The start of the XXXIII Olympiad reminds us of our own Olympic beginning. In 1970, Denver successfully won its bid to host the '76 Winter Olympics, a monumental victory for the growing city.
Genesis was asked to help implement this prestigious work. So, our founder, Jim Adler, opened a third office in Denver (after Chicago and Manhattan), and moved here temporarily to help hire the staff with his new partner John Reiben.
Genesis focused on strategy and design, while other firms around the city were hard at work on public and government relations. Our office was bustling with new employees, including future partner Mike Miller. City officials and the business community were thrilled as the physical form of the '76 Olympics came to life through exciting design projects: banners, posters and scale models of all kinds.
However, growing concerns about environmental impact, growth and costs led to a shift in public opinion. Two years later a ballot to end state funding passed, and for the first time in history, a city turned down hosting after being awarded.
Ultimately, Jim fell in love with Colorado. Drawn by its central location and the active lifestyle that comes with the Rocky Mountains, he decided to make Denver his permanent home. Our other offices eventually closed, but Genesis has remained firmly rooted here ever since.
We are eternally grateful to Jim for his Olympic-sized heart and his endless passion for leveraging strategy and design to create opportunities for our clients.
Thank you all for being part of our journey.
“Genesis lost what was a really fun and prestigious project, but it's probably the only way I would've ever gotten out of Chicago and New York and found a better life.”
Jim Adler