JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT ROCKY MOUNTAIN 

DENVER METRO CHAMBER OF COMMERCE 

Denver 

News: The men and women who were inducted into the Colorado Business Hall of Fame this year made their marks in different ways, yet they had this in common: They dared to take a chance. And they had the courage to see things through when others questioned the wisdom of their choices. 

The Max Appel family, for instance, transformed a garage-based side project—the manufacture of Orange Glo furniture polish—into a $200 million global family of cleaning products. The late Tweet Kimball proved local cattlemen and Texas breeders wrong when she defied their skepticism and established a successful Santa Gertrudis cattle ranch on her 4,000-acre Cherokee Ranch. 

The late Walter A. “Buz” Koelbel grew Koelbel and Company, a real estate development company founded by his father, into one of the most prominent family-owned real estate companies in the state while living a purpose-filled life that included leadership roles in philanthropic and economic development. 

Chuck Morris arrived in Colorado in the 1960s to pursue his doctorate in political science at the University of Colorado Boulder, but found music more to his liking. He built Boulder’s legendary Tulagi nightclub, where he booked such up-and-coming talents as the Doobie Brothers, the Eagles, and ZZ Top. Today, the former president of AEG Presents’ Rocky Mountain Region is celebrated as one who was key in bringing some of the biggest names in rock ‘n roll to Colorado stages. After retiring from AEG Presents, Morris founded the Music Business Program at Colorado State University. 

Blair Richardson, a 40-year veteran of the financial services industry, is the founder of Bow River Capital, which manages over $5 billion in assets. He has worked at Canada’s oldest securities firm, A.E. Ames and Company, and has held leadership roles at U.S. firms such as Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley. He has also been honored as one of Denver’s most influential individuals and is the recipient of the Mizel Institute’s 2022 Community Enrichment Award. 

“Moving to Denver was the best decision I ever made,” Richardson said. His friend, attorney Adam Agron, described Richardson as a “Fast talker with striking focus” who was destined for success. “I had formed four companies by the time I was in 8^th grade,” Richardson recalled, joking that “I was making so much money that I became a loan shark.” 

George Solich made his fortune in the energy business, but it was his love of golf that put Colorado back in the sport’s world spotlight. Solich, whose energy companies have sold for billions of dollars, is chairman of the board and president of Castle Pines Golf Club and founder of the Colorado Golf Foundation, roles that enabled him to bring the prestigious PGA Tour to Colorado twice, He’s also a leader in charitable organizations that focus on giving youngsters from underserved communities confidence and opportunity to become the best they can be. “In America,” Solich said, “We should all be guaranteed the right to become successful.” 

The 2026 Colorado Business Hall of Fame laureates were inducted at a gala held Feb. 5 at the Hyatt Regency Denver at the Colorado Convention Center. It was attended by 1,000 friends of the honorees and supporters of the organizations that present the Colorado Business Hall of Fame: Junior Achievement Rocky Mountain and the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce. 

About the organizations: Junior Achievement Rocky Mountain works to help students achieve academically today and economically tomorrow by collaborating with educators, employers, and community leaders to provide hands-on, interactive, and relevant learning experiences that advance economic mobility and opportunity for young people, thus preparing them for future careers, self-sufficiency, and financial acumen. 

The Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce is a business advocacy organization that promotes economic growth in the Denver metro region by connecting businesses, developing leaders, and influencing public policy at the local, state and federal levels. 

Websites: jarockymountain.org, denverchamber.org 

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