Traci Lounsbury

Traci Lounsbury is the highly successful and accomplished CEO of ELEMENTS in Denver, but you’ll find no pretentiousness here. Quite the opposite, in fact.

“I do not believe in entitlement, nor that one has ever ‘arrived,’” she said. “I will continue my practice of reading, writing, listening and growing. I am curious as to what’s next and have an unrivaled passion to pursue it. I owe this to all with whom I work. As an organization, if we are in the constant pursuit of greatness, I have to set the foundation and walk the talk.”

ELEMENTS is in the business of creating inspiring workplaces through design and placemaking, to make the office destination-worthy. The company made adjustments to its services during the pandemic. It introduced the 128-page “Hello Hybrid Playbook” to help prepare organizations to adapt office plans to fit a hybrid work environment. “Hello Hybrid” offers a comprehensive assessment, communication and implementation plan for the workplace of the future, and ELEMENTS made more than 100 Hello Hybrid presentations in 2021, with more on the horizon.

Looking ahead, the company plans to invest in its growing graphic design studio to help clients celebrate important moments, reinforce their brand and boost visual storytelling. ELEMENTS’ 3D identity studio merges traditional graphic design with architectural interior design, production and technical design. The studio generated $4 million in revenue in 2021 and projects to double that in 2022.

“The greatest lesson I’ve learned in the past year has been the incredible importance of empathy,” Lounsbury said. “We’ve all felt the effects of the last two years of pandemic living, both personally and professionally, and in a variety of different ways. Walking a mile in someone else’s shoes, giving grace, remembering to give a simple thanks — that is how we navigate difficult times together.”

Lounsbury mentors women through the Colorado Women’s Chamber of Commerce and the Downtown Denver Partnership. She serves on the advisory board for TARRA, a female-only coworking organization and business network. ELEMENTS showed its commitment to community by offering two half-day paid volunteer days to employees.

Diversity, equity and inclusion are front and center at the organization, where women, people of color and LGBTQIA individuals make up 63% of employees, Lounsbury said. ELEMENTS also provided three $5,000 scholarships to minority students through Metro State University, and plans to do the same in 2022.

This is Lounsbury’s second year on the titan 100. “Having the opportunity to associate with like-minded individuals has been a tremendously valuable aspect of the titan 100 program,” she said. “It is not easy to build a network of exemplary c-suite individuals. The relationships we foster here and the ongoing collaboration among titans will ultimately help enhance our community and our economy.”