Fractional CTOs in Denver Making Things Happen in 2025

Denver Interim Chief Technology Officers to Know

Denver doesn’t just play host to outdoor enthusiasts and craft beer lovers—it’s also home to a quietly thriving innovation economy. The Denver–Aurora–Lakewood metro has become a magnet for startups, scale-ups, and remote-first product companies across SaaS, fintech, healthtech, and clean energy. As the city’s business landscape expands, a key trend is emerging: more companies are choosing fractional CTOs to lead their technology strategy.

These interim or part-time Chief Technology Officers embed with fast-growing organizations to solve real problems—aligning product and engineering, modernizing infrastructure, mentoring teams, or preparing for funding rounds. They bring senior-level insight without the overhead or rigidity of a full-time hire.

At Digital Reference, we’ve curated a list of trusted fractional CTOs in Denver—people who are already making a measurable difference in high-growth environments.

How We Select Our Featured CTOs

Every professional spotlighted here meets the following criteria:

✅ Clearly operates as a fractional, interim, or embedded CTO
✅ Based in or actively serving the Denver–Aurora–Lakewood metro
✅ Demonstrated impact in startup, scale-up, or digital transformation roles
✅ Public profile via LinkedIn, firm, or advisory business
✅ Strong alignment with Digital Reference’s values: trust, clarity, and execution

We feature operators who do the work, not just talk about it.

Denver Fractional CTOs to Know

🔹 Ken O'Brien

Fractional CTO | SaaS Platform Architect | B2B Tech Strategist
Ken O’Brien helps B2B SaaS companies build high-performance tech stacks that scale. He’s often brought in post-funding or during roadmap pivots to assess architecture, stabilize development cycles, and ensure technical strategy aligns with commercial goals. With experience across vertical SaaS, he’s a go-to for growth-stage teams that need a technical adult in the room.

🔍 Specialties: SaaS engineering, technical due diligence, team performance
📍 Based in: Denver, CO

🔹 Rich Klein

CTO-as-a-Service | Startup Advisor | Embedded Technical Leader
Rich partners with early-stage and mission-driven organizations to bring structure to product development and engineering culture. He excels in navigating MVP-to-scale transitions and brings a sharp focus to platform performance and team alignment. Rich is particularly effective in high-trust, founder-first environments.

🔍 Specialties: MVP evolution, agile engineering orgs, product architecture
📍 Based in: Denver, CO

🔹 David Logan

Fractional CTO | Technical Team Builder | Systems Strategist
David helps PE-backed companies and operationally complex startups redesign legacy systems and build scalable engineering teams. With a deep background in systems architecture and dev leadership, he’s the kind of CTO who’s as comfortable in code reviews as he is in board meetings. His work blends strategy, structure, and speed.

🔍 Specialties: Legacy modernization, team scale, post-funding platform builds
📍 Based in: Denver, CO

🔹 Sharon Bolding

Fractional CTO | Product Development Leader | Technical Coach
Sharon is a rare blend of technologist and team builder. She works with companies across healthtech, edtech, and digital services to create clear technical roadmaps, mentor engineers, and rebuild culture after hypergrowth or high turnover. Sharon’s known for steady leadership in chaotic environments and deep technical empathy.

🔍 Specialties: Engineering culture, founder coaching, platform clarity
📍 Based in: Boulder–Denver, CO

🔹 Cory Flanigan

Fractional CTO | Startup Technologist | Embedded Engineering Partner
Cory works with startups who need technical firepower fast—especially in product development or engineering rebuild scenarios. He brings both front-end and back-end depth and a focus on founder communication. Cory’s ideal projects include MVP rescues, scaling v1 teams, and helping companies bridge to their first internal technical hire.

🔍 Specialties: Full-stack architecture, early-stage product, technical rescue
📍 Based in: Denver, CO

Why Denver Startups Are Turning to Fractional CTOs

Denver’s tech scene combines startup speed with Western practicality. It’s a city that values lean teams, fast iterations, and real traction over hype—and that’s exactly why fractional tech leadership works so well here.

Companies in the area often bring in fractional CTOs to:

• 🧱 Re-architect MVPs to support growth
  
  
• 👥 Coach or replace founding engineers
  
  
• 📈 Prepare for fundraising with a tighter roadmap
  
  
• 🔧 Reduce technical debt and stabilize velocity
  
  
• 🧠 Advise non-technical founders on engineering operations
  
  

The result? High leverage, high clarity, low drag.

What Makes These Leaders Stand Out

The CTOs featured here bring:

✅ Operational range (architecture → hiring → investor comms)
✅ Founder fluency—they speak both code and commercial strategy
✅ Calm in complexity—especially when rebuilding or replatforming
✅ Repeatability—trusted by multiple teams across time
✅ Clear focus on action over abstraction

They don’t just “advise”—they embed, align, and execute.

Related Resources from Digital Reference

📘 How to Hire a Fractional Executive
A practical guide for founders and operators navigating interim leadership.

📍 The Importance of Professional References
Explore why third-party credibility is more critical than ever in today’s trust-driven hiring market.

📍 Find Local Fractional CTOs & Chief Technology Officers Near Me
Explore why third-party credibility is more critical than ever in today’s trust-driven hiring market.

📘 Collecting Professional References: The Dos and Don’ts
References are often the make-or-break element of your next opportunity. Yet many professionals still treat the reference process as an afterthought or, worse, scramble to collect them last minute.

📗 The Talent Ecosystem: Why Fractional Operators Are Reshaping the C-Suite
Explore the structural shifts behind the rise of fractional leadership and what it means for your next hire.

Final Word: Denver’s Tech Growth Deserves Leadership That’s Flexible, Fast, and Proven

Denver doesn’t chase hype—it builds substance. And today’s fastest-moving companies here aren’t waiting around for a perfect CTO hire. They’re engaging fractional CTOs like Ken O’Brien, Rich Klein, David Logan, Sharon Bolding, and Cory Flanigan—leaders who can guide engineering, support founders, and scale systems now.

Whether you’re rebuilding, preparing to raise, or just need clarity on how to scale, fractional CTOs are your early advantage.

📍 Build smart. Lead early. Scale strong. The Denver way.

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