Business Opportunity Fair (CO)

This Business Opportunity Fair (BOF) is intended to provide significant opportunities for the corporate members of the Mountain Plains Minority Supplier Development Council (Mountain Plains MSDC) and the Minority Business Enterprises (MBEs) certified by the Mountain Plains MSDC to strengthen its current business relationships and to forge new and beneficial relationships. Booths are available for purchase to our Corporate Members and certified MBEs to exhibit during the trade fair portion of the event. Additionally, one-on-one sessions with buyers from participating Corporate Members may be scheduled prior to the event during the Power Pavilion taking place during the trade fair (more information to come!).

Denver Mayor Michael B. Hancock

Michael B. Hancock became Denver, Colorado’s 45th mayor in July 2011 and immediately began to transform Denver into a more globally competitive city. With the fifth-busiest airport in the United States serving more than 53 million passengers annually, Mayor Hancock is leveraging Denver International Airport to make the entire region a gateway to the world.

Mayor Hancock has secured five new nonstop international flights, including Tokyo, Mexico City, Reykjavik and Panama City, bringing a combined $203M in economic benefits to the region. These routes are opening new connections between the Rocky Mountain West and Asia, Europe and Central America.

To help the Denver area compete in the global marketplace, Mayor Hancock is also working to establish a bustling Airport City and Aerotropolis, which will create more than 30,000 new jobs over the next 20 years. The first phase of these initiatives includes a new 500-room hotel and transit center at the airport, as well as a 20-mile rail line linking Downtown Denver with DIA.

Mayor Hancock was recently named the first Mayor to serve on the Federal Aviation Administration’s Management Advisory Council, where he will bring Denver’s ingenuity to the table as he works to advance major issues on behalf of DIA, other airports and the aviation industry. He also serves on the U.S. Conference of Mayors Transportation Committee.

Mayor Hancock worked with regional leaders to secure a new U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in Downtown Denver. The Patent Office will generate nearly $440 million in economic benefits over the next five years and establish Denver as a hub of innovation in the high-tech and advanced-industry sectors – something Mayor Hancock calls Denver’s Ideas Economy. The Mayor has also developed strategic short- and long-term business plans to support and grow Denver’s diverse, intelligent and forward-leaning businesses in emerging industries such as clean energy, bio-technology, telecommunications, aerospace and healthcare. Denver’s economy is at the forefront of American cities, offering among the strongest job and housing markets in the nation.

The Mayor believes there is nothing more important than helping every young person in every neighborhood compete and succeed in the 21st Century economy. He is aligning all City departments with nonprofits, businesses and educational organizations to better prepare all children for every stage of life through initiatives such as the Denver Children’s Cabinet and Denver Education Compact. He also launched the MY Denver Card, which provides all Denver kids free access to the City’s recreation centers, pools and libraries.

As Denver and cities across the country emerge from the recession, Mayor Hancock is committed to creating economic opportunities and eliminating inequities and disparities. Top priorities include reducing homelessness, increasing affordable housing options, strengthening workforce training partnerships with community colleges, and finding solutions to chronic mental health and substance abuse challenges in the community.

Mayor Hancock has also brought meaningful reform to the City’s finances by closing a structural budget gap and to the Denver Police Department by establishing new leadership that has reorganized the department to get highly trained officers out of the office and onto the streets.

Together, these steps strengthen Denver’s unparalleled quality of life.

Prior to becoming Mayor, Michael B. Hancock served on the Denver City Council for eight years, including two terms as City Council President. In his early career, he worked for the Denver Housing Authority and National Civic League. He was the youngest President of an Urban League chapter in America. Mayor Hancock is 44 years old and the proud father of three children: Alayna, Jordan and Janae. He and his wife, Mary, have been married for more than 20 years.

Tom Clark, Chief Executive Officer of the Metro Denver Economic Development Corporation

Tom Clark is Chief Executive Officer of the Metro Denver Economic Development Corporation and the Executive Vice President of the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce. He has more than 30 years of economic development experience at the state, regional, county and city levels. Tom’s career spans four decades from Director of Commercial and Industrial Development for the Illinois Department of Commerce and Community Affairs, through positions with the Fort Collins, Colorado Chamber of Commerce, the Greater Denver Corporation, the Boulder Chamber of Commerce, the Jefferson Economic Council, and the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce. He holds bachelors degrees in speech and psychology from Minnesota State University and a Masters in Public Administration from the University of Illinois. Tom was the founder and first president of the Metro Denver Network, the Metro Denver region’s first economic development program, for which he received the Arthur D. Little Award for Excellence in Economic Development. He was chosen as one of the nation’s top economic development professionals by the Council on Urban Economic Development.

Mike Boyd – Executive Vice President, Sales, Aon Cornerstone Innovative Solutions

Mike Boyd presides as Executive Vice President, Aon Cornerstone Innovative Solutions. With over 20 years professional services experience, Boyd has led business development efforts and client engagements on a national level. He has achieved tremendous success expanding business presence in difficult / competitive markets, leading awareness / change management efforts to broaden engagement, and creating multi-faceted stakeholder value. In his current role, Boyd co-led pioneering efforts to establish a unique collaboration model in the professional services space, one that partners Aon’s industry experts with top talent minority and women-owned businesses to deliver an integrated client solution. Boydacts as a lead consultant to Aon colleagues, clients and MBE partners to identify optimal win-win strategies and increase penetration in new / developing market sectors. To date, Boydhas led the highest revenue account win within the Aon Cornerstone platform and is highly engaged across Aon’s core business units as a leading subject matter expert within the diversity / professional services space. Prior to Aon Cornerstone, Boyd held executive leadership roles acting in capacity of National Consultant Strategist to Accounting firm principals, Vice President of Sales (T-NETIX product line) and Regional / Director positions across AT&T’s organization. Boyd earned a BA in Business from Roosevelt University.

C. David Kikumoto – Co-Founder and CEO of Denver Management Advisors

C. David Kikumoto is co-founder and CEO of Denver Management Advisors, Inc. and is a nationally recognized healthcare expert.  He has an in-depth understanding of the financial dynamics of the health insurance industry and is considered an expert in assisting companies and trust funds in lowering their healthcare costs.   Mr. Kikumoto has a total of 26 years of experience in the health and welfare benefits area.  He was the President and Vice Chairman of the Board at Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Colorado and Nevada, and CEO and Vice Chairman of Rocky Mountain Healthcare, the holding company of Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans in Colorado, New Mexico and Nevada.  He led the merger of Blue Cross and Blue Shield to Anthem resulting in the creation of one of the largest private foundations in the State of Colorado.  Mr. Kikumoto received his BS degree in Accounting from the University of Utah, pursued graduate studies at the University of Utah, graduated from the Executive Development Program at the University of Chicago, and graduated from the National Association of Corporate Directors training.  Mr. Kikumoto is also very active in the non-profit sector, serving as a director on the National Board of Volunteers of America, including serving two terms as board chair.  He also serves on the Boy Scouts of America Board of Directors, and served a term as President of the Greater Denver Area Boy Scouts of America.  Mr. Kikumoto serves as Board Chairman of Air Methods, Inc., the world’s largest provider of air ambulance service, and as a Board Director for Banner Healthcare, a multi-billion hospital system.

Marco Campos – Principal / Owner of Campos EPC

Marco Campos is the Founder and Managing Principal of Denver-based Campos EPC- an Engineering, Procurement and Construction firm. Marco founded Campos EPC in his basement at the age of 30, and in just nine years, the Company has grown from a small start-up to a market industry leader with 160 employees and offices across the country.  Prior to Campos EPC, he worked in a variety of engineering, operations, project management, and management capacities for oil and gas pipeline/terminal and consulting companies.  Marco is a Certified Project Management Professional and licensed Civil Engineer.

Outside the office, Marco is a loyal Denver native and tremendously proud father of four children, ages 2 through 12. He is a graduate of the University of Colorado, Boulder, with a degree in Civil Engineering and remains very active in his community, serving on multiple industry and university boards/ advisory councils. Marco leads The Campos EPC Community Outreach Program/Foundation which supports his passion for elevating under-represented minorities and women in their pursuit of STEM related careers. Campos’ program has grown quickly since its inception in 2013 and has already individually impacted hundreds of Colorado students to date, with plans to expand exponentially in coming years.

Campos EPC was awarded the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce Minority Owned Business of the Year Award and in 2014, Marco was awarded the Denver Business Journal’s prestigious 40-Under-40 award. This year, Marco is honored to be the recipient of the 2015 9News Leader of the Year Award.

Jared Casey – President / CEO of Faison Office Products

What better way to transition to a new millennium than to realize your dream of business ownership.  That is just what Jared D. Casey, Jr. accomplished after retiring from a successful career in purchasing management.  In February of 2000, Jared D. Casey Jr. launched the next phase of his professional career with the purchase of Faison Office Products Company, a small minority business with a proven track record and even greater future potential.  Under Jared Casey’s astute leadership role as President/CEO of Faison Office Products, Inc., this small certified MBE Corporation has grown to be the parent company of Piedmont Office Suppliers in Greensboro, NC and Gaffaney’s Total Office Source with three locations; Williston, ND; Plentywood, MT and Glasgow, MT as well as The Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory located in the Southland Shopping Center of Aurora, Colorado.

Always looking ahead and seeking avenues of opportunity and success, Jared’s most recent accomplishment as a certified MBE owner is attaining membership to a select group of MBE(s) with the National Minority Supplier Development Council’s Corporate Plus Program.  Faison Office Products, Inc. is a single source solution for office products, furniture, computer supplies/peripherals, IT infrastructure; copier equipment/service; janitorial products and many specialty items to a prestigious list of customers nationally and internationally.  Jared Casey’s goal for Faison Office Products, Inc. is to expand their global presence through growth and acquisition.

With a strong purchasing and management background for over seventeen years, Jared Casey has previously served as Senior Vice President and Chief Purchasing Officer of First Union Bank in The Money Store division before becoming a successful business owner.  He attended New Mexico State University and is the proud recipient of the prestigious EE Van Stee Scholarship award as well as the Advanced Management Education Program award at Northwestern University and Kellogg School of Management, through the Mountain Plains Minority Supplier Development Council.  He is also a Tuck Executive Program Alumni with Dartmouth College.

As a responsible member of the community, Jared Casey has served on various organizational Boards contributing to the implementation of strategies to support the welfare and development of the communities where his companies conduct business.  The Colorado Black Chamber of Commerce (CBCC); The Mountain Plains Minority Supplier Development Council (MPMSDC); The Food Bank of the Rockies; The Minority Business Input Committee; and The Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce (DMCC) are a few of the organizations he has been associated with over the last few years.

Jared is married to his lovely wife Sheila and they are the proud parents of four beautiful daughters; three grandsons and one granddaughter.  Running the corporation keeps him quite busy, but on the light side, when he is not conducting board room business, you may find him relaxing with his family, enjoying a game of golf or on a clear day, piloting a plane across the Colorado skies.

Kedar Morarka – Founder and President of Image Projections West, Inc.

Kedar Morarka, founder and President of IPW, Inc, has more than 35 years of experience in Management, product development, engineering & manufacturing. He held senior technical and management positions in the consumer electronics and imaging supplies industries for many years prior to starting IPW in 1996. Kedar has over 80 successful imaging products to his credit, including three patents. He holds a MSME from Ohio State University and an MBA from Texas Tech University.

IPW is one of the largest U.S. manufacturer of laser printer imaging supplies and full service distributor of all office supply needs. IPW’s services include highly efficient custom precision assembly, pilot production runs and kitting services for short or long run needs.  IPW has over 140,000 Sq. ft. of production and warehousing space at two locations (Denver & Indianapolis) and fully integrated E-Commerce/EDI capabilities.

Adam Walker – CEO of Summit Container Corporation

Adam C. Walker began serving as Summit ContainerCorporation‘s Chief Executive Officer in January 2014.  Walker has implemented a growth strategy focused on technology, innovation, new market expansion and Mergers and Acquisitions to accelerate the growth of Summit Container.  He has focused relentlessly on revenue growth, customer satisfaction and shareholder value creation.  Throughout his career, Walker has served as a high-impact strategist with experience spanning global manufacturing operations, business development, marketing, strategic business unit leadership and turn-around assignment.  Walker is an accomplished business executive with over twenty years of packaging expertise serving technology, automotive, beverage, and other industries.  Prior to acquiring Summit ContainerCorporation, Walker co-founded and led Homestead Packaging Solutions, an innovative and award winning packaging manufacturer with facilities in Tennessee and Michigan.  Under his leadership, the company received numerous awards including the NMSDC Supplier of the Year and the United States Department of Commerce – MBDA Manufacturer of the year.  Walker launched his career as a running back in the National Football League (NFL) where he played for seven consecutive seasons beginning and ending with the Philadelphia Eagles in 1990 and 1996 respectively.  Walker also played for the San Francisco 49ers from 1991 to 1995 and was a member of the 1994 49ers Super Bowl XXIX championship team.  Recognized for his leadership on and off the field, Walker served as special teams captain from 1994-1996 for both the 49ers and the Eagles; received 1994’s post-season special teams MVP; nominated for the Ed Block Award for Courage in 1995; received the 1996 special teams Player of the Year award; and the NFL’s Player Network Events (PNE) Executive of the Year.  Currently, Walker serves on the Board of Directors of the National Minority Supplier Development Council, Gwinnett Technical College, the Georgia Small Business Center, and is a member of the Young Presidents Organization (YPO).   He received his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration degree from the University of Pittsburgh and completed the Advanced Management Executive Program from Northwestern University – Kellogg School of Management.