2026 Colorado Business Hall of Fame

The Appel Family transformed a garage-based side project into a global household name. Max Appel, with a background in fundraising, and Elaine Appel, with experience in tax and accounting, wanted cleaning products that didn’t contain harsh chemicals, but couldn’t find any. In 1986, 30 years after meeting at the University of Colorado Boulder, they started tinkering around in their garage and mixing Valencia orange oil with furniture polishes to create their first product, Orange Glo. Elaine managed finances and operations while Max tinkered, trying repeatedly to come up with something good until he finally did.

When the couple initially got started, they sold Orange Glo Wood Polish at home and garden shows, and sales grew by word of mouth. As their kids got into the act, they suggested they should think bigger. First, Joel left his job in brand management at Quaker Oats and worked to create the famous infomercials and get the product on store shelves across the US and Canada, such as Wal-Mart and Costco. David left Accenture and brought management expertise, new analytics, and a fresh dose of creativity to the business. Linda, who had worked in marketing at Young & Rubicam, came aboard. Finally, Amy helped with store merchandising. Each contributed uniquely to the company’s evolution and growth.

By 2003, Orange Glo International had grown into a $200 million company that sold more than 20 cleaning products in 15 countries. In addition to OxiClean, other products under the Orange Glo International umbrella were Kaboom Bathroom Cleaner, Orange Clean, and Power Paste. The company was an Inc. Top 10 Fastest Growing Company, and in 2006, they were recognized as one of Fast Company’s innovators of technology, work, and the world. That same year, the Appel family sold the business to Church and Dwight, parent company of brands that include Arm & Hammer, Waterpik, and Nair.

Locally, the Appels have been pillars in the community. Max and Elaine have supported, and their Foundation continues to support, numerous transformational organizations across Colorado, including Jewish Family Services, Tepeyac Community Health Center, and Firefly Autism, which now bears Max and Elaine’s names. The rest of the family is actively engaged in local businesses and philanthropy as well. David is involved in pet care and other businesses. Joel owns and runs Zaidy’s Deli and Rock the Shot with his wife, Tiffany, and serves on the board of First Descents. Linda runs Denver Urban Gardens and sits on the board of Colorado Public Radio.

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Max passed away in 2024, but the family remains active in their philanthropy, supporting additional organizations such as the Jewish Historical Society, Colorado Public Radio, Temple Sinai Denver, ASPCA, No Kid Hungry, the Denver Rescue Mission, First Descents, and the Jake Jabs Center for Entrepreneurship at CU Denver. 

Born in 1914 to a wealthy Tennessee family, Mildred Montague Genevieve “Tweet” Kimball moved to Colorado in 1954 following her divorce from diplomat Merritt Ruddock. During their marriage, she spent seven years living in London. Through the American Embassy there, Tweet’s social circles expanded to include both royalty and aristocrats with whom she maintained lifelong friendships. Upon arriving in Colorado, Tweet purchased Charlford, a grand, castle-style home from Charles Alfred Johnson, and the neighboring Ray Blunt estate, bringing her landholdings to over 4,000 acres and renaming them Cherokee Ranch to honor the Cherokee people of Tennessee. For the remainder of her life, she called the property home.

In 1954, Tweet pursued her long-held dream to establish a Santa Gertrudis cattle ranch and persisted to overcome skepticism from local cattlemen and Texas breeders alike who thought the breed would not survive in a cold western climate. She proved that they not only could survive but also thrive. Tweet became an advocate for the breed nationwide and established the Rocky Mountain Santa Gertrudis Association in 1961, and five years later, lobbied the National Western Stock Show into exhibiting and promoting the Santa Gertrudis breed. Tweet would later become the National Western Stock Show’s first female member. Kimball’s bull, named Cherokee Little Governor, was the Stock Show’s 1980-81 Grand Champion and is buried with a headstone on the ranch. She exported cattle to Australia, Vietnam, and South Africa as a visionary, and today, Santa Gertrudis cattle are bred all over the world.

Cherokee Castle provided Tweet with space to display her treasures and entertain friends and dignitaries while supporting many causes. She was an early advocate for water and open space conservation; she served as a Director on the Denver Art Museum board, among others. Her extensive collections of fine art, antique furnishings, rare objects, rare books, such as two first-edition sets of Winston Churchill’s writings, and decorative wares were enjoyed by her guests then and continue to enthrall touring visitors today. Original paintings by masters: Rubens, Lawrence, Gainsborough, Constable, Sir Christopher Wren (drawings), Brueghel (elder), and several others highlight Tweet’s knowledge and art-collecting skills.  

In the last years of her life, Kimball succeeded in having Cherokee Ranch & Castle listed as a historic district on the National Register of Historic Places. She ensured the property would be protected from development in perpetuity through a conservation easement with Douglas County in 1996. That same year, she established the Cherokee Castle & Ranch Foundation to enable the preservation of the land for its western heritage, and, as a wildlife sanctuary, to maintain the cattle ranch and create educational opportunities for the public through the arts. A significant forest of petrified wood logs is on the property where citizen scientists have compiled research, resulting in logs being dated 55 million years ago.

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Tweet Kimball’s distinctive legacy is multi-pronged through her Foundation’s programming that touches nearly 20,000 lives each year across arts, science, ranching, and western heritage; and that she broke barriers for women in cattle ranching and international business; and that Cherokee Ranch is a part of contiguous open space along with the Highlands Ranch Backcountry Wilderness and Daniels Park allowing herds of elk and other wildlife to traverse over 12,000 acres.

A third-generation Coloradan, Walter A. “Buz” Koelbel, Jr. graduated from the University of Colorado Boulder in 1974. After spending two years working in property management in San Francisco, he returned home and joined Koelbel and Company, a real estate development company started by his father two decades earlier. In 1985, Buz was named president of Koelbel and Company and oversaw its growth for nearly 40 years, maintaining and amplifying its stature as one of the most prominent family-owned real estate companies in the state.

Under Buz, Koelbel and Company developed numerous residential communities including The Preserve in Greenwood Village, the largest custom home community in the metro region; The Breakers Apartment Community (now TAVA Waters), the largest apartment community along the Front Range; Rendezvous Colorado, a 1,150-acre mountain community in Grand County; Cherry Hills Park, a custom home community that set the record price point for lot sales in the Denver region; and Pinehurst Country Club, Colorado’s first master-planned golf-course development. With help from his sons, Buz was able to significantly expand the company’s portfolio. Koelbel and Company completed 10 affordable housing projects during his tenure and was responsible for adding over 700 units of income-restricted housing, helping to address a critical shortage of affordable housing across the Front Range.

Buz also kept the company active in commercial development. He oversaw the development of Centennial Valley Business Park in Louisville, Catalyst HTI in RiNo, Pine Bluffs retail in Parker, Village Center – DTC, Centennial Promenade, and numerous other developments along the Front Range.

Buz contributed to numerous philanthropic and advocacy organizations, co-founding the Denver South Economic Development Partnership, the Common Sense Institute, and the High Line Canal Advocacy. He served as a board member for the Denver Museum of Nature and Science and the CU Real Estate Center. Buz was a tireless proponent for education, and the family’s foundation made significant financial contributions to the University of Colorado, the Arapahoe Library District, Sewall Childhood Development Center, Junior Achievement, the Denver Zoo, Rocky Mountain Public Media (KUVO Studio), Western Stock Show Association, Colorado Historical Foundation, Children’s Hospital of Colorado, and many more.

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Buz led a purpose-driven life that was amplified by time spent with his family. He passed away in 2024 and is survived by his wife of over 41 years, Sherri, his 4 children, and 11 grandchildren. 

Born in Brooklyn in 1945, Chuck Morris moved to Colorado in the 1960s to pursue a doctorate in Political Science at the University of Colorado Boulder. While in Boulder, Morris built the legendary Tulagi nightclub, which included first tour stops by notable up-and-comers such as The Doobie Brothers, The Eagles, ZZ Top, and many others. He has been a driving force in the Colorado music community and across the country ever since.

In 1974, Morris co-owned and managed Ebbets Field nightclub in Denver, which saw early performances from Lynyrd Skynyrd, Steve Martin, and more. The club was named “Club of the Year” by Billboard in 1975 and 1976. Four years later, he joined giant promoter Barry Fey as Senior Vice President of Feyline, responsible for running the booking and promoting department, and was involved with such storied artists as The Rolling Stones and The Who. During his time as a promoter, he established a very successful management career, which continues to this day.

In 2007, Morris joined AEG Presents as President-CEO of their Rocky Mountain region. In this position, he played an instrumental role in establishing Denver’s music scene. The company books Red Rocks Amphitheatre, which Morris helped develop into a world-class venue, the Bluebird Theater, the Ogden Theatre, the Gothic Theatre, and Ball Arena. In 2008, Morris and AEG Presents promoted the first-ever Mile High Music Festival at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park, featuring 50 acts including Dave Matthews Band and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. Then, in 2014, he orchestrated the takeover of Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre, pouring $5 million into rebuilding the entire complex. Morris led the development of Denver’s Mission Ballroom, which opened in 2019.

Morris was on the Democratic National Convention Special Events Committee and is a board member of the Colorado University Foundation and the American Transplant Foundation. In May 2013, he was honored by the Curious Theatre’s Denver Stories and by Johnson and Wales University with a Doctorate of Sports/Entertainment/Event Management. Morris was inducted into the Denver & Colorado Tourism Hall of Fame in March 2016 and into the Colorado Music Hall of Fame in December 2018. In 2020, Morris founded the Colorado State University Music Business program, which he directed until his retirement in fall 2025. He was named the Music and Entertainment Industry Educator of the Year in 2024.

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Morris and his wife, Becky, reside in Denver and are proud parents of five children and four grandchildren. 

With a career spanning more than 40 years in financial services and capital markets, Blair Richardson has held prominent roles in the international financial marketplace, specializing in public and private equity and debt securities. 

Born in Canada, Richardson attended Aden Bowman Collegiate in Saskatchewan. He has lived in Toronto, Montreal, New York, Tokyo, Hong Kong, and, for the last 30 years, Denver.

He began his career at Canada’s oldest securities firm, A.E. Ames and Company, and in 1978 became the youngest partner at the age of 30. From 1980 to 1987, he was a vital member of the Goldman Sachs Fixed Income Department, where his responsibilities encompassed sales and trading. His career then led him to Morgan Stanley, where from 1987 to 1995, he held senior positions such as managing director of the equity and fixed income department in New York, president of Morgan Stanley Japan in Tokyo, and vice chairman of Morgan Stanley Asia in Hong Kong.

Following his tenure at Morgan Stanley, Richardson founded and served as managing partner of B.E. Richardson Investments, deploying capital in diverse investments throughout North America. Following the sale of TGS Properties, a publicly listed company on the Toronto Exchange that he founded, he moved to Denver in 1995.

Between 1996 and 2002, B.E. Richardson Investments executed more than 20 private equity transactions. In 2003, Richardson founded Bow River Capital, where he currently serves as the chief executive officer. Under his leadership, Bow River has grown into a diversified investment management firm with more than $5 billion in assets under management across Private Equity, Real Estate, and Private Credit. Richardson led the firm's investment focus in the "Rodeo Region," a geographic footprint encompassing 14 states in the Rocky Mountain West and Southwest, aligning with the region’s values and fostering economic growth.

Beyond his professional pursuits, Richardson is an active philanthropist with a history of supporting education, as well as culture and the arts. Acknowledged for his impact, Blair was recognized as one of Denver's most influential individuals by 5280 Magazine, earning a place in their esteemed "The 5280 Fifty" list. Richardson was also the recipient of the prestigious Mizel Institute's 2022 Community Enrichment Award, honored by Governor Jared Polis and former Denver Mayor Michael Hancock. Additionally, he was presented with the Kemp Outstanding Citizen award in 2018 and the 2017 Imhoff Community Award for his commitment to helping children. He has been a board member of National Jewish Hospital, Colorado Concern, Colorado Inclusive Economy, Activate Workforce Solutions, and the State of Colorado CLIMBER Fund.

He and his wife, Kristin, support numerous charitable causes, including the Denver Public Schools Foundation, Children’s Hospital Colorado, Colorado UpLift, and ACE Scholarships. In 2002, they set up the Kristin and Blair Richardson Foundation, which supports education-focused charities and non-profits.

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Richardson is an avid traveler and is passionate about ranching and history. He and Kristin reside in Denver and are parents to four adult children. 

After graduating with a bachelor's degree from the University of Colorado Boulder in 1983, George Solich began his career as a petroleum landman with Apache Corporation. He held various positions in the land department before being promoted to manager of business development in Houston. In 1994, Solich was promoted to director of business development, coordinating the purchase and sale of over 14,000 wells, accounting for $2.1 billion in capital deployed and $470 million in sales proceeds.

Solich joined HS Resources, Inc. in 1997 as the vice president of acquisitions and divestitures. Over the next three years, he coordinated transactions of over $500 million. Solich formed Cordillera Energy Partners, LLC, in 2000 and coordinated the successful sale of the company to Patina Oil & Gas Corporation for $245 million in 2003. In 2004, he formed Cordillera Energy Partners II, LLC, and sold it in 2008 for $1.025 billion. Cordillera Energy Partners III, LLC, followed with $500 million of private equity capital in 2007. In 2012, Cordillera III merged into Apache Corporation for $3.1 billion in cash and stock.

In 2013, Solich launched his fourth enterprise, FourPoint Energy, a private exploration and production company based in Denver. With his team, Solich entered the minerals space and launched LongPoint Minerals in 2016, focusing on the acquisition of mineral and royalty interests. In 2018, FourPoint Energy and Double Eagle Energy Holdings III announced the formation of a joint venture, DoublePoint Energy, a pure-play Midland Basin company with Solich serving as Executive Chairman. In April of 2021, DoublePoint Energy announced the sale of the company to Pioneer Natural Resources Company for $6.2 billion. The transaction closed later that year. Beginning in 2022, FourPoint Energy re-entered the greater Permian Basin and formed a $350 million DrillCo with QL Capital Corporation to drill standard and long lateral wells in the prolific Midland Basin. In 2024, Solich and his management team formed FourPoint Resources. Together with partners Quantum Capital Group and Kayne Anderson, they purchased Ovintiv’s position in the Uinta Basin for $2 billion to begin the work of growing production, cash flow, and creating value on one of the highest quality, inventory-rich assets in the lower-48.

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Solich served on the Board of Directors of Western Energy Alliance (formerly IPAMS) from 1998 to 2012 and on the Executive Committee from 2002 to 2013. He served as president in 2009 and 2010 and was honored as the 2023 Wildcatter of the Year. In 2013, Solich was inducted into the All-American Wildcatters and served as Chairman in 2023. He also serves on the Advisory Board for the J.P. Morgan Center for Commodities at the University of Colorado Denver, the Board of Trustees of ACE Scholarships, the Board of Ambassadors of Colorado UpLift, and the Board of Directors of the Western Golf Association/Evans Scholars Foundation. In October of 2018, Solich became chairman of the Board and president of Castle Pines Golf Club and, due to his role in launching the Colorado Golf Foundation and bringing the PGA TOUR back to Colorado, was inducted into the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame in 2024.