Patrick Rockhill, a startups veteran beginning in Austin in 1971, continuing in California, Utah, and now Maryland, is currently developing automation for marketing, collaboration, and productivity. As an exited founder and a student of Agile, Business, and Technology Entrepreneurship, Patrick brings experience in software ventures and startups education.

His success in technologies and as a systems developer has been attributed to his focus on return on investment for business owners and on a productive experience for the system users. He has developed enterprise-wide systems for customers throughout the U.S. and Canada.

Patrick has also developed applications for architectural, construction, recruiting, and trucking companies. He believes that systems are no better than the understanding of the people using them. Thus, the solution is not only the system, it also includes the individual training and follow up for application and success.

I’m Nichole Kelly — Chief Revenue Officer and Founder of True North Growth Labs, where we install predictable revenue engines for founder-led companies that are ready to scale.

Most companies don’t struggle because they lack leads.
Most struggle because they lack a system.

They rely on founder-led sales, disconnected sales and marketing tactics, random acts of outreach, and a pipeline that resets to zero every month.

Jeffrey Freedman is a high-impact strategist and consultant with over two decades of hands-on experience driving growth for businesses ranging from agile startups to enterprise companies, including leadership roles at brands like PayPal. By seamlessly blending high-level marketing strategy with operational execution, Jeffrey helps organizations transform into well-oiled machines.
His expertise lies in designing and implementing end-to-end strategic plans that optimize the entire customer lifecycle from targeted digital lead generation and conversion to fulfillment and retention. Rather than just advising, Jeffrey focuses on execution: engineering work processes, defining organizational roles, and implementing the technical systems and automation necessary to improve efficiency, expand capacity, and scale sustained growth.
Passionate about fostering growth, Jeffrey is a dedicated mentor, executive leader, and ecosystem builder. He serves as the Executive Director of Innovation Maryland and Startup Grind Maryland. In this role, he actively advises, supports, and connects entrepreneurs, bridging local talent, startups, and resources with regional, national, and international technology ecosystems. Whether consulting for established corporations or mentoring early-stage founders, Jeffrey leverages a unique combination of analytical insight, creative execution, and collaborative partnership to help businesses thrive.

Mel is a transformation strategist with over 30 years in strategic financial operations and planning; real
estate acquisition and development; non-profit operations; grant writing and management; small
business entrepreneurship; local government and education. She is, herself, a serial entrepreneur and
deeply enjoys working with founders and their growing businesses. Mel Litter is a co-director and
Director of Programs for Innovation Maryland and Founder and CEO of Elemental Impact Solutions (EIS)
She recently served as the Executive in Residence for Innovation for Frederick Community College’s
President and was the Ag/Forestry specialist for the Maryland Apprenticeship Connector. Prior to that
she served as VP of Strategic Partnerships for the Frederick Innovative Technology Center Inc. (FITCI).
Mel currently serves as a Trustee and Treasurer for the Rural Maryland Council (RMC) Foundation, a
Board Member for the Maryland Chamber of Commerce Foundation and a Grants Committee member
for the Frederick Women’s Giving Circle. Mel taught portfolio and grant writing at Boston University ‘s
Metropolitan College and Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government and co-founded the Real Estate
Portfolio Managers Association (REPOR) and had been instrumental in the attainment and management
of over $500 million in grants, sponsored funding and gifts.
Mel’s community service work has included serving as a Parks and Recreation Commissioner for the
Town of Wayland, MA as well as in a variety of school and non-profit organizations. She built and ran
the first United State Pony Club Riding Center, Jordan Stables, and served on the finance and fundraising
committees for the Harford Land Trust.
Mel is deeply involved in developing programs and partnerships that expand pathways to good jobs for
a diverse workforce including youth, underserved and minorities and projects pertaining to agroforestry
and bridging rural and urban small farm enterprises. She has worked with the University of Maryland’s
iSchool and Smith School ICF to design and manage research Capstone projects that focus on the
economic impact of efficient action and collaboration between agencies and organizations in Maryland
Communities.
Mel has an adult son and daughter who keep her inspired. She studied Environmental Planning and
Political Science at the University of Vermont and is an avid hiker, equestrian, connector and writer. She
has completed training in AI prompting and project application, Strategic Foresight Planning with the
Institute for the Future and is finishing her certifications in Forest Bathing and Biosynching.

Vance MacEwen, MA, MBA, PMP is the co-founder and principal of Greatest Possible Good and serves as an SBDC consultant for Howard County. Vance is dedicated to uplifting the Maryland startup ecosystem. He has a soft spot for small but mighty teams and mission-driven companies. He brings a decade of design thinking experience and has coached, trained, and mentored hundreds of local founders and small business owners to achieve growth.

I have spent my career working with and for entrepreneurs to help them grow their companies and realize their vision. My career began in public accounting and progressed to working in private equity and venture backed companies. The through line has always rested on being a champion for the entrepreneur and understanding a company's vision, goals, and obstacles and then building and operating scalable financial solutions to realize a positive outcome. I started Startupcannon, a contract CFO and Controller service, to bring the knowledge gained throughout my career to emerging and growing companies so that they too can benefit from this expertise which they otherwise would not be able to get until they were much further along in their life cycle.

Specialties: Building scalable solutions, financial management and reporting, accounting, strategy development and implementation, project management, contract negotiation and resolution, tax strategy and compliance.

Helping Executives Turn IP Into Business Gold | Maximize Profits, Minimize Risk, Protect Your Competitive Edge

As the Founder of Patent Insider®, I work with top executives and profitable business owners to uncover the hidden potential in their intellectual property. I help you turn your IP into a strategic asset that drives profit, protects your market position, and supports your long-term business goals.