Advisors in Residence

Our Advisors in Residence offer expert advice to Launch Blue cohort startups.

Advisors In Residence are subject matter experts assisting in coaching and advising startup founders in key areas related to the growth and development of their business. Our advisors are passionate about startups, lending their time and experience in support of the entrepreneurs in our program.

Adam Taylor Brown Marrow

Adam Taylor Brown the brand strategy and design consultant behind Marrow. He's won a couple dozen ADDY™ Awards including Best of Show, Best Design, Best Copywriting, Judge's Choice, Audience Choice, and Public Service Excellence. In addition to his consultancy practice, Adam works with Section4 as a teaching assistant and Thought Partner. He’s taught under Scott Galloway (NYU), Julie Channing (AllBirds), April Dunford (positioning expert), and Jonah Berger (Wharton). He serves on the Lexington American Advertising Federation board; judges the American Advertising Awards; mentors startup founders as an Advisor-in-Residence with Launch Blue; sits on the BCTC Graphic Design Program board; and is a founder of the No™ designer collective. A frequent guest speaker, Adam has cultivated a reputation as a provocative and influential voice among design, brand, and business leaders.

 Brand Strategy | Design | Market Research | Advertising

David Hasler is the CEO of Jester FEC, a company that develops and operates indoor theme parks. He is also the Founder and President of Breakthrough Solutions Consulting, LLC, a successful consulting firm focused on helping growing businesses tell their economic story, as well as providing C-suite level support in both finance and strategy. David regularly coaches teams through pitch competitions like 5 Across.

David has held finance and strategy leadership roles in prominent companies such as Walmart, Procter & Gamble, and Limited Brands. David has also been on various for-profit and not-for-profit boards during his career. David's unique blend of "get it done" finance accomplishments and C-suite level exposure/work experience can help clients see problems from a new perspective and potentially find solutions they may not have previously considered.

Finance  | Retail | Consumer Products | Pitch Coaching

Christopher Etesse Fusion Cyber Inc.

Christopher Etesse is the Founder, Chairman and CEO of Fusion Cyber Inc., a cybersecurity and education services company dedicated to training a diverse group of professionals to excel in a multitude of available positions in the United States. He is also a Founding Team Member of Blackboard Inc., a learning management platform. During his time there, he helped to grow international services tenfold and facilitated an investment with Microsoft which garnered a 25x return.

He worked as the Chief Product Officer at Presidium. During his time there, he expanded the technology infrastructure by more than tenfold, tripled their revenue, and grew their K12 partnership enrollees by more than fivefold. He then became the CEO of FlatWorld Inc. where he completed a 3-year restructuring, relocated the company, and increased the revenue sevenfold. Christopher holds both a Master’s Degree in Computer Science and a Bachelor’s Degree in American History from the University of Kentucky. 

SaaS | Learning Management Systems | Cloud Technologies

Chris Houghtaling RaiseLink

Chris Houghtaling, CEO and co-founder of RaiseLink, is a startup mentor for The Venture Mentoring Team, FAU’s Adam’s Center of Innovation Veterans Program, and is a member of the Alan B. Levan Center of Innovation at NSU’s Programming and Selection Committee.  He was active in the European startup ecosystem living in Vienna, Austria, and started VisioneersPartners, an international sales strategy consulting and coaching firm to Global Fortune 200 clients. He was involved in the European Council and World Bank’s Pioneers of the Balkans, worked with scores of international accelerators/incubators and event organizers, CMO of DealMatrix, venture capital including expanding the European Super Angels Club across Europe, corporate innovation teams, consulted with Innovation consulting companies, and was on several advisory boards. Chris returned to the USA in 2018, lives in Florida with his wife and three daughters.

Chris started in the corporate world (pharmaceuticals, technology, and travel & tourism), is a recognized sales and strategy leader, team turnaround specialists, and builder teams and organizations. He holds a joint MBA in International Business from the University of South Carolina and the Executive Academy at the Business and Economics University of Vienna, Austria, a BA in Marketing from the University of Kentucky, and served in the Kentucky Army National Guard.

Pitching | Sales | Leadership | Strategy | International

Sam Razor
Hippo Manager

Sam Razor is a software entrepreneur who is passionate about building products for the best customer experience and using data for the greater good. He is the founder of BlueCat Game Studio, a video game development company headquartered in Lexington, KY that is focusing on using AI to create immersive experiences for users.  Sam is the former CEO and co-founder of Hippo Manager Software, a cloud-based veterinary practice management software system headquartered in Lexington, KY.  Hippo Manager is a practice management software system that manages the medical records of more than five million pets and processes transactions of more than $500 million annually, serving thousands of veterinarians in twenty-two countries.  Hippo Manager was part of a strategic acquisition in 2021.  
Sam is a proud alumni of both the University of Kentucky, where he received a Bachelor of Political Science, and Eastern Kentucky University, where he received a Master of Public Administration.  He and his lovely wife, Sarah, live in Lexington with their two daughters and their slightly overweight rescue dog, George.

Manager | Software | Leadership | Experience | Science

Vicki S. Martin is a serial entrepreneur and Management Consultant, often serving as an interim/fractional C-level officer (CEO, COO, Chief Strategist). As Managing Principal of Blue Martin Consulting, LLC located in Lexington, KY, Vicki and her team of Co-Consultants (when needed) focus on deploying into ventures interested in rapid scaling and aggressive valuation growth, particularly in preparation for exit. With a passion for innovative problem-solving and “mission impossible” assignments, Vicki focuses on strategy, operations management, and organizational development.

With a commitment to social good, Vicki is always on the lookout for ways to support her community and colleagues, so, in part, loves to forge relationships and open doors for others. For the startup community, Vicki hopes to share lessons learned that include doing a LOT with a little but where it is best not to skimp, how to leap from micromanager to inspiring leader, building acute awareness of your strengths and weaknesses to transition to professional management, building your company to become a “destination” for job seekers who may be in short supply, the ins and outs of building a high-functioning, dedicated team, how to rapidly learn about any new industry (new to you), and more.

Manager | Consulting | Leadership | Growth | Strategy

Griffin Mobley
 Forecastr

Griffin Mobley is a dedicated Startup Financial Analyst at Forecastr, a Kentucky-based startup offering comprehensive finance solutions for businesses across various industries. With a solid background in agriculture economics and finance, Griffin specializes in helping founders navigate the complexities of raising capital, managing runway, and optimizing business operations.

Griffin began his career after earning a B.S. in Agriculture Economics from the University of Kentucky. He gained hands-on experience working for an Ag-tech startup, where he focused on data analytics and driving business growth. His passion for finance and the startup ecosystem led him back to the University of Kentucky, where he earned a Master’s of Science in Finance.

Finance | Startup | Management | Growth | Experience

Henry Nothhaft
New Circle Advisors

Henry Nothhaft is an accomplished entrepreneur and operator with over 20 years of experience in software-as-a-service (SaaS), artificial intelligence, and enterprise data solutions. He has a proven track record of delivering successful outcomes in diverse settings, from earl-stage startups to global enterprises. Nothhaft is a Principal at New Circle Advisors, providing human-centered AI strategy for growing enterprises and mission-driven organizations.  Before New Circle, Nothhaft founded Trapit, the first AI-powered search engine, played a pivotal role in scaling Clear Labs, and led the team behind a product suite that produced over $300 million in annual revenue and 100 million monthly active users for WebEx, culminating in its $3.2 billion acquisition by Cisco.  Nothhaft is also a sought-after industry expert, having served as an Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Stanford Research Institute's Artificial Intelligence Center and ventures group and as a member of the investment committee for LaunchTN.  Nothhaft has advised a vast array of organizations from start-ups and NGOs to notable tech, media, and services giants and Homeland Security [DHS].

Strategic Partnership | AI | Management | strategy | Teamwork