Bard Center for Entrepreneurship .:. Advisory Council

Advisory Council

More than 30 leading entrepreneurs and business professionals provide the Bard Center with direction and support as members of the Advisory Council. Members share a commitment to Colorado's long-term economic growth and a desire to help guide new business development initiatives.

In addition to mentoring students, members of the Advisory Council do the following:

Provide financial resources for the Bard Center and identify additional funding sources.
Advise incubator companies and make investment decisions regarding applications to the Rutt Bridges Venture Capital Fund.
Participate in classroom speaking engagements.
Coordinate and host networking opportunities that support student career growth and development.
Act as ambassadors and advocates for the Bard Center.
Offer advice on entrepreneurial curricula.

Betty Arkell

Holland and Hart

Partner

Betty Arkell is a partner at Holland & Hart with over 30 years of experience as a corporate and securities lawyer. Her clients include established and emerging growth companies as well as venture capital and other private equity funds. She specializes in venture capital investments, mergers, acquisitions, leveraged buyouts, acquisition finance, corporate restructurings of publicly held and privately held companies, and general corporate counseling. Ms. Arkell was selected as one of the nation's best dealmakers and included in the 2007 Lawdragon 500 Leading Dealmakers in America. According to Lawdragon, this recognition is the most elite given for American lawyers, awarded to less than one-half of one percent of America’s 1.1 million attorneys. Arkell is one of only nine Colorado lawyers selected. In 2006, The Denver Business Journal named Arkell Denver's Outstanding Woman in Business (Professional), and she is also continuously ranked as a top attorney in her practice area by The Best Lawyers in America, Chambers USA America's Leading Lawyers for Business, and Colorado Super Lawyers. Ms. Arkell received her B.A. in Political Science from Northwestern University, an M.A. in Political Science from the University of Colorado, and her J.D., with honors, from the University of Colorado School of Law.

Rob Balgley

SkyeTek

CEO

As the CEO of SkyeTek, Inc., Rob Balgley is responsible for strategic direction and operational execution. Rob has over 25 years of business management experience in high technology, including responsibility for marketing, sales, product development, operations and finance. Rob was most recently the CEO and President of Colorado-based Jabber, Inc., a privately-held company that develops and sells instant messaging and collaboration software to corporate enterprises and service providers worldwide. While at Jabber, he implemented a business plan that enabled the company to triple revenues. He was also responsible for raising more than $16M in investment financing to provide necessary operating capital. Under Rob's direction, Jabber's XMPP protocol became the first complete industry standard for instant messaging and presence. Prior to Jabber, Rob founded and served as CEO and chairman of Wireless Technologies, Inc. (WTI) a provider of software technology that allowed corporate enterprise and telecom service providers to leverage wireless networks for critical applications to increase productivity and decrease operating costs. In addition to founding WTI, Balgley led the company through seven years of successful operation, culminating in profitability and a successful cash sale. Rob also oversaw raising more than $50 million from both financial and strategic investors to fund the operation of the business. In the 15 years prior to WTI, Rob built a career in the communications technology industry with executive management positions in sales, marketing, corporate development and operations for companies such as Hughes Aircraft, General Electric, Case Communications, and 3Com. In addition to his duties at SkyeTek, Rob is also a board director of OpenLogic, Inc. and an executive in residence at Appian Ventures. Rob studied Communications Science at SUNY Albany and Drew University.

Pam Bard

Bard & Company

Benefactor

Mrs. Bard is an active mother (Melissa and Alexander, 15 and 17 years old, respectively), business person and community participant. As president of Bard & Co., she has direct oversight of the Bards’ personal investments, primarily in real estate. An accountant by training, Mrs. Bard held positions in auditing (Arthur Andersen LP), industry and real estate. Mrs. Bard has served on the boards of the Children’s Hospital of Denver and the University of Colorado Foundation. Mrs. Bard has an honorary degree of Doctor of Humane Letters from the University of Colorado, and a Bachelor of Arts in Accounting from the University of Denver.

Richard H. Bard

Bard & Company

Benefactor

Mr. Bard has been active in the acquisition and management of middle-market business enterprises since the late 1970’s. Mr. Bard is a past Chairman of the Board of Advisors of the Business School at University of Colorado Denver. He and his wife Pamela Bard founded and endowed The Bard Center for Entrepreneurship at UCD, and he endowed the Bard Professorship of Marketing at the Pennsylvania State University. Mr. Bard has an honorary degree of Doctor of Humane Letters from the University of Colorado, a Master of Business Administration in Finance from the Bernard M. Baruch College at the City University of New York, and a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from The Pennsylvania State University. Mr. Bard has served as Chairman of the Board of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City.

Trish Beck

BPI Group

Vice President

Trish Beck is the Vice President and Managing Director, Rocky Mountains Region, for BPI Group, and serves as its senior consultant and market leader for Denver. For more than 28 years, Trish served as a trusted Human Resources advisor and key member of global senior leadership teams at Fortune 500 firms, including First Data/Western Union, Lufthansa, Transamerica, Kraft Foods and BP/Amoco. Prior to joining BPI, she was the senior Human Resources executive for Exclusive Resorts, the privately held, market-leading luxury destination vacation club headquartered in Denver. In her corporate career, she led the human resources aspects of mergers, acquisitions, and divestitures in multiple corporate settings, both domestically and internationally. Her commitment to professional development includes serving as President and Board Chair for HRMAC (Human Resources Management Association of Chicago), 2000—2001. Trish has testified at federal and state legislative hearings and conducted media interviews on controversial topics with Newsweek,The Wall Street Journal, and The New York Times. She has been a panelist and featured speaker at conferences including The Conference Board. Currently, Trish is the president of the Cherry Creek East Association, and serves as Vice Chair for the Cherry Creek Steering Committee (city council appointed advisory board). As a Director for the Democratic National Convention in Denver, she was a key member of the leadership team that organized 15,000 volunteers. She recently served as a Volunteer Director for Sportaccord, the conference of U.S. and International Olympics Committee and sports federation representatives from around the world. She has also been an adjunct graduate school faculty member at Loyola Chicago and Benedictine University, as well as an executive mentor, guest speaker, and lecturer at the University of Denver’s Daniels School of Business. Trish has her bachelor’s degree in Industrial Psychology from Central Florida University, holds an MBA from Michigan State University, and completed post-graduate studies at Columbia University.

S. Rutt Bridges

Entrepreneur

Rutt Bridges is a quintessential entrepreneur. He has been a successful geophysicist, software entrepreneur and politician. In 1996, he was one of the cofounders of the Bard Center for Entrepreneurship and established the venture capital fund that bears his name. Rutt began his career with Chevron Corporation, and then founded Advance Geophysical in 1980. He achieved success with the software products MicroMAX and ProMAX, both used for the processing of seismic data for the petroleum exploration industry. In recognition of his business accomplishments, he was awarded the Enterprise Award in 1991 by the Society of Exploration Geophysicists. He is also the chairman of Quest Capital, a private venture capital fund. In 1999, Rutt founded the Bighorn Center, to “give Colorado’s political middle a credible and legitimate voice in the state’s increasingly polarized landscape and more importantly, to get things done.” In 2004 Bridges ran for the U.S. Senate in Colorado, but stepped aside and supported fellow Democrat and friend Ken Salazar, who went on to win the seat. He also briefly considered a candidacy for Governor of Colorado; however, his “passion has always been public policy, not politics.” Mr. Bridges holds a BS in Physics, and an MS in Geophysics from Georgia Tech.

Jeff Calderone

Elevated Third

Founder

Jeff Calderone is the founder and principal of Elevated Third, an interactive marketing and web services company that develops integrated, end-to-end web strategies and refreshing designs that bring real results. Elevated Third implements forward-thinking, results-based web solutions using the best technologies available, developing customized plans to help clients reach their business and marketing goals. Some of the companies with which Elevated Third has worked include Sprint Relay, Avaya, Expedition Health, and Mile High Community Loan Fund, and the Bard Center for Entrepreneurship. Jeff started his business, Elevated Third, in the Bard Center Incubator, before successfully moving to a permanent office downtown. Jeff is also one of the founders of the Bard Entrepreneurial Network (BEN), a social mentorship networking group within the Bard Center and Denver Metro business community. Jeff received his MBA from the University of Colorado Denver and his Certificate in Entrepreneurial Studies from the Bard Center.

Craig W. Fales

UMB Bank Healthcare/Biotechnology

Senior Vice President

Craig W. Fales is Senior Vice President of Healthcare and Biotechnology at UMB Bank. Mr. Fales is originally from Chicago, Illinois and moved to Colorado in 1968. He was formerly CEO of Colorado Medical Consultants, Inc., a company he founded in 1976 and sold in 1991 to a publicly traded company in Philadelphia. At the time of the sale, CMC was the nation’s largest physician management firm of its kind, employing 250 FTEs. Mr. Fales is currently serving on the Advisory Board of the School of Ophthalmology at the University of Colorado School Of Medicine. Formerly; he was on The Gathering Place Board, The Industry Board for the Colorado Alliance for Bioengineering, Denver Lion’s Club Board of Directors and also served two terms as President of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and as a Board Member for over 20 years. Mr. Fales has two daughters and 5 grandchildren. Mr. Fales has served on the Advisory Board at The Bard Center for Entrepreneurship since 2005.

Thomas Franklin

Townsend and Townsend

Partner

Tom Franklin is a partner at the Denver and San Diego offices of the law firm Townsend and Townsend and Crew. He specializes in IP audits in the due diligence and strategic planning processes to get the most value out of a client’s IP on any budget. Through IP Asset Management planning, he tailors strategy to business goals, competitive pressures and funding constraints to leverage intangible assets with intellectual property. Mr. Franklin’s technical experience broadly covers the areas of software, internet technology, content delivery, business methods, VoIP circuit design, imaging arrays, cryptographic design, telecommunication, electronic design tools, wireless communications, satellite communication, and telemetry systems. Prior to entering the field of law, Mr. Franklin spent several years working in semiconductor fabrication facilities at the Naval Ocean Systems Center and Hughes Aircraft, and several more as a senior engineer for Lockheed Martin. At Lockheed, he managed engineering projects involving the design of complex wireless data links, ASIC/FPGA design, digital circuits, satellite transponders, and encrypted data links. Along with his membership on the Bard Center for Entrepreneurship's advisory council, Tom also serves on the advisory boards of San Diego State University's College of Engineering and the DaVinci Institute, a futurist think tank based in Colorado. Franklin holds a B.S. in Electrical and Computer engineering from San Diego State University, and a J.D. from the University of San Diego.

J. William Freytag, Ph.D.

Barofold, Inc.

President & CEO

Dr. Freytag is President and Chief Executive Officer of BaroFold, Inc., a private, venture-financed biotherapeutics company located in Boulder, Colorado. Prior to BaroFold, Dr. Freytag was Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Aspreva Pharmaceuticals from July 2007 until its merger with Galenica AG in January 2008. Prior to Aspreva, Dr. Freytag was President, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Myogen, Inc. from July 1998 until Myogen was acquired by Gilead Sciences in November 2006. From November 2006 through June 2007, Dr. Freytag served as Senior Advisor to Gilead. From October 1994 to May 1998, Dr. Freytag was a Senior Vice President at Somatogen, Inc. Prior to Somatogen he was President of Research and Development at Boehringer Mannheim Corporation, an international healthcare company from May 1990 to September 1994. Previously, Dr. Freytag spent ten years with DuPont in various research and business positions in the Medical Products Department. Dr. Freytag currently serves as a Director for four healthcare companies: Arca Biopharma, Inc., GlobeImmune, Inc., Sierra Neuropharmaceuticals, Inc., and BiOptix, LLC. Dr. Freytag received a B.S. from Purdue University and a Ph.D. in biochemistry from the University of Kansas Medical Center.

Kenneth Gooden

Jones Lang LaSalle Americas, Inc.

Senior Vice President, Tenant Representation

Kenneth Gooden is a senior vice president for tenant representation at Jones Lang LaSalle Americas Inc., a financial and professional services firm specializing in corporate real estate services and investment management. Mr. Gooden focuses on corporate representation with a specific emphasis on strategic corporate facilities planning, build-to-suits, dispositions, financial analysis, and facility acquisitions. He serves clients in a variety of fields, including financial services, high technology and medical/biomedical. Mr. Gooden has worked with corporations ranging from small local companies to multi-national organizations with hundreds of locations. Mr. Gooden has 14 years of experience in commercial real estate with The Staubach Company prior to joining Jones Lang LaSalle in the 2008 merger. He was a principal with The Staubach Company’s Front Range division, where he played a key role in the company’s strategy and development. Mr. Gooden’s clients include Advanced Micro Devices, Ball Corporation, Greenberg Traurig LLLP, IHS, Policy Studies Inc., Wachovia Securities, ST Microelectronics, Nurse Family Partnership, Realtime Worlds, Kone Inc. and numerous others. He is a member of the Denver Metro Commercial Association of REALTORS®, Commercial Brokers of Boulder and Financial Executives International (FEI). He also serves on the Associate Board of the Boys & Girls Club of Metro Denver. Mr. Gooden received his Bachelor of Science in Finance and Real Estate from Colorado State University.

Jon Hanson

Wells Fargo

Senior Vice President

Jon Hanson is a senior vice president at the Denver offices of Wells Fargo Bank. A native of Littleton, Colorado, Jon participated in baseball and football while at Littleton High School. Jon served as the owner and principal for seven years of Carpets Wholesale, LLC, a flooring contractor specializing in multi-family projects. He has served for eighteen years in the financial services industry, working at 1st Interstate Bank in Denver, A.G. Edwards and Sons brokerage firm, and is now currently at Wells Fargo Bank in Denver. Mr. Hanson serves as a Board Member of the Hope Center, a Denver Charter School for underprivileged and gifted children in northeast Denver, and as a committee member of Clays for Kids, a fundraising event for The Cancer Center at Children’s Hospital. Mr. Hanson graduated from Southern Methodist University with a degree in Finance, and is an active member of the SMU Alumni Association.

Craig Harrison

US Capital

Co-Founder and Managing Director

Craig Harrison is managing partner of Pioneer Ventures, a diversified holding company focused on investments in natural resources and service-oriented companies. Prior to forming Pioneer Ventures, Craig was founding partner of US Capital, a private equity investment firm that was sold to Chicago-based Northport Investments in 2008. While at US Capital, he co-founded HouseFront, a mobile real estate information services company that was sold to Denver-based Motellus in 2008. Craig also co-founded Scout Cleaning and Maintenance, a full-service eco-friendly cleaning company. Craig is a board member for Summer Scholars and is actively involved with University of Denver through the Pioneer Leadership Program and the Young Alumni Endowed Scholarship. Craig received the 2009 Ammi Hyde Award for Recent Graduate Achievement from the University of Denver and the 2008 Colorado Leadership Alliance Outstanding Alumnus award. Craig received his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Denver in 2003.

Gary Held

CTEK Capital Technology

President

Gary Held is currently president of CTEK, a non-profit organization dedicated to fostering and supporting regional innovation and entrepreneurship through capital resources, community venture centers, an advisor network, technology transfer, education programs, and community events. He is also a founder of First Look Partners LLC. Mr. Held has over 30 years of experience starting, building, growing and selling businesses. As the new president of Connecting Point of America, Held successfully helped steer the company out of bankruptcy and grew revenues from $0 to over $250M in three years. Later, as president of Northgate Computers, Mr. Held oversaw revenue growth to over $200M in four years. Mr. Held serves on the Institutional Review Board of HealthOne Alliance (now Colorado Health Foundation), on the board of CTEK, the Economic Development Council of the Downtown Denver Partnership, the Colorado School of Mines Board for Technology Transfer and Economic Development, and on the Dean's Leadership Council at the Monfort College of Business. Mr. Held received a BA from Whittier College and his law degree from the University of Denver’s Sturm College of Law.

Clifford Jack

Jackson National Life

Executive Vice President, Chief Distribution Officer

Clifford Jack joined Jackson National Life Insurance Company as a senior executive vice president and chief distribution officer in 1995. He oversees all the distribution functions of Jackson National Life, including the sales marketing and distribution of the company’s variable annuities, life insurance products, fixed annuities, and fixed index annuities. With nearly $68 billion in assets, Jackson National Life Insurance Company is an industry leader in the areas of fixed, fixed index and variable annuities. The company markets its products in 49 states and the District of Columbia through independent and regional broker-dealers, financial institutions and independent insurance agents. Prior to joining the company, Jack worked for SunAmerica, In total, he has 24 years of experience in the life insurance industry. Mr. Jack earned a bachelor’s degree from San Francisco State University.

Steve Katsaros

Patent Agent

Mr. Katsaros is a registered Patent Agent at the intellectual property law firm of Cochran Freund and Young LLC, who has prosecuted technologies ranging from nuclear reactor metallurgical systems to digital cameras. His practice and technology areas include U.S. and International Patent Law; and IP Planning in consumer products and mechanical systems, as well as internal combustion engines, transmissions, injection molding, rapid prototyping, high-speed machining, eutectic alloys, infrared spectrograph and fluid dynamics. In addition, he has performed valuations of intellectual property for litigation and has developed methodologies for worldwide IP strategies. Mr. Katsaros has 15 years’ experience in product development working in the USA and China. This work has ranged from patent-centered ideation and specification development to launching production. Recently, Mr. Katsaros developed two commercially successful products, was awarded a Solidworks (a CAD program) top honor, and raised over $2million for a start-up. One of Mr. Katsaros’ products grossed $14million in 1996 and caused a paradigm shift in the alpine ski industry. He is a member of the American Intellectual Property Law Association, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, and the National Association of Patent Practitioners. Mr. Katsaros received a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Purdue University, and obtained a Certificate in Entrepreneurship from the Bard Center for Entrepreneurship at the University of Colorado Denver.

Randy Kenworthy

Caddis Capital

Co-Founder

Randy Kenworthy co-founded Caddis Capital, LLC in January of 2006. Caddis Capital is a mid-market private equity firm focused on high-yield, atypical investments in proven sectors. Caddis Capital collaborates with management and ownership of closely held companies and family-owned businesses to structure innovative solutions to long-term capital needs, including subordinated debt, preferred equity or combinations of both. As an entrepreneur and executive, Randy Kenworthy has participated in over $500 million of debt and equity financing for start-ups and early stage organizations. He has raised funds from multiple sources, including high net worth individuals, angel investors and leading venture funds. Prior to his current tenure as co-founder and owner of Caddis Capital, Mr. Kenworthy held CEO, sales and marketing, and executive positions with numerous technology services and software companies, including XAware Inc., deuxo Inc., Service Metrics, Saligent Software, Customer Insight Company, tickets.com and ConX Corporation. Randy attended Portland State University.

Seth Levine

Foundry Group

Managing Director

Seth Levine is currently a managing director at the Foundry Group, which he co-founded, and a principal at Mobius Venture Capital, where he began his venture capital career. Seth’s career spans venture capital investing as well as operational, transactional and advisory roles at both public and private companies. Prior to Mobius VC, Seth joined a restart of the data communications company, FirstWorld Communications. Seth then led the IPO process for FirstWorld’s IPO in 2000 and negotiated simultaneous equity investments from Microsoft, SAIC and Lucent Technologies, eventually raising over $260 million from the IPO and these side-by-side equity transactions. When the company decided to focus on its data center and hosting business, Seth assumed operational control of the remainder of the business and led the Internet service provider, telephony and network integration portions of the company, representing in total approximately $40 million in revenue. He managed the sale of these lines of business in 2001. Mr. Levine is active throughout the entrepreneurial community in Colorado, serving as a chair of the Boulder Chamber of Commerce ESPRIT Awards, a member of the board of the Entrepreneurs Foundation of Colorado and a member of the advisory board of High Country Ventures, a fund hired by the State of Colorado to invest money generated from certain tax credits in early stage companies across the state. Seth was previously a member of the board of the Denver chapter of the Association for Corporate Growth. Seth is a summa cum laude graduate of Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota. He writes a blog about technology and investing at www.sethlevine.com.

Mashenka Lundberg

Holme, Roberts & Owen

Partner

Mashenka Lundberg is a partner at the Denver office of Holme Roberts and Owen LLP, and has over fifteen years of experience in advising clients in corporate and securities matters. Ms. Lundberg represents a wide range of companies – from start-up businesses to Fortune 500 companies – in a variety of corporate and securities transactions, including public and private securities offerings, mergers and acquisitions, municipal finance, emerging business and strategic alliances. She also advises clients in commercial transactions and with respect to corporate governance matters. Mashenka is General Counsel and serves on the Executive Committee of HRO, and on the board of directors of Girls Incorporated of Metro Denver. She received a B.A., magna cum laude from Georgetown University in 1989. After completing her J.D. from Stanford University in 1992, Mashenka clerked for the Honorable Edward W. Nottingham, United States District Court for the District of Colorado from 1992 until 1994.

Peter Mannetti

iSherpa Capital

Managing Partner

Peter Mannetti is a managing partner at iSherpa Capital, which he joined in 2001 after founding and building Qwest Wireless into a $1 billion company with over one million subscribers. As the CEO of Qwest Wireless, he won national and international awards for his leadership in developing innovative wireless products, including the Telecom 1999 Financial Times Global Telecoms Award for “Best Enhanced Use of Intelligent Network,” which was awarded for the deployment of the first totally IP-based wireless network. Peter led Qwest Wireless’ successful deployment of the PCS Access Network, which culminated in a CDMA 2000 Industry Achievement Award for Infrastructure Product Innovation. This network incorporated the first multi-vendor integrated wireless/wireline architecture. Peter has also held senior management positions at Bell South Mobile Data and General Electric. Peter currently sits on the Board of Directors of TensorComm, Mottelus, iTech Fitness, and XDS. In addition, he sits on the Board of Advisors of the Engineering School at the University of Colorado, and is a Trustee of the University of Colorado Foundation. He is a former member of the Board of Directors of CTIA.

John Mehalchin

Highline Financial Services, Inc.

Chairman & CEO

John Mehalchin has been with Highline Capital Corporation for 25 years and currently serves as its chairman and CEO. Included in both "Who’s Who in America” and “Who’s Who in Finance and Industry,” Mr. Mehalchin was the CFO of Storage Technology Corporation as well as the founder and president of its finance subsidiary from 1974-1979. During that time, he pioneered the establishment of programs that permitted the sale of equipment with operating leases, non-recourse to third parties, in large volumes. The majority of Storage Tech revenue came from these third party sales. Mr. Mehalchin’s background includes financing of manufacturers with lease-based assets and financing of corporations, as well as management consulting and corporate planning. His professional experience includes employment as an officer with Smith, Barney & Co., and as a management consultant with Booz-Allen. A member of the Financial Executives Institute since 1974, Mr. Mehalchin also serves on business advisory boards for the University of Colorado, a venture capital fund and a retail firm. He received the Mack Easton Award for Excellence in 1998 and was awarded a Doctor of Humane Letters (2002) from the University of Colorado. He attended the University of Chicago from which he received a scholarship for doctoral studies in Finance. He completed his studies as a fellowship student at the University of California-Berkeley, receiving an MBA. He also received a BS with honors from Temple University.

Daniel D. Moulton

Coloco, Incorporated

Owner

Sharon Moulton

Entrepreneur

Sharon Moulton’s true passion lies within the fitness industry and raising her two children Hanna (12) and Harrison (15). Sharon is the Entertainment Manager for her son Harrison, who is currently working in the entertainment industry and is under contract with Kidz Bop Incorporated, recording music and filming music videos, commercials and instructional dance videos. In 1999 she received her Mad Dogg Athletics Spinning Program Instructor Certification and American Aerobic Association and International Sports Medicine Association Personal Fitness Trainer certification in 2000. Additionally in 2003 and in 2006 she studied and trained with the Nautilus Institute, becoming certified as a Schwinn Indoor Cycling Coach. She has been teaching Indoor Cycling since 1999, and currently is teaching at Lakeshore Athletic Club in Broomfield. From 2005 to 2008, Sharon served as a clothing consultant for CAbi, Carol Anderson by Invitation. Sharon shared her passion and expertise in the fashion industry while representing and selling the amazing clothing designs of Carol Anderson. In 1999 she received an MBA with a focus in Entrepreneurship from the University of Colorado at Denver. During her MBA program, Sharon joined the Bard Center Entrepreneurship Council, an alumni organization whose purpose was to support, encourage, and assist Bard Center students and alumni in their entrepreneurial endeavors. Sharon served as President of the organization for 6 years. Prior to receiving her MBA at UC Denver, Sharon worked fifteen exciting years for New York Stock Exchange Securities giant, Spear Leeds and Kellogg and left her Assistant Vice President position specializing in Institutional Sales Trading in1997 to devote more time to her family. Sharon received her BA at the University of Denver, with a double major in Mass Communications and Psychology, and earned her MBA at the University of Colorado Denver.

Dave C. O'Brien

The Business Catapult

CEO

Dave O’Brien is currently the CEO of The Business Catapult, an online tool developed to connect investors and entrepreneurs. He has over 20 years of senior management experience as the COO and CFO roles in two successful startups, as well as senior operational management positions for four Fortune 500 companies, including GE and AMD. Most recently, Dave was the COO/CFO for P2 Energy Solutions, a privately held $90M SaaS and outsourcing services company based in Denver. Dave was also recently the President of Blue Waves Consulting, a firm that specializes in consulting to "C" level officers. In 2007, Dave resided as the Entrepreneur in Residence for the University of Colorado Bard Center for Entrepreneurship, where he helped entrepreneurs develop, manage, grow, and obtain funding for their companies. Dave managed the Bard Center as its Interim Director for the latter half of 2007. In the last year, he has supported over 40 companies in a variety of stages of growth. Dave holds an MBA in Finance and Strategy from the University of Michigan, and a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering from Northwestern University. He is on the Board of Directors of Progressive Health Center, a non-profit complementary health care facility located on the Swedish Campus, and also participates as a board advisor to several local software companies and other non-profits.

Jung Park

MetroBoom

Founder & CEO

Jung Park is the founder and CEO of MetroBoom, a Denver-based, comprehensive style center for men. The business plan for MetroBoom was awarded with the 1st place honor at the 3rd Annual Business Plan Competition hosted by Bard Center for Entrepreneurship at University of Colorado at Denver in 2004. Prior to enrolling in the graduate program at University of Colorado at Denver, Jung worked in the field of branding, where he helped his clients with creating new brands, evolving traditional brands onto web space, and refining existing brands. Jung has also worked as the director of user experience at an internet solution agency, where he managed teams of designers, usability engineers, information architects, and programmers to design, build, and implement large e-enterprise infrastructures. Jung received his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree with a concentration in communication design from the Parsons School of Design in New York City. His passion for design began earlier when he attended the "Fame" high school in New York City, also known as Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music, Art and Performing Arts.

George Promis

RICOH | IBM

VP, Production Color Solutions & Technology Alliances

George Promis is currently the vice president of Production Color Solutions & Technology Alliances at InfoPrint Solutions Company, the joint venture between IBM and Ricoh. InfoPrint is leading provider of output solutions for businesses large and small. George graduated from the University of Colorado at Boulder in 1974.

James Pruett

Pruett & Scholes

President

Jamie Pruett is a second generation insurance industry professional. He grew up working in his father’s insurance agency in high school and, in 1996, graduated from Florida State University with a B.S. degree in Insurance and Risk Management. Jamie was a member and letterman of Florida State University’s Varsity Football team from 1993 through 1996. After graduation, Jamie spent ten years working for large, regional and publicly held global insurance firms, including Marsh USA and Willis. In 2006 Jamie founded Pruett Scholes Insurance Group in Denver, which he now operates with his wife, Jennifer (Scholes) Pruett and father-in-law, Terry Scholes. The culture at Pruett Scholes Insurance Group provides a high quality service offering to all clients and gives back to the Denver community. Pruett Scholes Insurance Group offers service through three business units: Personal Lines; Commercial Lines; and Life and Estate Planning, which operates as Pruett Scholes Financial Group. Pruett Scholes Insurance Group is a member of The Two Percent Club (www.twopercentclub.org), a coalition of business executives in Denver who have agreed to support and promote charitable giving within their companies and in the community. Jamie is a 1998 Graduate of Leadership Orlando and a 2002 Graduate of 50 For Colorado, a leadership program through Colorado University’s Leeds School of Business. From 2006 through 2009, Jamie served as President of Minds Matter’s Denver chapter (www.mindsmatter.org/denver), a mentoring organization focused on helping high achieving, low income high school students reach their full potential in college. Jamie recently stepped down as president and has accepted a position on The Minds Matter’s Board. Throughout his life and career, Jamie has donated time and money to many organizations including Habitat for Humanity Guatemala, Boys and Girls Club, and YMCA, among others.

James Schoedinger, Bard Center Advisory Council Chair

OneStone, LLC

President and CEO

James Schoedinger is currently the Managing Director of OneStone, LLC, based in Castle Rock, Colorado. He has been in the financial services sector for over 25 years. Mr. Schoedinger spent over 15 years as a senior executive at GE Capital in the USA and Europe, primarily in the consumer financial services field. In addition to GE Capital, he led major financial services groups at Transamerica Finance Corporation, building a dynamic commercial finance business. Later, he went on to initiate a turn-around at First Data Corporation. His philanthropic interests include being an active member of the ACCION International Presidents Council. He is also the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Opportunities Without Borders.

John Shope

First Western Financial, Inc.

Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing

John Shope is currently the executive vice president of sales and marketing at First Western Financial, Inc., and is responsible for overseeing the firm’s sales and service infrastructure and managing the Bank’s marketing efforts. Previously, he served as the executive vice president of worldwide sales at Exclusive Resorts, where he managed all activities in regards to new member acquisition, including teams responsible for external and internal sales, market and competitor intelligence, communications and strategic partnerships. He also served a senior vice president at Wachovia, managing sales and marketing activities for the Corporate & Institutional Services Division; as a wealth advisor with Bernstein Investment Research and Management, where he managed the sale of financial advisory and investment management services to high net worth individuals, foundations, endowments and retirement plans; and as the vice president and sales manager at Bank of America. John received his B.A. in Business Administration and his M.B.A. in Finance, both at Indiana University of Pennsylvania.

Steve Toeniskoetter

Retired President & CEO

Steven Toeniskoetter has had a successful 35-year career in the financial services industry. He has extensive background in P&L management within major corporations both domestically and internationally. His experience is in all facets of large, multi-functional businesses ranging from strategic planning to establishing a long term vision for organizations. Mr. Toeniskoetter spent the majority of his career with Transamerica (formerly Borg-Warner Acceptance Corp. until acquired by Transamerica), where he started in 1972. From 1972 to 1996, he held several different management positions within the company, each with increasing responsibility. As Senior Vice President at TDF from 1996 to 2000, Mr. Toeniskoetter was responsible for the Inventory Finance business for North America, which was the largest business segment within TDF. Compounded annual growth rates in volume and assets were 26% and 20% respectively. He was President of Transamerica Distribution Finance Corporation, the largest and most profitable business within TFC, for four years until 2004. As President of TDF, Mr. Toeniskoetter transformed the business into a multi-national organization focused on its core products, Inventory and Receivables financing. The company also expanded its international presence in Europe, Asia, and Latin America during this period. Mr. Toeniskoetter was recruited by GE Commercial Finance during GE’s acquisition of Transamerica Finance Corporation (TFC) in 2004. During his tenure with GE, Mr. Toeniskoetter was most recently President and CEO of the Vendor Finance business of GE Capital Solutions. He had full P&L responsibility for this Vendor Leasing business that had revenues of $1 billion and assets exceeding $11 billion. Mr. Toeniskoetter earned his Masters of Management degree from Northwestern University’s J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management, and received his BS in Business Management from the University of Dayton.

Judy G. Ward

PricewaterhouseCoopers, LLP

Retired Partner

Judy Ward is a CPA and a retired partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers, LLP. During her tenure there, she led the IT audit services for the Firm’s Denver and Southwest Region practice, specializing in IT and Security Controls. Her industry focus was telecommunications, software and manufacturing. She is a founding Trustee of Escuela de Guadalupe, a dual-language, community-based elementary school in the metro area. She served six years as Trustee of the Women’s Foundation of Colorado and the University of Colorado Foundation. During her tenure as Trustee of the Women’s Foundation, Judy was chosen to serve as Interim Executive Director. In 1974, Judy and three other women founded Children’s Garden Montessori School, where she continues to serve as Trustee to this day. She is Vice President and Trustee of the Viola Vestal Coulter Foundation, providing scholarships to deserving students in need of financial assistance. Judy and her husband Tom annually present the Ward Prize in Public History to a current student and an alumna of UC Denver for their work in helping Coloradoans understand the importance of Colorado’s early days, as well as an annual prize to the best non-profit team at the Bard Center for Entrepreneurship’s Business Plan Competition. She also currently serves as the Executive-in-Residence at the UC Denver Business School. In recognition of her service to the University and to the community, Judy received the University of Colorado Alumni Recognition Award in 1995 and the Distinguished Service Award in 2002.

Suzanne Arkle Wilson

Zann and Associates, Inc.

President

Suzanne Arkle Wilson is the president of Zann & Associates, Inc., a management consulting firm specializing in business growth solutions through two complementary services: strategic market development and community engagement strategies. Prior to forming Zann & Associates, Ms. Arkle Wilson was Vice President, Economic Opportunity, for the Chicago Urban League. In that capacity, she directed and impacted the utilization of minority and women-owned businesses and workforce on capital projects valued at over $2.1 billion. Ms. Arkle Wilson began her career as a petroleum planning analyst with Exxon Corporation in New York, and later served as the Deputy Director of the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency. Suzanne currently is a member of the Colorado Women’s Forum; a board member of the Denver Scholarship Foundation and Judi’s House; and on the advisory council for CBS4 Fit4Colorado Program and Metro Denver Health and Wellness Commission. Previously, Ms. Arkle Wilson has served as Co-Chair, State of Illinois Minority Business Development Task Force; Corporate Advisory Council, National Conference of Black Mayors; and President’s Advisory Council, Harold Washington College. As an advocate for young people, she has served as a Big Sister, Junior Achievement Advisor; Board Member, Boys and Girls Club; and has been a mentor to many students. Ms. Arkle Wilson holds a B.A. in Urban Studies from the University of Pennsylvania, and an MBA in Finance and Accounting from the University of California at Los Angeles School of Management. She is also a graduate of Leadership Columbus, the IBM Community Organization Training Program, the Access Denver Leadership Program, and the Transit Alliance Citizen’s Academy.

Chester Winter

NewWest Mezzanine Fund

General Partner

Chester Winter is a general partner at NewWest Capital Partners, a private equity firm based in Denver, Colorado that focuses on small market buyouts, growth financings and recapitalizations. Prior to co-founding NewWest in 1998, Mr. Winter was a general partner of Colorado Incubator Fund, L.P., a venture capital fund which invests in early stage high technology enterprises, including software, materials, medical and bio-technology. Winter has more than 30 years experience as a senior executive with small to medium-sized companies, and has diverse financial, operating and venture investing experience in a wide range of industries, including his tenure as vice president and later director of the consulting firm Paradigm Partners, LLC. He also served as chairman of Highland Energy, Inc., a subsidiary of Eastern Utility Associates. Mr. Winter currently holds an appointed position on the board of the Boulder Urban Renewal Authority. Chet holds a B.A. in Economics and an M.S. in Industrial Relations and Economics from the University of Colorado, and has completed the Owner/President Management Program at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Business.

Clifford Young

University of Colorado Denver

Associate Dean of Faculty

Clifford E. Young is Professor of Marketing and Associate Dean of Faculty at The Business School, University of Colorado at Denver. He received his B.S. in Physics from Colorado State University and his MBA and Ph.D. in Business from the University of Utah. Dr. Young’s primary thrust is in the area of marketing research methodology, survey development and research analysis. He also has experience in selling and sales deployment analysis. Dr. Young has authored or coauthored over 60 articles in journals and national proceedings of marketing and management. In addition, he has consulted for companies in the areas of marketing forecasting, sales deployment analysis, service quality assessment, and management vision and values analysis.