Enterprise Advisor
Todd is a retired executive with Mondelez International/Kraft Foods/Nabisco Inc. and has extensive experience in identifying, developing and commercializing innovative breakthrough technology for consumer goods sector. A strong strategic planning and business background coupled with skills in product development, nutritional science, R&D strategy, Open Innovation, and organizational development. Solid track record in the transfer of consumer needs from development to the marketplace. Regarded as an industry expert in scientifically driven, consumer focused innovation and driving collaboration. Experienced talent manager and team developer. A strong facilitator/teacher effective in communicating to all stakeholders from the bench to executive suite. Actively involved leading industry groups and collaborating with universities, suppliers, venture funds and start-ups as a mentor, thought leader and board member. Todd is also a nationally certified collegiate soccer referee and referee instructor.
Enterprise Advisor
Travis Alsup is CEO at Kosh Solutions, a locally owned IT Solutions company. Kosh Solutions works with local businesses to design, build, and maintain the technology that powers their productivity. Travis’ vision and corporate strategy has driven substantial growth over the past few years. Under his leadership Kosh Solutions has earned multiple Fastest Growing Company awards, allowing Kosh to expand their market into Albuquerque, Farmington, and Durango. An undergrad from NMSU and a Master’s in Business Administration from University of Nebraska give a solid academic framework for real life business applications. Coupled with a passion and background in business and finance, Travis has an affinity for entrepreneurship, especially as it pertains to his home town of Las Cruces.
Enterprise Advisor
Maynard and Jacquelene Timmons have been married for nearly 15 years but business partners, Founder and COO of Digital Logistics, an IT Agency for 4 years. The couple formed an entrepreneur alliance in 2018 to bring simplified and affordable mobile technology to small to mid-level businesses, helping many businesses take their products & services digital. With many years of corporate experience in the automotive industry and business consulting, Maynard has helped inspiring entrepreneurs start businesses, and struggling entrepreneurs improve their operational processes and build revenue. As the COO of Digital Logistics Jacquelene oversees day to day operations, human resources and administration. Maynard is the Chief Executive Officer managing the technical, sales, and marketing components of their growing IT Agency. Together they have 8 children whom they are teaching and grooming in all things business and evolution.
Enterprise Advisor
Jaime Bari was hired in 2004 as Director of Financial Services for Doña Ana County. His responsibilities included management of the county’s fiscal activities and collaborating with executive management to formulate the county’s strategic fiscal plan. Prior to joining Doña Ana County, he was Director of Financial Services for Monroe County, Rochester, NY. Mr. Bari also launched a small business management and consulting company, which acquired Rochester Optical Manufacturing Company, whose primary customer was the US Department of Defense. Before launching this business, he held various executive positions with Xerox Corporation, Rochester, NY and 3M Company, St. Paul, MN. Bari is currently a design and business consultant to a global network of engineers and scientists developing products and manufacturing capabilities in the areas of nanotechnology, biomedical systems, electro-optical devices and low cost housing technology for emerging economies. He has an MBA degree from SUNY Buffalo and Masters of Technology Administration, a joint degree program with the University of Minnesota and Goddard College.
Enterprise Advisor
Don has been a professional software developer in Chicago since 1990. He has worked in: bio-informatics, medical devices, artificial intelligence, and global investment banking and FinTech to name a few. Don has spent a good chunk of his career on major hi-tech banking teams at UBS, Northern Trust, and Bank of America. Don is a cofounder and partner at Eight Bit Studios, an award winning and industry leading web and mobile application firm in Chicago, where he currently leads the technology team. Eight Bit Studios work has shone on a few major financial efforts both with annuity backed incentive startups as well as global leaders such as Guggenheim Financial. Don has co-founded or helped start 8 companies and derives deep joy from figuring out a product roadmap. Don has been an outspoken advocate for women and girls in tech as well as people of color, seeking to bridge the technology gap by exposing the fun and creative side of programming. He frequently mentors both high school and college students who display an interest in technology and coding and is an adjunct lecturer at Northwestern’s Medill School of Journalism.
Enterprise Advisor
Micaela Brown is a multifaceted entrepreneur and mentor with extensive experience across various industries. She is the Founder & CEO of Blush & Whimsy, a cosmetics brand known for its inclusion in prestigious events such as the GRAMMY and Oscars Gift Bags, Cannes Film Festival, and The Real Housewives of New York event in the Hamptons. Since its inception in 2016, Blush & Whimsy has garnered attention from major publications including Forbes, The New York Times, and Harper’s Bazaar.
In addition, Micaela is the Founder of AI Discovery Group and engages as an entrepreneurship mentor for the Department of State’s Young Leaders of the Americas Initiative (YLAI) offering private sector consulting in ecommerce, digital marketing, branding, and product development.
Micaela’s achievements have been recognized with several fellowships, including the British-American Project Fellow, Windsor Castle Society of Leadership Fellows, and The Royal Society of the Arts. She has also been an active member of the British American Project USA Executive Committee since 2014. Her earlier career involved roles as an international trade and development consultant in Washington, D.C., working with organizations such as USAID and the US Commercial Service.
Enterprise Advisor
Chuck Blakeman is a serial entrepreneur who has built 13 businesses in 10 industries across four continents. He is a best-selling author, TEDx speaker, and internationally recognized business advisor. Chuck is passionate about helping small business owners and independent salespeople find freedom in their work. Through his company, Crankset Group, he helps clients make more money in less time, get off the treadmill, and reconnect with the passion that drove them to start their businesses. Chuck has worked with major companies like Google, Microsoft, and Apple, re-humanizing the workplace. He is a regular contributor to *Entrepreneur* magazine and has been featured in *Inc.*, *Success*, CNN, and the *New York Times*. Chuck also hosts the widely acclaimed podcast, “Get Off The Treadmill,” aimed at helping business owners regain control of their time and achieve sustainable success. Learn more at www.3to5Club.com and www.cranksetgroup.com.
Enterprise Advisor
Dana Catron serves as the Director of Strategic Operations and SBIR Program Director for Arrowhead Center, where she is the Director of Arrowhead’s accelerator programs, SBIR assistance program, NM FAST, and provides support on strategic planning, operations, grants, written communication, and program development. She also serves as Arrowhead Center’s northern NM liaison, where she represents the organization at events and functions, serves on advisory councils, presents on programmatic initiatives, and performs outreach. Dana received her bachelor’s degree in Animal Science from Washington State University and a master’s and Ph.D. (in progress) in Rhetoric and Professional Communication from NMSU.
Enterprise Advisor
David Cherson is an experienced business development manager. He has experience in sales campaigns focused on software development tools, software applications, hardware, and IT services. He served as the North American Consulting Manager at Spotfire and helped develop the project implementation methodology for the implementation consultant group. At IBM, David Cherson was a Senior Consultant and Project Manager with IBM’s Product Information Management practice. David Cherson’s areas of expertise include successful development and implementation of customer projects. As an Industry Analyst and Client Research Manager for AMR Research, David helped clients in defining and establishing product information management systems. At Digital Equipment Corporation, he led the implementation of data and document management. David is a known expert in the field of Product Lifecycle Management.
Enterprise Advisor
As the CTO for the Civilian, State & Local (CSL) Business Group of Perspecta, John works across the board to drive leadership, IT strategy, and deliver emerging technology solutions. John has served previously as: Federal Civilian Coverage Area Chief Technologist within DXC’s U.S. Public Sector, HPES Account CTO for the U.S. FDA and NASA programs, and Subject Matter Expert in the media & entertainment space for Hewlett Packard Enterprise. He has presented on emerging technologies in the gaming industry to Electronic Arts and Oracle. He was a SERS research fellow at the Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory on superconductivity. Cho received his Ph.D. in biochemical engineering at the University of Maryland and his BA in biochemical engineering at New Mexico State University. He has patents pending in analytics, computer vision, energy, and robotics. His interests include theatre, games, history, literature, music composition, and yes — really cool technology.
Enterprise Advisor
Kevin Culver, a seasoned legal and financial expert equipped with both intellect and charm to tackle the most challenging corporate tax credit inquiries. With a strong background in corporate tax incentives across numerous industries, Kevin possesses an in-depth understanding of both numbers and legal terminologies, making him an ideal guide to navigate the intricate world of business tax credits. However, don’t let Kevin’s impressive credentials and legal prowess overshadow his lighter side. Kevin is a person with a great sense of humor, always ready to brighten his clients’ day with a well-timed joke about corporate tax credits or an amusing explanation about multiple entity structures. If optimizing your businesses tax position and re-investing money in your venture is your goal, look no further than Kevin. With his expertise and charisma, he can help guide you and your business while ensuring you enjoy the journey with a smile.
Enterprise Advisor
Chris Danek, CEO of Bessel, is an entrepreneur and life sciences industry veteran. Chris believes in empowering technical teams. He helps them speed time-to-market with agile teamwork while using advanced technology like additive manufacturing and digital engineering. Bessel has offices in Silicon Valley and El Paso, TX. Powered by Bessel startups are headquartered in El Paso and nationwide.
Chris was co-founder and CEO of AtheroMed (Philips AtheroMed), and before that was V.P. R&D of Asthmatx (Boston Scientific). Chris is a visiting professor at the W.M. Keck Center for 3D Innovation at UTEP and an advisor to the Santa Clara University Healthcare Innovation and Design Lab. He has a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from Stanford University and an M.B.A. with a concentration in finance from Wharton. Chris is an award-winning instructor and an inventor with over 85 U.S. patents.
Enterprise Advisor
Brian is an attorney at Scale LLP where he helps emerging businesses tackle both legal and operational challenges. He studied computer science at the University of Maryland and law at George Mason University. Before private practice, he spent nearly ten years as general counsel for a suite of hi-tech startup companies, with an emphasis on “general.” He knows what it’s like launching a company with a handful of employees – going from engineering meetings, to reviewing contracts, to managing HR, to calling the plumber – all in the same day! Brian is also a seasoned intellectual property practitioner, applying a business-first mindset when advising his clients on how to protect their most valuable assets.
Enterprise Advisor
Danielle is a statistician and social scientist with over 10 years of experience across multiple fields, spanning the startup world, private consulting, and academia. She currently serves as Head of Data Science at Quotient, an enterprise ESG quantification platform focused on moving markets into consciousness of impact, which she co-founded in 2020. Additionally, she teaches a data science residency program, consults as a statistician, mentors three data scientists, volunteers her coding skills with a nonprofit, and occasionally channels her inner Tony Robbins. Her favorite hobbies include playing poker in a local league (ABQPT), trading options on ETFs, getting outdoors anywhere in New Mexico, and spending time with her black golden retriever, Sherlock.
Enterprise Advisor
Christopher Dunn is a business adviser and consultant who can provide insights for new and existing businesses on launching new ventures, validating business concepts, testing target markets, and connecting with customers. Christopher also has professional expertise in the utility industry, including electric, natural gas, renewable energy, energy efficiency, and the energy transition. Connect with this adviser to discuss any of these topics, or for general business advice and guidance.
Enterprise Advisor
Rod Fuentes is an authentic and enthusiastic tech entrepreneur, bringing 11 years of software experience and 8 years of B2B sales & marketing skills. He co-founded ListenLoop, an account-based advertising software, which was acquired by Integrate.com. With a B.S. in electrical engineering from Yale and a law degree from Columbia, he enjoys writing about and fiddling with machine learning and computer vision in his spare time.
Enterprise Advisor
Noreen is a Wealth Management Advisor and oversees the Wealth Planning experience for a boutique-style banking and investment group inside of Merrill Lynch Wealth Management in Manhattan, New York. She and her team advise on complex financial issues to help clients achieve their long term goals. Areas of focus include investment strategy, cash flow analysis, pre-transaction planning, estate and tax planning, risk management, wealth transfer and charitable planning. Prior to Merrill Lynch, Noreen worked at Sony BMG Entertainment where her responsibilities included financial oversight of the royalties for its various record labels, artists, and joint venture deals. She earned her B.S. in Finance from NYU Stern School of Business. In the community, Noreen has several philanthropic endeavors, with a focus on creating multi-generational wealth in underserved communities. Additionally, she is an SEO alumnus and an advisory board member of the Hispanic Scholarship Fund.
Enterprise Advisor
Dr. Brad Gordon has over twenty-five years of experience starting, financing, growing, merging and acquiring new companies. Between 1981 and 2007 he participated in the start-up of eleven companies, including five new ventures in the biotech sector, where he held executive positions in both venture capital and corporate management. One of those companies, Celgene, has grown to become one of the three largest independent biopharmaceutical companies worldwide, and now ranks as the 137th largest U.S. corporation with a current market value of approximately $42 billion.
Enterprise Advisor
Charles Harb currently serves as President of RingIR Inc, a company that is revolutionizing gas and molecular sensing technology. Charles received his doctorate in Quantum Optics at the Australian National University and went on to do post doctorate research at Stanford University. While there, he focused on business development in science. The technological developments that RingIR has made has fostered business relationships in national defense, health and safety, and security industries worldwide. Charles Harb collaborates both domestically and internationally on cavity ringdown spectroscopy research. In addition to his experience in high-tech startups, he also was an associate professor in Australia.
Enterprise Advisor
Heather is an accomplished marketing and communications consultant versed in multi-generational entrepreneurship. Through her eponymous firm, Heather Hunter Marketing, she develops comprehensive marketing and public relations strategies as well as oversees project management and event productions for businesses and organizations of all shapes, types and sizes. Her clients range from Mexico’s beloved Senor Frog’s brand to the Santa Fe Business Incubator where she helps to nurture and draw attention to the indelible, New Mexican entrepreneurial spirit. For many years, she was the hands-on owner and marketeer of a five-star boutique resort, Puerto Mio, in Zihuatanejo, Mexico. An avid home cook, Heather serves up good + good for you recipes on her blog, The Cowgirl Gourmet in Santa Fe. When she’s not cooking, she is likely hanging out with her husband or hiking with her two Labradoodles, Nacho and Guero.
Enterprise Advisor
Emily founded Floriography Flowers in 2011 in a tiny but mighty little patch of her family’s pecan orchard in Southern New Mexico. That small flower farm has since blossomed into multiple businesses including Floriography, Calhoun Flower Farms, and Florecita. Floriography Flowers is a Southwest-based floral design company specializing in the creation of lush, arrangements, and installations. Their designs are crafted with a nod to the rich agricultural history of the American Southwest, using locally-sourced, sustainably grown flowers whenever possible. Emily and Floriography are passionate about developing small female run farms and agricultural business. They do this through investment mentoring and business strategy workshops. When she isn’t out in the field or studio you can find Emily eating tacos and sitting on a porch with her husband Eli and their dog, Tex.
Enterprise Advisor
A distinguished NMSU graduate and native of Las Cruces, Jones brings a wealth of experience as a multi-time founder, chief executive and entrepreneur specializing in building and scaling companies in complex, highly regulated industries with a focus on mission-driven companies seeking to make positive change in the world. Jones’ professional career has spanned nearly two decades in early-stage technology startups and venture capital. Jones studied academic and corporate innovation at Stanford Graduate School of Business and is a two-time LEAD program Intellectual Contributor Award winner for his work in design thinking and finance. Jones has worked closely with several academic institutions and corporations building programmatic approaches to entrepreneurship, innovation, and company-building, with multiple successful spinouts.
Enterprise Advisor
Steven has over a decade of deep experience in launching and growing businesses and solving problems from idea conception to developing and bringing technology to market. Steven is currently the CEO of Curacubby, a leading integrated payments and business platform for schools of all sizes. As a parent cofounder of an early education program for children with special needs, Steven had first-hand knowledge of the challenges faced by child education organizations when relying on manual data entry and antiquated billing and payment methods. Steven is a thought leader in business operations and process management, as featured in Forbes.com and Inc. Magazine. Previously, Steven cofounded Ice Chamber Athletic Performance Training and was the inventor of KettleGuard, a best-selling patented protective wrist device for kettlebell lifting. He was a member of the 2016-2017 Envestnet | Yodlee Incubator, an awarding-winning accelerator for next-generation fintech disruptors. Steven earned his bachelor’s degree in Mass Communications from the University of California at Berkeley.
Enterprise Advisor
David has over 20 years of entrepreneurial experience and hands-on expertise in managing all aspects of financial, legal, accounting and HR activities for small companies from start-up to exit. A serial entrepreneur, David has helped start and found numerous startups, and worked with businesses across a wide range of industry including tech startups, banking and legal services, and software development. He was Co-Founder of Fusion Mobile, a prepaid cellular service company that specialized in providing turnkey programs to retailers. David has served as COO and VP of Finance for several companies. He is a graduate of the University of Texas, speaks Spanish, a little German and Italian and enjoys playing the guitar. David can advise on strategic and logistical consulting, including business plan development, financial analysis, HR and administrative development.
Enterprise Advisor
Peter Knapp is Arrowhead Center’s Senior Graphic Designer and Visual Communications Leader. He develops and implements brand identity strategies, website development, print layout, and design conceptualization. He earned his bachelor’s degree with an emphasis on Graphic Design from NMSU and has over ten years of experience. Mr. Knapp is an advocate for branding and identity and creating a mark that will give the final product an original look with creativity and sophistication.
Enterprise Advisor
Chris Lang is the founder of Organ Mountain Outfitters, a venture that started with the idea of printing the picturesque silhouette of the Organ Mountains on t-shirts. Lang settled in Las Cruces, where he discovered the community’s needs. Motivated by local poverty statistics, he decided to contribute to the cause by donating a portion of proceeds from his t-shirt sales to support feeding hungry kids. Chris is also a partner in the Fresh Chile Company, a Las Cruces-based endeavor producing Hatch Chile products. Collaborating with Randy McMillan, the company emphasizes community-driven initiatives, personally selecting Hatch Green and Red Chile peppers from the field to create high-quality sauces that capture the authentic taste of New Mexico. The Fresh Chile Company’s commitment to the local community is evident in its embrace of the state’s rich heritage and dedication to providing a taste of home with every meal. Chris also runs The LNG Company, a full-service advertising agency specializing in print, television, and digital advertising, web design, social media, public relations, brand management, and more. His diverse experiences reflect a passion for community, creativity, and making a positive impact.
Enterprise Advisor
Monica helps busy women simplify their wellness so they can sleep better and have more energy to enjoy life. As a yoga therapist and neuromuscular-body alignment expert, Monica has helped thousands of clients live better lives on their own terms. She has lived and worked in both Sweden and China, where she started her entrepreneurial journey. She now runs her business remotely while traveling the world and getting her beauty sleep. Learn more about Monica’s work at monicalebaron.com
Enterprise Advisor
Yun Li, PhD, Managing Director VIC New Mexico Branch, Dr. Li is serving as interim CEO of Nob Hill Therapeutics. Her multifaceted professional career spans from R&D and global program management in Fortune 500 companies to technology commercialization/startup and business consulting. In 2006, she started a consulting firm in business and professional development. In this capacity, she assisted a wide range of companies in building commercialization strategies and capabilities, clarifying value propositions, defining applications/markets, building teams, and raising capital. She is a founding member of five technology startups. Dr. Li is an advocate for international collaboration in technology commercialization and is deeply immersed in the US-China collaboration ecosystem. She was a board member of Startup New Mexico and serves on the board of advisors at Technology Venture Corporation. Dr. Li graduated from Tsinghua University, China, with a BS in Electrical Engineering and a MS in Nuclear Physics. She received her PhD in Materials Science from Arizona State University.
Enterprise Advisor
Enterprise Technologist with total 25 years’ experience in the IT Industry. Has lead enterprise-class solutioning for On-Premises to Public / Private / Enterprise Clouds targeting enterprise applications and workloads. Deep knowledge of enterprise applications, such as SAP, and emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence, blockchain, and container technologies. Experience also includes the orchestration and oversight of resources from global staff pool in support of company-wide initiatives around innovation. Currently at the forefront of incubation of new technology and business offerings, providing evaluation, research and development of during key offering development initiatives.
Enterprise Advisor
Jameson MacDonnell specializes in developing growth strategies for visionaries, researchers, and entrepreneurs. As Founder of The Mentibus Group LLC, he leverages more than 15 years of successful business development, commercialization, management, and marketing experience to advise academic medical centers, universities, and startup founders from around the country and across industry segments.
Before Mentibus, Jameson designed the corporate strategies program at Massachusetts General Hospital, home of the world’s largest hospital-based research enterprise. He worked alongside the development and commercialization offices to engage Fortune 500 companies and their C-suite executive teams, influential philanthropists, and dynamic scientists to generate millions in revenues for Mass General’s institutional priorities.
He holds a B.A. in Political Science and Public Administration from Elon University and an M.B.A. from the Sawyer Business School at Suffolk University. Jameson is a guest lecturer on a variety of topics ranging from healthcare to technology innovation. He is an avid Boston sports fan and enjoys golf, boxing, and sneaker culture.
Enterprise Advisor
Dr. Griselda Martinez helps professional women turn their expertise into thriving businesses so they can break free from the grind and build a life of purpose, freedom, and impact. With a 20-year career as her vault of expertise, she brings a rare mix of business strategy, mentorship, and real-world transformation. With a background spanning economic development, strategic planning, and entrepreneurship, Griselda has worked across the U.S., Puerto Rico, St. Martin, and Mexico, creating and deploying high-impact programs—including bilingual initiatives in Spanish and English. She holds a Doctorate in Economic Development and is a Certified Economic Developer (CEcD), an industry-leading credential. As a Certified Transformational Coach and Speaker, she brings a rare mix of business acumen and personal empowerment, delivering clear, practical strategies that lead to real-world transformation. She is also the host and producer of un-Expectedly Successful, a podcast that showcases women founders, and the co-author of The Transformative Power of a Name.
Enterprise Advisor
After graduating with honors from Princeton University with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Molecular Biology, and obtaining her Juris Doctor from the University of Pennsylvania, Elizabeth Wechsler Mata practiced patent law for twenty-two years with Hamilton, Brook, Smith & Reynolds, P.C., an intellectual property law firm based in Concord, Massachusetts. For seventeen of those years, she telecommuted from her home office in El Paso, Texas. Ms. Mata assisted clients in the biotechnology field. She counseled on strategic patent prosecution and enforcement internationally as well as in the United States, and on patentability, patent validity, patent term extension, freedom-to-operate, interference and infringement matters. Ms. Mata also serves as an Ms. Mata is currently with the El Paso firm of Blanco Ordonez Mata & Wallace, P.C., where she works in the firm’s business and real estate practice in the areas of business organizations and commercial transactions and is an adjunct professor at NMSU, teaching “Intellectual Property for Engineers and Scientists.”
Enterprise Advisor
Mr. McLary is presently associated Of Counsel with the intellectual property law firm of Peacock Myers, P.C, whose main office is in Albuquerque. Mr. McLary is resident in Las Cruces. Prior to Peacock Myers, Mr. McLary was Of Counsel with the firm of Womble, Carlyle, Sandridge, and Rice in Atlanta for 12 years. Mr. McLary has extensive experience in intellectual property matters, including license preparation and negotiation, leasing, joint venture strategy (both domestic and foreign), antitrust compliance, and general contract issues. His patent experience includes preparation and prosecution of U. S. and foreign patents on a wide range of subject matter, writing validity, infringement, and patentability opinions, as well as patent license agreements. Mr. McLary earned his B. S. in Mechanical Engineering from Purdue University and his J. D. from the University of Toledo. He is admitted to practice in Indiana and Ohio and before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
Enterprise Advisor
Lance Maurer is the CEO and founder of Cinnafilm, Inc, a global leader in enterprise, B2B media conversion software, specializing in high-end image processing. With over 14 years of experience in cinema, broadcast, and now streaming/OTT for modern global distribution markets, Lance has worked closely with the world’s largest movie studios, networks, and content providers to solve the most challenging conversion issues in a rapidly evolving industry that demands the very highest quality playback experience. Cinnafilm works closely with and had partnered with many industry-leading technology leaders like Technicolor, Dolby, Skywalker Sound, Nvidia, Microsoft, and more. Cinnafilm media transformational software is considered the gold standard and is used in hundreds of facilities on a wide gamut of professional content ranging from the restoration of important titles like Gone With the Wind to the delivery of modern global events like the Olympics. Cinnafilm software is sold as a B2B SaaS to operate in the cloud or on prem / VPC environments.
Enterprise Advisor
Weston Marlow received his BFA in 2005 and BS in Aerospace Engineering in 2011 both from NMSU. He went on to receive an S.M. in Aerospace Engineering from MIT with focuses in Space Systems Engineering and Satellite Control Systems in 2016.
Weston Marlow is currently the President & CEO of SpaceRake, Inc., a commercial space startup in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Mr. Marlow brings a combination of commercial space executive management experience, and hands-on tech development. He has served as CTO at a previous startup that was heavily engaged with the US Space Force. Mr. Marlow has led successful executions of Phase I and Phase II SBIR contracts. He has managed multidisciplinary engineering teams executing complex space programs along with corporate and strategic development. He has worked with commercial and government programs at all stages of development, from large government satellite imagery providers to nascent startups and academic programs.
Mr. Marlow has over a dozen years of experience in the space industry. Prior to joining SpaceRake, he served as the CTO of the commercial space startup Hedron Space, Inc. where he worked from 2017-2021. He has relevant programmatic experience from work at MIT Lincoln Laboratory, the MIT Space Systems Laboratory, NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, and the New Mexico State University Physical Science Laboratory.
Enterprise Advisor
Leah Messina is an experienced entrepreneur in digital marketing, content production, and publishing. For over 15 years, she has pioneered innovative social media strategy, digital brand management, and content promotion through emerging technology. She has worked extensively for consumer brands including GEICO, Black & Decker, Ace Hardware, and A&E Television, developing and managing digital promotion strategies for product launches. In 2014, she co-founded Approach Positive, a marketing and communications firm dedicated to increasing awareness of research and programs in the science and technology industries. Leah is also the founder and CEO of Sinuate Media, a digital marketing consulting firm she launched in 2006 that emphasizes the collaboration between digital and traditional strategies. She holds a BA in Professional Writing & Communication Design from Carnegie Mellon University and a MS in Marketing from the Carey Business School at Johns Hopkins University. Leah is also the founder of NETWorks Las Cruces, Southern New Mexico’s only marketing networking organization.
Enterprise Advisor
Alejandro is an experienced Executive and is currently Managing Director of No Border Ventures, a VC fund based in El Paso, Texas looking to change the face of entrepreneurship through diverse and ethical investing in tech startups in the Southwest. His Previous roles include being the CFO of the start-up Higo/Sammy, Deputy Strategy Director at Grupo Mexico Transportes, Sr. Strategy Associate at Bloomberg L.P., and Analyst in JP Morgan’s Investment Bank. Alejandro holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a BBA in Fin/Acct from UTEP.
Enterprise Advisor
Bobbi Kay Nelson is the Principal at Nelson & Company CPA, LLC. Bobbi is a CPA with more than 15 years of experience in accounting and taxation. She in an expert in business taxes, business registration, and entity selection as well as offering general business and accounting advice. Bobbi Kay Nelson, CPA has years of valuable experience as an IRS registered tax preparer. She assists taxpayers and small businesses with taxes in Albuquerque, NM and the surrounding communities.
Enterprise Advisor
Luke Nogales loves to help innovators reach their potential. Luke is an assistant professor in the Engineering Technology Department at New Mexico State University. He teaches mechanical engineering technology core courses and is developing an innovation and product development curriculum for traditional students as well as for the private sector. Prior to working at NMSU, Luke worked as an innovator at Procter & Gamble. While working full-time at P&G in Cincinnati, OH, Luke went to Northwestern University in Evanston, IL and received a MS in Product Design and Development. The internationally recognized program, which is taught by engineering and business faculty, strengthened his understanding of how to develop successful value propositions. Luke’s engineering foundation was built at New Mexico State University, where he received a BS with high honors in Mechanical Engineering Technology.
Enterprise Advisor
Ingela Onstad is a high-performance coach for professionals in the public eye, assisting individuals with confident public speaking, presenting, and persuasive pitching. Her coaching business, Courageous Artistry, supports high performing individuals in their quest to perform at the top of their abilities when in front of the public by working on skills to target voice, body, anxiety-management, and mindset. Ms. Onstad is a board-certified coach, a licensed psychotherapist, and a professional opera singer who has enjoyed a varied international career in opera, concert work, and contemporary music across the United States, Canada, and Germany. She utilizes tools from psychotherapy and the entertainment industry to help clients shine in front of crowds. Recent speaking opportunities include the Duke University Voice Care Center, the Washington D.C. Bar Association Small Firms Division, and the New Mexico Law Offices of the Public Defender. A Santa Fe native, she holds a Bachelor of Music Degree from McGill University, and Master of Music and Master of Arts in Counseling from UNM.
Enterprise Advisor
James is REDW’s Sales and Use Tax expert. With over 8 years of experience specializing exclusively in the State and Local Tax arena, James has dealt with sales and use tax compliance for every state in the U.S.A. and Canada. In addition to his time working with a multi-national retailer, James spent 4 years working with the New Mexico Taxation & Revenue Department in multiple divisions, including the Audit & Compliance Division, as well as assisting the Department in the development of internal policies and procedures for auditing specialty refund claims. James also has experience preparing and providing audit defense for a variety of State and Federal Tax Credit filings and unique Property Tax situations involving tribal entities and specialty exemptions. James holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from the University of New Mexico and Masters of Science in Accountancy from the University of Phoenix.
Enterprise Advisor
Sean is the founder and lead consultant of HatchForm. Started HatchForm in 2018 after working as the business and entrepreneurship project manager at the Fairbanks Economic Development Corporation and as the Program Director at the Santa Fe Business Incubator. Sean received his MBA from Philadelphia University in 2010, is a certified Business Incubator Manager, serves on the New Mexico TechWorks Task Force and the City of Santa Fe’s Economic Development Advisory Committee, and sits on the Advisory Boards of Honeymoon Brewery and FairBikes
Enterprise Advisor
Jordan Olivas is an influential, award-winning, and well-regarded C-Suite executive with extensive experience creating and leading world-class growth strategies in eCommerce, FinTech, lending, and operations in diverse and ever-changing global environments. Additionally, he demonstrates a proven track record of success in unlocking revenue potential, catapulting success, and propelling operational excellence positioning the organization as an industry leader in a highly competitive landscape.
Jordan’s background includes leveraging a hands-on approach to lead growth and best practices championing the organizational mission and goals. Additionally, he executes on challenges and maintain a forward-thinking, entrepreneurial mindset aligned with the enterprise vision while working with federal regulators around FinTech rules, laws, and regulations.
Jordan is proficient at building powerful teams, relationships, and organizations, establishing expectations, communicating vision, and monitoring performance to maximize effectiveness. A results-driven senior executive translating organizational needs into revolutionary solutions accelerating change, transformation, and growth.
Enterprise Advisor
Ebetuel “Beto” Pallares-Venegas was born in Cd. Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico and raised in El Paso, TX. He is an active high tech early-stage investor, university lecturer and conducts research on incubators and accelerators; he also serves on several corporate and venture fund advisory boards. He founded Joseph Advisory Services, an early stage venture capital and economic development advisory firm. He is also the sole general partner of Proficio Capital Management, an early-stage fund. He is a Kauffman Fellow, as well as a Presidio Institute Cross Sector Leadership Fellow. He also serves on the NMSU Intellectual Property Advisory Committee. Dr. Pallares received a BA in Economics, an MBA and holds a PhD in International Business.
Enterprise Advisor
Katie is a PhD-trained science communications specialist with over a decade of experience working with global academic and industry leaders. She focuses on advancing research and healthcare in neurology, inflammation, dementia, mental health, and rare diseases. She has authored nine peer-reviewed publications and numerous educational materials, translating complex science for diverse audiences. In industry, she supports biomedical products through their life cycle, educating stakeholders and driving medical affairs activities. Previously, Katie was Executive Director of the Global CEO Initiative on Alzheimer’s Disease, leading expert consensus recommendations on diagnostic technologies. She has also worked as a Science Education Consultant for the DANA Foundation and the Atlanta Science Festival. As an executive board member of the Atlanta Chapter of the Society for Neuroscience, she led a Brain Awareness Campaign promoting STEM education in underserved K-12 classrooms.
Enterprise Advisor
Mike’s career began as an electrical engineer where he was actively involved in product design, development, testing and market introduction. During his 40-year career, Mike’s experience evolved from product engineering into market evaluation and product design, aligning products with customer and market needs. Mid-career, Mike became a professional management consultant serving some of the world’s most recognizable multi-national companies and brands. His experience with these companies is in the areas of business strategy design and implementation, product and service development, product and service market introduction campaigns, business process design and organizational/operations leadership. Mike has helped these companies monetize their market positions with new products and services.
Mike is a resident of New Mexico and is a proud Aggie alum. He has a ‘consultative’ approach in his work and is tireless in helping Arrowhead Center serve our clients and help our client achieve their business objectives.
Enterprise Advisor
Edward Pines is Department Head of Industrial Engineering at New Mexico State Unive’rsity. His teaching and research is focused around people and how they create and fund new enterprises and systems. Entrepreneurship education for engineers is one of his current efforts. He has been involved in innovation and new project development throughout his industrial and academic careers. He is a graduate of Stevens Institute of Technology and Penn State University.
Enterprise Advisor
Video Game Executive with experience building collaborative cultures and high-performing teams, rapid scaling and designing/building organizations/driving results. Inspiring leader focused on empowering teams and colleagues to accomplish fun, rewarding work and delivering strong business value/results while not taking myself too seriously. Founder of Ganymede Games, past experience with Riot Games, Nuclear Engineer in the Navy. Holds MBA from Stanford, Masters in Social Science from University of Chicago, BS in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from Old Dominion University, and Nuclear Engineering Tech from the Naval Nuclear Power Training Command
Enterprise Advisor
Patricio currently serves as the President of EVUS, Inc., an engineering technology firm based in Las Cruces. His career as an electrical engineer spans 30 years, while also working in tele-communications, information technology, and energy industry generation and distribution. Building on these skills, Patricio has spent the last 15 years running startup companies all over Latin America during which time he has worked with investors, VC private equity investors and has gained first-hand knowledge of business and startup management best practices.
Enterprise Advisor
An entrepreneur and angel investor Renee is CEO and co-founder of Minerva Robotics, an AI and robotics company building robotic tortilla shops. In the past ten years, she has founded different startups in the software, fintech, audio, and logistics verticals. Her companies currently work with Fortune 500 corporations and give service to thousands of users in LaTam. She has been an external board member of different startups; she is an angel investor in Audaz, a nascent Spanish-speaking podcast platform for the LatinX consumers in America, and in Soap Box, an e-commerce startup based out of LA
Enterprise Advisor
Justin a creative entrepreneur who specializes in web design and social media marketing. He has been a creator for over 10 years with 6 of those years working with startups, businesses, and entrepreneurs. He currently work as a marketing and web designer at Sinuate Media. He graduated from New Mexico State University with a bachelor’s degree in Individualized Studies with three minors in Studio Art, Art History, and History. Then he went back to school to learn the tools he needed as a creative and received an Associate’s Degree of Applied Science in Digital Graphics Technology and a certificate of Creative Media Technology
Enterprise Advisor
William L. Smith is currently an Associate Professor in the Department of Management at New Mexico State University. He holds undergraduate and graduate degrees in accounting and has been a licensed CPA for over 30 years. He started his career with KPMG/Peat Marwick and has remained an active consultant working with small business and nonprofit organizations. In 2004 he earned his Ph.D. in Business Administration from NMSU. His current areas of research include organizational structures, firm performance, strategy, critical theory, and financial analysis. His publications have appeared in journals such as Organizational Research Methods, Behaviour & Information Technology, Qualitative Research in Accounting & Management and Journal of Accounting and Finance.
Enterprise Advisor
Eric Lee Smith is a serial entrepreneur who helps form and lead innovative development teams that create breakthrough products and services. He has a history of designing and shipping award-winning games, sales leading software, and enterprise-class business systems that manage over two trillion dollars in assets, transact hundreds of millions of trades per day, and help people manage their money. Eric is an expert in visualization, information design, interaction design, and getting things done. He is knowledgeable on game design and publishing, customer-relationship management, and investing/fundraising avenues. He has served as a mentor for the University of Pennsylvania entrepreneurship program and has been a consultant for many software businesses. Eric is experienced in financial services development, system design, and creative startups.
Enterprise Advisor
Mr. Talavera helps entrepreneurs build and strengthen their business to enable profitable growth. He provides leaders with critical financial guidance and process enablers to empower them to make the best possible decisions. He has been working in the SMB market for over 15 years. His clients include startups, small to medium size family and nonfamily owned businesses and nonprofit organizations. Mr. Talavera’s framework includes performing financial assessments, accounting reviews and controls, process optimization, strategic planning, goal setting, budget and planning and business cases when initiating a project or new venture. He provides loan consulting for clients seeking support navigating the lending process for capital expansion, working capital or restructuring debt. Previously, Mr. Talavera worked as Assistant Vice President of commercial lending, overseeing a diverse loan portfolio ranging from small SBA loans to complex loans issued to multinational conglomerates.
Enterprise Advisor
Milica Tenic is a senior program manager for NM FAST and NM CERG at Arrowhead Center, with expertise in government contracting and grant opportunities. She focuses on supporting small business owners and innovators who seek federal investment for their new products and technologies. Milica assists entrepreneurs who are seeking non-dilutive investment via the federal SBIR/STTR programs. Milica can help with solicitation matching, proposal development, proposal package review, and budget drafting across disciplines. She holds B.S.’s in Environmental Science and Biology from Loyola University Chicago, and a MS in Biological Sciences from Washington State University. She developed her technical skills and grant acquisition expertise as a biogeochemist for 10 years and aims to provide strategic support to small businesses seeking to further develop their innovative products and services.
Enterprise Advisor
Drew, President of New Mexico Angels, is an experienced C-Suite Manager with a demonstrated history of working with others. Skilled with start-ups, especially in New Mexico! Expertise includes Capital Raising, Business Development, Building Relationships, Sales, Setting up Systems, and Government Funding. Eyes on Social Enterprise, Corporate Social Responsibility, B Corps, Sustainable Business. MBA focused in Marketing and Finance from University of Washington, Michael G. Foster School of Business. He bring experiences from companies such as Meow Wolf, UpSprings, Build with Robots and Electric Playhouse. Drew also enjoys ultimate frisbee, tennis, and international foods.
Enterprise Advisor
Michael Usrey recently retired from an executive vice president position with an engineered materials start-up. Over the past decade, he helped the company grow from eight employees to over 30. In addition to leading business development efforts to secure over $20M in Government contracts and grants, Michael successfully advocated for and managed participation in maturation tests that represent millions of dollars in additional, in-kind investment. As CFO, he was responsible for contractual compliance and successfully oversaw 10 years of DCAA audits. Michael has been involved in entrepreneurship and all aspects of business formation, planning, development, and control. He was co-founder of two companies which both completed the cycle from start-up to acquisition by larger firms. At Honeywell Aerospace, he was responsible for successful projects in IT, lean manufacturing and six sigma quality. Michael has also taught management and engineering courses at the university level.
Enterprise Advisor
Jeff graduated from Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law in 2015. While in law school, Jeff was a chief of the Small Business and Trademark Clinic and participated with the ABA Client Counseling and Arbitration teams. Prior to law school, Jeff obtained his B.S. in Public Policy, Management, and Planning with an emphasis on Urban Development from the University of Southern California. Jeff currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Arrowhead Innovation Fund. At Vela Wood, Jeff advises clients on a wide variety of intellectual property, privacy, advertising, and corporate transactional matters, including trademark clearance, trademark enforcement, brand development, copyrights, IP due diligence, technology commercialization agreements, privacy policies, terms of service agreements, endorsement agreements, advertising regulations, and distribution agreements. Based out of El Paso, Texas, Jeff likes to spend his time hiking or traveling with his wife, Tilli, their sons, Tracen and Tommy, and their dog, Charlie.
Enterprise Advisor
Garrett Weinzierl is a podcaster, graphic designer, founder of Amove.tv, and a Jedi in training. Garrett produces and hosts multiple gaming, tech, and pop-culture shows like The Angry Chicken, Into the Nexus, Let’s Talk About Star Wars, and Embrace the Spoilers. When he isn’t producing his own online entertainment he can be seen guesting on shows like the Daily Tech News Show, Pixels, and The Instance. Garrett graduated from the Ringling College of Art and Design in Sarasota, Florida. After working many jobs just to pay the bills, he started podcasting as a hobby. That hobby grew into tens of thousands of downloads a week, an active community of gamers and hobbyists, and a steady source of income thanks to that same community and the crowdfunding platform Patreon. The platform Garrett helped build through podcasting also became a source of recurring graphic design freelance clients.
You can find Garrett’s work at Nomoonart.com and Amove.tv
Enterprise Advisor
Jon is a faculty member in Management & Organizations and the Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Loyola University Maryland’s Simon Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship. He leads the Innovation & Entrepreneurship minor and mentors students and community entrepreneurs.
As an entrepreneur, management consultant, and executive coach, Jon founded Line of Sight, helping startups to Fortune 500 companies with project management, process improvement, and organizational change. He has co-authored books and articles on leadership, strategy, and change management and has spoken internationally on these topics.
Jon also served in government, including as a Howard County Council member and an executive leader at the Maryland Department of Health, where he played a key role in the state’s COVID response. His expertise spans strategic planning, leadership coaching, and fostering innovation within businesses and government organizations.
Enterprise Advisor
Howard is a patent attorney at Sand & Sebolt and his practice is limited to intellectual property law. Particularly, he focuses on patent, trademark, and copyright law and related litigation, as well as intellectual property licensing. Howard counsels clients ranging from a Fortune 500 company to individual entrepreneurs, however most of his clients are middle-market companies and research institutions. He helps clients develop strategic intellectual property by drafting well-crafted patent applications. Howard utilizes a practical approach in an attempt to resolve disputes, however he understands the necessity to enforce and defend intellectual property. Howard has been lead defense counsel in multiple federal patent litigation suits which resulted in favorable settlements to his clients. He has also assisted in other federal patent litigation suits. Howard keeps an active international intellectual property practice. He counsels companies from around the world on United States patent and trademark law and has clients from the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia.
Enterprise Advisor
Lee Ann Woods is the managing partner of 2MKT ventures. With over 30 years of experience primarily in the CPG space, Lee Ann specializes in products, partnerships and projects in: food & beverage, sustainable packaging, agribiz, nutritionals/wellness, and biobased solutions. Lee Ann’s hands-on experience includes: national brand marketing strategies & campaigns, CPG product development, company start-ups, turnarounds, management, and partner/owner/operator of five (5) CPG companies. She has provided capital, company leadership and management to four (4) FDA regulated companies, providing compliance oversight to all. She has managed M&A and raised millions in debt & equity for her own companies, as well as for clients. Lee Ann has sold consumer goods and F&B products directly into: Walmart, Walgreens, Target, Albertson’s, Whole Foods, Academy Sports, Aramark, 7-11, QuickTrip, Neiman-Marcus, Cafe Express, Coca-Cola, among others. Lee Ann offers her years of experience to companies as a consultant, advisor and board member; and she very much enjoys mentoring start-up companies and providing support to bring their Big Ideas…2MKT!
Enterprise Advisor
Daniel Ziesmer is the President of Centripetum LLC, a firm specializing in supporting the governance, risk management, and compliance efforts of small enterprises, developing cybersecurity architectures and remediation programs, and providing virtual CISO services. Daniel is also the Vice President of the New Mexico Chapter of ISSA. A former professor, security architect, compliance director, and information security officer, Daniel has extensive experience in establishing security programs for governments and various private industries, including industrial control system environments. He holds a broad array of professional industry certifications, is a member of and contributor to numerous IT, cybersecurity, ICS, engineering, and scientific industry organizations, and has served as a technical editor or contributing author for more than a dozen IT industry books and textbooks
Enterprise Advisor
Chris Ziomek is co-founder and Managing Partner at Build With Robots. Chris leads the efforts to create a robotics-based ecosystem and economic engine in the Southwest. Chris currently serves as an adviser and investor within many New Mexico-based technology ventures. Chris has over 30 years of experience in the high-tech industry, as a serial entrepreneur, business unit general manager, engineering manager, and electronics designer. Prior to his current roles, Chris was Senior Vice President at LitePoint, the wireless test division of Teradyne Corporation (TER). Chris was President and founder of ZTEC Instruments, a high-tech startup that was acquired by Teradyne in 2013. Before ZTEC, he worked as a section leader at the Los Alamos National Laboratory and as a microwave engineer at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center. Chris holds BS and MS degrees in Electrical Engineering and is a licensed Professional Engineer in the state of New Mexico.
3655 Research Drive, Genesis Center-C
New Mexico State University
Las Cruces, NM 88003-8001
