Aquiles La Grave is a first-time candidate running for mayor on a platform of accountable government, public safety and what he calls an “unblocked” local economy. He has never held elected office and would become the first mayor to serve without having previously served on the Boulder City Council.
La Grave is a founding partner at Sphere Labs, a technology holding company, and a founder of Bars.com, which connects beverage brands with hospitality venues. He and his wife, Megan, also run Exclamation Point Ventures, which invests in artificial intelligence, media and technology companies.
La Grave has also served on the Louisville Historic Preservation Commission and the Boulder Valley School District’s Bond Oversight Committee. Last year, he led the Save Iris Fields coalition, which opposed the potential redevelopment of baseball fields in North Boulder. He also helped organize the successful petition drive to place a measure expanding the number of county commissioners on the ballot.
Politically, La Grave has been involved with Open Boulder, a group associated with Boulder’s more moderate bloc. His supporters include the group’s chair, Jan Burton, CU regent candidate Kubs Lalchandani and Carlos Álvarez-Aranyos, who helped launch the national No Kings protests.
La Grave calls himself a “delivery-oriented liberal” who supports environmental protection, civil and reproductive rights, expanded housing opportunities, a strong social safety net and racial and social equity. He believes progressive and moderate labels “oversimplify a complex community.”
A defining feature of La Grave’s campaign is his call for a more assertive mayor. La Grave argues that direct election gives the mayor a mandate to shape council priorities. He has proposed regular office hours, a constituent affairs office that responds within 48 hours and a public dashboard tracking the city’s goals.
La Grave has criticized the city as too focused on explaining why it cannot accomplish something. He wants responses to permit applications within 30 days, more detailed accounts of tax revenue and deferred maintenance, and greater council control over major administrative decisions.
He opposes the city’s contract with Flock Safety for automated license plate readers, in part because federal immigration authorities have accessed data from the company’s systems elsewhere.
La Grave said he moved from Venezuela to Boulder County with his mother and sister as a teenager. He said he later lost his immigration status and became undocumented before becoming a U.S. citizen in 2022. He graduated from Naropa University in 2003 and helped found several marketing and technology companies.
He credits Boulder with helping his family succeed but worries the city no longer offers young immigrants the same opportunities.
La Grave lives near Broadway and Iris Avenue with his wife and their 13-year-old daughter.
Age: 47
Occupation: Entrepreneur
Neighborhood: Newlands
Rent or own?: Own