Financing Your Aerospace & Defense Business

Please join cohosts vcfo, Taft, NDIA and CSBR for a breakfast, networking, and expert panelist discussion event.
About this Event

Financing Your Aerospace & Defense Business - Funding Strategies and Sources

From government grants to venture capital, private equity, specialized lending, SBA loans and traditional bank debt, raise your understanding of financing sources, where you fit and increase your odds of landing the financing you need to build your business.

The panel will be moderated by Carter Freeman, vcfo Denver's Vice President - Western Region. Expert panelists include:

• Audrey Miller - Senior Program Manager, Colorado SBDC TechSource
• Fred Chang - Managing Director, Qomo Capital
• Shawn Cheadle - Partner, Taft
• Brett Haigler - Founder & Managing Member, Commercial Capital Connector
• Rama Haris - Advanced Industries Senior Manager, Colorado OEDIT

MODERATOR

Carter is the Vice President for vcfo’s Western Region. An accomplished professional with over 30 years of senior-level financial and accounting experience, Carter’s capabilities encompass negotiating ownership transition, leading and supporting capital raising efforts totaling over $100 million, participating in multiple acquisitions from both the buy- and sell-side, in addition to merging operations as acquirer and acquiree. He is also adept at establishing financial and operational accounting systems, managing finance and customer service personnel, and leading software implementations and integrations.

Carter has experience with venture capital-backed start-ups, internet-related firms, distribution and manufacturing and publicly traded multi-bank holding companies. Prior to vcfo, Carter held finance and accounting positions with Brain Matters, Bid4Vacations, Powerworx Online, TEC Direct and Integration Alliance Corporation. He began his career in public accounting with PricewaterhouseCoopers.

Carter has a BS in Accounting from Montana State University and an MBA in Finance from the University of Colorado.

PANELIST

Audrey Miller is the Senior Program Manager for the statewide Colorado SBDC TechSource program. She is the first contact for both Center Directors and clients to tap into the resources of this program. Audrey has a decade of years of experience working with entrepreneur support organizations including both incubators and accelerators. Before transitioning to the Colorado SBDC and supporting her local community, most of her time was spent working with early-stage entrepreneurs located all over the world. She has been on the founding team for a global nonprofit as well as a mental health support app.

PANELIST

Fred is General Partner of Qomo Capital where he focuses on investment opportunities in the deep tech sectors, working side-by-side with innovators leveraging the firm's Venture Capital + Venture Builder model to fund and accelerate the commercialization of hard science technologies through the valleys of death.

Fred also serves as an advisor to the US Department of Energy working with DoE SBIR/STTR on key aspects of commercialization strategy, operational scale-up, and financial planning in their efforts to transition innovative technologies into scalable, market-ready solutions.

Fred’s background combines over two decades of international experience in commercializing deep-tech innovations, including GE’s corporate venture capital group, Chrysalix Clean Energy Venture Capital, and Intellectual Ventures.

PANELIST

Shawn Cheadle leads the Aerospace & Defense practice at Taft Law, leveraging his experience and passion for understanding complex technologies when advising clients in space law and government contracts. He was previously in-house for 27 years at Lockheed Martin and Teledyne.

PANELIST

Brett Haigler is founder of Commercial Capital Connector, a borrower-side capital advisory firm. Drawing on a 30-year commercial banking career, he now advises business owners and real estate investors. He translates their story into lender-ready presentations to secure better capital structure, terms, and pricing.

PANELIST

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.

Thank you to all event cohosts for making this event possible!