CEO and President, Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce

J. J. Ament

J. J. Ament is the Chief Executive Officer of the Metro Denver Economic Development Corporation, the largest privately funded and governed economic development organization in Colorado. With experience in the private, public, and nonprofit sectors, J. J. brings a unique combination of expertise to the role. An investment banker for most of his career, he participated in more than $15 billion of transactions for governments and public-private partnerships throughout the U.S. before leaving the industry in 2016. J. J. has been a member and Chairman of the Colorado Economic Development Commission, where he considered state economic development incentives, grants, and tax credits for business and tourism projects statewide. As CEO, J. J. is responsible for leading the Metro Denver EDC’s mission to grow and retain primary jobs and promote capital investment in Colorado. In the last two years, the Metro Denver EDC has helped facilitate the creation of nearly 14,000 new jobs and nearly $800 million of capital investment in the nine-county Metro Denver and Northern Colorado region.

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR • Denver Metro SBDC - VICE PRESIDENT • Small Business Development

China Califf

China Califf comes to the organization with nearly 20 years of experience helping entrepreneurs and small businesses start and grow. In her role at the Denver Metro SBDC, she will oversee a team committed to providing educational programming, one-on-one free consulting and virtual resources to Colorado entrepreneurs.

Prior to being named director of the Denver Metro SBDC, Califf spent 17 years at Colorado Lending Source, where she led branding and marketing strategies, worked with Colorado’s Congressional Delegation and oversaw operations for the organization. Colorado Lending Source has been a key partner of the Denver Metro SBDC for the last two decades. Both organizations are committed to fostering a healthy economy by supporting small businesses and entrepreneurs. Ongoing partnerships between the organizations include Trout Tank Pitch Competition, LEADING EDGE, SBDC Day, Ice House Entrepreneur Development Training and countless educational panels and event collaborations. Califf will continue to foster that partnership in her new role.