Dr. Patrick Page and Professor Regis Tucci were itching to tell a story. They wanted to document the lives of the pioneering physicians of the Grand Valley while they still had a chance. To tell the story right, they needed a team. In the spring of 2014, Tucci approached Brenden Huey and Kayla Prentner to take on the project. Together, we came up with a plan to film these fading histories.

In a matter of weeks, we were recording our first interviews. In the winter of 2015, our exuberant, mustachioed friend and mentor Regis Tucci suddenly passed away. We had to decide whether we should try to continue, or let the project rest with our friend. We pushed on. By that October, we finished The Secret Sauce—a documentary capturing the history of Grand Junction’s nationally recognized health care system. In the process, we became an LLC and—in honor of our southwest roots—called ourselves Kokopelli Pictures.

We worked with Colorado Mesa University’s Maverick Innovation Center—an entrepreneurial center to help students launch their ideas. The center helped push Kokopelli Pictures to the next level and we became the first registered company to go through their accelerator program. After Kayla and Brenden graduated from CMU, Kokopelli Pictures began to pick up work from clients in the manufacturing industry. We had to expand our services for our new clients. Rather than just focusing on video production, we began to take on print and digital marketing, website design and development, and brand strategy.

Since we were doing far more than video production and photography, we decided it was time to change our name. In the fall of 2018, Kokopelli Pictures became, simply, Kokopelli®. At the start of 2020, we expanded our team to include specialists in both proposal and content writing. Susan Kuligowski and Brian Flynn have become indispensable members of our team, eagerly embracing the Kokopelli work ethic, desire to learn and passion for storytelling. Not six months later, we brought on Emily Goracke and Momir Filipovic to round out our team. Emily brings care, passion, and organization to all client work. Momir brings a fresh new look to all graphics and animations he creates. We are also proud to work with some incredible contractors from all over the world—specialists in design and animation.

With their help, Kokopelli strives to deliver the most effective, affordable and professional work possible. As we grow, we remember where we came from: Grand Junction. Dr. Page. Tucci. These are our roots. They keep us grounded while we embrace the exciting changes the future has in store for us. That’s what we can do for you: help you stay true to who you are while helping you build value for your organization through strategy, messaging, and media. Reach out, and we will help you embark on a path to meaningful solutions.