Co-Founder and Program Director

A proven technology business leader having applied his executive management skills in marketing, finance, engineering and operations at start-up, turn-around and high growth companies for more than 25 years. Jim Ducay is as comfortable walking through an advanced engineering lab as he is talking about business opportunities with his students. Driven to innovate, he created what is now the LINKED program that connects student teams and technology companies with the mindset of having industry impact.

Operations Director

Brian J. Elizardi is a senior education executive with over 20 years of private and public sector experience in business development, strategic planning, marketing, and operations excellence gained in public and private universities. Brian has ushered higher education into the future through building new engagement paradigms at multiple U.S. News Top 100 universities. He holds faculty roles at the Daniels College of Business and the College of Business at Colorado State University, delivering custom leadership programs and courses to executive leaders from F500 companies, graduate students, and working adults. Brian serves as Director of Community Impact and Innovation at CSU Spur.

Co-Founder and Academic Director

Martin (Marty) Katz is an innovative, future-facing higher education leader, nationally respected for his impactful contributions. As the Founder and Academic Director of the Colorado Universities Innovation Council (CUIC), Marty has spearheaded cross-disciplinary experiential learning and innovation opportunities for students throughout Colorado. Serving as the first Chief Innovation Officer at the University of Denver, he led initiatives to enhance value in higher education, including community-connected learning opportunities, innovative course formats, and online education strategies. A former Dean at the University of Denver, Sturm College of Law, Marty transformed the institution into a national leader in experiential education, earning recognition as one of America's 20 Most Innovative Law Schools. With an extensive background in employment law, constitutional law, and a notable position on the National Jurist's "Most Influential People in Legal Education" list, he continues to shape the future of legal education through his publications and lectures. Beyond academia, Marty contributes to search and rescue missions for the Civil Air Patrol in his spare time.

Co-Founder and Executive Director

Nina is the Executive Director of CUIC, providing strategic oversight and hands-on implementation for the organization. Nina is the former Managing Director of Project X-ITE at the University of Denver where CUIC was first launched. Nina also serves as an operating partner at Chloe Capital, a venture capital firm that invests in women-led companies. Nina has spent her 25 year-career focused on social impact, through roles in fundraising, international development, communications, and startup ecosystem support. She proudly lived in Denver for a decade before she moved back east to be closer to family during the pandemic. She currently lives in New York City and spends much of her time exploring with her dog, Kevin, as well as on planes back and forth to Denver to see her colleagues and friends. 

Co-Founder and Creative Director

Kanitha Heng Snow has spent the last decade building community partnerships, programs, and strategic communications, with a key focus on under-invested in communities. Her social impact experience includes her work at Energize Colorado, Colorado Universities Innovation Council (CUIC), and Project X-ITE at the University of Denver. She also runs a marketing and communications consultancy focused on supporting BIPOC and women-owned businesses. Kanitha serves as Board Chair at The Village Institute – a holistic family support center for refugee and immigrant families in Aurora, Colo.

Kanitha received her Bachelor of Arts in English Literature and Sociology/Anthropology from Colgate University and her Master of Fine Arts in Creative Nonfiction from Columbia University. She is currently working on a nonfiction work, The Lives We’ve Lived, which explores the experiences of three generations of women as they navigate memories tied to the Cambodian genocide.

Board Member

Extensive background across multiple industries in innovation and customer experience strategy and leadership. Proven track record of developing strategies, plans and initiatives, navigating complex organizations, and getting the job done. Known for positivity, intensity, and being able to quickly sift through any business issue to help teams come to clarity with a shared vision.

Board Member

Motivated and creative engineering director with proven track record of developing, leading, and growing innovative programs that have substantial impacts on stakeholders, students, and communities. Driven self-starter with experience managing multidisciplinary teams on projects at the forefront of entrepreneurship and education. Proclivity for presenting and public speaking, with the ability to effectively express and relate concepts to a variety of audiences. Well versed in the entrepreneurial mindset, human-centered design, social entrepreneurship, social innovation, and systems thinking. Committed to making a dent in the universe.