Denver Metro Chamber Names 2022 Business Awards Finalists

In an effort to recognize the best of businesses in the Denver metro area, the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce has named 17 organizations as finalists for its 2022 Business Awards, presented by BOK Financial.

A winner will be chosen for each of the six categories by a panel of judges, and for the first time, there was also a community vote available for members of the public to show their support for these organizations.

“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 winners will be announced at the award ceremony on April 29 at the Infinity Park Event Center.

“Our goal has been simple: to put more Coloradans to work.” -Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce

This year’s Business Awards are celebrating a wide variety of businesses and organizations, ranging from a family-owned plumbing business and a music retail store to nonprofits serving local families and a youth apprenticeship program.

The Chamber is searching for organizations that have a positive impact across both their community and different business sectors.

The finalists and their categories include:

Disruptor of the Year, sponsored by First Onsite

• 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.
• 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.

Large Nonprofit of the Year, sponsored by Comcast

• 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.
• 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.
• 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.

Woman or BIPOC-owned Business of the Year, sponsored by Xcel Energy

• 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.
• 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.
• 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.

Small Business of the Year, sponsored by Delta Dental of Colorado

• 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.
• 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.
• 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.

Small Nonprofit of the Year, sponsored by Emerge

• 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.
• 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.

Start-Up of the Year, sponsored by Emergenetics International

• 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.
• 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.
• 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.

The finalists for the Denver Metro Chamber’s 2022 Business Awards seem just as excited as the Chamber to receive these nominations:

“It is an honor to be recognized for the hard work our team has put into building both a strong business and an enviable culture,” says Barefoot PR co-founders Sarah Hogan and Cori Streetman. “Even better to see Barefoot PR listed alongside Diverse Talent and Marisol Solarte-Erlacher and Associates, businesses also focused on uplifting the voices of individuals who have too often been overlooked. We are so proud to be part of this community of women- and BIPOC-led businesses who are making Denver better.”

“Economic Literacy Colorado is thrilled to be recognized as a Small Nonprofit Finalist for this year’s Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce Business Awards,” says Debbie Pierce, president and CEO of Economic Literacy Colorado. “As champions of economic and personal financial education for teachers and their students, we thrive on knowing that more and more students are learning real-world skills that influence decision-making in their personal, professional, and civic lives. And that impacts all of us. Thank you, Denver Chamber!”

CEO and founder of GoQAV, Tyson Rabani, says, “We are honored to be recognized as a finalist for Disruptor of the Year by the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce. There are many amazing businesses across Colorado creating positive and disruptive change within their industries, and so we are humbled to be among the best.”

Claire Doye, Marketing Director for High 5 Plumbing says, “What an incredible honor for High 5 Plumbing to be chosen as one of the finalists for the Denver Metro Chamber Small Business of the Year award. Our team strives to provide top notch customer service, be a champion in our community, and embody a positive company culture each and every day. We are truly excited to be recognized alongside the other amazing organizations and wish everyone good luck!”

For more than 150 years, the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce has been a leading voice for Colorado’s business community. With a membership that spans the seven-county metro region and includes 3,000 businesses and their 300,000 employees, the Chamber is a powerful and effective advocate for both small and large businesses at the local, state, and federal levels. Learn more at: Denver Chamber.