DENVER, CO, UNITED STATES, September 14, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — Dan Smink, Founder and CEO of RefractROI, has been named a 2026 Most Admired CEO by the Denver Business Journal. The annual award recognizes chief executives across the Denver metro area for leadership, business success, civic engagement, and community impact in both the for-profit and nonprofit sectors.
Smink has led RefractROI, a Denver-based growth strategy firm, since founding the company in 2011. Under his leadership, RefractROI has grown from a marketing-focused agency into a broader growth strategy partner for mid-market B2B and manufacturing companies, helping leadership teams align marketing, sales, operations and financial strategy to drive measurable growth and long-term enterprise value.
“I’m not admired, our work is. This belongs to a team that shows up for mid-market operators every day, and to clients who trusted us with the parts of their business that actually matter, said Dan Smink, Founder and CEO of RefractROI.
Before founding RefractROI, Smink held leadership roles across the medical device, mental health, and youth sports sectors. He contributed to the commercialization of a rapid MRSA diagnostic test, advanced market development for Medtronic’s colorectal business, supported modernization efforts at the Mental Health Center of Denver, and helped guide a multi-year organizational overhaul of the Colorado Rapids Youth Soccer Club, including changes to its competitive, developmental and operational programs.
In 2011, Smink made the decision to leave ide8, the marketing consulting firm he co-founded in 2009, to pursue a larger vision: helping companies build measurable, recurring growth rather than one-off marketing wins. That decision led to the founding of RefractROI, which today serves mid-market companies generating $10 million to $50 million in annual revenue.
Over the past 12 months, Smink has led RefractROI’s evolution into a broader growth strategy partner, expanding its work beyond lead generation into sales process evaluation, revenue operations, and financial analysis for manufacturing and B2B clients. The company has also advanced its AI-driven sales enablement platform and continued investing in a three-year employee development program that culminates in a Harvard Digital Marketing Certificate for team members. Earlier in 2026, Smink was also named a Colorado Titan 100 recipient, an honor recognizing the region’s top CEOs and C-level executives.
Smink’s community involvement spans two mayoral administrations. He was appointed by former Denver Mayor Wellington Webb to the Board of the Mental Health Center of Denver (now CarePower), where he later served as Board Chairman and helped lead an organizational turnaround. He was also appointed by former Mayor Michael Hancock to the Denver Parks and Recreation board. Smink also led the Board of Directors of the Colorado Rapids Youth Soccer Club through a multi-year overhaul of its competitive, developmental, and operational model.
Under Smink’s leadership, RefractROI plans to expand beyond its manufacturing focus into industries including industrial services, healthcare technology, B2B professional services, and logistics, while scaling to support companies with up to $250 million in annual revenue. The company’s planned “RefractROI Playbook” will serve as a diagnostic framework for aligning marketing, sales, operations, and leadership across growing organizations.
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About RefractROI
RefractROI is a Denver-based growth-first marketing firm that helps B2B companies build predictable, scalable revenue engines. Founded in 2011 by Dan Smink, a Titan 100–recognized leader, RefractROI is grounded in a commitment to strategic partnerships, revenue growth, and increasing enterprise value. Working primarily with organizations generating $10M–$50M in revenue, RefractROI integrates marketing, branding, sales, operations, and financial strategy into a unified system that drives measurable growth and long-term value. Through fractional CMO leadership and a curated partner network, RefractROI transforms disconnected functions into aligned growth engines. For more information, visit https://refractroi.com/
About the Denver Business Journal Most Admired CEO Awards
The Denver Business Journal’s Most Admired CEO Awards honor top local leaders in for-profit and nonprofit organizations across the Denver metro area for their leadership, business success, civic engagement, and community impact. For more information, visit https://www.bizjournals.com/denver
Becca Cooper
ShuBu Creative
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