You’ve been part of the Endeavor Colorado team for over two years. What first drew you to this work – and what about the mission to support scale-up founders resonated with you?

I’ve loved Colorado for as long as I can remember. Growing up, Boulder had this almost mythical quality—it was where Olympic champions trained and where iconic events like the Coors Classic happened. As a young endurance athlete, that blend of performance, health, and innovation left a deep impression on me.

When I moved here full time, I discovered another side of Boulder and Colorado: the startup and scale-up scene. What struck me immediately was the generosity of the community. People genuinely want to help each other succeed, and the “Give First” mentality isn’t just a catchphrase—it’s the way business gets done here.

Meeting our board members early on made it clear they were deeply committed to making Colorado one of the best places in the world to grow a company. Having been an athlete my whole life, I know what it means to thrive in a team environment, and entrepreneurship—especially at the scale-up stage—is very much a team sport.

Getting to be part of a founder’s journey, even in a small way, is something I never take for granted. My role allows me to connect extraordinary people with the resources and relationships they need to scale. I get to spend my days around some of the most ambitious, optimistic, and bold thinkers I’ve ever met—people who truly believe they can change the world. Being in their corner is a privilege.

You’ve served in nearly every role across the Endeavor Colorado team. How has seeing the work from so many angles shaped your perspective on what high-impact support really means?

Working across community building, entrepreneur selection, operations, and stategy has given me a deep appreciation for how interconnected everything is. High-impact support isn’t just about one big introduction or a single piece of advice—it’s about timing, trust, and momentum.

I think of my role as making sure the right founder meets the right person at exactly the right moment. Sometimes that’s a major investor, other times it’s a peer founder who’s already navigated a similar challenge. Seeing the whole journey from multiple vantage points has taught me that scale-up success is rarely a straight line—and that even small, well-timed interventions can change the trajectory of a company.

Endeavor is a global network of over 2,700 growth-stage founders across 45+ markets. What’s a moment or story from your time at Endeavor that captures the power of this global community?

There are so many, but my trip to the Endeavor EX Retreat in Istanbul this past April stands out. Spending several days with colleagues from every corner of the globe, sharing ideas, best practices, and stories of the entrepreneurs they support, was eye-opening.

While I’m on calls with our global team weekly, there’s no substitute for being in the same room and having those organic conversations that spark new thinking. In Istanbul, I could feel the passion and energy that drives our network—every person there was committed to helping the biggest-dreaming, highest-impact entrepreneurs in the world. I came home with a whole new sense of what’s possible for Colorado founders when we fully tap into that global power.

You just recently became Managing Director this summer. What excites you most about this new chapter – and what kind of culture or momentum are you hoping to build?

Like many of the companies we work with, Endeavor Colorado is at an inflection point. We launched in late 2019 and, in just a few years, have had the privilege of supporting some of Colorado’s most exciting, category-defining scale-ups. Now, we’re entering what I call “Endeavor Colorado 2.0.”

What excites me most is the chance to lean into sectors where Colorado is on the global cutting edge—AI, Quantum, SpaceTech, and Health Sciences like Genomics. These are industries that will reshape the world, and we can help identify and back the companies here that will lead that charge.

Culturally, I want us to be relentlessly collaborative, deeply community-driven, and founder-first. If we consistently connect the right founder to the right person at the right time—whether that’s an investor, customer, mentor, or peer—we’ll not only help individual companies scale faster, we’ll help elevate the entire Colorado ecosystem. And on a personal note, I’m lucky to spend my days with people who are relentlessly optimistic and unafraid to dream big. Their energy is contagious.

You completed your MBA while helping build Endeavor Colorado. What did that chapter teach you about balancing growth personally and professionally?

First, it taught me I can consume a truly impressive amount of caffeine! But more seriously, going back for my MBA in my mid-30s was one of the best investments I’ve ever made in myself.

Balancing 8–5 workdays with 6:15–9:30 p.m. classes was exhausting but also incredibly energizing. My classmates included leaders from Google, Lockheed Martin, and Visa—people with a decade or more of real-world experience in vastly different industries. That diversity of perspective was invaluable, and I absorbed as much as I could.

It reinforced the importance of prioritization—knowing which projects deserve my full focus—and reminded me of the value of leaning on the people around me. The experience sharpened my strategy and finance skills, but it also deepened my appreciation for collaboration and support systems, which is at the heart of what we do at Endeavor.

From the outside, Endeavor can seem like a selective club. What would you say to a founder considering the journey or curious about what makes it different?

Every founder goes through a rigorous selection process to become an Endeavor Entrepreneur. Last year, we screened roughly 5,000 companies globally and selected just 81—that’s less than a 2% acceptance rate.

What makes it worth it is that once you’re in, you’re part of a lifelong community. You have access to the collective knowledge, networks, and experiences of thousands of the world’s top entrepreneurs, mentors, and investors. The goal is simple: help you scale faster, smarter, and with a stronger support system than you could build on your own.

What’s one emerging trend or founder mindset that gives you hope for Colorado’s next wave of scale-up companies?

The “Give First” mindset that’s been part of Colorado’s culture for decades. Even at the growth stage—when time is scarce and the stakes are high—I see founders taking the time to help each other. That generosity builds trust, and trust builds ecosystems.

Since joining Endeavor, which industries have captured your attention most – and where are you seeing the greatest potential for growth?

For me, it’s quantum. Before Endeavor, the term was barely in my vocabulary. Now, you’d have to live under a rock not to notice the momentum here—especially in Boulder. CU Boulder has produced four Nobel laureates in quantum, and companies like Atom Computing, Maybell Quantum, and Infleqtion are making global waves. Organizations like Elevate Quantum are securing federal funding and building innovation hubs that will set this region up for decades of leadership.

Outside of work, what keeps you grounded – and growing?

I recharge in the mountains—riding or running on the endless trails and roads around Boulder. Given that my work is people-focused and relationship-driven, I value solo time to think, reflect, and let ideas surface. Some of my best thinking happens on a long gravel ride into the foothills.

When I’m not outside, I’m usually trying to improve my cooking skills (with mixed results, if you ask my partner Maddy) or catching up with my business school friends to swap startup ideas and compete in our fantasy football league. That mix of movement, creativity, and connection keeps me balanced.

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