In honor of National Small Business Week, the Colorado Chamber is celebrating Colorado small businesses and recognizing the contributions of small business owners, entrepreneurs, and their employees to our local communities. Learn more about Small Business Week here!
Today’s feature is Rob McDaniels with Reten Child Care Benefit
Reten Child Care Benefit was founded by Rob McDaniels as a child care benefit platform driven by his experience leading MetrixIQ, a Denver based technology and operations firm. McDaniels and the Reten team are making it easier for businesses to support employees’ child care needs by connecting employers and working families with affordable child care solutions.
McDaniels originally founded MetrixIQ in 2009 with the goal of modernizing early childhood systems for state and local governments. Focused on streamlining payment processing, eligibility and enrollment systems for state and local governments, the company has expanded into multiple states, including Ohio, Nevada, Missouri and Tennessee.
After over a decade of MetrixIQ’s growth, McDaniels launched Reten Child Care Benefit in 2022 as employers increasingly listed child care cost and availability as a significant barrier to attracting talent. “Child care has become one of the biggest workforce challenges facing employers today,” says McDaniels. “Reten is about helping businesses retain talent by making child care more accessible and affordable, and helping families navigate the system to access the funding that already exists.”
McDaniels’ commitment to improve access to child care is backed up by a wide range of professional experience. He began his career working in economic development for Gov. Roy Romer, focusing on helping Colorado companies expand into Latin American markets. After three years in state government, he pursued graduate school and transitioned into the private sector.
When his work at a construction technology company began to focus on automating highly skilled construction roles, McDaniels decided it was time for a change. “I realized the technology we were building, while innovative, could displace a significant number of workers. That pushed me to think more deeply about how I wanted my work to impact people.”
He was led to mission-driven work, focusing on business development for public sector programs at a Denver-based government services company. He then took on a role as an outsourced CFO for the Denver Preschool Program, an experience that led McDaniels to the founding of MetrixIQ and later, Reten Child Care Benefit.
When it comes to challenges unique to small businesses, McDaniels first points to access to capital. He says building a profitable company without outside funding requires disciplined capital allocation, patience and careful decision-making. He also emphasizes the importance of building the right team, noting that finding people who are both skilled and genuinely motivated by the mission takes intention.
For McDaniels, partnerships play a critical role in growth, but only when approached thoughtfully. The right relationships can accelerate progress, but who you partner with and how those relationships are structured matter.
McDaniels counts building a strong team and culture among his biggest accomplishments. He says he is most proud of assembling a group of people who care deeply about the mission, with core values like respect, accountability and outcomes guiding how they operate day to day.
To aspiring entrepreneurs, McDaniels recommends patience and planning in advance. “Getting your first customer, and reaching scale, almost always takes longer than you expect. Plan your capital accordingly so you can weather those early challenges.”
Learn more about Reten Child Care Benefit here!
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