Curt Richardson

Curt Richardson is the Founder of Old Elk Distillery, Founder, Chairman, and Chief Visionary Officer of Otter Products, LLC, and Co-Founder and Chairman of Blue Ocean Enterprises, Inc. In these roles, he discovers, creates, and leads innovation, culture, and investment initiatives.

Curt started a lifetime of entrepreneurship at an early age. At 21, he was running his first successful business, Genie Plastic Tooling, and in 1981, he started Richardson Tool and Mold. Curt created the first prototype of an OtterBox waterproof case in his garage in the early ‘90s. In 1998, Curt founded Otter Products, LLC, a Fort Collins-based company that is an innovator of outdoor products and protective solutions under the OtterBox and LifeProof brands. Curt served as the CEO of OtterBox for 14 years and continues to serve as the Chief Visionary Officer for the company.

To support Curt’s entrepreneurial spirit, he founded Blue Ocean in 2011 to help activate promising business ideas, strategically invest in commercial real estate, and support our local community. Stemming from his passion to build legacy brands and make innovative, quality products, Curt started Old Elk Distillery in 2013. Today, Curt continues his entrepreneurial journey by growing high-potential companies and collaborating with emerging business leaders.