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Leigh-Ann Zaharevich is the CEO of Aligned Performance. With over 20 years of experience, she has worked with business owners of micro businesses to large teams in macro organizations. Aligned Performance facilitates training for managers and leaders as well as team sessions. Leigh-Ann was personally trained by Michael Gerber, author of The E-Myth, to support entrepreneurs as they grow. She teaches HR courses for the Business School at CU Denver. Leigh-Ann earned her Masters Degree from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

As Senior Manager, Katie manages the strategy of the Advanced Industry Accelerator Program. She works directly with early stage and start-up companies, Colorado Research Institution Technology Transfer Offices, and Advanced Industry stakeholders. She oversees all Early Stage Capital and Retention Grants, Proof of Concept Grants and Infrastructure Grant contracts. She also oversees the AI Export Program as well as the State Trade Expansion Program (STEP).

Carolyn Terrell was previously employed by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), as Supervisory Business Development Specialist for 20+ years. She retired from federal service in July 2019. During her tenure with the SBA, Ms. Terrell administered the 8a Business Development Program, the Small Disadvantaged Business Program, the HUBZone Empowerment Contracting Program, and the Women Owned Small Business Programs. She provided certified firms assistance with business development to include starting, developing and expanding their business and entrance into the government procurement arena. Ms. Terrell currently leverages her expertise consulting President’s/CEO’s of small and mid-size level with capture management and determining strength, weaknesses, opportunities and threats to the business. She provides practical and proven suggestions to build an effective win strategy to compete successfully in the global economy and the federal sector. Ms. Terrell, is a graduate of Friends University, Wichita, KS, holding a Bachelor Degree in Business Administration/Management.

Jon is a corporate partner who specializes in corporate and securities law with extensive experience in emerging company issues, venture capital, M&A and private equity. Jon is passionate about working with entrepreneurs on everything from formation through multiple rounds of financing and eventually ending with an exit transaction. Jon works with companies ranging from start-ups to multinational corporations and also represents angel, venture capital and private-equity investors. Jon joined KO in 2005 after practicing corporate and securities law with Wilson, Sonsini, Goodrich & Rosati in Palo Alto, California, Cooley Godward in Boulder, Colorado and Smith Anderson in Raleigh, North Carolina. Jon graduated from Duke Law School, magna cum laude and was elected to the Order of the Coif and received his B.S. in Business from the University of Colorado, Boulder, summa cum laude.

Outside of the office, Jon likes to spend his time hanging out with his kids, reading novels, traveling the globe or listening to very loud live music.

David Talon is a business growth, strategy and execution expert with 20+ years of experience leading new domestic and international business development, setting up distribution networks, increasing top-line revenues and building cohesive teams in the USA, Latin America, Europe and Asia. David has hands-on project management experience helping to create changes in the strategies, plans, systems, and procedures to rapidly increase sales, market penetration and new business growth. David is a Certified Executive Coach with a strong understanding of Cultural Intelligence (CQ) required to adapt business practices to local and regional market considerations. He focuses on early-stage and rapidly growing small-to-medium sized businesses ($0 – $50 Million) with a willingness and capability to expand in both US and foreign markets. David holds an MBA in International Business with a minor in Latin American Geopolitics and has lived in South America and Mexico.