Our annual Business Awards event, presented by BOK Financial, is always inspirational. We hear stories of businesses and nonprofits that are writing our region’s next chapter. We come away hopeful for the future of our state, and that was exactly what happened at this year’s event – perhaps even more so after the year we’ve had.
Last Wednesday, we celebrated the 18 Business Awards finalists and named the six winners. Awards were presented in the categories of minority or woman-owned business, small business, start-up business, small nonprofit, large nonprofit and disruptor.
When these organizations first submitted their applications in November 2019, we didn’t think it would be nearly a year and a half before we would honor them. Our committed panel of judges selected the finalists, we released the list and then we had to postpone the much-anticipated award ceremony to 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
That made our virtual ceremony that much sweeter last week. These finalists were amazing a year ago, and in 2020 they all tapped into their Colorado spirit of innovation, collaboration and resiliency to deliver even more impressive results and impact our region.
Here are this year’s finalists and winners.
Disruptor of the Year – Sponsored by Danone North America
- Teatulia Organic Teas – Winner
- AT&T
- RK
Minority- or Woman-owned Business of the Year – Sponsored by Xcel Energy
- Workplace Resource – Winner
- Aim High Chiropractic
- Novitas Communications
Small Business of the Year – Sponsored by Transworld Business Advisors – Rocky Mountain
- Core Contractors, Roofing Systems – Winner
- Bespoke
- YellowDog
Start-up Business of the Year – Sponsored by Emergenetics International
- Emerge Professional – Winner
- cliexa
- Urban Solution Group
Small Nonprofit of the Year – Sponsored by Delta Dental of Colorado
- Heart & Hand Center – Winner
- Project Helping
- WeeCycle
Large Nonprofit of the Year – Sponsored by Comcast
- Metro Caring – Winner
- Denver Scholarship Foundation
- Habitat for Humanity of Metro Denver
A special thank you to our sponsors – with extra gratitude because they hung in there with us even given the postponement of the event. In addition to the award sponsors, ColoradoBiz was our media sponsor. Southwest Airlines and OnDeck were the event’s community sponsors. Plante Moran was the accounting sponsor.
Be sure to watch the recording of the event, as well as the videos about each category produced by Comcast. (Just among us, one of the winners made me cry with her thoughtful and authentic response to being named a winner – I’m guessing you will too.) Congratulations to everyone! We are so grateful you all choose Colorado to conduct your business and impact your community.
Together we are building an economy that works for everybody.
Kelly Brough is the president and CEO of the Denver Metro Chamber.