BOULDER - Ingenuity runs in Justin Perkins' blood. Legend has it his great great grandfather Carlos Glidden helped invent the typewriter, and his brother, Joseph Glidden, invented barbed wire.

"My great grandfather owned Perkins Pickles in Denver," Perkins said, "A popular brand in the region that sold to Kuner in the 1940s. My dad, Edd Perkins, was co-founder of Newstrack, one of the first companies to offer books on tape for business executives. Those stories have always inspired me to pursue my crazy business ideas."

One of Perkins' crazy business ideas was to sell specialty organic flavored nuts. In June, his company, Olomomo Nut Co., won the Bard Center for Entrepreneurship's business-plan competition and took home a check for $10,000.

The competition is hosted by the University of Colorado Denver's business school. This is the first year the competition was open to people in Colorado not affiliated with the school.

Perkins founded Olomomo Nut Co. in 2008 and sells roasted nuts coated with spice and flavor blends at Boulder County Farmers' Markets and online. His plan is to distribute his specialty nuts to coffee shops across the U.S.

Justin, and his brother Dave Perkins, moonlight at The Organic Dish in Boulder, roasting their all-natural pecans and organic almonds in a pink copper kettle named "Bessie," six pounds at a time.

Both brothers got their early business experience working with Munson Farms and went on to complete the CU Denver 11-month MBA program together at The Bard Center for Entrepreneurship in 2003. Perkins first learned about roasted nuts while living in Brazil, and was reminded of the idea while living in Washington, D.C., seeing a "local nut guy" make a splash at a popular outdoor market.

In fall 2008 he entered the Naturally Boulder Days' entrepreneur's pitch slam and tied second out of 30 companies. That was a turning point for the business.

"I almost didn't go to that show, but my big brother gave me a pep talk and encouraged me to give it a shot. It was really validating to have the founder of IZZE soft drinks, the founder of Alfalfa's Market and two leading natural products branding experts give me a thumbs up."

     As a result, John Maggio, chief executive of Clementine Art Inc.; Dan Heiges, vice president of food production for Sprout Foods; Michael Aisner, who owned and promoted the Coors International Bicycle Classic; and Todd Olinger, a Denver attorney who assists client with new venture creation; became part of Perkins' advisory team.

Perkins also made contacts with the staff at the Boulder Innovation Center at that show. When he arrived at the Bard Center's competition the following June he had an impressive business plan, revenue to show for it and a stellar team to back him up.

"Seventy-six applications were screened by our advisory boards at that competition," said Catherine Kunst, executive director for the Bard Center for Entrepreneurship. "We ask our judges to focus on companies that will still be viable five years from now. The judges really liked how he put together his financial plan in a realistic way. And with Perkins' advisory board, it makes it much more likely he'll be able to succeed.

"Plus, these are really good nuts. People were fighting over them in our office. Even people who don't like nuts like these nuts. At the competition, people were tucking them away in briefcases and purses."

Olomomo means "a state of bliss in the mouth and body." Perkins roasts organic almonds, pecans, walnuts, pinions and other nuts and coats them with sweet spice blends such as cardamom and vanilla, cinnamon and cayenne, ginger, lime clove, maple, garam masala and sea salt. Four of his flavors will be available in coffee shops.

He wants to be to Planters Nuts what Whole Foods is to Safeway, what Dagoba Chocolate is to Hershey's and what IZZE is to Pepsi.

"I've tasted a lot of roasted nuts this past year, and many of them are bland, stale, not delicious and leave you feeling somewhat sick afterward due to too much sodium or too much sugar. Very few products have all-natural ingredients and are laden with artificial flavoring and unnecessary additives. There is a huge opportunity for quality improvement and the introduction of a new, all-natural product.

"My vision is to take nuts to a whole new level and create products that are healthy and taste amazing. People who go into coffee shops care about a high-quality brand and are willing to pay for quality. Hopefully it won't be a tough nut to crack."