June 2020

Ed Kase, President of EKase Consulting, is a strategic planning and business development executive with more than 25 years of B2B and B2G business development, with a focus in SBIR / STTR technology commercialization since 2005. This experience spans various technologies, including aerospace systems, scientific instrumentation, industrial equipment, software, medical devices, and pharmaceutical technologies. Ed has held leadership roles in a number of functional areas including marketing, sales, and consulting services. In addition to his consulting practice, Ed provides services for the Colorado SBDC Technology / SBDC TechSource program. Ed received his BS in mechanical engineering from Clarkson University and his MBA from Colorado State University.

Bill Jones is a Principal at Jones & Associates, P.C. A graduate of Metropolitan State College of Denver with a Bachelor of Science in Accounting, Bill spent 6 years in private industry before entering public accounting. With 25+ years serving clients as a CPA, he values the role of trusted advisor. He has broad experience in financial reporting including audit services, in management consulting and fraction CFO assistance, and individual and business income taxes. Bill has overseen engagements ranging from start-ups to companies with over $1 billion in revenue, but his focus in on serving small, closely held, owner managed businesses and the related individuals. Bill has served in various capacities with non-profits organizations. He currently serves on the board of the Erie Colorado Chamber of Commerce and as a consultant and Board member for the Boulder SBDC and Foundation.  He was formerly as a member of the Governor’s Colorado Small Business Advisory Council.

Ruth Janjic is a marketing specialist with deep experience conducting secondary industry research, marketing analysis and strategy work. Ruth started her career in sales and marketing for one of the first Apple retailers, followed by a stint in high-growth technology firms, including Qualcomm. She switched to consulting during the dot-com boom, evaluating the online advertising and revenue models of emerging online publishers, and eventually advising on digital marketing strategies for traditional companies as they came online. Ruth has since spent hundreds of hours researching the strategies of a broad range of industries, including technology, publishing, retail, and professional services. More recently, she added not-for-profit organizations and small businesses to her knowledge base and enjoys helping them with their marketing challenges. Ruth holds an M.B.A. from the University of Washington and a B.A. from the University of New Hampshire. She is nationally-certified as an Economic Gardening Market Research Specialist through the Edward Lowe Foundation.

Andra Hargrave has over 15 years of direct national and international sales channel development in the areas of government procurement and fortune level 500 business development. His marketing channel development experience lies in a variety of industries, including technology-oriented manufacturing, service industries and distribution. Hargrave possesses an in-depth knowledge of state and federal set-aside procurement programs, such as SDB, HUB and the 8a Business Development Program, among others. He has served as the director of certification for the RMMSDC and currently serves as the statewide veteran’s consultant for the Colorado SBDC Network. His comprehension of federally-backed procurements, grants and certification programs, such as Advanced Technology and SBIR/STTR, is without equal.

Eric Drennan is Shareholder and Board Secretary at Denver law firm, Holzer Patel Drennan. Eric combines his technical background in mechanical and manufacturing engineering technology with 10+ years of intellectual property (IP) legal experience to effectively and efficiently develop his clients’ IP assets. Eric’s practice focuses on patent preparation and prosecution, patent analysis, IP due diligence, and IP portfolio management. Eric works in a variety of technical areas including, for example, mechanical devices, manufacturing technology, propulsion systems, materials science, data storage systems, semiconductor devices, telecommunications, electronics, consumer goods, and Internet-based technology.