"I was blown away by how much CEF cared about me as a person and about my business. They really wanted to learn about the business they would be supporting.”
– Sharon Scheminske, Owner

Q&A with Owner, Sharon Scheminske

Give a high level overview of your business. What products or services you offer, where you're located, etc.
Fortissimo Denver is an entertainment venue and cocktail bar located at 14th and Champa in Denver's Theater and Convention district. We hosts dueling piano shows on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays along with other live music shows including Broadway singalongs, jazz jams, and more.

How did the idea for your business come about?
The idea for my business grew out of my desire to bring people together after the pandemic. I wanted to provide a place for people to remember the good times, connect with each other, and belong in the Denver community again.

Describe your typical customer and what you love about your customers.
Fortissimo customers live, work, and play in the city of Denver. They are interested in nightlife, live music, and craft food and drinks. Our customers are friendly, interactive, and happy to be out on the town. We love when our customers feel like our house is their house.

What led your business to seek out new/additional funding?
Banks and other lenders were not on board with lending to a business with fewer than 24 months of financial records, so Fortissimo needed an alternative source of funding in order to continue growing.

How did you find out about CEF?
I found out about CEF from a contact at Denver Economic Development & Opportunity. He said that CEF was very easy to work with and that they cared about the success of my business on a personal level.

What was different about working with CEF compared to other lenders?
I had been searching for a lender for several months before I connected with CEF, and I was blown away by how much they cared about me as a person and about my business. They really wanted to learn about the business they would be supporting.

How did the funding you received from CEF make a difference for you, your employees, or even your community?
The funding I received from CEF gave me the ability to update the kitchen so Fortissimo could handle catering orders for private events. We are now able to serve large groups of convention goers and show them a good time while they are in Denver.

Tell us about some of the defining moments for you in your business, whether struggles or successes.
Most of the defining moments for me have been around team building. I pride myself on having a positive impact on the people who work at Fortissimo. We have figured out how to hire people that really fit with the culture and community of our team.

What is something you're looking forward to in the next 3-6 months in your business?
In the next 3-6 months, we are looking forward to being open more. We will be hosting more private events, and we will be working with more musical groups. Finally, we are thinking of hosting a drag brunch starting on Sundays in November.

Is there anything else you would like to share with us?
The funding Fortissimo received from CEF came at a very pivotal time in our journey to success. Thank you to the CEF team for helping us keep this dream alive!