Why Fintech Startup Obsidian Loves it in Durango

At Obsidian, a financial tech startup based in Durango, we could not have chosen a better, more beautiful place to run our business. All of our employees either currently live or have lived in Durango, and a few of us have even owned local businesses in town. Our employees spend their time outside of work hiking in the La Plata mountains, skiing at Purgatory Ski Resort, drinking beverages from our numerous local craft breweries, and just enjoying all of the sights and experiences Colorado has to offer. Most of us have traveled from other parts of the world to come here, but we all love Colorado for its stunning beauty, amazing outdoor activities and the warm, friendly culture of our community.

A huge part of what we love about La Plata County is the character of our local shops and restaurants, and the fact that our hometown is one-of-a-kind. Our work revolves around helping our community’s local businesses and nonprofits to thrive in a time when Walmart, Amazon, and other big businesses are gaining more popularity and power than ever before.

To do this, Obsidian is working with Local First to provide La Plata County’s local businesses with the tools they need to compete with big box stores and online mega-retailers. Obsidian’s program includes a payment card that residents can use at local businesses to earn local rewards and offers, support and donate to local nonprofits, and keep more money recirculating in the local economy. It’s a robust program than provides far more benefit than a traditional punch card, and offers local businesses the sophisticated technology and data they need to build greater customer loyalty.

At Obsidian, we love Colorado and we are proud of where we live! We want to make it stronger and more resilient by utilizing our knowledge of the payments industry to create a program that is specifically designed for local and independent businesses. It’s our way of leveling the playing field, so that we can keep more diversity and charm in our incredible state of Colorado.