Panel to highlight innovation at Mercury 100/IQ Awards event

BERTHOUD — Founders of two fast-growing regional companies will join a panel discussion Thursday at BizWest’s Mercury 100/IQ Awards event at the Trailhead Cafe in Berthoud.
Rachel Irons, co-founder of Boulder-based Nude Food Market LLC, and Cammie Read, co-founder of Cultivate Kitchen Co. LLC, will join Gina Cornelio, co-head of Dorsey & Whitney’s patent prosecution, portfolio strategy and management practice, and Mark Berman, Colorado market executive for innovation economy banking at JPMorgan Chase.
Irons co-founded Nude Foods Market in 2020, emphasizing zero waste groceries, with reusable and returnable packaging. The company operates stores in Boulder and Denver, with additional locations planned.
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Cultivate Kitchen was founded in 2022, offering meal preparation, catering and personal-chef services.
The Mercury 100/IQ Awards event will celebrate the 100 fastest-growing private companies in the Boulder Valley and Northern Colorado, while the IQ (Innovation Quotient) Awards portion of the event will honor innovative products in six industry categories.
BizWest named the Mercury 100 companies in early June, recognizing companies based on two-year revenue growth, but the actual rankings will be unveiled Thursday.
Three IQ Awards finalists were identified in each of six categories:
Aerospace
- LEAP, Lafayette, Dual Mode Rocket Engine technology.
- Tendeg LLC, Louisville, Perimeter Truss Reflector.
- Ursa Major Technologies Inc., Berthoud, Hadley Engine.
Brewing
- Left Hand Brewing Co. Inc., Longmont, independent craft platform.
- New Belgium Brewing, Fort Collins LightStrike hard refresher.
- Seed & Spirit LLC, Fort Collins, Whiszcal.
Consumer Products
- Rain Technology, Boulder, Switchable Privacy embedded directional display.
- Red House Tools LLC, Loveland, EZ-Wings material support system.
- Willow Home Ltd., Boulder, unique concierge model.
Life Sciences
- Armis Biopharma Inc., Fort Collins, VerCyn wound wash.
- Havah Therapeutics, Inc., Boulder, HAV-088 therapeutic implant for treating Ductal Carcinoma In-Situ.
- VitriVax Inc., Boulder, ALTA platform.
Robotics
- Pattern Labs Inc., Erie, robotic system for airport baggage and cargo handling.
- Picknik Inc., Longmont, MoveIt Pro Release 6.
- Scythe Robotics Inc., Longmont, M.52 robotic lawn mower.
Natural Products
- Bobo’s Oat Bars, Boulder/Loveland, fig bar.
- Lentiful, LLC, Broomfield, Lentil-based instant meals.
- Purely Elizabeth LLC, Boulder, Cookie granola.
- IQ Awards winners also will be named Thursday.
The combined Mercury 100/IQ Awards event will take place at the Trailhead Cafe, 375 Meadowlark Drive in Berthoud. Doors open at 4 p.m., with the program beginning at 5 p.m. General-admission tickets remain on sale until 11:30 p.m. June 11.
Founders of two fast-growing regional companies will join a panel discussion Thursday at BizWest’s Mercury 100/IQ Awards event at the Trailhead Cafe in Berthoud.