Now Open to the General Public!

Make sure you seize the opportunity to connect with Colorado’s most promising companies, our 2023 CCTW Finalists, along with our SUPERSTAR Alumni Speakers!  

CCTW is excited to bring you its inaugural Finalist Reception & Expo! Learn which Colorado companies are rising to the top and who has been selected as one of the CCTW Finalists! This is your opportunity to learn about the up-and-coming companies that are developing the most innovative products and services in our state while they showcase their products and services at this “open to the community” event. Don’t miss “Center Stage” as we welcome past Alumni to come and share stories about their journey since winning Colorado Companies to Watch! We will close the afternoon out with a reception to celebrate the achievements of our Finalists.

Agenda

Finalist Expo: 1pm – 7pm
Center Stage Alumni Panel Session #1: 3pm – 4pm
Center Stage Alumni Panel Session #2: 4pm – 5pm
Finalist Reception: 5pm – 7pm

Event Speakers

	Jamba Dunn, Founder & CEO of Rowdy Mermaid and 2018 Winner Jamba Dunn is Founder and CEO of Boulder-based Rowdy Mermaid, a Functional Wellness Beverage brand that makes three distinct product lines: Kombucha, Sparkling Tonics with Adaptogens, and Good Mood Soda. Rowdy Mermaid is distributed nationally at Whole Foods Markets and Sprouts and is available in thousands of retailers across the United States. After leaving corporate life behind, Jamba founded the company in 2012 to dive deeper into two of his passions: academic research and the art of fermentation. With this – and at the request of his 3-year-old daughter for a kombucha less sweet and less vinegary – Jamba developed a new process for brewing the 2,000 year-old beverage. His rambunctious, water-splashing daughter was also the inspiration for the Rowdy Mermaid name.
	Michael Myers, CEO & Founding Distiller of Distillery 291 and 2020 Winner 291 Colorado Whiskey founder, Michael Myers is a former New York City fashion and beauty photographer, with a love of whiskey and passion for the old west. Experiencing 9/11 in the city changed his life– setting Michael on a path to Colorado, and whiskey. Without any prior experience in distilling or brewing, Myers bootstrapped his idea, setting out to create a grain to bottle, Western whiskey. He aimed to replicate the taste, smell and folklore of that time, to create a one-of-a-kind, bold and beautiful Colorado Whiskey. Myers did not have the capital to utilize consultants or engineers– taught himself the art of distilling and built all his own equipment. 291’s original still is built from copper photogravure plates that he had once used to create enduring photographic scenes, from western landscapes to the Chrysler Building. On September 11, 2011 — ten years after 9/11 changed his life and the lives of so many others — Myers pulled his first whiskey off a copper still in his 300sq.ft distillery. Twelve years later, 291 Colorado Whiskey is Colorado’s most highly awarded whiskey.
	Elisabeth Vezzani, CEO of Sugarwish and 2021 Winner While working in business development, Vezzani noticed a gap in the corporate gift market and created Sugarwish, a startup that brings a revolutionary and sweet approach to gifting. Sugarwish is a rapidly growing Denver-based gifting company with a unique digital-to-physical delivery model. Corporate gift givers can send an eCard or gift link to their co-workers, clients and prospects who are invited to visit Sugarwish.com and choose their favorite flavors from candy to cookies, popcorn to snacks, coffee/tea, wine, flowers and an ever-growing list of gourmet treats. Each recipient gets exactly the gift they want – customized for them. This unique experience is powered through partnerships with an ever-increasing list of specialty treat producers. Sweet happiness. Delivered.
	Jon Nordmark, Co-Founder and CEO of Iterate.ai and 2022 Winner Jon Nordmark is co-founder and CEO of Iterate.ai launched in 2013. With an $82,000 marketing budget and no salespeople, Iterate’s revenues grew profitably by 543%, to >$10 million, over the past five years, landing it on Delloite’s 2021 Fast 500 list. 85% of Iterate’s 102 person team is technical, and 15% hold PhDs or MS degrees in AI. Iterate built and patented a low-code AI software platform, called Interplay. A wide range of companies use Interplay: from retailers (Ulta Beauty, Pampered Chef, Circle K) to automotive service providers (Driven Brands) to Entertainment/Media companies (Academy of Pop) to banks and insurance companies (MUFG). Before Iterate, Jon was founder and CEO of eBags.com, a pioneer of product ratings and reviews, dropship, negative cash conversion rates, and A/B split testing. Samsonite acquired the Company after eBags sold 20 million bags which produced $1.65 billion in revenue.
	Mary Grothe, Founder of House of Revenue and 2021 Winner From beginning her career in sales at a Fortune 1000 payroll company to being the Founder and former CEO of House of Revenue, now CRO at Payroll Network, Mary Grothe has always put the customer first, enabling the opportunity to generate millions of dollars in revenue. Her company built solid revenue foundations by developing a holistic revenue strategy that integrates sales, marketing, revenue operations, and client success, and now she is leading Payroll Network on the journey to $50M in revenue.
	Matt Frary, CEO of Digital Good and 2020 Winner Matt Frary is a Digital Entrepreneur based in Colorado who has built 5 companies in the digital space that he’s had successful exits from. These companies include SmarterChaos, She Is Media, DealTaker, Elite Media Partners, and ROI Rocket. Matt and his company won Colorado Companies to Watch in 2020 at the company he founded, SmarterChaos. He has also received awards across the board ranging from INC 5000, Financial Times Best of the Americas, Colorado Technology Association Entrepreneur of the Year 2021, and many, many more. Matt enjoys mentoring startups and giving back wherever he can. He is a Mentor at The Founder’s Institute in Denver, the largest pre-seed accelerator in the world, and he also volunteers across many organizations that provide help for those that are Human Trafficked, and to implement technology to detect weapons in schools. Today, Matt is a Consultant at several Tech Companies, and still works with brands to help them grow. He has recently founded another agency called The Partner Agency, and he’s busy working on many pet projects. From skiing in the mountains, to zipping across the globe, Matt also has a zest for adventure and travel.
	Michael Hupf, CEO & Owner of Lifescape Colorado and 2018 Winner Michael Hupf grew up on a family farm in Nebraska with his four brothers. In his early years, he gained valuable experience in 4H, selling home-grown goods with his brothers at the local farmer’s market and working for a local landscape company. His education includes an Accounting undergraduate degree from Creighton and MBA from Stanford. Prior to purchasing Lifescape Colorado in 2006, he held high-level positions with Deloitte, McKinsey & Co. and Conde Naste . He also founded his own wine label. While earning his MBA at Stanford, Michael also interned with Walt Disney’s CFO. The combination of experience has helped him take Lifescape from a $3 million/ year company to a $30 million/year company in just 17 years. While he empowers a strong team of executives and managers to help him run the company, Michael is still deeply entrenched in all aspects of the business from operations and marketing to human resources and finance. Michael also leads by example providing ongoing support of the local design trade industry. Under his leadership, Lifescape has grown into Colorado’s largest locally-owned residential landscape company with design, build and property care departments servicing homeowners throughout the Front Range of Colorado.

Moderators

Martin Mahalchick, Senior Relationship Manager, Bank of America Martin Mahalchick is a Vice President and Senior Relationship Manager for the Colorado market in Commercial Banking at Bank of America. In this capacity, his responsibilities include leading a team of specialists focused on understanding each client’s unique needs to deliver strategic financial guidance and solutions. Martin’s mission is to help local companies thrive by achieving their business goals, no matter how simple or how complex.Bringing 20-plus years of experience, Martin joined Bank of America in 2017. He also worked at JPMorgan Chase where he was most recently a Senior Relationship Manager in New York City. Throughout his banking career, Martin has served midsized companies in Colorado to support their commercial banking needs.To help create a more sustainable future for the companies and communities he serves, Martin volunteers with several not-for-profit organizations focused on education, health, and financial stability in the Metro Denver area, most recently as a board trustee with the Mile High United Way. He also serves as a mentor for teammates across Bank of America. In addition, he serves on the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce Public Affairs Council, Downtown Denver Economic Development Council, as well as a board trustee for Prosper Bridge. Martin currently resides in Denver, CO, with his wife, daughter and son. When not working or volunteering Martin enjoys playing basketball, skiing, and watching live sports

Alex Wardlaw, MBA, Senior Business Consultant, VensureHR Mr. Wardlaw has over twenty years experience in the Human Capital Management (HCM) industry. He has opened the Colorado marketplace for several HR outsourcing companies. Sourcing talent, leading sales teams and growing market share is a common practice for him. A highly motivated individual with extensive experience in sales, management, marketing, human capital, negotiations, finance, and benefits. Alex possesses wide-ranging expertise in business operations, customer service and risk assessment. He has spent most of his sales career consulting with C-Level Executives on best practices to generate results for their businesses. He gains respect by working with integrity and high ethics. By putting his customers first and delivering value added solutions, he develops and cultivates long-term relationships.Mr. Wardlaw holds his bachelor of arts degree in Economics from Trinity College and his Masters of Business Administration, MBA, in Finance from the University of Florida, Warrington College of Business. He studied abroad at the London School of Economics.His hobbies include snowboarding, pickleball, racquetball, ping-pong, and golf.

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