Fractional COOs in Denver Making Things Happen in 2025

Denver Interim Chief Operating Officers to Know

The Denver metro area—including tech-forward Boulder and rapidly scaling communities along the Front Range—is emerging as one of the most dynamic startup and innovation hubs in the U.S. With its blend of outdoor lifestyle, creative culture, and entrepreneurial drive, Denver attracts founders who build with purpose. But scaling vision into reality takes more than ambition—it takes operations. That’s where fractional COOs step in.

A fractional Chief Operating Officer (COO) brings executive-level operational leadership to companies on a flexible, part-time, or project basis. Whether supporting Series A tech startups, impact-driven nonprofits, or family-owned businesses in transition, these leaders provide strategic execution, scalable systems, and real-world problem solving.

At Digital Reference, we believe that great work deserves to be seen. We’re here to make the talent ecosystem more human, more verifiable, and more efficient—and that includes celebrating the professionals who often operate behind the scenes. This guide spotlights Denver-area fractional COOs who are helping organizations make things happen.

Our Methodology

This list was curated using a framework aligned with Digital Reference’s values. Each professional featured:

• Is actively offering fractional, interim, or part-time COO services
• Is based in or serves organizations in Denver, Boulder, or the broader Colorado Front Range
• Has public-facing platforms such as websites or LinkedIn profiles for accessibility and transparency
• Has a demonstrated history of operational leadership, systems design, or executive advisory
• Aligns with Digital Reference’s focus on radical transparency, verified work, and reputation-based storytelling

These leaders span sectors—from SaaS and consulting to people ops and purpose-driven ventures. Most importantly, they bring executional clarity to complex organizations.

Meet the Fractional COOs in Denver Making Things Happen

1. Brenda Ferguson

https://www.crescendogrowthadvisor.com/

Founder of Crescendo Growth Advisor, Brenda Ferguson provides fractional COO services for businesses navigating scale, change, and transformation. With a focus on growth strategy, people systems, and operational excellence, she helps leadership teams align structure with strategy.

Why She Stands Out:

• Specializes in talent development, operational systems, and executive coaching
• Works with founder-led and mid-market businesses navigating complexity
• Offers end-to-end strategic operations support through Crescendo Growth Advisor

Brenda brings a clear, confident voice to teams in motion—guiding them from reactive operations to deliberate growth.

2. Jay Velasco

https://jemcollc.carrd.co/

At the helm of JEMCO LLC, Jay Velasco brings deep operations expertise to startups and mission-aligned organizations in need of structure, speed, and systems. Jay supports companies as a fractional COO, project lead, and strategic implementer.

Why He Stands Out:

• Blends startup savvy with enterprise-level rigor
• Focuses on designing internal workflows, performance metrics, and accountability tools
• Passionate about helping underserved founders and diverse-led businesses

Jay is a hands-on partner for companies that need executional horsepower with empathy and precision.

3. Johnny Drozdek

https://www.bluefractalgroup.com/about

Co-founder of Blue Fractal Group, Johnny Drozdek brings a systems-thinking approach to fractional operations leadership. With experience across tech, consulting, and process improvement, Johnny helps organizations simplify the complex.

Why He Stands Out:

• Expertise in process architecture, OKRs, and performance optimization
• Known for creating repeatable workflows and strategic dashboards
• Co-leads a consultancy focused on scaling startup infrastructure

Johnny is a builder at heart—ideal for scaling companies that need clarity across systems, teams, and outcomes.

4. Justin Leve

https://www.linkedin.com/in/justin-leve-80b5725/

With a background in operations leadership, people strategy, and team growth, Justin Leve brings fractional COO services to mission-driven startups and purpose-oriented brands. He’s known for leading with empathy, structure, and calm during times of organizational change.

Why He Stands Out:

• Skilled in HR systems, change management, and leadership coaching
• Brings operational maturity to fast-moving, founder-led environments
• Known for centering people in systems-building

Justin is a trusted advisor for teams growing quickly and looking to scale without chaos.

Why Denver Is Embracing Fractional Leadership

Denver’s ecosystem is built on innovation, agility, and values-driven work. Founders here often seek more than just experience—they seek alignment. That’s why fractional COOs are a natural fit.

Why this model works:

• Founders want to stay visionary—not bogged down in ops
• Teams are lean and distributed—structure is essential
• Companies need leadership that’s adaptive, scalable, and cost-conscious
• Cultural fit matters—fractional COOs blend into team dynamics quickly

From sustainability startups to fast-scaling SaaS platforms, fractional COOs are the bridge between strategy and execution.

What Makes a Great Fractional COO?

While no two fractional COOs look exactly the same, the best ones bring:

• Cross-functional fluency: From finance to HR to GTM strategy
• Builder’s mentality: Creating systems that live beyond their tenure
• Empathy and clarity: Bringing calm to change and logic to growth
• Bias for execution: They don’t just advise—they implement

They align vision with velocity, and structure with story.

The Digital Reference Perspective

At Digital Reference, we’re helping professionals like these fractional COOs:

• Capture verified stories of impact
• Present their work in a structured, portable portfolio
• Build trust faster through radical authenticity and transparent results

We believe that work isn’t just what you do—it’s the legacy you leave. And for fractional leaders, reputation is everything.

Final Thoughts

Denver is a city on the rise—and these fractional COOs are helping organizations scale smart, hire better, and execute with integrity.

The professionals featured—Brenda Ferguson, Jay Velasco, Johnny Drozdek, and Justin Leve—bring the best of modern operational leadership:

• Strategic thinking
• People-first systems
• Scalable execution

Explore their work. Reach out. And when you're ready to showcase your own leadership journey or hire your next operational guide—start with Digital Reference.

– The Digital Reference Team

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