It is my great pleasure to bring back the Bravo! Entrepreneur Awards program, thanks in part to the efforts of the Monfort College of Business and its E-Challenge program and generous contributions of a few past winners.

Yes, the Great Recession forced us to put this very important cause on hiatus more than once over the last four years, but you can only hold down those entrepreneurs for so long. Because, in the end, hard work, ingenuity and effective marketing create unstoppable prosperity.

Entrepreneurship is vital to the success of any thriving community. By its very nature, entrepreneurship finds a way to break down all barriers, and our Bravo! awards give us a chance to recognize the risk-takers who help create jobs in Northern Colorado. I would argue that nothing is more important for the continued, sustainable growth for our region.

This year marks a benchmark for our program as we join forces with the Malcolm Baldrige Award-winning Monfort College of Business to further promote entrepreneurship by recognizing the winners of its Entrepreneurial Challenge. I want to thank professor Dr. David Thomas for his leadership in this effort.

Winners again this year stem from a variety of disciplines