the week and drove that same van to farmer's markets and trade shows around the country, sleeping in it to stretch every dollar. Based in Boulder, he go on hikes to give away coffee on the summits of the foothills. Along the way, Peak State won Naturally Colorado's Pitch Slam, entered regionally into Whole Foods, and expanded to more than 50 retail locations. Danny’s hope is that Peak State proves companies don't have to choose between making a meaningful impact and building a great business.
Does doing more good actually makes your company harder to grow? Building a mission-driven brand often means choosing higher-cost ingredients, responsible sourcing, environmental commitments, certifications, and giving back—while competitors can put those same dollars directly into growth. Drawing on six years of building Peak State Coffee from a bootstrapped startup into a nationally recognized mission-driven brand, founder Danny Walsh will share the lessons, tradeoffs, and mistakes behind trying to make impact and profitability reinforce rather than compete with each other. Attendees will leave with a practical framework for deciding where impact creates real customer and business value, where it can become an expensive distraction, and how founders can turn their values into a competitive advantage.
August 25–27, 2026 · Live on SuperCrowd.tv, syndicated via the e360tv Network · Founders Circle tickets $100 (includes the hardbound Book)
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