Kalahari Resorts & Conventions Earns Spot on TIME's Inaugural List of America's Best Private Companies 2026

WISCONSIN DELLS, Wis.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jul 30, 2026--

Kalahari Resorts & Conventions, home to America's Largest Indoor Waterparks, has been named to TIME's inaugural list of America's Best Private Companies 2026, earning recognition among 500 of the nation’s top privately held companies for its commitment to associates and its positive impact on society.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260730378374/en/

The recognition celebrates not only Kalahari’s continued growth, but the people-first culture that has defined the company for more than 25 years. As a family-owned and operated business founded by Todd and Shari Nelson, Kalahari has built its success by investing in its associates, developing leaders from within, and creating opportunities for meaningful, long-term careers.

Associates experience that investment every day through programs like Be Well, which supports career development, as well as financial, physical and mental wellness. Kalahari believes supporting associates both at work and at home helps them and their families thrive. Through leadership development opportunities, including the Rising Star program that is designed to prepare supervisory-level associates for their next step in their careers, and a longstanding promote-from-within philosophy, the company continues to create opportunities for associates to grow personally and professionally.

The commitment extends beyond the workplace. Through Kalahari Cares, the company's associate assistance fund administered through the Nelson Family Life Foundation, eligible associates and their dependents receive support during unexpected hardships, reflecting the Nelson family’s belief that caring for associates means caring for the people and families behind the guest experiences they create.

That same philosophy guides the Nelson family’s broader commitment to giving back. Through the Nelson Family Life Foundation and other philanthropic efforts, the family supports education, schools and community partners that create opportunity and build stronger neighborhoods.

Kalahari also invests in the communities surrounding its resorts through associate-led volunteer efforts, including food and winter coat drives, fundraising events and partnerships with local organizations. The company also supports future generations through partnerships with schools, career development programs and workforce development initiatives like Project SEARCH, which creates employment opportunities for young adults with disabilities.

TIME and Statista developed the list by weighing verified employee survey data alongside each company's measurable impact on society, health and the environment, using analysis from the Helsinki-based Upright Project.

The honor reinforces what Kalahari has always believed: exceptional guest experiences begin with exceptional associate experiences. That commitment to people has shaped the company’s culture for more than 25 years and continues to distinguish Kalahari across the hospitality industry.

"This recognition isn’t about a ranking; it’s about our people,” said Todd Nelson, Founder and CEO of Kalahari Resorts & Conventions. “I think about the associates who return to Kalahari year after year, the leaders who have built lifelong careers here, and the families who have grown alongside our company. That's who this recognition belongs to. We’ve always believed that when you invest in people - supporting their growth, their well-being and being there for them through life’s toughest moments - you build something stronger. Those stronger families create stronger communities, and that belief has guided us since the beginning.”

The recognition comes at a defining moment for Kalahari. The company is investing $85 million to expand its flagship Wisconsin Dells waterpark while preparing to open its fifth resort in Spotsylvania, Virginia. As Kalahari grows, it remains committed to creating new opportunities for associates without losing the family-owned culture that has defined the company for more than 25 years.

The full TIME America's Best Private Companies 2026 list and methodology are available at time.com.

About Kalahari Resorts & Conventions

Kalahari Resorts & Conventions, founded by Todd and Shari Nelson, is home to America’s Largest Indoor Waterparks, and offers an unmatched mix of all-under-one-roof experiences for families, vacationers, and meeting attendees. With locations in Wisconsin Dells, WI; Sandusky, OH; Pocono Mountains, PA; Round Rock, TX; and a new resort opening in 2026 in Spotsylvania, VA, each property draws inspiration from the rich culture and vibrant landscapes of Africa. Recognized by USATODAY’s 10BEST for Best Indoor Water Park and Best VR Water Slide, Kalahari continues to set the standard for family entertainment and hospitality. Across its growing collection of resorts, guests can expect well-appointed accommodations, signature dining, unique retail, expansive indoor and outdoor waterparks, immersive adventure parks, and state-of-the-art convention centers. In 2026, Kalahari introduced its Treehouse Adventures, luxury treehouses located on the shores of Lake Delton in Wisconsin Dells. Select locations also feature full-service spas and wellness destinations, creating the ultimate all-in-one getaway. For the latest news and media resources, visit kalaharimedia.com.

Kalahari Resorts & Conventions team members connect on the waterpark floor. Kalahari was recently named to TIME's list of America's Best Private Companies, a distinction the resort attributes to its people-first culture.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — At 60, Too $hort is helping usher hip-hop into what he calls its senior citizen era. Just don’t expect him to rap like one.

The Oakland hip-hop pioneer is still recording, touring and talking slick more than four decades after he began selling homemade tapes on the streets of the Bay Area. While the genre has long treated aging like an unwritten career-ending offense, Too $hort is breaking the rule and challenging the culture’s elder statesmen to keep going with him.

His latest proof is “Sir Too $hort Vol. 2: Drink & Smoke,” his 23rd studio album, produced entirely by longtime collaborator Lil Jon. It arrives Friday, exactly 20 years after the release of his enduring hit “Blow the Whistle.”

Too $hort, whose catalog also includes classics like “The Ghetto” and “Shake That Monkey,” says he isn’t interested in slowing down anytime soon. That was certainly evident when he and E-40 performed at the NFL Honors in February.

In an interview with The Associated Press this week, Too $hort reflected on turning 60, challenging hip-hop’s age limits, preserving the legacy of Lil Jon’s late son, DJ Young Slade, the staying power of “Blow the Whistle” and why he has no plans to stop until “the wheels fall off.”

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

TOO $HORT: At the age of 14 or 15, my mentality was, “Let people hear this music. We’re going to rock some house parties and high school dances and sell some tapes to fans in the streets.” When I got my foot in the door, I knew this was going to be my job. It was always “till the wheels fall off.” It was never, “Let’s do this for 30 or 40 years.”

I’ve always said the day hip-hop is no longer my job is probably the day I’ll stop. But the love I have for hip-hop won’t allow me to stop recording. I’ve never taken a long break. I’ve continuously been in the studio, continuously doing shows. I just keep it going because it’s my job.

TOO $HORT: I truly love making music. It’s never felt like work. I could have stopped after “Blow the Whistle” and been like, “Story told.” But somebody’s got to go out into these uncharted waters and blaze the trail. Look at E-40,Snoop Dogg,Fat Joe and the other guys who kept going after the kids were grown and the grandkids were on the way.

Who laid the rule down that in hip-hop you gotta stop at 40? Every milestone they said was old. First it was 30, then it was 40, then it was 50. Now we got senior citizen rappers, and this ... is real. Hip-hop is entering the place where jazz, blues and R&B have older artists who are still performing and recording. We should too.

TOO $HORT: I don’t know if you could give me the ingredients and tell me how to do it again; I don’t think I could. It had to happen organically. I give Lil Jon a lot of credit because he’s made a lot of songs we’ve loved since the day they came out. We make good music together, and that’s why I’m excited for people to hear what we’re still doing 30 years after we first worked together.

TOO $HORT: His son passed away after we finished recording. We had actually done about twice as many songs as ended up on this project. I saw how it affected Jon, and I had recently lost my brother, so I knew that feeling of loss. The whole time, Slade was producing or co-producing a lot of the tracks I was working on. The first thing that came to me was that I’d be more than proud to be part of his son’s legacy and give something to the world that would help him live forever. Jon keeps saying, “Slade’s legacy,” and I’m just trying to be a part of that and show the world we lost another good, talented person.

TOO $HORT: We did one in 2020, but it wasn’t a battle. We had a good time. We did a lot of laughing, a lot of togetherness. I didn’t want to battle 40 then, and I don’t want to battle him now. That’s my best friend in hip-hop. I’d sign up for me and 40 against anybody. That’d be fun. They haven’t had two groups. … I put that out there: Who wants to battle Too $hort and E-40 in Verzuz?

Too $hort poses for a portrait on Tuesday, July 28, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Too $hort poses for a portrait on Tuesday, July 28, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Too $hort poses for a portrait on Tuesday, July 28, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Too $hort poses for a portrait on Tuesday, July 28, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Too $hort poses for a portrait on Tuesday, July 28, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)