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Boulder’s Best Organics

Sure, visitors to Boulder enjoy the Flatirons, the creek path, and the Pearl Street Mall. But they also enjoy Chocolove dark chocolate, Justin’s peanut butter, and Pangea lotion. Locally made products define the unique character of Boulder just as much as the town’s natural setting. This inspired Arron Mansika to form the company Boulder’s Best Organics.

Boulder’s Best Organics creates gift collections of the finest organic items exclusively from Boulder based companies. Mansika chose to include only certified organic items to ensure high quality, and because of the tremendous health and ecological benefits. It helps that Boulder is the focal point of the organics industry, spawning some of the largest natural foods companies in the world and home to dozens of smaller manufacturers. Boulder’s Best Organics now carries nearly 100 items from twenty four companies.

Mansika didn’t want his to be just another gift-basket company though. Instead, the organic collections arrive in Presentation Boxes, which has proven key to the company’s success. Easy to stack, ship, and reuse, the boxes are so user friendly that many business customers order several dozen at a time so they always have a gift ready to give whenever they need one. Further, the boxes feature watercolors of picturesque scenes, and are fully recyclable.

With a basic business plan, Mansika walked into the Small Business Development Center (SBDC), where director Sharon King and consultant Chuck Hunker provided everything from technical skill to moral support.

In less than a year, the company was chosen to provide 2,400 gifts to the county’s fifth largest employer, secured an exclusive contract with one of the county’s largest real estate brokers, and earned Top-Ten Eco-Gift by a national magazine.

Mansika also completed the SBDC’s Leading Edge series, spoke on the Boulder Chamber’s “Power Panel,” and personally presented a gift collection to then-Governor Ritter.

Sales are certainly not limited to tourists or local businesses. With Boulder’s recognition as a leader in healthy living and high quality products, Boulder’s Best Organics receives online orders from all over the nation. And since people are free to “Create Your Own Collection,” the company is sure to deliver exactly what the customer wants.

Since this story was written, founder Arron Mansika sold Boulder’s Best Organics to new owners who have continued to grow the venture significantly.

Art Parts Creative Reuse Center

The nonprofit world can be difficult to enter, so when Denise Perreault was in the beginning stages of starting her own nonprofit, Art Parts, she looked to the Boulder Small Business Development Center for guidance. The SBDC helped Denise and her co-founders figure out the most crucial aspects of their new business. “In our four-year founding and planning phase, the most daunting task was setting a realistic budget, as we had no experience there. The

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Stratom

Stratom Inc., founded by Mark Gordon in 2001, is a Boulder-based unmanned robotics engineering and manufacturing firm. Stratom provides integrated solutions and products to government and commercial clients around the globe. Prior to founding Stratom, Mark worked in Sr. Management for various high tech companies. There he witnessed the volatility of the high tech industry and its move to outsource many of its products and services to foreign markets. Mark decided that he wanted to

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Happy Trunk

Who doesn’t like getting fun mail? The Happy Trunk is an ecommerce, subscription based company that delivers monthly “Smiles In A Box for Kids”. Vinnie Bhushan, owner, architect, and interior designer by trade, got her first inspiration for The Happy Trunk from her children. When they were in elementary school, she decided to volunteer as an Odyssey of the Mind Coach. “As an Odyssey of the Mind Coach at Flagstaff Academy in Longmont, CO, I

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Grasshaven Outdoor

The media has called her the “Martha Stewart of Camping” and it is a title she proudly wears. Dawn Bitz, founder and majority owner of Grasshaven Outdoor is in business to bring sophistication, style and comfort into our time outdoors through stylish outdoor camping equipment, unique RV housewares and general outdoor fun products. Grasshaven Outdoor also strives to deliver a wealth of great ideas and outdoor recipes. Dawn got her inspiration when, as a busy

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Icebox Knitting

Icebox Knitting is an outdoor lifestyle manufacturing company based out of Longmont. Icebox emerged from its parent company, Alpine knitting in 1993. Initially located on Seventh and Walnut street in Boulder, Icebox has been around for over two decades. Icebox Knitting has two core brand lines, Dohm and Xob. Dohm is a traditional yet vibrant textile brand, made from yarn imported from Italy. Xob’s line is sustainably created from upcycled materials. Initially, to create Xob’s

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Whitehorse Heart

“Whitehorse Heart is a consulting company dedicated to reinvention and wellbeing from a business, career and physical standpoint. We help you put another oar in the water to make an effective Plan B or help you get a fresh perspective and new direction in your job or career search. If needed, we can guide you to shift your shape physically so that your outside image and your mind’s eye image merge”, says Teri Sanchez. “Since

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