Something Independent's S|I Wright Award salutes Colorado's top lifestyle company

Launched as the S|I Entrepreneur Award in 2011, the award has been rebranded the S|I Wright Award for 2013.

Pagosa Springs-based VOORMI won the award over co-finalists Fishpond and Optic Nerve.

"We thought it was time for a change," says Chuck Sullivan, Co-Founder of Something Independent, the events and media company behind the awards. "We took a step back and thought it was time for a nomination process and filter."

Instead of companies self-nominating via a 90-second video, Sullivan and company winnowed down a list of 200 companies to 14 nominees. The final list included Denver's Kota Longboards, Viktorian Guitars, Boa Technology and Jiberish. Previous winners were Flylow Gear (2011) and MHM (2012).

Wright alludes to "making" or "doing," says Sullivan, as in millwright or playwright. "We thought it would be uniquely able to highlight companies across the state driving the lifestyle industry in Colorado," he explains. "We're super excited."

Adds Sullivan: "Looking at the list of companies, the common thread is a state of mind -- that pioneering spirit of being a Colorado business. We call that the intersection of lifestyle and commerce, and we think Colorado is the hub of that convergence"

The awards ceremony took place at Session Kitchen (1518 S. Pearl St.) the night of Oct. 22, right before the eatery opened to the public.

Contact Confluence Denver Innovation & Jobs News Editor Eric Peterson with tips and leads for future stories at eric@confluence-denver.com.