Recognizing the best in the Denver metro area, 18 organizations have been named as finalists for the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce’s 2021 Business Awards, presented by BOK Financial.
Awards are given in the categories of minority or woman-owned business, small business, start-up business and small and large nonprofit – and new this year: disruptor, honoring organizations that are changing the way we do business through innovation and creative problem solving, from sustainable practices to social responsibility to breakthrough technology. Winners will be named live at the virtual Business Awards on April 14.
“Each year, we’re thrilled to honor the best in business, and this year’s Business Awards finalists are no exception,” said Chamber President and CEO Kelly Brough. “These organizations not only create great jobs but they and their teams shape our community.”
Finalists include:
- Disruptor of the Year: AT&T, RK and Teatulia Organic Teas
Award sponsored by Danone North America - Minority or Woman-owned Business of the Year: Aim High Chiropractic, Novitas Communications and Workplace Resource
Award sponsored by Xcel Energy - Small Business of the Year: Bespoke, Core Contractors, Roofing Systems and YellowDog Denver
Award sponsored by Transworld Business Advisors - Start-Up Business of the Year: cliexa, Emerge Professional Services and Urban Solution Group
Award sponsored by Emergenetics International - Small Nonprofit of the Year: Heart & Hand Center, Project Helping and WeeCycle
Award sponsored by Delta Dental of Colorado - Large Nonprofit of the Year: Denver Scholarship Foundation, Habitat for Humanity of Metro Denver and Metro Caring
Award sponsorship available
Business Awards is also made possible by Community Sponsors OnDeck and Southwest Airlines. Get to know the finalists:
Aim High Chiropractic is a Colorado-based, family-owned practice that has provided care for 24 years. Aim High specializes in helping patients with auto injury needs utilizing chiropractic, massage, rehab and acupuncture. Aim High’s method uses a whole-body approach, fixes the immediate issue and advises the patient on best practices to stay healthy moving forward. Aim High originally focused on providing high-quality care to the non-English speaking population in metro Denver, as they had a great need for advocacy and were searching for a doctor they could trust. To this day, our clinics treat both English and non-English speakers.
AT&T is a modern media company whose mission is to inspire human progress through the power of communication and entertainment. AT&T BelievesSM is a new model for lifting communities. In 2019, AT&T Colorado launched Believe Denver, an AT&T employee initiative designed to raise awareness and generate support around youth issues and suicide prevention in Colorado. By connecting AT&T employees with nonprofit partner organizations that support Colorado youth, it has created opportunities to engage LGBTQ, disenfranchised and at-risk youth to inspire hope and improve the overall well-being of children in the state.
Bespoke is an experiential marketing agency bringing brand stories to life through meetings, incentives and events. Bespoke curates purposeful experiences rooted in attendee engagement, and its expertly tailored process provides value and certainty of success from initial consultation through timely execution. Bespoke’s work is built upon a foundation of positivity, polished communication and gracious service. The team uses their hearts, minds and humor to bring joy to all they do. This personalized approach leads to trusted, longstanding relationships with their discerning clients – from local nonprofit organizations to national corporations and global brands.
cliexa is a Colorado-based company that is reinventing the way medical conditions are managed. The cliexa platform connects patients and physicians to better manage the most serious and expensive conditions in the United States. This is done by enabling patients and physicians to monitor disease activity with mobile platforms and leverage proprietary technology that makes intelligent correlations between medication dosage, frequency and heightened or reduced symptoms.
Core Contractors, Roofing Systems has been serving the greater Denver area for all of its commercial and residential roofing and gutter needs since 2009. Core’s success is built on the purpose statement of “Doing it Right Matters.” Core specializes in re-roofing, service and maintenance programs. Core has grown to 38 employees in 10 years and believes that a great customer experience starts with a team that is encouraged to develop and grow as people and become leaders. Core is locally owned and operated and runs on a 90% referral system that recognizes the power of accountability within relationships.
Denver Scholarship Foundation inspires and empowers Denver Public Schools students to enroll in and graduate from postsecondary institutions of higher education by providing the tools, knowledge and financial resources essential for success. Its trajectory-changing, nationally recognized program delivers college access, scholarships and college success supports to students on their journeys to and through college graduation.
Emerge Professional Services is dedicated to identifying and retaining top talent. The company’s strategic approach proves effective to raise talent levels in an organization. Emerge Professional Services objectively evaluates success metrics, engages to understand a company’s unique culture and executes a recruiting plan specific to an opening and company. Our process is designed to have deep networks for specific talent and identify future leaders. Headquartered in Denver, Emerge Professional Services has quickly risen as a key provider of talent and retention solutions in corporate and customer disciplines.
Habitat for Humanity of Metro Denver is a leader in affordable homeownership development and serves local, hardworking members of the community. Habitat’s programs include building and selling new homes; repairing, modifying and preserving existing affordable homes; and serving as the mortgage lender to low-income families who otherwise would struggle to afford housing in Denver’s market.
Heart & Hand Center disrupts the cycle of poverty for children and families in northeast Denver. Heart & Hand Center is a community-based resource that provides individualized guidance and critical connections for each child and their family. Through one-on-one caregiver support, and its signature out-of-school programming and whole-child focus for youth ages 7-20, the center fosters incredibly strong long-term relationships. Heart & Hand Center is relentless in its pursuit to ensure families experience a loving community, overcome barriers and find a path to realize their potential.
Metro Caring’s mission is to work with its community to meet people’s immediate need for nutritious food while building a movement to end hunger at its root. Metro Caring provides groceries to its neighbors and also offers comprehensive anti-hunger resources so that families can break the cycle of poverty. The Fresh Foods Market is at the heart of Metro Caring. Shoppers choose from an array of nutritious foods based on their dietary needs and preferences, and leave with a week’s supply of groceries, including fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, dairy and lean protein.
Novitas Communications is a nationally recognized firm that develops fully integrated public relations and communications campaigns to raise clients to even greater heights. From grassroots coalition building and crisis management to corporate communications and public education campaigns, Novitas Communications is skilled at building support and driving media for a wide range of clients.
Project Helping builds mental wellness through accessible experiences that create purpose and community. Project Helping organizes volunteer events specifically designed to make an impact — both on the individual and their community. Through volunteering, participants actively invest in their communities while also reaping the benefits of increased mental wellness. Project Helping facilitates over 500 volunteer experiences per year, with a total of 10,000 volunteers from the Denver metro area in attendance since its founding.
RK offers the region’s most diverse array of construction, manufacturing and service solutions under one roof. RK is a leader in the construction industry for its work to destigmatize mental health issues. RK also leads in workforce development with the RK Apprenticeship Workforce Development Program, a four-year, in-house training program. And, since 2011, the RK Foundation has allocated grants and supported employee volunteerism to local nonprofits and causes in community development, education and health and human services. The RK Foundation has granted over half-a-million dollars in funding since its inception and is funded by RK’s scrap metal recycling efforts.
Teatulia Organic Teas was founded in 2006 to bring premium-quality, 100% organic, direct-sourced teas from a previously unknown growing region in Bangladesh to the United States. The brand is built on doing things better, from the regenerative tea garden to sustainable packaging and the long list of awards the brand has received for quality. The tea garden in Bangladesh is Fair Trade Certified and a member of the Rainforest Alliance. In the Denver community, Teatulia led the charge as one of the first of 30 Certified B Corporations, driving a global movement of people using business as a force for good.
Urban Solution Group provides comprehensive mitigation plans and products for oil and natural gas development in urban and rural areas. Its flagship product is its patent-pending mitigation wall, which helps mitigate sound, light, dust and aesthetics around drilling and hydraulic fracturing locations. Urban Solution Group prides themselves on making technical decisions through a social lens. They collaborate with operators to understand the specific concerns of the surrounding communities and proactively mitigate the operation with innovative products to ensure socially compatible oil and natural gas development.
WeeCycle is a Denver-based nonprofit working hard to improve the lives of local families. WeeCycle collects and matches essential baby gear to families in need through partner organizations focused on alleviating poverty, homelessness, domestic violence, teen pregnancy and under employment. Without WeeCycle’s help, many families would go without. Their strategy includes obtaining gear through the charitable donations of individuals and businesses, as well as through gear and diaper drives. To date, the collaborative of agencies includes over 50 organizations. By recycling baby gear, WeeCycle helps keep children clean and safe and contributes to a healthier environment for their future.
Workplace Resource is your complete partner for purposeful environments. Workplace Resource gets to know you – how and why you work best. Workplace Resource researches and anticipates changes in your industry’s workflow and technology. Then, they weave a plan that uniquely fits your culture, demands and expectations. Your environment will be designed with excellence in the way it works, looks and fits your evolving needs. Workplace Resource puts you first by creating an environment that responds to your needs with our knowledge, resources and service. The result is an experience like no other.
YellowDog Denver is a design, print and marketing studio located in Denver. YellowDog helps its clients create bold connections with their audiences, spanning the spectrum of modern marketing from print to digital. Since 2005, YellowDog has helped corporate, small business and nonprofit clients to design a brand identity and bring it to life. Driven by their values of curiosity, creativity and community, YellowDog champions its clients in their brand development journey. No matter the size of the idea or the difficulty of the challenge, they will walk down that road together.