Recognizing the best in the Denver metro area, 18 organizations have been named as finalists for the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce’s 2018 Business Awards, presented by Colorado Business Bank.
Recognized in the categories of green business, minority or woman-owned business, small business, start-up business and small and large nonprofit, winners will be named live at the Business Awards on April 27 at Infinity Park. Colorado Enterprise Fund President and CEO Ceyl Prinster will be honored with the David E. Bailey Small Business Advocate Award, sponsored by Wells Fargo, for her work to help entrepreneurs and small businesses.
“Small businesses fuel our economy in Colorado. It has been a privilege to help those companies gain access to capital that allows them to start, grow and thrive,” Prinster said. “I am humbled by this honor and thrilled to be part of the vibrant, innovative and entrepreneurial business community here in Colorado.”
Finalists include:
Get to know the finalists:
Ardent Mills provides nutritious grain-based solutions to customers across North America with products ranging from traditional, organic and whole wheat flours and specialty grains. This Green Business of the Year finalist focuses its sustainability efforts on agriculture, operations, procurement and transportation.
BrieBug is a web and mobile application development consulting firm based in Lakewood. This Small Business of the Year finalist has doubled its staff to 20 in the last two years and gives back to the development community through trainings across the state.
Coffee at The Point, located at the heart of the Five Points neighborhood in Denver, offers fresh roasted coffee in a unique and relaxing community environment. A Small Business of the Year finalist, Coffee on The Point has repeatedly been named a top coffee shop in Denver and just wrapped a successful crowdfunding campaign.
Colorado Business Committee for the Arts works to advance Colorado’s creative economy by connecting business and the arts through advocacy, research, training and arts engagement efforts. This Small Nonprofit of the Year finalist has built a pipeline of leaders in the arts for 20 years.
Copper Door Coffee Roasters is Denver’s first 100 percent woman-owned coffee roasting company. This Woman-owned Business of the Year nominee mentors other women in the craft coffee community and is focused on quality, environmental responsibility and local involvement.
Denver Urban Scholars partners with high-poverty, high-performing schools to unlock the potential of students facing added challenges by creating individual pathways to career and college. In 2017, this Large Nonprofit of the Year finalist combined resources with Colorado Youth at Risk, now serving nearly 500 youth.
Economic Literacy Colorado, formerly Colorado Council for Economic Education, prepares students with the economic and personal finance skills to effectively participate as responsible and productive members of our free enterprise system. This Small Nonprofit of the Year finalist fills a gap to build essential life skills.
Emergenetics International is an organizational development consulting company dedicated to realizing the potential of people in organizations, the community and at home. This Woman-owned Business of the Year finalist, based in Centennial, works in more than 22 countries and gives back 10 percent of its gross revenues to charity.
Emily Griffith Foundation supports Emily Griffith Technical College (EGTC) by providing scholarships, working on innovative projects and finding other financial support and partnerships for EGTC so that students can graduate debt-free. This Large Nonprofit of the Year finalist is committed to leading on workforce development.
Food for Thought Denver strives to eliminate weekend hunger for children in the Denver area by providing food PowerSacks, with enough nonperishable food to feed a family of four two meals. This Small Nonprofit of the Year finalist is 100 percent volunteer-run and has served 21 schools in Denver.
FruitRevival delivers fresh seasonal fruit, veggies, healthy snacks and corporate fresh-fruit gift baskets to companies across Colorado and ships nutritious, packaged snacks nationwide. A Women-owned Business of the Year finalist, FruitRevival is committed to bringing healthy foods to the workplace and in communities where fresh food access is limited.
Gleam Car Washis a flex-service car was based in northwest Denver. This Green Business of the Year finalist recycles over 90 percent of its water and employs solar power, LED lights and a recycling and composting program to reduce its environmental impact.
Gone for Good is a full-service eco-friendly hauler in Denver. This Green Business of the Year finalist works with local charities and has added a thrift store to its recycling center model to divert more items from the landfill.
Guild Education helps companies transform traditional tuition assistance programs from cost centers into recruitment and retention tools that drive positive return on investment. This Start-Up Business of the Year has raised $31.5 million to date and grown to a team of 75 from three in the last two years.
Hotel Engine is a private hotel booking platform built for business with exclusive access to wholesale rates and expense-management tools. This Start-Up Business of the Year serves more than 12,500 businesses, including Fortune 100 companies.
Puzzah! is an interactive puzzle room experience with locations in Denver and Broomfield. This Start-Up Business of the Year finalist has capitalized on the escape-room trend, growing from one game at one location in 2014. The company plans to expand to a third location in winter 2018-19.
StickerGiant.com Inc. prints premium custom stickers and labels out of Longmont. This Small Business of the Year finalist is disrupting the label industry by reducing production times and employing a digital marketing strategy to acquire and retain customers.
STRIVE Preparatory Schools is a Denver-based community of free, open enrollment, public charter schools committed to providing every student with an excellent, high-quality, college-preparatory education. This Large Nonprofit of the Year finalist serves 3,700 students in 11 schools that span from elementary to high school.