About ENTEVATE

I'm Jake Hamann, the Founder and CEO of ENTEVATE. My story is  deeply rooted in a singular purpose: to better people's lives. My fulfillment comes from serving others, from my community to the wider world, connecting, creating, and solving problems, which became my blueprint for creating ENTEVATE.

ENTEVATE is more than a business; it's the manifestation of my life's purpose. It combines all my knowledge, experiences, and relationships to create something that not only innovates but serves a greater good.

My professional path here was paved with roles in agency and corporate sectors, including a significant tenure at Caterpillar Inc. and engagements with companies like Rheem, Boeing, UILabs, TADA, and others.  These experiences were instrumental in shaping my technical curiosity and my entrepreneurial spirit, leading to the creation of ONEFIRE, AUTIX, and ENTEVATE.  Each step has been about moving ideas and innovation forward, blending my roles as a business builder, disruptive innovator, and ecosystem builder.  

But it’s not just all business.  From founding communities and non-profits  like Startup Peoria, StartupNTX, Peoria Innovation Alliance, and engaging with Bradley University, Right to Start and The Kauffman Foundation, my passion has always been and will continue to extend beyond the corporate world, involving entrepreneurship support, mentoring, and regional ecosystem development. At ENTEVATE, we're cultivating a culture of empowerment and innovation, not just within the company but extending into the broader business and entrepreneurial ecosystems.

Whether it's through mentoring budding entrepreneurs or leading large-scale projects, my goal is always the same – to leave a positive, lasting impact. Simon Sinek's words resonate deeply with me: "Leadership is not about being in charge, it’s about taking care of those in your charge." To me, leadership means integrity, empathy, and building meaningful relationships and connections. It's about practicing kindness, showing genuine interest in others, and being grateful for life's blessings.

I'm Harsh Shah, the Co-Founder and COO of ENTEVATE. My journey is one of blending technology with design to deliver impactful digital experiences. Early in my career, while working with Jake at ONEFIRE, I explored AR/VR potentials and converting highly technical engineering 3D files to user-friendly marketing experiences. This work led to product development for marketing and service training across industry giants like Caterpillar, Motorola, and Lionbridge. At Tada Now, I spearheaded a team that transformed a consulting approach into a comprehensive SaaS platform, significantly enhancing user engagement and product development. This role was not just about leadership but about reimagining how products can touch lives and transform complex businesses.

Each experience was a stepping stone to building ENTEVATE, where I now leverage my extensive background to lead the creation of digital narratives that are not only interactive and engaging but also deeply human. At ENTEVATE, I am dedicated to pushing the boundaries of what's possible, blending technology with storytelling to create experiences that resonate on a personal level. I believe in the power of digital transformation to not only drive business objectives but also to connect with individuals in meaningful and lasting ways.

I am a firm believer in the power of predictive innovation - anticipating what people will need and want before they even know it themselves. It's this forward-thinking approach that has defined my career and shapes the vision of ENTEVATE.

What excites me  most about ENTEVATE's future is the team - a group of highly skilled individuals, each an expert in their craft, ready to create without limits. After all, as Bob Iger so eloquently said, “The riskiest thing we can do is maintain the status quo.”

I am Michael Binko, (aka “binko”), Managing Director for Innovation | Capital | Ecosystems.  I’m an innovator, serial entrepreneur, venture funder, data scientist, and a fervent advocate for entrepreneurship.  I see innovation and entrepreneurship as the launch fuel for healthy ecosystems and am all about celebrating those with the courage to STRT1UP®.  

I’ve managed a spectrum of executive leadership functions from corporate strategy, finance, operations, sales/marketing and venture development across publicly-traded corporations as well as high-growth startups.  My role as an early leader of Startup America (where I met Jake Hamann) and CEO of Startup Maryland® has allowed me to launch various initiatives to support and elevate startups. As a serial entrepreneur and venture funder, guiding startups through their pivotal growth phases has been both my challenge and reward. 

I CoFounded the Black Butterfly Network, was CoFounder | CMO of LaunchFuel® (venture studio) and founded STRT1UP Ventures® with portfolio companies including: Quidient, American Gene Technologies (AGT), Fluent, AUTIX, Cohado, IES Life Science, kloudtrack®, SWAY, Hempothic, Salve, Blue Oyster Environmental, Quantum Compliance. As an angel investor innovation categories include: Cyber, Quantum, Blockchain, Cloud, AI/ML/LLM, Metaverse, Gene+Cell Therapy, and Data/Analytics across sectors.

I am also CoFounder and Policy+Advocacy Chair for the Startup Champions Network (SCN), the continuation of Startup America established to support inclusive Innovation+Entrepreneur Ecosystems globally.  Since founding SCN, I have led initiatives for Deal-flow Mapping, Venture Capital, Portfolio Innovation, Policy+Legislative Advocacy, Ecosystem Metrics, Branding and Sponsor+Teaming with Kauffman Foundation, Revolution Ventures, Google, Amazon, Microsoft, TRowePrice and others.  This work with Ecosystem Builders around Innovation and Entrepreneurship has given me a unique perspective into Venture Roadmapping and the positive impact that entrepreneurs and their ventures can have on communities of any size and in any location.

My story wouldn’t be complete without highlighting my own journey in higher education – as both student and proctor.   I hold two honors degrees from James Madison University and graduated from the prestigious Innovation Management program proctored jointly by the Engineering and Business Schools at the University of Maryland. I've shared my passion and knowledge as an instructor on ecosystem building and venture development at renowned institutions such as UMD, MIT, VTech, GMU, JMU, Johns Hopkins and other institutions, shaping the minds of future innovators and leaders.  I have led initiatives with the National Science Foundation (NSF) Innovation Engines and I-Corps programs around AI and Quantum Computing and Innovation Ecosystems, co-chaired the Cloud Computing/Data Interoperability  Reference Architecture Working Group for NIST (National Institute for Standards and Technology) and am a contributor to The Accelerators by-line for the Wall Street Journal. 

My approach is holistic, combining global insights with a focus on metric-driven outcomes that foster innovation-rich environments. I am driven by the collective expertise of our team and the opportunity to lead industry transformation in an era where prioritizing which innovations are right for a venture or customer is a critical leadership trait that teams MUST possess to be relevant and successful in the coming economic revival.

I'm Jack Sylvester, Managing Director of Digital and Content Transformation,  and at the heart of who I am lies a profound commitment to connecting people, technology, and learning. My journey has been diverse, filled with enriching experiences that have shaped my approach to innovation and education. As a family man, a father of three, and a husband, my personal life is deeply intertwined with my professional ethos.  I believe when humanity and technology intersect, we can change the world.

My professional path has taken me through a series of transformative roles across various industry giants. At Marriott International, I served as the Senior Director of Learning Ecosystem and Innovation, where I redefined the platform approach to learning, focusing on enhancing performance support and the learning experience. This role was preceded by time at Tesla's Energy Division as the Training Technology Lead, where we developed a comprehensive learning platform for installers, ensuring they remained skilled, safe,  and informed. My journey also included 5 years at McDonald's Corporation as the Director of Learning Technology, where we expanded the global reach of learning platforms and knowledge management, integrating them seamlessly into everyday work environments. At Thermo Fisher Scientific, I helped  launch Thermo Fisher University, a hub for continuous learning and professional development.

Throughout these experiences I was able to also branch out into consulting, where I collaborated with ServiceNow and United Airlines and further advanced my skills in learning strategy, system transitions and training content transformation. It's this rich tapestry of experiences that brought me to ENTEVATE. I met Jake at a time when his entrepreneurial spark and timing aligned - something clicked. While we didn’t partner directly at that time, our journeys continued toward the opportunity to create something special together. 

I am thrilled to be presented with an irresistible opportunity to grow a brand, build something meaningful, and solve complex problems in the learning and technology space.. With ENTEVATE, I find myself at the beginning of a new, exciting chapter, one that promises continual personal and professional growth. Here, I'm not just a part of a team; I'm part of a movement that blends innovation with practical application, creating a future where learning and technology intersect seamlessly.