Colorado Business Hall of Fame Inducts Five Leaders

Colorado consistently remains in the Top 15 among business-friendly states and among the best for starting a small business. This is not news or a surprise at the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce or Junior Achievement-Rocky Mountain, organizations with a mission to support Colorado business expansion and to teach young students how to be entrepreneurs.

This 2024 Colorado Business Hall of Fame was held on Thursday, Feb 15 at the Hyatt Regency Denver at the Colorado Convention Center with 800 guests in attendance.

Hosted by the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce and Junior Achievement-Rocky Mountain, the event is an annual gathering of Colorado’s most prominent and accomplished business movers and shakers.

Junior Achievement’s proven lessons in financial literacy, work and career readiness, and entrepreneurship are shown to positively impact students’ lives. JA lessons align with national and state educational standards and are delivered to millions of students nationwide with the help of education partners and volunteers.

This year’s Hall of Fame induction featured the theme – “Vision Illuminated.” Each year the Denver Metro Chamber and Junior Achievement honor and showcase the state’s past and current business pioneers and innovators. This year’s event showcased some of Colorado’s top business leaders and philanthropists representing home building and ski industries, and entrepreneurs in the franchise and banking sectors. Presenting Sponsor was UMB Bank.

Allison Kinsley, Toti Cadavid, Luella Chavez D’Angelo, Nancy Baca Watters

One of the highlights of the annual event is hearing from young Junior Achievement student ambassadors who announce the inductees with cleverly scripted biographies, special themes, and sometimes even some on-stage props. This year Denver7 Anchor Brian Sanders served as dinner program emcee with live music provided by Groove Machine.

The Hall of Fame Inductees of 2024 are Rose Andom, entrepreneur and McDonald’s franchisee; Pat Hamill, founder of Oakwood Homes; John A. Ikard, retired CEO of FirstBank Holding Co.; Rob Katz, CEO of Vail Resorts; Steve Schuck, founder of Schuck Communities (now Schuck Chapman Companies); and Pioneer Laureate, Elizabeth Hickok Robbins Stone who in 1862 arrived in Colorado and helped found what became the City of Fort Collins. For more information on the 2024 inductees please visit the Colorado Business Hall of Fame web site: ColoradoBusinessHallofFame.org

Junior Achievement Ambassadors

For more information on these business-oriented organizations please visit JARockyMountain.org and denverchamber.org