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.
Across the Denver metro area, there are businesses adding another page in the history of our region’s success.
The Chamber’s annual Business Awards luncheon presented by Colorado Business Bank recognizes organizations in our community that make our region a great place to live and do business.
Get to know our Business Awards winners, in their own words.
SMALL BUSINESS OF THE YEAR: Syncroness
Established: 1998
What we do: Syncroness provides inspired solutions to highly complex business and technical problems in the medical device, aerospace and machine solutions industries. We offer engineering services aligned to the entire product lifecycle to accelerate product development and drive more predictability and productivity.
Best part of the day: Our favorite time of day is our 4 o’clock show ‘n tell with beer and nachos. Our teams present their projects to the company to share the exciting creative work we are doing. The beer and nachos are great, too!
We love having our business in Colorado because: Colorado has so much to offer, and in response to our employees’ feedback, we have a 9/80 work schedule to allow our teams to have a better work-life balance. The Colorado culture and creative spirit inspires us to keep providing innovative solutions.
Award sponsor: Transworld Business Advisors
START-UP BUSINESS OF THE YEAR: DispatchHealth
Established: 2013
What we do: DispatchHealth, a local Denver company, is bringing back the house call with a modern technology twist by providing patients ways to access convenient, high-quality acute care in the comfort of their home or location of need. DispatchHealth is redefining the Denver health care landscape as an extension of a patient’s care team and offering services from the common flu to minor fractures to suturing to advanced blood laboratory testing and much more. Just call, click or tap the app and you’ll be on your way to feeling better, faster.
Favorite quote: “The only way to do great work is to love what you do.” – Steve Jobs
We love doing business in Colorado because:
1. Colorado is home to us and our families!
2. As a health care technology and delivery company, Colorado is building and embracing a digital health ecosystem that can compete with any other community in the nation with the support of government and private entities. It provides entrepreneurs with an amazing culture to work on and solve big problems to benefit our communities at large.
Award sponsor: Denver Metro SBDC
GREEN BUSINESS OF THE YEAR: RNL Design
Established: 1956
What we do: Headquartered in Denver, RNL is an international full‐service architecture, planning and design firm specializing in sustainable, integrated design. We offer a continuum of design services, including architecture, interior design, landscape architecture, lighting design, urban design and planning. For 60 years, we have focused on providing transformational design solutions that exceed our clients’ aspirations and embody their values through collaboration and understanding. RNL is also a certified B Corporation, meaning we have committed to meeting rigorous thirdparty standards of social and environmental performance and improving the quality of life in our communities through our business.
Best advice received: Aim for the stars and you might land on the mountains; if you only aim for the mountains you’ll never get past the trees.
We love doing business in Colorado because: Denver is an amazing city with great weather and progressive thinkers, and it has mountains nearby. We wouldn’t want to live and work anywhere else.
Award sponsor: White Wave
SMALL NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION OF THE YEAR: Rocky Mountain MicroFinance Institute (RMMFI)
Established: 2008
What we do: RMMFI is a community creating economic and social mobility through entrepreneurship. RMMFI helps curious people transform into serious entrepreneurs through personal, entrepreneurial and business development support. Faced with personal, financial and structural barriers to success, RMMFI entrepreneurs build businesses to achieve selfsufficiency and a greater sense of self-worth.
Best advice received: An investment in yourself is an investment in others.
Fun traditions our team has: We shut down the office four times each year for “funday,” where we get out in the community to volunteer, support an RMMFI entrepreneur business and finish off the day with great food and drink. The tradition started very early in RMMFI’s history when we didn’t have enough to pay ourselves, but recognized the need to have a good time while doing great work.
Award sponsor: Families Forward Resource Center
LARGE NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION OF THE YEAR: Big Brothers Big Sisters of Colorado
Established: 1918
What we do: We recruit, screen, train and match the very best mentors in Colorado with children who need someone, and then support that match to ensure every child achieves his or her full potential. Research proves that mentoring changes lives for the better, forever!
Greatest mentor: All of our mentors are great, though our greatest mentor of all time may be Claude Blake, the Denver attorney who founded our agency in 1918. Little did he know, his agency would go on to positively impact the lives of thousands.
Best part of the day: We love “match introductions” – the meeting when a new Little meets his or her Big for the very first time. It is a moment packed with nervous energy and hope and marks the beginning of a relationship that can last a lifetime.
Award sponsor: Fireside Production
MINORITY OR WOMAN-OWNED BUSINESS OF THE YEAR: Gateaux Bakery
Established: 1999
What we do: Gateaux Bakery is a custom scratch bakery that creates beautiful and delicious cakes, pastries and decorative shortbread cookies for birthdays, weddings, corporate and other special events.
Best advice received: From my dad, Dennis Kenny: “Hard work will never hurt you; it can only help you throughout your career.”
Best part of the day: The end of the day! It is usually a Saturday when all of us on the Gateaux team have succeeded in making all of our clients happy and have gotten through a crazy, busy week!
Award sponsor: Xcel Energy
DAVID E. BAILEY SMALL BUSINESS ADVOCATE OF THE YEAR AWARD
Rob Smith
Executive Director, Rocky Mountain MicroFinance Institute
Did you know: In 2012, Rob was awarded the Livingston fellowship from the Bonfils-Stanton Foundation. Each year, the fellowship supports five nonprofit leaders in Colorado by helping them define and support a plan from success to significance. As part of the fellowship, Rob was able to do some incredible things in his leadership pursuit, including a solo cross-country bicycle trek in 2013, being a member of the 2015 Leadership Denver class and a journey to Peru, where he was able to experience the wonders of Machu Picchu and a 10-day silent meditation retreat.
Best advice received: It’s what you do for yourself that has the biggest impact on others.
Best part of the day: The morning! At that point in the day, it is full of opportunity and it’s up to you to
define whether or not you take advantage of it.
Award sponsor: Wells Fargo
Get to know the all of the Business Awards finalists in their vignette videos here.
Maggie McEntee is the digital communications and brand manager for the Denver Metro Chamber.
Across the Denver metro area, there are minority or woman-owned businesses adding another page in the history of our region's success.
The Chamber’s annual Business Awards luncheon presented by Colorado Business Bank recognizes organizations in our community that make our region a great place to live and do business.
Get to know our Minority or Woman-Owned Business of the Year finalists from their own voice, sponsored by Xcel Energy.
Established: 1981
What we do: Act II is a local consignment shop. We have three stores in the Denver metro area: one in Littleton, one in Englewood and one in Capitol Hill. We sell top quality, previously owned clothing, accessories (purses, jewelry and shoes), furniture and household goods.
Favorite quote: “I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul.” – William Ernest Henley
We love having our business in Colorado because: What’s not to love? Great people, easy-to-do business, open minded and friendly. If you want to succeed here–it’s possible.
Best part of the day: Making someone else’s day.
Established: 2005
What we do: Aguilar Public Relations creates and executes strategies that build brands for companies of all sizes. We specialize in public affairs, community relations, media relations, government affairs and project management. We are a trusted resource for companies across the U.S. in reaching the audiences most important to building their brand presence.
Greatest mentor: When people say you are here on the shoulders of giants, my parents were the giants. They fought for civil rights when many doors were closed for Hispanics/women. They instilled in us that our opportunities were limitless and to be bold.
Favorite Colorado spot: Red Rocks – it’s the best! I get to combine my love for Colorado and my love for music here.
Established: 1999
What we do: Gateaux Bakery is a custom scratch bakery that creates beautiful and delicious cakes, pastries and decorative shortbread cookies for birthdays, weddings, corporate and other special events.
Best advice received: From my dad, Dennis Kenny: "Hard work will never hurt you, it can only help you throughout your career."
Best part of the day: The end of the day! It is usually a Saturday when all of us on the Gateaux Team have succeeded in making all of our clients happy and have gotten through a crazy busy week!
Please join us on Friday, April 29, to see the winners announced live at the 2016 Business Awards.
Maggie McEntee is the digital communications and brand manager for the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce.
Across the Denver metro area, there are small nonprofit organizations adding another page in the history of our region's success.
The Chamber’s annual Business Awards luncheon presented by Colorado Business Bank recognizes organizations in our community that make our region a great place to live and do business.
Get to know our Small Nonprofit of the Year finalists in their own voice, sponsored by Families Forward Resource Center.
Established: 2009
What we do: Cocktails for a Cause, a women’s organization, hosts events supporting local charities and educates women on their missions. Guests bring items selected by the honoree charity. We serve dinner and drinks, showcase the charity and feature a local woman-owned business.
Best part of my day: The best part of my day at the office is getting to tell a charity that they have been chosen to be the recipient at one of our events. They are filled with gratitude when they realize what they will be receiving. It’s truly a great day when I make those pleasantly surprising calls to our chosen charities!
Did you know:
RAFT Colorado (Resource Area for Teaching)
Established: 2009
What we do: RAFT embraces teachers as the primary catalyst for bringing the power of real hands-on learning to students. RAFT collaborates with Colorado businesses, community members and education organizations to provide teachers with affordable tools, ideas and learning experiences to inspire the next generation of thinkers, innovators, problem-solvers and creators.
If my business had a super power it would be: A teleportation machine for our members and material donors! A cloning machine is a close second.
We love doing business in Colorado because: Professionally, I love that RAFT is in Colorado because the business community is so generous and forward-thinking, and because our state is a national leader in education. RAFT’s work aligns perfectly with this energetic, innovative environment.
Rocky Mountain MicroFinance Institute (RMMFI)
Established: 2008
What we do: RMMFI is a community creating economic and social mobility through entrepreneurship. RMMFI helps curious people transform into serious entrepreneurs through personal, entrepreneurial and business development support. Faced with personal, financial and structural barriers to success, RMMFI entrepreneurs build businesses to achieve self-sufficiency and a greater sense of self-worth.
Best advice received: An investment in yourself is an investment in others.
Fun traditions our team has: We shut down the office four times each year for "Fun Day" to get out in the community to volunteer, support an RMMFI entrepreneur business and finish off the day with great food and drink. The tradition started very early in RMMFI's history when we didn't have enough to pay ourselves, but recognized the need to have a good time while doing great work.
Please join us on Friday, April 29, to see the winners announced live at the 2016 Business Awards.
Maggie McEntee is the digital communications and brand manager for the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce.
Across the Denver metro area, there are large nonprofit organizations adding another page in the history of our region's success.
The Chamber’s annual Business Awards luncheon presented by Colorado Business Bank recognizes organizations in our community that make our region a great place to live and do business.
Get to know our Large Nonprofit Organization of the Year finalists in their own voice, sponsored by Fireside Production.
Established: 1980
What we do: Every year since 1980, 9Health Fair has provided free and low-cost biometric screening to the general public. We work with individuals who do not carry or have insurance, regardless of legal status, ethnicity, race or language. We’ve seen approximately 2 million people in our history. We are committed to helping people overcoming barriers to health and leading healthier lives. We serve over 70,000 individuals annually at our 150 sites.
Best advice received: Listen more than you speak.
We love having our business in Colorado because: Our state is more health conscious than any other – we all have the opportunity to live the mission of 9Health Fair in the outdoors of Colorado!
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Colorado
Established: 1918
What we do: We recruit, screen, train and match the very best mentors in Colorado with children who need someone, and then support that match to ensure every child achieves his or her full potential. Research proves that mentoring changes lives for the better, forever!
Greatest mentor: All of our mentors are great, though our greatest mentor of all time may be Claude Blake, the Denver attorney who founded our agency in 1918. Little did he know, his agency would go on to positively impact the lives of thousands.
Best part of the day: We love “match introductions” – the meeting when a new Little meets his or her Big for the very first time. It is a moment packed with nervous energy and hope and marks the beginning of a relationship that can last a lifetime.
Colorado Neurological Institute
Established: 1988
What we do: CNI provides specialized neurological care (such as rehab, counseling, driving assessments and support groups) for neurological patients, despite their individual condition or ability to pay. In addition, CNI conducts over 40 clinical trials in many neurological areas (including epilepsy, brain tumor, stroke, MS and Parkinson’s disease) and CNI facilitates educational programs across the region.
Did you know:
Best part of the day: By far, the time we spend with patients and caregivers is our favorite part of the day. It’s wonderful to see the progress they make and to laugh (and cry) with them along their unique journeys.
Please join us on Friday, April 29, to see the winners announced live at the 2016 Business Awards.
Maggie McEntee is the digital communications and brand manager for the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce.
Across the Denver metro area, there are green businesses adding another page in the history of our region's success.
The Chamber’s annual Business Awards luncheon presented by Colorado Business Bank recognizes organizations in our community that make our region a great place to live and do business.
Get to know our Green Business of the Year finalists from their own voice, sponsored by WhiteWave Foods.
Established: 2004
What we do: Ambient Energy is a third-party consulting firm specializing in energy analysis, sustainable design, commissioning and occupant engagement, delivering high-performance solutions for new and existing commercial buildings.
Did you know:
Fun traditions, celebrations or culture you have as a team that make you unique?
Established: 1969
What we do: Bayaud Enterprises is a 501(c)3 social enterprise nonprofit that provides employment opportunities to people with disabilities. Our document services program employs members of that population to shred and recycle paper, cardboard and computer hard drives.
Did you know:
Favorite quote: “There is more to life than increasing its speed.” - Gandhi
Favorite Colorado spot: The Maroon Bells Wilderness
Established: 1956
What we do: Headquartered in Denver, RNL is an international full‐service architecture, planning and design firm specializing in sustainable, integrated design. We offer a continuum of design services, including architecture, interior design, landscape architecture, lighting design, urban design and planning. For 60 years, we have focused on providing transformational design solutions that exceed our clients’ aspirations and embody their values through collaboration and understanding. RNL is also a certified B Corporation, meaning we have committed to meeting rigorous third-party standards of social and environmental performance and improving the quality of life in our communities through our business.
Best advice received: Aim for the stars and you might land on the mountains; if you only aim for the mountains you’ll never get past the trees.
We love doing business in Colorado because: Denver is an amazing city with great weather, progressive thinkers and has mountains nearby. We wouldn’t want to live and work anywhere else.
Please join us on Friday, April 29, to see the winners announced live at the 2016 Business Awards.
Maggie McEntee is the digital communications and brand manager for the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce.
Across the Denver metro area, there are small businesses adding another page in the history of our region's success.
The Chamber’s annual Business Awards luncheon presented by Colorado Business Bank recognizes organizations in our community that make our region a great place to live and do business.
Get to know our Small Business of the Year finalists from their own voice, sponsored by Transworld Business Advisors.
Established: 1970
What we do: Colorado Barricade is a leading provider of traffic safety services and equipment for the road repair, construction and maintenance industry in the state of Colorado. Our core services include traffic-control planning and services, pavement marking, permanent sign manufacturing and installation as well as merchandise and equipment rental and sales.
Did you know:
Fun traditions with our team: We do an annual chili cook-off potluck and hand out a big, cheesy trophy to the winner every year.
Humphries Poli Architects, P.C.
Established: 1994
What we do: Our ideas inspire the spaces in which people spend their time, their energy and their lives. We support the creation of courageous visions, buildings and communities. With over two decades of experience bringing life to new, neglected and forgotten spaces, it is not enough to simply know the rules. Our business is knowing how far they can be bent.
Best advice received: Don’t settle for less than greatness.
If my business had a super power it would be: The ability to build more affordable and sustainable communities. We have this need because we live in a very precious place. We must learn how to balance the impact of what we create with the footprint that it left behind.
Established: 1998
What we do: Syncroness provides inspired solutions to highly complex business and technical problems in the medical device, aerospace and machine solutions industries. We offer engineering services aligned to the entire product lifecycle to accelerate product development and drive more predictability and productivity.
Best part of the day: Our favorite time of day is our 4 o’clock show ‘n tell with beer and nachos. Our teams present their projects to the company to share the exciting creative work we are doing. The beer and nachos are great, too!
We love having our business in Colorado because: Colorado has so much to offer, and in response to our employees’ feedback, we have a 9/80 work schedule to allow our teams to have a better work-life balance. The Colorado culture and creative spirit inspires us to keep providing innovating solutions.
Join us on Friday, April 29, to see the winners announced live at the 2016 Business Awards.
Maggie McEntee is the digital communications and brand manager for the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce.
