Tom Erhart

Tom has over 30 years of upper level business management experience with an emphasis on operations, sales, marketing, human resources, organizational efficiency, community relations, project management and entrepreneurial leadership. He also has extensive experience in manufacturing, retail, building materials, hospitality and service industries.

Tom has a Masters in Business Management, started and owned several small businesses, and most recently operates as a business counselor and coach for entrepreneurs from start-up through growth stages.

Lisa Wood

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Lisa Wood lives in Winter Park, CO and is a former banker and Chief Financial Officer in the healthcare industry.

She received her MBA from Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas and her BBA from University of Houston-Downtown. As a commercial lender for over 20 years, including a stint with Vectra Bank in Denver, Lisa has experience with a wide variety of industries throughout the life cycle of businesses. She has also worked with borrowers to obtain 7A and 504 loans. As a CFO in Houston she applied for SBA disaster loans for her employer when Hurricane Harvey struck the Gulf Coast in 2017.

Jesse Esparza

Jesse Esparza es un consejero certificado bilingüe (Español y Inglés). Es asesor de negocios al SBDC(centros de desarrollo de la pequeña empresa), en Boulder, North Metro, en el este y el  noroeste de Colorado,  y también a la cámara de comercio de el Condado de Boulder. Jesse da uno-a-uno de los servicios a los particulares, y también da los clases de grupo en el inicio de la planificación de negocios y seminarios. Tambien dar recursos y materiales con los clases. Él ha aconsejado y proveyeron servicios a más de 700 nuevo, potencial y las empresas que ya existen.

Jesse Esparza is a certified bilingual (Spanish & English) business counselor and business adviser to the East Colorado, Boulder, Northwest and North Metro Small Business Development Centers and to the Latino Chamber of Boulder County. Jesse provides one-on-one services to individuals as well as group classes in business planning and startup seminars. He has counseled and provided needed services to over 700 new, potential, and existing entrepreneurs.

Reagan Freed

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HR consultant, is an accomplished HR executive with over 20 years of experience developing people strategies that support organizational goals. Her experience ranges across a wide variety of industries and global companies including CH2M HILL, ECC, Comcast Cable, Sitel and ServiceSource. Reagan’s broad knowledge of HR and business disciplines enable her to develop unique people strategies designed to contribute to overall strategy and directly impact bottom line results.

Her areas of focus are HR strategy, employee engagement, compliance/policy development and training, process evaluation and improvement, and refining employment structures to meet the ongoing and evolving needs of the business.

Reagan earned her Bachelor’s in Business Management from the University of Colorado, Denver, and is a certified SHRM-SCP. Reagan also serves as an HR Consultant for the Boulder Small Business Development Center (SBDC) and serves on the Board of Directors for the Colorado State HR Council.

Dale Jasinski

Dale Jasinski lives in Fraser, CO and is a former CPA, family businessman, serial entrepreneur, and an associate professor of entrepreneurship at Quinnipiac University where he teaches entrepreneurship and strategy courses. He received his PhD in strategy and entrepreneurship from the University of Colorado and undergraduate degrees in Political Science and Accounting from Northern Arizona University. He is one of only 50 professors worldwide who have received certifications from Stanford University in Lean Launch, Hack for Defense, and Mission Model Canvas methodologies and uses this expertise to help large and small organizations build their innovative capacities and his students consistently make the finals of national and international business plan competitions.

His expertise on entrepreneurship and innovation is enhanced by the fact he has started several successful organizations: (1) Automation Partners (1983-1992), a technology based startup which designed, implemented and supported computer systems for law firms from offices in San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Diego; (2) Professional Athlete Transition Institute (2001-2010), which provided consulting, education, and training services to current and former professional athletes; (3) Catalyst Media (2012 to 2016) which created and deployed digital media to help companies launch and grow; (4) The Enstitute (2013 to 2017) a nonprofit which provided an apprentice based alternative to college to learn entrepreneurship; and (4) Eggheadprofs (2017 to present) an educational and consulting company.

Don Rowe

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Don graduated with a BS in Electrical Engineering and earned an MBA. He has 40 years of experience with a number of high tech companies in the area of instrumentation, computers, lasers and satellite communications. He has been involved with most aspects of the business, especially sales, marketing and general management, as well as considerable experience in international business.

Don enjoys working with startups and early stage companies in any business area and with companies looking to expand and/or move into new opportunities. He likes helping clients to develop business plans and strategies, financial models and to focus their activities and resources. Due to his overseas assignments in the past, Don speaks some Spanish and German.

Robin Thompson

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Robin Thompson has over two decades of experience in fundraising as Executive Director and Vice President for Development for several nonprofit organizations.

As a Vail, Colorado based fundraising consultant, trainer and coach, Robin works with large and small nonprofits throughout North America and internationally. She has a unique ability to share knowledge, concepts and best practices in a fun way with outstanding results.

Robin earned a fundraising certificate from Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy. Her BS degree is from West Virginia University and she has a Masters Degree from the University of Utah. Robin is the author of two books: Putting the Fun in FUNdraising: The Secrets to Raising More Money Faster and Easier as well as Know Stress to No Stress—A Guide to Achieving Life Balance. www.RobinThompson.com

Jim Olp

Jim Olp has a depth of experience derived not just from his many years working with SBDCs, but also from his ownership of more than a dozen small businesses. He has taught virtually every aspect of small business management and operations at the college level for more than three decades. Jim has exceptional expertise in business financing options and can assist clients in structuring their business plans and pro forma projections toward the goal of securing financing. He can also assist with questions related to the various taxes and accounting problems.

Location: 

I-70 corridor from Denver to Rifle and related counties, including Summit, Grand, Eagle, Garfield and Pitkin

Scot Mitchell

Scot has passion for and extensive experience in improving organizational and bottom line performance through consulting in areas including business strategy, sales, revenue and profit growth, turnarounds, and negotiation. He has 35+ years of experience in both large public and small private companies, domestic and international, that includes commercial activities, operations, supply chains, customer service, and financial management.

Scot works with high performing business owners, or those that aspire to be, to improve a company’s financial and organizational performance. He equips clients with the tools to improve, works with them to implement those tools, and provides mentorship throughout the entire business lifecycle.

Rob Strickland

Rob started Midnight Marketing Solutions in 2004 while he was working at the Gunnison-Crested Butte Tourism Association to answer the call for professional marketing services in rural Colorado. What started as moonlighting (hence the company name) has evolved into many long-term client relationships on all sorts of projects. He has found his niche in interactive marketing because it suits his interests and lifestyle well. He graduated from Western Colorado University Magna Sum Laude with a Business Degree and an emphasis in marketing. Since then he has served on a variety of nonprofit boards, taught marketing courses at WCU, and lead seminars and workshops. His greatest joys come from serving others.

Leanne Pressly

Leanne Pressly is the founder of Stitchcraft Marketing, an agency specializing in social media strategy and implementation for the craft sector. Leanne has been a business and marketing strategist for 25+ years and is instrumental in assisting clients setting up marketing strategies and understanding best practices for social media, blogging and newsletters. Leanne also leads the biweekly SBDC Marketing Power trainings.

Diego Leyes

Diego es consultor de negocios para Northwest SBDC, y es el dueño de la empresa Baboon LLC. Actualmente, se especializa en el área de marketing digital, y está muy contento de ayudar a la comunidad de pequeños empresarios, especialmente la comunidad Hispana, a sacar adelante su negocio. Por lo tanto, si usted tiene una pequeña empresa y necesitas ayuda en el área de marketing, entonces Diego es su opción.

Diego is a bilingual independent contractor consultant for the Northwest SBDC, and owner of Baboon LLC. He currently specializes in the area of Digital Marketing, so he is so excited to help the small business community, especially the Hispanic community, to move forward with their business. Therefore, if you have a startup and need help with your marketing efforts, then Diego is your option.

Lauren Ciarallo

Lauren is a Colorado native, born and raised on the Front Range. She graduated from the University of Colorado, Boulder, with a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and an emphasis in Tourism Management. During her time at CU Boulder she also pursued courses focused on Spanish Translation and studied abroad in Sevilla, Spain.

She began her career at the Vail Valley Chamber & Tourism Bureau learning about destination marketing, tourism, sales and customer service. Her professional experience includes corporate and social event planning, hospitality, marketing campaigns and special event production. After gaining extensive knowledge and experience in the event planning industry and becoming a Certified Special Events Professional (CSEP) she started her own event services business, Pine Productions.

Lauren is excited to join the Northwest Colorado Small Business Development Center and help small businesses access the resources they need in order to grow and thrive.

Juanita Puga

Juanita Puga has over thirty years in the field of early childhood. She holds a master’s in early childhood from the University of Colorado Denver and is an alumnus of the Buell Early Childhood Leadership program. Her time in the field of early childhood education has supported her current role at North Range Behavioral Health in Greeley as the coordinator for the Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters (HIPPY) program for over ten years. Being a Colorado native, Juanita enjoys all the beauty the state offers and spends time exploring new areas with her family.

John Leemhuis

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Leemhuis Legal, PLLC is a business law firm based in Northwestern Pennsylvania and the Colorado front range that represents entrepreneurs, businesses, and non-profit organizations. Mr. Leemhuis’ expertise includes start-up work dealing with choice of entity questions and entity formation for all types of legal entities including corporations, sole proprietors, partnerships, limited liability companies, benefit companies, and non-profit organizations. He is a graduate of Carleton College, Syracuse University College of Law, and the University of Pittsburgh Katz School of Business. He is licensed to practice law in Colorado and Pennsylvania.