Boulder’s Eldorado Climbing Walls on Tuesday bested 12 finalists in the fourth annual Wright Award contest.
More than 150 companies vied for the award, created by Denver’s Something Independent, which fosters opportunities and growth among the state’s lifestyle-driven businesses.
Judged on criteria that included lifestyle, leadership and culture, a final 12 entrepreneurs submitted 90-second videos trumpeting their companies. That dynamic dozen included Oskar Blues Brewery in Lyons, Steamboat’s Moots and Honey Stinger, Wheat Ridge’s Kifaru and Optic Nerve Eyewear, the Mishawaka Amphitheater, Crested Butte’s Montanya Distillery, Montrose fly-reel maker Ross Reels and metro Denver’s Jiberish, Icelantic Skis and Pakems.
“These are people starting businesses. But it’s not that they are just building a business but they are building a life and they are building a life that they imagined, right, they created in their own mind,” said Gov. John Hickenlooper.
Eldorado, with its community-building mantra “everyone should climb,” proved most impressive, particularly with the company’s dedication to sourcing all its materials from suppliers in Colorado.
