Nikki Boehmker, Current Cintrifuse Controller, to Become Executive Director; Will Oversee All Operational Aspects of Non-Profit.
New Leadership Structure Will Enable A More Cohesive Effort to Support Cincinnati Startups.
Cincinnati, Ohio; February 23, 2024 – Cintrifuse’s Board of Directors today announced J.B. Kropp will become the OTR-based entrepreneurship hub’s Chief Executive Officer. In addition to the CEO responsibilities, Kropp will continue serving in his role as Managing Director of Cintrifuse Capital, leading the strategy and deployment of Fund III. Kropp replaces Pete Blackshaw, who announced he was leaving in early January. Kropp was chosen following a two-month process including internal and external stakeholders.
Kropp will be supported in leadership of the organization by Nikki Boehmker, who assumes the newly-created role of Executive Director. Boehmker, who is currently the organization’s Controller and Cintrifuse Capital’s Chief Compliance Officer, will be responsible for overseeing all operational aspects of the non-profit. All Cintrifuse functions will report to Boehmker and she will report to Kropp.
This new organizational leadership structure will enable more cohesion between the efforts of Cintrifuse Capital, an SEC-registered investment advisor, which is now directing investments into promising seed-stage Cincinnati startups via Cintrifuse Capital Fund III, and the non-profit Cintrifuse, which is charged with supporting startups at all stages.
“Our Executive Search Committee considered a number of different paths when we set out to find a successor for Pete, ultimately selecting J.B.” said Guy B. Persaud, Cintrifuse Board Chair. “Our Board and I agreed, and we feel that J.B. is the right leader for us moving forward, and that this structure best aligns the entire organization around the transformative efforts of our fund. We are confident that J.B. will build on all of the momentum that Pete and our Cintrifuse team have created, and take us to new heights. We are also excited to have someone as strong as Nikki driving the day-to-day operations of our non-profit.”
“In my eight months leading Cintrifuse Capital, I have seen first-hand the vibrancy of our startup ecosystem and the opportunity we have ahead of us to drive a step-function improvement for local entrepreneurs,” said Kropp. “This dual appointment will enable Cintrifuse to have even more impact and create a much more cohesive link between the efforts of Cintrifuse Capital and the work of the non-profit.”
“I have worked closely with Nikki since joining Cintrifuse Capital,” added Kropp. “And I have been very impressed with her leadership ability, her attention to detail, and her ability to tackle complex challenges. I can think of no better person to help lead us in this next chapter of the organization and our work providing our region’s entrepreneurs with the resources, connections, and capital they need to scale.”
Known as one of the pioneers of the Cincinnati startup ecosystem, Kropp has served in impact-building roles since 2010, including the Co-Founder/Board member of the Brandery, a nationally-ranked accelerator leveraging the Cincinnati region’s branding and marketing expertise; Co-Manager of Vine St. Ventures, a regional early-stage investment fund; and Co-Founder/Board member of Main Street Ventures, a Cincinnati non-profit empowering the next generation of entrepreneurs. He has also served in strategic and operational leadership roles at Gorilla Glue, Scripps, and Twitter.
