Elyse Blazevich leads CBSA’s work to create co-opportunity for Colorado’s life sciences community. Together with the CBSA Board of Directors, team, partners, sponsors, and members, she strategically advances CBSA’s efforts to build a collaborative environment for health innovation.

Elyse brings deep knowledge of life sciences company needs, CBSA as an organization, and Colorado’s business community to offer continuity, connections, and a clear vision for the future of CBSA and the ecosystem it represents. Before joining CBSA, she co-founded Securisyn Medical and led the organization as COO and CFO, transitioning the company from a

founder-led startup to a professionally led, commercial-stage medical device company. She remains a member of the Securisyn Medical Board of Directors.

Mike Freeman serves as the Chief Executive Officer at Innosphere Ventures, which is a science and technology-focused incubator organization. The organization has a specialized R&D facility for startup ventures and venture capital, and it has been in operation for 25 years. Mr. Freeman is responsible for managing all aspects of Innosphere’s operations, finances, strategy, and execution. He is also the General Partner in charge of Innosphere Ventures Fund I and Fund II and has led several investment rounds in science and technology companies located in Colorado and other surrounding states.

Innosphere Ventures is committed to driving significant economic growth in Colorado and the surrounding areas. In the past, Innosphere played a leading role in the Colorado Coalition, which made it to the final round of the US EDA Build Back Better grant program.

Innosphere also led a joint proposal between Colorado and Wyoming to the National Science Foundation Engines program, which is now in the final round of review. In addition to these accomplishments, Innosphere is actively pursuing other transformative funding opportunities. Our goal is to position the Colorado region as one of the top-performing economic regions in the US within five years. With over 100,000 technology professionals working in the front range of Colorado, the region can achieve elite status with a concerted effort.

Eve Lieberman was appointed by the Governor to serve as the Executive Director of the Office of Economic Development and International Trade on January 2nd, 2023. Prior to that, she had served as the Chief Policy Advisor and Legislative Counsel for Governor Jared Polis for all four years of his first term. She managed the legislative policy and federal affairs teams and oversaw many successful Governor priorities, including the passage of Free Full Day Kindergarten, the implementation of universal preschool, historic investments in transportation, and economic recovery programs.

Eve served over ten years on Capitol Hill, working as Governor Polis’ Deputy Chief of Staff & Legislative Director and then Chief of Staff when then-Congressman Polis represented the 2nd Colorado Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives. Eve also served on the Rules Committee in her capacity working for another senior member of Congress. Eve earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan and attended law school at the George Washington University Law School, completing her Juris Doctorate in 2011. During her time in law school, Eve served as a Law Clerk for the US Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, for a DC Superior Court Judge, for the House Judiciary Committee, and for the US Department of Justice. Eve lives in Denver with her husband and two children.

Praful Shah is an angel investor who has invested in 75 start-up companies including several healthcare companies. He has been a mentor, an advisor or on the Board of several organizations. Currently he is on the Board of a health-care company, PharmaJet, and a non-profit organization, Alliance for Collective Action. He spent over thirty years as a scientist and an executive in the Research and Development departments of the pharmaceutical and the biotechnology companies. His educational background includes a B.S. in Chemistry, an MBA in Finance, and a Ph.D. in Pharmaceutics.

Bill Jencks is a Partner and Executive Vice President at PMB, bringing a wealth of expertise in architecture, real estate transactions, and development. Since 2007, he’s played a key role in more than $5 billion of development across a wide range of asset classes. His diverse experience includes inpatient and outpatient medical facilities, senior housing, life sciences, mixed-use land development, office, retail, entertainment, hospitality, and residential uses.

Bill is passionate about problem-solving and combines finance, land use planning, design, and building science to create sustainable, efficient projects that benefit the communities they serve. With roots as a practicing architect, Bill has a deep respect for PMB’s AEC industry partners, ensuring thoughtful and decisive guidance throughout the design process. His focus on optimizing project financing, cost efficiency, and operational considerations ensures that each project is not just beautiful, but also practical and financially sound.

A LEED-accredited professional, Bill holds an MBA and a Bachelor of Architecture (BArch) degree from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. He is a licensed architect and real estate broker in California and is an active member of the American Institute of Architects (AIA).

Kelly is currently the President and CEO of the

Fitzsimons Innovation Community where she leads

a team focused on providing the resources,

connections, and environment that help life

sciences companies thrive.

Kelly formerly served as the President and CEO of

the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce recognized

three years in a row as having built one the strongest

economies in the United States. The Chamber is

one of the largest business advocacy organizations in

Colorado with over 3,000 members. Kelly grew revenue from $17 million to over $30

million annually and raised more than $40 million ballot issue campaigns.

Kelly also served as Chief of Staff to then Mayor John Hickenlooper. Kelly was

responsible for over 12,000 employees and over $2 billion in budgets. Kelly oversaw the

day-to-day operations for the city including managing the city through the Democratic

National Convention and balancing the budget in response to the great recession.

Kelly served as chair, vice-chair, and as a member of the board of directors for Delta

Dental of Colorado from 2012 to 2022. Kelly now serves as an advisory board member

for the fund that was developed by Delta Dental -- Ensemble Innovation Venture

Fund.

Since 2021, Kelly has also served on the board for Haselden Construction, a privately

owned construction company with almost $500 million in annual revenue working

primarily in the K-12 school system, higher education, health care, multi-family and

office construction.

From 2018 to 2021 Kelly served on the board of directors of the US Chamber of

Commerce and has served on numerous community boards including Habitat for

Humanity for Metro Denver (chair, vice-chair and chair of the policy committee), The

Denver Zoo and Colorado Mesa University board of trustees.

Kelly’s professional development has been extensive including: a fellow with the

National Association of Corporate Directors, a graduate of Harvard’s Five-day

program on the Role of Directors of Publicly Traded Boards and the JFK School of

Government’s programs on conflict and negotiation and leadership development.

Kelly also has significant international experience with the German Marshall Fund

(GMF). She was selected as a German Marshall Memorial Fellow in 2001 and served

on the Trans-Atlantic Network for GMF, 2000 to 2010. Kelly explored public-private

partnerships and identified best practices for application in the U.S. including

implementing the use of social impact bonds in Colorado and the first bike share

program in Denver. Countries of focus were Belgium, Germany, Hungary, Italy,

Morocco, Netherlands, Poland, Slovakia and Spain.

In her free time, you can find Kelly outdoors. She loves hiking, biking, paddling,

traveling and skiing! She thru-hiked all 500 miles of the Colorado Trail in 34 days and

hiked into Machu Pichu with her daughters and climbed Kilimanjaro. She has ridden

over most mountain passes in Colorado on her road bike and has commuted to work on

her bike for over 30 years. She has paddled class three rapids, traveled all 185 miles of

the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon and paddle boards many lakes

throughout Colorado. She is AIARE certified and loves ski touring the Colorado back

country.

Kelly has traveled to 45 states and 55 countries. She loves being challenged physically

and mentally and is always seeking opportunities to learn and grow. Her personal goals

are as inspiring as her professional achievements.

Dr. Afshin Safavi is a founder, councilman, consultant, board member, entrepreneur, and investor in

biotechnology, pharmaceutical, animal health, technology, and real-estate sectors with multi-billion-

dollar turnovers in biological products and is responsible for multiple drug products in the market today.

He is the founder of Colorado Health and Tech Centers (CHTC). Prior to that, he founded BioAgilytix

Labs, one of the most successful multi-billion-dollar Contract Research Organizations known

internationally. He has extensive experience establishing and leading teams in start-ups, as well as

Fortune 500 biotech and pharmaceutical companies. He has worked with clients and companies in more

than 30 countries. Dr. Safavi obtained his B.S. in Biochemistry from UCLA and his Ph.D. in Biochemistry

from the University of Kentucky Medical School. He completed a two-year postdoctoral assignment at

the Emory University, Department of Pathology.

Emma Martin is the Chief of Staff at AOA Dx, a pioneering biotech company developing an early detection test for ovarian cancer. In this role, she works closely with the CEO to drive company strategy, manage investor and board relations, and ensure cross-functional alignment across R&D, clinical, and operational teams. Emma brings deep expertise in navigating the complexities of biotech growth and innovation, specifically in the Denver area.

With a background in strategic operations, business development, and investor relations in start-up organizations, Emma is familiar with the impact real estate brings to all these operations. Prior to AOA, she held roles in the health tech space that honed her ability to scale organizations, optimize internal operations, and support high-impact decision-making. Her experience gives her a comprehensive perspective on the intersection of science and business, making her an advocate for advancing bioscience innovation.

As a Project Manager specializing in science and technology projects, Jessica is known for her collaborative approach and commitment to turning client visions into reality. She works closely with clients and stakeholders, ensuring that guiding design principles and project goals are seamlessly integrated into every phase of the project.

Jessica’s passion lies in creating design solutions that harmonize aesthetics with functionality, resulting in spaces that elevate form, enhance function, and improve the occupant experience. Her expertise in managing complex projects allows her to navigate challenges with clarity, offering thoughtful solutions that keep teams aligned and focused.

A skilled communicator, Jessica fosters continuous collaboration throughout all project phases, ensuring design continuity and consistency from concept to completion. Her ability to bring clarity to intricate design challenges makes her an invaluable partner for clients and project teams alike, particularly in the highly specialized realm of science and technology.

Jessica has led multiple award winning projects, including: USC’s Dr. Allen and Charlotte Ginsburg Human-Centered Computation Hall, USC Michelson Hall, Caltech Linde Hall of Mathematics and Physics, and currently under construction: Caltech’s New Quantum Measurement Research Facility in Pasadena

As a project executive and market lead for science and technology at Swinerton in Denver, Colorado, Adam has led complex projects throughout his career using almost every delivery method and client type. Over the last five years, Adam has planned and completed over 500,000 square feet of science and technology projects along the Front Range. He assists project teams early in pursuits and preconstruction by leveraging Swinerton’s industry-leading technology with laser scanning, VD&C, and prefabrication planning and contributes through warranty completion. Swinerton, Colorado, has a diverse science and technology portfolio under construction that includes process systems, quantum computing R&D, life science, and next-generation technology labs. As a 100% employee-owned company, Swinerton provides consistently excellent project teams and results to its customers along the Front Range and nationwide. Adam coordinates, plans, and attends a variety of networking events with the Swinerton team. Outside of work, Adam enjoys attending sporting events with his family.

My practice is focused on managing complex geographic, logistical and market-driven demands and provide unparalleled information for companies that occupy office locations. I create a competitive advantage for clients by having an advisor that will drive scenario planning, make recommendations and implement effectively.

My team and I work to understand your business strategy, competitors and industry drivers that can influence your choice of space – its location, functionality, flexibility and cost.

Brokering over 400 transactions and $200 million in gross lease/sale value, allows me to consistently be one of the top producers within my firm.

2010 – Present: Colliers International – Vice President, Office Division

2004 – 2010: Colorado Commercial Companies – Associate

AREAS OF EXPERTISE: Strategic planning and scheduling, workplace integration, site identification/analysis, financial analysis, strategic negotiation support/development, change management, operation expense consulting, lease management, technology integration, culture development

Anjul is a passionate leader who fosters partnerships to accelerate commercial technologies in deep-tech industries. She is the Chief Commercial Officer at Elevate Quantum, Colorado’s Quantum Tech Hub. Prior to joining Elevate Quantum, Anjul was Vice President at Infleqtion and spent over a decade at Thorlabs, the world's leader in optics and photonics products. While at Thorlabs, Anjul played a significant role in developing corporate strategies and leading acquisitions, contributing to over a 10x growth in the company during her tenure. Anjul has always had a passion in the biomedical sciences. She received her Bachelors (Vanderbilt University), Masters (University of Rochester, and Ph.D. (Duke University) in Biomedical Engineering. Anjul enjoys volunteering her time mentoring and working with industry organizations. She is a proud mother of three kids and a dog and will never turn down an offer for tacos and coffee.