The Smart Business Dealmakers Dealmaker of the Year Awards recognize exceptional individuals who are shaping the landscape of business and innovation in Denver.
In addition, The Denver Dealmakers Hall of Fame recognized a class of dealmakers that has made an often-groundbreaking impact on their organizations, industries and the region over the course of decades in business.
We celebrated the accomplishments of the 2024 class of winners on October 24 at the Denver Smart Business Dealmakers Conference. Together, they provide a strong picture of the Denver business community.
Dealmaker Of The Year Honorees
Raj Dani has been instrumental in guiding Ping Identity through its recent transformation and strategic acquisitions. Under his leadership, Ping Identity was taken private and completed a $2.3 billion acquisition of ForgeRock, making it a top-three contender in the identity access management field. The deal, which brought the combined value of Ping and ForgeRock acquisitions to $5.4 billion, faced a 10-month antitrust review by the DOJ, during which Raj and his team provided crucial testimony. Raj's financial expertise has been key in solidifying Ping's position as a leader in cybersecurity.
Mowa Haile has led Blue Sky Builders through a significant milestone, with the company recently transitioning to management ownership. This acquisition, completed in April 2024 with debt financing support from Apis & Heritage, ensures the company’s continued growth and stability in the construction industry. Blue Sky Builders focuses on infrastructure projects for both private and public sectors, playing a vital role in developing communities. Mowa's leadership and vision have positioned the company as a trusted name in construction.
Sally Hatcher and Mark Lupa have made Buff Gold Ventures a driving force behind the Deep Tech ecosystem emerging from the University of Colorado. Their investments in groundbreaking companies like SinusLogic, Vitro3D, and LongPath Technologies have advanced fields from additive manufacturing to methane emission measurement. Over the last three years, Buff Gold Ventures has backed innovations across biotech, quantum science, and climate tech, creating a pipeline of promising technologies. Sally and Mark’s commitment to fostering early-stage ventures is shaping the future of high-tech industries.
Scott Hutton has led Biodesix, a diagnostics company specializing in lung disease, through a transformative period of growth. Recently, Biodesix raised $55 million through an underwritten offering and concurrent private placement, positioning the company for future expansion and innovation. This capital will further Biodesix’s mission to provide life-saving diagnostic solutions to patients and health care providers. Scott’s strategic leadership has helped to strengthen the company’s position in the health care sector.
Charles Scripps has played a pivotal role in the success of Black Lake Capital, a private equity firm known for its strategic investments in technology-enabled businesses. During his tenure, Charles led the combination of SCApath and Spinnaker Supply Chain Services, which, along with the acquisition of Accelogix, created a leading end-to-end supply chain consulting firm. In March 2024, after doubling SpinnakerSCA’s EBITDA, Black Lake successfully exited the investment through a sale to Publicis Group. Charles’s ability to drive value creation has made him a standout in private equity.
Mary Szela has led TriSalus Life Sciences through a groundbreaking period in its mission to transform cancer treatment. In 2023, the company went public through a merger and subsequently raised $50 million in post-IPO equity in 2024 to support its growth. Prior to this, TriSalus secured over $120 million in venture funding to advance its innovative immunotherapy and liver cancer treatments. Mary’s leadership and vision are helping to bring new hope to patients battling liver and pancreatic tumors.
Social Impact Award Honorees
Elyse Blazevich leads CBSA’s efforts to support Colorado’s life sciences community, fostering collaboration and driving policy initiatives that strengthen the region's health innovation ecosystem. Under her leadership, CBSA has helped secure over $20 million in funding for local life sciences companies, bolstering the state’s position as a leader in biotech and health care innovation. This includes access to more than $250,000 in early-stage grants, leveraging state programs to drive job creation and technological advancements. CBSA’s advocacy has also contributed to the distribution of over $5 million through Colorado's Advanced Industries Accelerator Grant Program, directly supporting companies’ growth and R&D initiatives. Elyse’s strategic vision has enabled CBSA to build vital connections across industry, government, and academia, creating a thriving environment for startups and established companies alike. Her work is fueling life-changing innovations and economic growth throughout Colorado.
Kimberly Muller leads CU Innovations at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, which serves as a dynamic innovation hub, uniting campus researchers, big data, clinical care, venture capital, and health care industry partners to create the next generation of health care technologies. Their mission is to accelerate life-changing discoveries, empower faculty innovation, and amplify patient impact worldwide. In her dual role, she also serves as Managing Partner of the CU Healthcare Innovation Fund, which directly supports groundbreaking projects and startups, driving economic growth and job creation across the region. In 2023, CU Innovations achieved 145 invention disclosures, 1,500 patents pending worldwide, 41 licensing deals, and CU-affiliated startups raised $437 million. These efforts reverberated globally, with commercial relationships spanning 86 organizations worldwide, including in Canada, Europe, South America, Asia, and Australia. Kim’s leadership is helping bring life-changing biomedical technologies to market, making a profound impact on the health care industry in Colorado and beyond.
Dealmakers Hall of Fame
Paul Ford is a seasoned leader in the digital customer acquisition and insurance industries, with a track record of building and scaling successful companies. Throughout his career, Paul has guided several companies to strategic exits, including the sale of Datalot to Centerfield and NetQuote’s acquisition by Bankrate, where he stayed on to help navigate the company’s IPO in 2011. Prior to these, he founded InsLogic, later acquired by Capital One, and led Total Attorneys to its acquisition by Internet Brands. Paul’s expertise has not only created billions of dollars in value but also reshaped how digital services reach consumers. He has also served as an adviser and board member for companies like A Place for Mom, which was acquired by General Atlantic and Silver Lake, and Everquote, which went public in 2018. Paul's strategic vision, coupled with his ability to guide companies through growth, acquisitions, and IPOs, has cemented his legacy as a transformative leader in the industry.
Noel Ginsburg is a distinguished entrepreneur and philanthropist with a career spanning over four decades. He is the Founder of Intertech Plastics, which he successfully sold to TriMas in 2022. Throughout his career, Noel has purchased, grown, and sold multiple other companies. He was a founding board member and former Board Chair of the Colorado I Have a Dream Foundation. Along with his wife Leslie, they sponsored 42 children, known as “Dreamers,” from the South Lincoln Housing Projects. Typically, youth from that neighborhood dropped out of high school at a rate of 90 percent. After 10 years, over 90 percent of the South Lincoln Dreamers graduated from high school. Noel also founded CareerWise, a youth apprenticeship and job training program, which has been called a national model. It matches high schoolers with job training in modern industries, giving them college credit, a paycheck, and real-world skills. CareerWise, directly and through its affiliates and partners, has created over 2,000 apprenticeships nationally, taking students from apprenticeships to middle-class jobs. As a result of his work, former US Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh appointed Noel to the Advisory Committee on Apprenticeship, where he currently serves as its co-chair.
Steve VanNurden is a driving force behind the life sciences and biotechnology sectors in Colorado. As the President and CEO of the Fitzsimons Innovation Community, he has helped transform it into a thriving hub of innovation, now home to over 80 companies focused on advancing health care and life sciences. Steve founded CU Innovations in 2016, aiming to reinvent the way the University of Colorado transfers technology to market, resulting in dozens of successful licensing deals and startup formations. He also co-founded the CU Healthcare Innovation Venture Fund, which has raised over $100 million across two funds, investing in 30 companies that are pushing the boundaries of health care innovation. Prior to his role in Colorado, Steve led Mayo Clinic Ventures, where he commercialized nearly 2,000 discoveries and formed over 50 companies, generating significant returns and advancing medical science. His leadership has been instrumental in fostering collaboration between researchers, entrepreneurs, and investors, creating an ecosystem that drives economic growth and life-changing medical advancements.
