Gen XYZ buzz companies: these upstarts are driving the next generation of business in Colorado.

• Author: Peterson, Eric

Age is just a number, sure, and CEO is just three letters. In the business world, the notion that age brings wisdom has been upended by the tenet that youth brings innovation and energy. And in the 21st century, stubborn adherence to tradition can quickly lose you the race, [paragraph] The following standouts of Colorado's next generation of business leaders do more than make decisions and count nickels - they practice what they preach and live--and thrive on the cutting edge. Their careers are not their lives, but extensions of their passions, from the great outdoors to community service. Here's a tip of the ColoradoBiz cap to these standard bearers for eenerations X, Y and Z.

SETH ANDERSON, 37

MANAGING MEMBER AND CO-FOUNDER, LOKI GEAR, GRAND JUNCTION

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When he was 16, Anderson conceived of his company's flagship product - a shapeshifting hat with a built-in neck gaiter and facemask - with his brother Dirk after they summited 14,158-foot Mount Sneffels.

"We came up with an idea for less gear that does more," says Anderson, whose company is named for the shapeshifting Norse god of mischief, Loki. He officially founded the company with Jess Rigg in 1997.

Anderson is still innovating. Loki's catalog has grown from a single hat to more than 30 products, including jackets, gloves and pants. "Almost everything we make has our own patented technology involved," says Anderson, describing jackets with built-in mitts and face shields as well as jackets that convert to backpacks.

Anderson says he's always had an "underdog" perspective. "Partly because of my age, people question how valid my goals are," he says. "It's fueled me to keep at this. It's not just commerce - we really try to do something unique.

"Staying active in your chosen field is a key to success," Anderson says. "Be true to your customer by being your own customer." An encounter with an avalanche skiing Grand Mesa on St. Patrick's Day 2010, which broke both of his legs and nearly buried him in 30 feet of snow, tempered his quest for the extreme, but he's hiking and biking just 18 months later - "about six months ahead of schedule."

"It's a balance for me, being outdoors," Anderson says. "I'm there for the view and the challenge and the accomplishment, in that order. It makes life worth living."

ON THE WEB www.lokiusa.com

WARREN CONARD, 38, AND CHRIS STAFFORD, 39

PARTNERS AND CO-FOUNDERS AT SCREAMWORKS ENTERTAINMENT LLC, DENVER

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Conard and Stafford opened their first haunted house in Denver in 2004. This year, they opened their fourth, the 13th Floor Haunted House in Phoenix, the third such property for the company after Denver (2008) and San Antonio in (2010). As for other markets, Conard says, "We don't see a finish line yet - we're just going."

Conard and Stafford started working together at a Denver-area haunted house as teenagers in 1989, and have complementary, albeit different, styles. "The biggest difference for Chris and me is we do it year-round," Conard says...