What drew you to join the Endeavor Colorado board, and what excites you most about our mission?
Dan Caruso, he can be pretty persistent.

More seriously, I appreciate his passion and effort to establish Colorado as the best place to do business between the coasts. When I moved to Colorado in 1999, I was immediately impressed by the highly educated and motivated workforce we have here. We should have a vibrant business environment, and the Endeavor Colorado board can help shape this.

You have held leadership roles on both for-profit and nonprofit boards. What is similar, and what is different, about how you approach each?
These boards are similar in that we always need to think about our stakeholders, which can be different groups with different objectives.

For a nonprofit, we come back to the mission. Why do we exist, and how do we structure the organization around this mission. For a for-profit board, the focus tends to be how we drive shareholder value.

You have spent more than 16 years at Liberty Media in roles including Chief Portfolio Officer and Head of Investor Relations. From that vantage point, what attributes or behaviors give you long-term confidence in a founder or company?
I strongly believe in the power of storytelling. You can have the best product in the world, but if you cannot convey that story to stakeholders, it will not be successful. This matters when you are convincing people to buy your product, attracting employees to join you, or raising capital from investors.

Stories are how we inspire others, and the best storytellers often become the most effective leaders.

You have worked across finance, strategy, and operations. What kinds of founders or companies do you find yourself most drawn to?
The founders I have seen be most successful are truly passionate about the market need they are trying to fill and understand why their solution is the best and what their competitive advantage is.

They are nimble and willing to adjust as they test solutions in the market. They are strong leaders who communicate well and who understand the importance of building and maintaining constructive cultures at their companies.

What emerging industries or types of companies in Colorado are catching your eye right now?
Quantum computing is fascinating, and Colorado has become an epicenter for its development. The state has created this hub through a unique combination of federal, state, and private funding that is fueling development and jobs. This could be a model to promote other industries in our region.

Colorado’s startup landscape continues to evolve. What is one opportunity and one challenge you see for local entrepreneurs today?
Colorado has a highly educated and motivated workforce. I saw this when I moved here in 1999, and it continues to attract talent while developing it from within. We have a vibrant ecosystem of entrepreneurs and funds. However, I believe our ecosystem could be stronger when it comes to supporting companies in later stages of funding.

You have been on the Endeavor Colorado board for nearly four years. How have you seen Endeavor evolve, and where do you hope to see it go in the next four years?
Like any startup, Endeavor Colorado has evolved tremendously over its first four years. We have taken the Endeavor Global model and refined it to fit this market and to sharpen our mission.

The board is dedicated to identifying and fostering companies that can scale, creating a supportive community of entrepreneurs, and continuing to establish Colorado as a meaningful market.

In your view, what sets Endeavor apart from other entrepreneur support networks?
The quality and scale of the Endeavor network is remarkable. Internationally, it is unmatched in the many markets it touches. In each of these markets, the people and companies that entrepreneurs want to connect with are already in the network. If there is not a direct connection, there is likely only one degree of separation.

Outside of work, what helps you reset or gain clarity, and how does that shape the way you show up professionally?
Food is my love language, and I love to cook for family and friends. Nothing makes me happier than bringing people together around a meal.

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