When Marine Corps veteran Lance Smith went back to school at age 47 to study computer science and cybersecurity at FRCC, he wasn’t planning to build the next big tech startup.
“I’ve always loved tech and wanted to deepen my skills,” he recalls. “I chose FRCC because it had the right mix of affordability, real‑world curriculum and flexibility.”
But that decision eventually led to him becoming founder and CEO of Colorado’s fastest‑growing home services marketplace.
Education and Discipline
Lance grew up in the small Western Slope town of Palisade—famous for its sought-after peaches. When he thinks of his childhood, he remembers his family being hardworking and grounded.
“My mother was one of the only people to climb the career ladder at the Department of Energy without a college degree, and my father was a lifelong teacher,” he says. “That combination—education and discipline—shaped a lot of who I eventually became.”
Growing up, he worked in local orchards picking fruit, spent most of his time outdoors and loved to played sports. “Athletics taught me teamwork, discipline and how to push myself—lessons that definitely carried into the rest of my life.”
“I didn’t have a clear idea of what I wanted to be when I grew up, but I knew I wanted to serve, lead and give back in a meaningful way.”
A Sudden “About-Face”
Lance joined the US Marine Corps straight out of high school. He initially enlisted to become a firefighter/EMT but during boot camp, he was reassigned to air traffic control.
“It wasn’t what I expected, but it ended up shaping my entire career and how I think under pressure,” he says.
He served for four years in the military, stationed primarily at Miramar—the Air Station in California known for the Top Gun flight school. “It was high‑pressure, high‑precision work that taught me responsibility, discipline and how to stay calm under stress,” he recalls.
College… and Emergency Calls
After the Marines, Lance attended San Diego City College where he earned a two-year associate degree. He then continued on to San Diego State University to earn a bachelor’s degree in communication—he also met his wife there.
After college, Lance worked as a 9‑1‑1 dispatcher for the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office. “It was intense and meaningful work,” he says. “I learned to think clearly, communicate precisely and make decisions fast.”
Family and Career Moves
When he and his wife decided to start a family, they moved back to Colorado. “At the time, the cost of living felt much more manageable, and we wanted our kids to grow up in a community‑oriented environment.”
Lance then got into real estate, in part, because it was a career where he could be independent, build something and help people. Alongside his real estate work, he also flipped houses, which he says taught him a lot about business, negotiation and hands‑on problem solving.
A New Path
Lance has always had a love for computers and technology, which is why he went back to school in 2024 to study computer science and cybersecurity at FRCC.
“A lot of people have a distorted view of community colleges,” he says. “They assume affordability means lower quality. They’re wrong.”
“FRCC has excellent instructors, strong programs and real opportunities for people who want to better their lives.”
Even though he was twice the age of most of his classmates, Lance felt welcomed on campus. “I enjoyed being able to give real‑world advice to younger students and felt like part of the community.”
Building a Strong Tech Foundation
As a veteran, Lance appreciated how supportive FRCC was. “The military and veterans services team helped me navigate my education benefits and made the transition back into academics much smoother.”
He also got support from the college’s academic advising team, especially as he was trying to figure out how to combine his cybersecurity studies with his interest in entrepreneurship.
“The cybersecurity program and computer science classes I took gave me the technical foundation I needed to feel confident building software and understanding how to protect user data,” he says.
A New Venture
He credits his time at FRCC for playing a real role in how his successful new tech startup came together.
“My professors pushed me to think more creatively about problem‑solving and user experience, and that mindset carried directly into how I designed my new company.”
As he was getting close to wrapping up his degree in cybersecurity in late 2025, Lance founded EZPeazy, an online marketplace and app that connects homeowners with service providers for home projects.
People post jobs they need done around the house (handyman work, for example) and competing service providers bid to do the project. The homeowner then reviews multiple bids to decide whom to hire—and they usually end up saving quite a bit by doing this quick and easy comparison shopping.
“FRCC was the place where I realized I could take my background—military discipline, real‑world problem solving and technical training—and turn it into something that could help people in the community,” he says. “Our company grew out of that mix.”
Keeping Kids Safe on the Job
The younger of Lance’s two sons was the inspiration behind his fast-growing new marketplace app. Lance had always tried to instill in his kids the value of hard work. Then when his teenage son Blake wanted to earn money to save up for a new bike, he started washing trash cans with a power washer around their neighborhood.
“He went door‑to‑door handing out flyers that I helped him design,” Lance recalls. “He got a decent amount of work—but when he left the house, I had no idea who he was meeting or where he was going.”
“There were no safety nets in place for teens like him.”
That’s a big part of the reason why Lance built EZPeazy. He designed a youth protection program into the platform that allows 14- to 17-year-old entrepreneurs to earn money safely, by using features like an SOS panic button with GPS, parental text message check-ins, sex offender registry screening and parent-locked account controls. He currently has a patent pending on the company’s youth protection system.
A Life Changing Step
Lance’s original idea—to create a young entrepreneur program to help teens take on age‑appropriate jobs—has since evolved into the Front Range’s fastest‑growing home‑services marketplace.
Lance says starting to build the business in late 2025 changed his life. “I went from being a realtor with a tech background to running a fast‑moving startup focused on community, safety and empowering young people,” he says.
Solving a Problem
“EZPeazy wasn’t built because the world needed another app,” he adds. He stresses that he started the company to help solve a community problem: homeowners struggling to find reliable help, contractors looking for steady work and teens searching for safe ways to earn money.
This inventive new model is succeeding. In the past couple of months since its soft launch, EZPeazy has shown consistent double‑digit monthly growth in signups, job postings and contractor retention.
(And yes, Lance’s son Blake uses the app. Last we heard, Blake had just gotten back from cleaning out five trash cans and had made $150 in less than two hours.)
What’s Next
Looking ahead, Lance says he wants EZPeazy to become the safest, most trusted home‑services marketplace in the country—and the leading youth workforce pipeline.
The company now connects homeowners around the US with contractors, teen workers and veterans for everyday tasks ranging from yard work to small repairs to larger renovation projects. The service is free to homeowners who post jobs, while charging a small fee to contractors who win jobs through the platform.
Supporting Veterans and Teens
As a military veteran himself, Lance also wants to expand the company’s impact by helping other vets gain new skills, find meaningful work and transition into tech or entrepreneurship.
“Supporting veterans is something I care deeply about, and I want EZPeazy to be part of that mission.”
The company also just signed an agreement with Aurora-based non-profit Compound of Compassion to support them with youth entrepreneurship programming, technology services, curriculum assistance and workforce development initiatives. And there are more partnerships coming with community-based youth programs.
“Supporting our young people is an important part of our mission at EZPeazy—and partnering with well-connected community organizations is a meaningful way to do that.”
It’s Time: Reinvent Yourself
Lance offers some advice for other college students or those who are just thinking about going back to school like he did:
“Just get started. Don’t overthink it,” he says.
“FRCC is built for people juggling real life—work, kids responsibilities. Use your advising team, use veteran services if you’re eligible… and don’t be afraid to reinvent yourself.”
