Subject Matter Experts

Dan’s extensive career spans the fields of banking, real estate, hotels, restaurants, consulting and property management. He has worked for HSBC Bank, HVS International and has started three businesses of his own. He has been actively involved with the City of Boulder, was the Chair of the Board of Directors for the Boulder Chamber of Commerce and on the Executive Board for the Boulder Convention and Visitors Bureau. His areas of expertise include financial modeling, market analysis and general business operations. Dan is a graduate of Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration.

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.

An advocate for innovators and entrepreneurs, Rama Haris leads the Advanced Industries Accelerator Program for the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT). As Senior Manager she develops early stage and start-up Colorado companies, while enhancing the State’s advanced industries through partnerships with Colorado technology transfer offices and advanced industry stakeholders. She also oversees OEDIT’s export grant programs which are helping Colorado to become a major exporter in the global market.