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A Look Back

We’re happy to report that 2015 is off to a great start for The Stasko Agency. We’re hard at work promoting a number of initiatives, including helping to spread the word about two new awards from the Governor’s Council on Active and Healthy Lifestyles. You can read more about the awards here.

However, before we get to far ahead of ourselves, we thought we’d take a moment and reflect back on 2014 and all the wonderful clients we were lucky to work with. Last year, we were proud to conduct PR campaigns for a wide variety of organizations, from specialty retailers to high-profile developers, including:

  • Mudlick Mail
  • The Walnut Room
  • The City of Wheat Ridge
  • Camp Inc.
  • Wine Storage of Denver
  • Zocalo Community Development 
  • Decor and You
  • Colorado Culture of Health Conference
  • Little Man Ice Cream
  • Swinerton Builders Colorado
  • Denver Independent Brokers
  • The LoHi Merchant Group
  • Bright Beginnings
  • Joie de Vivre Pilates
  • Truest Beauty
  • Kukui Corp.

Every year offers new learning opportunities and 2014 was no exception. We discovered just how far some wine collectors will go to protect their collections and got the chance to help Wine Storage of Denver educate their clients about the benefits of their move to a larger facility. You can read about the company’s expanded space in 5280 here. Another highlight was assisting a new Boulder-based entrepreneurial camp, appropriate dubbed Camp Inc. – recruit campers. Our efforts yielded stories in the Denver Business Journal, the Boulder Daily Camera and 9News. We also continued to expand our knowledge of just how important marketing is to the automotive repair industry, thanks to direct mail provider Mudlick Mail and Kukui Corp., a supplier of software for auto service centers. You can read more about Kukui in Motor Age Magazine and Ratchet and Wrench.

Since a picture is worth a thousand words, here are some photos to help illustrated the breadth of work we performed last year.

In February, Zocalo Community Development sold its Cadence Union Station apartment complex to Invesco Real Estate. We worked with the company to tell the story behind the sale. The deal attracted attention from several media outlets, including the Denver Post, the Denver Business Journal, the Colorado Real Estate Journal and Multi-Housing News.

Wheat Ridge City officials break ground on a Sprouts Farmers Market. Last year was a busy one for development in Wheat Ridge, where three new housing developments broke ground and a number of news businesses opened their doors. The city was also named one of the best places in the nation to retire by the website Livability. 

Little Man Ice Cream celebrated selling its millionth scoop last summer. Westword was kind enough to cover the story, which you can read here.

In May, Wheat Ridge officials hosted a signing ceremony where Governor John Hickenlooper signed a bill that provides a tax credit to encourage development of contaminated brownfield sites.

Denver Public Schools Board Member Jeannie Kaplan speaks to the crowd at the groundbreaking of the Denver School of Science and Technology at Byers Middle School. Stasko Agency client Swinerton Builders Colorado performed the renovations on the school.

We look forward to another busy year helping our clients achieve their goals!

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Little Man Serves Millionth Scoop

It was an exciting summer for Little Man Ice Cream, which marked six years in its 28-foot-tall Lower Highland home and a number of other milestones.

Since it opened, Little Man has donated one scoop of beans or rice to communities in need around the world for every scoop of ice cream it sells.  In July, Elaine Tamburello, mother of Little Man owner Paul Tamburello, had the honor of serving the shop’s millionth scoop and celebrating Little Man’s donation of one million scoops to developing nations. The celebration included a jazz band, free “little dips” and a philanthropic “market” featuring a variety of non-profits that have benefited from Little Man’s community contributions.

Elaine and Paul Tamburello celebrating Little Man’s millionth scoop

Little Man also grew its brand by leaps and bounds, expanding the number of outlets carrying its products to more than 25 across the metro-area. Perhaps the most prominent member of Little Man’s wholesale program is the Milkbox Ice Creamery at the newly renovated Union Station. The shop carries Little Man’s ice cream exclusively and has been doing brisk business since opening in July.

It’s no surprise to see such great demand for Little’s Man frosty treats given the ice cream maker’s focus on creating unique flavors. Despite a full slate of community events,  Little Man managed to launch a new slate of vegan ice cream flavors this summer, including such creative concoctions as The Bee’s Knees – a blend of vegan banana ice cream, bee-free honey swirl and a mixture of peanut butter-filled pretzels and The Munchies, featuring vegan peanut butter ice cream with chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, almonds, peanuts and marshmallows.
The vegan flavors caught the attention of Everyday host and vegetarian Chris Parente who sampled the ice cream on air.  9News also featured Little Man in a segment on how to make the perfect root beer float. Watch it here.

Next on Little Man’s list is moving into a bigger commissary to give the ice cream maker more room to experiment and meet the public’s appetite for its products. The new facility will also have a tasting room, so fans can sample the latest creations.

Little Man wrapped up its peak season September 28th with its annual Hula Hoop Contest, an event that draws young and old to compete in a fundraising effort for local schools. But don’t forget that the ice cream shop will continue to host the Highland Farmers Market and Artisan Alley from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. the first two Fridays in October. Hope to see you there!

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Stasko Agency Clients Earn Accolades

At The Stasko Agency, we get to work with some of the region’s most innovative and inspiring companies. And over the past few months, a few of our clients have been recognized for their achievements.

In October, Little Man Ice Cream Owner Paul Tamburello received the Georgia R. Imhoff Philanthropist Award from Blacktie-Colorado. The award, given every two years, honors a special humanitarian and recognizes his or her work in the community.

A Colorado native, Tamburello is devoutly committed to various efforts that are beneficial to the communities they serve. Little Man is named for Tamburello’s father, who was small in stature, but big in heart. Making a difference in the world was his legacy, and Little Man is Paul’s way of keeping his father’s legacy resilient. Through its “Scoop for Scoop” program,  Little Man helps fight hunger in developing nations. For every scoop of ice cream Little Man sells, one scoop of rice or beans is donated to a community in need.

Paul Tamburello and Little Man staff deliver rice to Cambodia

The company also supports organizations focused on education and childhood welfare by offering time, financial assistance, knowledge and homemade ice cream.

In addition, Tamburello is a co-founder and board chairman of the GrowHaus, a non-profit indoor farm, marketplace and educational center in Denver’s Elyria Swansea neighborhood and board member of LiveWell Colorado.

Local residents tour the GrowHaus

The Georgia R. Imhoff Philanthropist Award was named for the late Blacktie-Colorado co-founder, who supported a large number of Colorado charities, many committed to caring for women and children.

Congrats Paul!

Zocalo Community Development also deserves congratulations for landing a 2013 Mayor’s Design Award for 2020 Lawrence, it’s LEED Gold certified apartment project in Denver’s Ballpark community. The multi-family development was one of 15 Denver projects honored for excellence in architecture design and place-making by Denver Mayor Michael Hancock at an awards ceremony November 6th.

The innovative apartment building boasts an array of “green” features, including Energy Star-rated appliances, high-efficiency water fixtures, low-e windows and flooring and other finishes made of recycled and locally-sourced materials. The 10-story apartment complex is also the first in Denver to offer composting and an electrical vehicle charging station.

Zocalo is busy completing Cadence Union Station, the 220-unit apartment community at 17th and Chestnut street and we wouldn’t be surprised to see that project win a few awards as well.

We’re so proud of all Zocalo and Paul have accomplished and consider it an honor to work with such pioneering Colorado entrepreneurs. 

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Little Man’s Hula Hoop Contest a Huge Hit

Little Man Ice Cream attracted a record turn-out for its 4th Annual Hula Hooping Contest September 8th. This year’s contest, held at Highland’s Hirshorn Park, featured Denver elementary school students battling by age group in a variety of categories. Lucky winners walked away with passes to Elitch Gardens and the Downtown Aquarium as well as tickets to Justin Timberlake’s upcoming concert at the Pepsi Center and free ice cream for a year!

The goal was to get the kids moving on a hot day and encourage exercise at a time when physical activity among children is on the decline. (Less than half of Colorado school children ages 5 to 14 get the federally recommended 60 minutes of physical activity a day, according to data from the Colorado Department of Health and Environment). Proceeds from the event’s $5 application fee benefited physical education programs at Denver’s Brown, Edison, Sandoval and Valdez Elementary schools and North High School.  We’re excited to share that $875 was raised for the schools through the event.

The media also took note of Little Man’s unique effort to get the masses moving. The contest was featured as one of 5280’s Best Picks, in the North Denver Tribune, and YourHub, as well as on Fox31 and 9News’ weekend broadcast. You can watch a clip of young hoopers showing off their skills, here.

The response to the event was so strong, we can’t wait to see the how many kids turn out next year. Until then, enjoy these photos from the competition.

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Little Man a Big Man in Charity

Rice delivered to a small village in Peru by LIttle Man Ice Cream as part of the Scoop for Scoop program

One of the greatest things about the the LoHi Merchants Group is that it’s much more than a simple collection of successful businesses.  It’s also a conglomeration of entrepreneurs, neighbors, friends and individuals who firmly believe in giving back to those who have helped them achieve their dreams.

This philanthropy doesn’t just extend to those who live in and around the LoHi area, though, as recently demonstrated by Little Man Ice Cream.  Since opening its doors in 2008, Little Man has been involved in a program called “Scoop for Scoop”.  Spearheaded by Little Man owner, Paul Tamburello, Little Man Ice Cream has been donating one scoop of rice for every scoop of ice cream they sell.

Recently, Tamburello and General Manager Loren Martinez travelled to Cambodia, along with other caregivers, to distribute the rice to villagers desperately in need of food and health care.  Watch the video below to see some of the people helped by Little Man’s donations.  You can also go to their Vimeo page here to see and share the video with friends.

Scoop for Scoop from Jacob Truax on Vimeo.

Little Man has sent donations to villages all across the world, including Myanmar, Senegal, Haiti and Peru. In order to ensure that every grain of rice reaches those truly in need, Little Man purchases the rice from local villages and towns and then distributes it personally to those in need.

This is just one example of the charitable actions taken by many of the LoHi merchants every day of the year. Along with the several Thanksgiving and Christmas food drives and free dinners, LoHi merchants have a long record of assisting those in need.

The Stasko Agency is proud to be a part of such a caring and giving group of businesses and individuals who spend not just money, but time and sincere effort to provide food, comfort and care to those who need it most, not only in our neighborhood, city or state, but across the world. The Little Man Ice Cream, “Scoop for Scoop” program is still going strong. You can get more details, see pics of previous trips and even keep tabs on how many donations are being made daily by going to the Little Man website.

 So with Summer just around the corner, the next time you need a little bit of delicious, homemade ice cream to cool you down when the temperatures start to rise, consider stopping by Little Man. The scoop of ice cream won’t just be a great break for you, it’ll also be helping feed a family in a part of the world that could really use the help.

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2012 – A Year of Milestones

The end of the year provides us with a great opportunity to reflect back on all the work we did in the past year. While it seems like a blur now, we accomplished quite a bit in 2012, from helping introduce the public to an array of new projects that promise to change the landscape of Denver (Cadence Union Station, RTD’s Sheridan Parking Garage); to providing the exposure our entrepreneurial clients needed to launch their services in new markets (Mudlick Mail, VideoBloom, iVote) to marking important anniversaries (Little Man Ice Cream, Paxia Authentic Mexican Cuisine).

One of our favorite projects this year involved a group of very enthusiastic preteens and more than 2,000 cans of food. To celebrate its 70th anniversary in Colorado, Swinerton Builders launched an educational initiative called Discovery Builders, in the Adams County charter school, The Academy. Over six weeks, Swinerton employees taught fifth-to-eighth grade students how to use math and science to solve real-world construction problems. Their work culminated in the construction of a 
a 14-foot tall replica of the Four Seasons Hotel (a Swinerton project) made completely out of canned food.

We were thrilled to be present for the build-out one cloudy afternoon in October and we can’t say enough about how well these students worked with their mentors to create a truly amazing model. Check out the photos below for proof of this wonderful collaboration.

The students getting their instructions for the day

Mapping it out

Hard at work

The team and the finished product

We are proud to report that all of the food used to build the Four Seasons replica was donated to Community Food Share, a food bank serving Boulder and Broomfield counties.

The Colorado Real Estate Journal highlighted the project in it’s December 19th issue and the Arvada Press which ran a story about the company’s achievements in Colorado in November. You can read it here.

Congratulations to Swinerton and all of our clients for setting and achieving such high goals and giving us plenty to talk about!

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Little Man Ice Cream Introduces Bobo Cones

Don’t let the cold weather keep you from visiting Little Man Ice Cream this winter. The shop (and longtime client of The Stasko Agency) just launched a new line of “all weather” cones that are sure to keep the chill off. Called Bobo Cones, these creative concoctions pair flavored waffle cones with such cold weather fillings as mashed potatoes and macaroni and cheese.


The choices range from hearty (a savory cone loaded with pulled pork and broccoli and carrot slaw) to healthy (a flaxseed cone filled with quinoa). Made fresh using locally-sourced ingredients, the Bobo cones are available daily until 4 p.m and replace the shop’s previous cold weather fare.


The Bobo Cones passed KDVR’s Dan Daru’s taste test when he sampled a macaroni and cheese-filled Bobo Cone during the station’s morning broadcast a few weeks ago. You can view Dan’s report here. The new cones were also featured in the Huffington Post and on several food blogs including IceCream News.


Little Man Owner Paul Tamburello (who did a great job dishing up scoops for Dan Daru) named the cones after his grandfather, who was affectionately referred to as Bobo by his grandchildren.

The cones make great mobile meals, so try one for a quick lunch or dinner. We know you won’t be disappointed.

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Little Man Strikes a Chord with Chilly Deal

Little Man Ice Cream owner Paul Tamburello found a unique way to drive sales of frozen treats on the coldest day of the year. On Tuesday – when the high was a one below zero – he offered $1 pints of ice cream (two per family) for those brave enough to weather the cold. The deal not only resonated with bargain-hunting ice-cream lovers, but also caught the attention of 9News
and 7News, which both ran stories on Little Man’s offer.

Believe it or not, the chilly deal was so popular that Little Man nearly ran out of ice cream and at one point, people lined up on the sidewalk on 16th Street for what Paul had dubbed the “pink-cheeked pints”! Check out the photos of Paul’s interviews with the stations and customers taking advantage of the offer. You can also view the 9News story here.



We had a great time helping Paul publicize the deal. Thanks to the hearty camera operators for covering the story and the loyal customers who made the offer such a success. Remember, Little Man also has sandwiches, soups and hot drinks if you’re in the mood for something warm.

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Place your Vote: 5280’s Top of the Town!

5280’s Top of the Town voting is underway! There are so many local businesses that need your support, so take the time to check out the ballot and fill in your favorite spots for food, diversions, services, shopping and people.

Here’s what to do:

Go to http://www.5280.com/tot

Enter an email address (to keep things fair/secure)

Activate your ballot

Write in your vote for your Top of the Town choices (you don’t have to fill every category in!)

Submit!

Some of the local spots we included in our ballot:

Root Down, CY Steak, H BurgerCO, Little Man Ice Cream, Rosa Linda’s, Gallop Cafe, The Squeaky Bean, Gaetano’s, Patsy’s, Pasquinis, Anna Be, Samantha Louise, The Bookery Nook, Highlands Wellness Center, Shapes Salon, & Symmetry Massage

And SO many more.

Where are your favorite places to go? We’d love to hear. But more importantly, 5280 would love to have your input. Please take the time to take a gander and let your voice be heard.

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