2023 Business Awards Woman or BIPOC-owned Business of the Year Finalists
Each year, the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce recognizes organizations that are writing Denver’s next chapter in business. Join us for the 2023 Business Awards presented by BOK Financial on April 27, 2023 to see the winners announced live! This year’s Woman or BIPOC-owned Business of the Year finalists are: Dope Mom Life, Point b(e) Strategies, LLC and New Community Transformation Fund – Denver. Get to know each organization more below.
Diane Myles, CEO/Executive Producer of Dope Mom Life, got her start when she first recorded her and her children’s activities. The intention of the “mommy blog” was simple – to be a representation for her children and her community. The idea for the blog came about one day when Myles had decided she wanted to go skydiving and invited others to join her but was told, “Black people don’t do that.” After doing some research and speaking with those she trusted, she found that the phrase, “We don’t do that” is formed out of a trauma response.
Myles has always had a love for videography, and she wanted to share her and her kids’ adventures so that they could see themselves reflected in visual content. “I had a mentor that told me, ‘Don’t just be a pretty face; know how to do the things behind the camera,” shared Myles. Myles ended up going to school for video production and editing, and eventually brought on others to help with the blog project, which later transformed into the video production company it is today. “We kept the name [Dope Mom Life] because I always wanted to make sure I came back to my ‘why’ if I ever forgot why we started the work,” said Myles.
After some time, the crew started taking on video projects with the same intention of being a voice and representation in the community. Myles is proud of how far Dope Mom Life has come and is proud of how the company reflects its work in a culturally responsive way, not just a performative way.
Julia Alvarez, CEO and Senior Catalyst at Point b(e) Strategies, LLC, started the organization almost seven years ago when she saw a need for a different approach to social change consulting. “We think of ourselves as a one-stop shop for organizational development and capacity-building work,” explained Alvarez. “Essentially, we serve as extra hands for organizations in the social sector that need help to be more efficient and effective in their work.”
Point b(e) Strategies, LLC specializes in areas including grant writing, strategic planning, program evaluation and design, justice and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) consultation, board and staff training and other change management initiatives – just to name a few. “I started this company because I wanted to do that work differently,” expressed Alvarez. “I wanted to take a more equity-centered and human-centered approach to consulting. I also wanted to think differently about what it means to run a business that leverages the strengths, talents, assets and needs of my team to honor them as people not just employees.”
On the Metro Denver business community, Alvarez said she very much believes in a “spirit of abundance.” “The Metro Denver region is drowning in amazing work to do. There is more than any number of consultants or organizations can take on – which is a real blessing. We come from a space of true collaboration and abundance,” she said.
New Community Transformation Fund – Denver is a venture capital fund that invests in founders of color and women in Colorado. After a long career as a CFO, Danielle Shoots, Founding Partner and Managing Director, launched the New Community Transformation Fund to support early-stage startups. “We really wanted to put our stake in the ground in Colorado to think about how we can grow and scale business using the tools of wealth-building and capitalism,” said Shoots. “We’re starting to make investments in some amazing Coloradan companies and bringing companies to Colorado.”
Since launching the New Community Transformation Fund publicly last July, the team is now up to six employees and growing. “I’m so fortunate. I built my career in Colorado. Everybody who came to join me in this adventure has worked for me in another capacity. They trusted what we were doing to do this work that’s revolutionary.”
The New Community Transformation Fund serves small business across versatile sectors and industries with Colorado-based goals. To operate and support the growth of other companies, the organization has raised operating capital through grants and contracts with the City and County of Denver, Colorado Health Foundation, Colorado Trust and Bank of America Foundation.
The 2023 Business Awards Woman or BIPOC-owned Business of the Year award is presented by Xcel Energy.
2023 Business Awards Start-Up of the Year Finalists
Each year, the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce recognizes organizations that are writing Denver’s next chapter in business. Join us for the 2023 Business Awards presented by BOK Financial on April 27, 2023 to see the winners announced live! This year’s Start-Up of the Year finalists are: Fulfilld, Strat Labs and Ship Sunshine. Get to know each organization more below.
This isn’t the first time Yosh Eisbart and Michael Pytel have built a successful company together from the ground up. Yosh Eisbart, CEO & co-founder of Fulfilld, and Michael Pytel, CTO & co-founder, first merged minds in 2008 to create NIMBL, a Colorado-based enterprise B2B software and services company. In 2018, the duo exited to start a new venture: Fulfilld. Fulfilld is a warehouse management and logistics company that optimizes the distribution process.
Unlike NIMBL, Fulfilld leverages venture capital to build global operations, and has raised close to $8 million. What inspired this new direction was the lack of innovation in warehouse management and the opportunity for growth in this space. “The ecosystem of direct-to-consumer delivery is growing every day and will continue to grow,” said Pytel. “We believe we can create a global organization focused on optimizing warehouse operations.” Fulfilld has customers spanning from various backgrounds from greeting cards to rockets to shoes to protein products.
Looking ahead, Yosh and Michael see this area as a great place to expand. “We continue to add additional customers – and that means adding employees. Colorado continues to be a great place to attract talent. [We’re focusing on] customer acquisition and continuing to develop product and support teams here in Colorado,” said Pytel.
Founded in late 2018, Strat Labs is an organizational strategy and marketing agency focused on social impact. Strat Labs works with mission-driven companies in four key areas including strategy, marketing, communications and philanthropy with the goal to tie all of the components together. “In the nonprofit world, we combine marketing, communications and philanthropy to drive donations, bring in additional supporters and engage the community,” said Elizabeth Neufeld, CEO & founder of Strat Labs.
Elizabeth started the agency when she was consulting and found that many of her clients didn’t have the bandwidth to execute the recommended strategies. Since that discovery, Elizabeth assembled a skilled team that shares in its commitment to social impact and mission-driven work for clients.
After living in big cities like Chicago and Los Angeles, Elizabeth finds the Metro Denver business community to be unique. “Denver is supportive, energizing and engaging. There’s a willingness to help others succeed. People are willing to lend resources, time and energy,” she said.
Ship Sunshine’s purpose is simple: to brighten someone’s day. This rising small business offers custom gift experiences for all occasions to individual clients, corporate employees and for events. The inspiration to start Ship Sunshine struck founder Anna Costello after she quit her corporate job and attended a yoga retreat in Bali, Indonesia.
“I had a stereotypical and privileged Eat Pray Love moment and was trying to figure out what I wanted to do with myself,” Anna explained. At the time, Anna was bouncing around the idea of three different business ventures and distinctly remembers the moment one stood out among the rest. Through sheer determination, Anna had gotten up at 1 a.m. to participate in a group sunrise hike at Mt. Batur.
“It was cold, rainy and still dark outside. When we got to the top, I remember the feeling of the sun rising. I could feel it on my skin and everyone’s spirits lifted. I thought, ‘We have to figure out a way to bottle this feeling’,” Anna shared. That was the point Anna decided to move forward with her gift experience business idea.
Anna knows the importance of supporting local and spreading the love within the community. Over 70% of the products prepared in the gift boxes come from local and woman-owned companies. “I feel so lucky being here. I can’t imagine starting anywhere else. We’ve felt the love [in Metro Denver] and try to reciprocate that. It’s important to shop with your values.”
The 2023 Business Awards Small Business of the Year award is presented by Emergenetics.
2023 Business Awards Small Nonprofit of the Year Finalists
Each year, the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce recognizes organizations that are writing Denver’s next chapter in business. Join us for the 2023 Business Awards presented by BOK Financial on April 27, 2023 to see the winners announced live! This year’s Small Nonprofit of the Year finalists are: Mile High WorkShop, Common Sense Institute and Emily Griffith Foundation. Get to know each organization more below.
Mile High WorkShop is an employment and job training program, offering assistance to help those overcome barriers when getting into the workplace. Founded in 2014, Mile High WorkShop and has seen several iterations of itself – from delivering water to making soap to catering events – before landing on the job training and assistance program it is today.
“The demographic we serve are those who are experiencing barriers, such as homelessness and addiction. We create a soft-landing space for them to get comfortable with their lives and figure out the things that are standing in their way from employment,” said Rochelle Hinskton, operations development director of Mile High WorkShop. Hinskton expressed that the program helps participants develop their soft and hard skills, then puts them on a production floor that allows them to use their newfound skills in a space filled with grace and love. “We help them every step of the way to help them remerge into the workforce,” added Hinskton.
Mile High WorkShop partners with a major companies in the Metro Denver area, such as Kong, National Geographic and The North Face, to provide work opportunities for program participants. These work opportunities and monthly donations from partnerships help support and sustain the mission. “Community and corporate partnerships have been a huge part of why we’re growing in the past couple years,” said Jonathan Garmany, development manager at Mile High WorkShop.
Formed in 2010, Common Sense Institute is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization focused on providing data to the political conversation. Common Sense Institute is proud of its growth over the years and of its unbiased reporting in key policy areas ranging from homelessness, education, water, housing, crime, transportation and more.
“Our special sauce is economic analysis,” said Kelly Caufield, executive director of Common Sense Institute. “We run economic modeling on proposed legislation, laws that have already passed, ballot measures and other policy questions.” Through its economic modeling, the organization can estimate the impact of a potential piece of policy on GDP, earnings and jobs. Leaning away from endorsements, lobbying and advocacy, Common Sense Institute instead works strategically with partners to provide open-source information for anyone from voters to decision-makers.
Brielle Bueller, director of community engagement at the Common Sense Institute, shared that the organization works with, “both sides of the aisle to ensure that all the provided data is based on facts and able to inform decision-making.”
“We pride ourselves on being a resource for lawmakers,” said Caufield. “We speak with a state-wide voice. Ahead of the municipal elections, we have issued ‘mini reports’ on the top three issues that polls show is on the hearts and minds of Coloradans: housing, homelessness and crime.” In issuing these tools to educate business, civic leaders and political candidates, Common Sense Institute strives to provide bipartisan, evidence-based data for all.
For over thirty years, the Emily Griffith Foundation has been working to secure funding to provide students with scholarships, wrap-around support and capital infrastructure to the Emily Griffith Technical College. Annually, the Emily Griffith Foundation raises two million dollars to support students.
“Doors are open for anyone. Not only do [students] get tuition and scholarships but also get support in ancillary costs,” said Robin Chalecki, president of the Emily Griffith Foundation. The Emily Griffith Foundation also offers a wrap-around stipend for students who experience life event barriers that prevent completion of a program. The Emily Griffith Foundation sees students from all walks of life with 36% of the student body being parents and an average student age of 28.
For many programs, students need to pass a licensure to work, which ranges from $30 to $300. To bridge this barrier Emily Griffith Foundation covers 100% of the cost of the licensure. “Students know when they start a program, that’s one less barrier they need to overcome upon completing it,” said Chalecki.
The 2023 Business Awards Small Business of the Year award is presented by Emerge.
2023 Business Awards Large Nonprofit of the Year Finalists
Each year, the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce recognizes organizations that are writing Denver’s next chapter in business. Join us for the 2023 Business Awards presented by BOK Financial on April 27, 2023 to see the winners announced live! This year’s Large Nonprofit of the Year finalists are: Colorado Enterprise Fund, Food Bank of the Rockies and WellPower. Get to know each organization more below.
Since 1976, Colorado Enterprise Fund has operated with the same purpose from the beginning – advancing community prosperity by providing resources to those who are disadvantaged. Ceyl Prinster, president & CEO of the Colorado Enterprise Fund, emphasized its dedication to small businesses by supporting business owners who may not have the capital or resources and helping them make their dreams “a reality first and a success second.”
Coming from a career in banking, Prinster started with the organization 35 years ago as its first employee. She has truly seen it evolve over the years. Starting with 200,000 assets and loan capital, Colorado Enterprise Fund has since loaned out over $200 million with a 96 percent repayment rate.
The lending institution has supported companies that provide products that may sound familiar. For instance, the Boppy Pillow was created by a Colorado-based company that the Colorado Enterprise Fund helped start. Seeing these small businesses flourish is what drives Prinster, who loves it when she sees a borrower’s product while strolling down the aisles of Whole Foods.
Prinster describes the Metro Denver business community as one filled with a compassionate and entrepreneurial spirit. These factors are also a leading driver in her own mission and work through the Colorado Enterprise Fund. “We want everyone to have opportunity, and having a small business is one of the best ways to build wealth and have stability,” said Prinster.
Founded 45 years ago, Food Bank of the Rockies was designed to be a resource for food pantries. “We really started out by diverting food that would otherwise go into the landfill and getting it to food pantries,” said Erin Pulling, president & CEO of Food Bank of the Rockies. “It’s evolved over time to also include direct distribution to people experiencing food insecurity.”
With this in mind, Food Bank of the Rockies prioritizes freshness, quality and diversifying the food it sees coming in. To accomplish this, Food Bank of the Rockies purchases more than 30 percent of its total food supply and works with local farms.
Food Bank of the Rockies covers 32 counties in Colorado and all of Wyoming; it boasts the biggest geographic footprint in the continuous U.S. – more than any of the other 200 food banks under Feeding America. “We distribute enough food each day for 180,000 meals. We’re running four separate facilities in Colorado and Wyoming. We’re also running 70 mobile pantries for direct distribution to those experiencing food insecurity,” added Pulling.
The gratitude from the clients is what makes the work fulfilling. “We focus on culturally responsive food and fresh produce. When we hear comments like, ‘I can’t believe we’re receiving tamale ingredients’ or ‘I can’t believe I’m receiving a halal meal that are specific to my Afghan culture’, that’s really what keeps us going,” shared Pulling.
WellPower offers education and employment services, financial assistance and education, access to nutritious food and urban farm. All this, as well as providing mental health services to the city and county of Denver. “We know that people are more than their diagnoses,” said Kate Osmundson, Director of Communications and Marketing at WellPower. “It can’t just stop at treatment. We have to take care of the whole person.”
Formerly Mental Health Center of Denver, WellPower changed its name to “write the story” and reclaim the stigma around mental well-being. “We know people are diagnosing at home and saying, ‘Society is telling me to pick myself up by my bootstraps’,” added Osmundson. The name change reflects WellPower’s goal to knock down barriers so that more people can access treatment.
WellPower is no stranger to the affect the COVID-19 pandemic had on the population as isolation took its toll. “Since the pandemic, we saw a tidal wave of need as more people are talking about mental health and wanting to explore treatment with us,” said Osmundson. Emerging from the pandemic, this is a positive sign that the conversation around mental health is becoming more open.
2023 Business Awards Small Business of the Year Finalists
Each year, the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce recognizes organizations that are writing Denver’s next chapter in business. Join us for the 2023 Business Awards presented by BOK Financial on April 27, 2023 to see the winners announced live! This year’s Small Business of the Year finalists are: Bespoke, LVTD Design and Taloma Partners. Get to know each organization more below.
Founded in 2013, this year marks Bespoke’s 10th anniversary of operation. After spending 11 years in corporate America, Justin Ball, president & founder of Bespoke, wanted to reimagine what events could look like. “At our core, we turn ideas into experiences. Our best connections are made face-to-face. We bring those [interactions] to life through meetings and events.”
Since moving from Atlanta in 2005, Ball got involved with the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce, Metro Denver EDC and Denver Metro Chamber Leadership Foundation and credits these resources for instilling the confidence it took to start his own business. “I’m fortunate to have the opportunities I have and the connections I’ve made,” said Ball. “The foundation of support was an incredible privilege and made my leap of faith possible.”
The name Bespoke means “custom-made in the client’s image,” and the team delivers on that promise; they meet the clients “where they’re at.” Whether it’s fulfilling an event for a small nonprofit or large corporation, Bespoke scales and personalizes each experience to best tell client’s story to its audience. “Our best gift is when we get to lean into the arts side of the business, not just the science and logistics of it. The arts side is the storytelling, making sure [clients] are effective in messaging to their audience and getting to the heart of their brand,” added Ball.
Ball describes the Metro Denver business community as one comprised of “born and raised barn-raisers.” “The beauty of Colorado is that we are greater than the sum of our parts. We are the vision of a well-rounded community,” said Ball.
It all started when a friend asked him if he would build custom furniture and the interior for their restaurant. After that, more friends flocked to Evan Jones, founder of LVTD Design, requesting him to design their restaurants. In 2012, Jones started his multi-disciplinary design firm out of his garage and for the first eight years, his business grew simply from word of mouth. LVTD Design now delivers high-end designs from banquette seating in restaurants to three-dimensional sculptures to everything in between.
The key to LVTD Design’s success? Perhaps the team’s willingness – and eagerness – to take on creative challenges. “I always tried to push the envelope on things that we can build,” said Jones. “I have a lot of architects that ask if we can build it. We may not know how to build it at the start, but we figure it out.”
The designers at LVTD Design use an assortment of mediums for their creations including concrete, aluminum, steel, glass, acrylic and wood to name a few. “We’re not just a wood or metal shop, we do everything we can get our hands on. We push boundaries and stay nimble and being able to do multiple things.”
As an artist who lives and breathes design, inspiration is essential – and Jones is heavily inspired by where he lives. “Denver is one of the greatest cities on earth. We have world-class architecture, art and food. This city is on the forefront of all those things.”
Taloma Partners is a mashup of the three founders’ first names: Tamra Ward, Lori Fox and Maren Steward. Founded six years ago, Taloma Partners is a public affairs issue management and strategic communications firm that offers a range of services from providing interim leadership to political advocacy work.
“We owe our existence to the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce,” Fox said. “If not for the Chamber, we would not have met. We became work colleagues, friends and partners through our connections from the Chamber, LEX trips, committee and Board meetings.”
What sets Taloma Partners apart from similar firms is that clients receive the expertise of all three business leaders. “You get three senior-level executives doing the work. For better or for worse, you get what we sell,” echoed Fox and Ward.
When working on client projects, Taloma Partners is strategic and intentional about recognizing the client’s needs and, when necessary, pulling together the best talent from a curated toolbox of additional partner consultants. Built firmly in their relationships among themselves and the business community, Taloma Partners prides itself on being able to provide its clients with different a perspective to work and management.
The 2023 Business Awards Small Business of the Year award is presented by Delta Dental.
Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce Announces Winners of 2022 Business Awards Presented by BOK Financial
17 Finalists Were Recognized at Friday’s Best in Business Celebration
DENVER – April 29, the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce announced the six winners of the 2022 Business Awards presented by BOK Financial. Winners in all six categories were announced during the in-person event hosted by emcee Reggie Rivers, former Denver Broncos running back and current president, founder and benefit auctioneer of The Gala Team.
After a virtual award show last year, the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce was elated to honor its 17 finalists in person with 316 business and community leaders in attendance. This annual event recognizes outstanding local businesses and organizations that are making an impact in our community and their respective industries – from counseling to recycling to plumbing services.
“All of the organizations we’ve recognized today have been so different in budget, size, service, and industry,” said J. J. Ament, president and CEO of the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce, “but all of them are similar in that they play a crucial role in strengthening Denver’s economy and community. They help make Metro Denver a great region for living, working, and doing business, and we are so happy that we could bring everyone together today.”
Awards were presented in the categories of woman or BIPOC-owned business, small business, start-up, small nonprofit, large nonprofit and disruptor of the year.
In addition to each of the award sponsors listed below, ColoradoBiz was the event’s media sponsor. Southwest Airlines was the event’s community sponsor. Below is the full list of finalists and winners of the 2022 Business Awards presented by BOK Financial.
Disruptor of the Year, Sponsored by First Onsite
Large Nonprofit of the Year, Sponsored by Comcast
Woman or BIPOC-Owned Business of the Year, Sponsored by Xcel Energy
Small Business of the Year, Sponsored by Delta Dental of Colorado
Small Nonprofit of the Year, Sponsored by Emerge
Start-Up Business of the Year, Sponsored by Emergenetics International
Videos highlighting each of the finalists in their award category can be viewed here.
DENVER - The Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce has named 17 organizations as finalists for its 2022 Business Awards, presented by BOK Financial, recognizing the best in the Denver Metro area business community. A winner will be chosen for each of six categories: disruptor, large nonprofit, woman or BIPOC-owned, small business, small nonprofit and start-up. New this year, we want our community’s input determining which businesses walk away with the title. Community members can cast their vote to help decide this year’s winners. The winners will be announced live at the Business Awards on April 29 at the Infinity Park Event Center.
“The Metro Denver business community has been incredibly resilient during the past two years in the face of some extraordinary hardships,” said Chamber President and CEO J. J. Ament. “We are thrilled to recognize these fantastic organizations and their incredible achievements through this year’s Business Awards.”
The finalists are:
The 2022 Business Awards have been made possible by Community Sponsor Southwest Airlines.
Get to know our finalists:
A Precious Child is more than a resource center; it is a one-stop shop for families in crisis to receive the goods, opportunities and resources they need. These additional resources provide more than a bandage of services; they provide the foundation families require to become empowered to achieve their full potential, for children to grow up to be secure, self-reliant, contributing members of their community. Through five Cradle to Career Initiatives and 11 programs, A Precious Child provides basic essentials to children challenged by poverty, abuse, neglect or crisis situations with resource navigation and case management.
An Artist Prints is a graphic design company that brings over a decade of experience in apparel, promotional and other print forms. The team matches customers with the best production companies to suit their needs.
Barefoot PR is a group of purpose-driven public relations and design professionals who work with nonprofits, foundations, government agencies and companies focused on community impact. The team believes people have the power to change our world for the better and uses their skills to help facilitate this change.
BreakAway Meetings creates custom boxes for attendees of virtual and hybrid events, employee and client appreciation gifts, and hotel welcome gifts for in-person events in the Metro Denver area. Every order is customized to the specific event, attendees, themes and budgets. These custom boxes provide an opportunity to bring people together through a shared experience when meeting in person isn’t feasible. The boxes include locally sourced snacks and beverages, branded swag, event collateral and a branded note with a logo and custom message. Event boxes can be shipped to individual attendee addresses or bulk shipped to one location.
CareerWise Colorado’s youth apprenticeship system creates new, diverse talent pipelines for employers and new career pathways for students to access high-demand, high-paying careers. Student apprentices work toward high school graduation and earn post-secondary credit, industry credentials or both in their chosen career path. Established by the state of Colorado’s Business Experiential-Learning Commission in 2016, CareerWise works with more than 170 employers and 16 school districts to facilitate apprenticeship.
Collective Counseling Solutions was founded in Denver and is a national collective of skilled and passionate clinicians in private practice who share in the common value of accepting insurance benefits for mental health treatment. Therapists live and practice all over the country, offering high-quality mental health counseling to clients of all genders, age ranges, orientations and cultural/ethnic backgrounds. With an emphasis on diversity of specialties, training and education, the team is confident that they are the best way to find a therapist who is licensed and suited to meet each person’s personal needs.
Diverse Talent, LLC, is an executive search and placement firm that specializes in dispelling the notion that a pipeline issue exists between diverse candidates in the STEM, legal, business and nonprofit realm. Diverse Talent’s sister organization Colorado REACH (Respecting Ethnic and Cultural Heritage) specializes in providing diversity, equity and inclusion training and education. REACH was created in Seattle in 1976 to promote inclusivity and understanding. While bringing REACH to Colorado and developing the organization, CEO Michelle Campbell alongside her family had decided to use their 60-plus years of combined experience in the legal and STEM fields to create Diverse Talent.
Dress for Success Denver empowers women to achieve economic independence by providing a network of support, professional attire and the development tools to help women thrive in work and in life.
Economic Literacy Colorado’s (ELC) mission of empowering Colorado students to achieve a lifetime of economic understanding and financial security begins with educating teachers, personally and professionally. ELC is Colorado’s only nonprofit dedicated to economic and personal financial professional development for teachers. More than 1,100 K-12 teachers participate in one-day to week-long programs annually, most of which are university-accredited through the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs. ELC is also home to a Stock Market Experience virtual investment program for more than 10,000 third through 12th graders, a newly-launched Invest in Girls personal finance program for high school girls, and a soon-to-be full suite of K-12 student programs.
GoQAV – Quality Audio Video is a global leader in design-focused technology solutions for homes and businesses. Awarded best demo space in the world for smart home solutions in 2019, GoQAV continues to innovate and create elements that bring experiences to life in any space while driving emphasis toward interior design. The Experience Center, located in Centennial, is like Tony Stark’s Colorado hideout and the mission is simple: Help educate the design-build community about the latest advancements in energy-efficient interior lighting, hidden technology solutions and wellness within the home.
High 5 Plumbing is a local, family-owned plumbing company that offers comprehensive plumbing, sewer and drain services throughout the Denver Metro area. The business was established in 2012 by professionals with nearly two decades of experience in the industry and a commitment to providing service with honesty and integrity. The company is proud to have opened a second location in the Denver Metro area and plans on continual growth and expansion.
Marisol Solarte-Erlacher, M.A., LPC and Associates was previously a psychotherapy group practice and has transitioned to consultation, training and coaching for companies and nonprofit organizations to help mitigate the impact of trauma and build resilience in their workforce, with particular emphasis on working with BIPOC employees. Over the past 15 years, the company has provided trauma therapy to help individuals resolve and heal their most difficult life experiences. The team has specialized in providing services to communities that are historically underserved. In 2020, the company started the Resilience and Resistance Podcast. The podcast is about successful Black and Indigenous people and women of color who are overcoming trauma and becoming resilient.
MIKADO International is a culture-first advertising agency that strives to create a more connected world through multicultural marketing. Founded in 2010, MIKADO empowers organizations to celebrate diversity, equality and inclusion in their communication to achieve unparalleled success while building a brand for the world tomorrow. With diversity in its DNA and heart in the agency’s work, the team’s mission is to bring consciousness to cultural marketing through a collaborative mindset. It is a diverse and inclusive company that is enriched with people from all walks of life. MIKADO is proudly both a certified minority and woman-owned company.
Mile High United Way, the first United Way in the world, was founded in Denver 135 years ago in 1887. Working side by side with the community, Mile High United Way takes on critical human services issues facing our seven-county footprint including the Metro Denver, Boulder and Broomfield communities. Through community programs and initiatives, the organization focuses on community priorities: giving all children a strong start, supporting education and academic success, and creating economic opportunity for all.
Rupp’s Drums is a locally owned music retail business selling new, used and vintage drums, electronics, world percussion, parts and accessories. The company also offers rentals, repairs and private drum lessons. In addition to the products and services offered at the Denver store, Rupp’s Dream hosts a large number of drum-related events throughout the year and provides drums for Denver’s biggest annual music festivals, such as the Westword Music Showcase and the Underground Music Showcase.
Tributary Real Estate leverages its trusted relationships, depth of experience and robust real estate knowledge to provide a customized approach to commercial real estate brokerage and investment services in Denver. Founded in 2015, the company believes that the best results come from building lasting, mutually beneficial relationships and works hard every day to cultivate those relationships with clients and within the Denver community. From site selection through negotiation and closing, the team serves both local and national clients of all sizes and across all industries to ensure their success now and into the future.
WeeCycle was founded in 2008 and strives to improve the welfare of families and their children raised in poverty. The organization collects “weecycle” and matches essential baby gear, including baby formula, baby food, diapers and wipes, to families in need both directly through mobile distributions and through its 60-plus primary community partner organizations and an additional 60-plus secondary partners serving individuals experiencing poverty, homelessness, domestic violence, teen pregnancy, under-employment and single mothers, as well as organizations serving immigrants and refugees. By “weecycling” baby gear, the organization helps keep children clean and safe and contributes to a healthier environment for their future.
