▁Small ▁Business ▁Development , ▁a ▁federal ▁ag ency ▁task ▁force ▁that ▁ass ists ▁military ▁veter an ▁business ▁own ers . ▁He ▁is ▁a ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁Board ▁of ▁Direct ors ▁at ▁the ▁Foundation ▁for ▁In nov ation ▁and ▁Disc overy ▁( F IN ND ), ▁a ▁non - pro fit ▁organization ▁that ▁brings ▁innov ative ▁techn ologies ▁to ▁the ▁attention ▁of ▁the ▁U . S . ▁federal ▁government . ▁He ▁is ▁widely ▁published ▁and ▁commented ▁in ▁media ▁sources ▁on ▁entrepr ene ur ship , ▁innov ation , ▁and ▁public ▁service . ▁ ▁Background ▁and ▁education ▁Mark ▁Rock ef eller ▁grew ▁up ▁in ▁Colorado ▁and ▁Mont ana ▁in ▁a ▁middle ▁class ▁family . ▁Mark ▁attended ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Colorado ▁at ▁B ould er ▁on ▁an ▁Air ▁Force ▁R OT C ▁scholar ship ▁and ▁graduated ▁with ▁a ▁b ach elor ' s ▁degree ▁in ▁business ▁fin ance . ▁While ▁a ▁student ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Colorado , ▁Mark ▁was ▁a ▁walk ▁on ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁Colorado ▁Buff alo es ▁Football ▁team ▁and ▁played ▁Str ong ▁Saf ety . ▁While ▁in ▁the ▁military , ▁he ▁attended ▁night ▁school ▁to ▁ear n ▁an ▁M BA ▁from ▁St . ▁Mary ’ s ▁University ▁and ▁earned ▁a ▁Jur is ▁Doctor ▁from ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Den ver . ▁After ▁the ▁military , ▁Rock ef eller ▁used ▁the ▁Post ▁ 9 / 1 1 ▁G I ▁Bill ▁to ▁purs ue ▁research ▁and ▁gradu ate ▁work ▁at ▁Columbia ▁University ▁where ▁he ▁earned ▁a ▁gradu ate ▁degree ▁in ▁law ▁and ▁wrote ▁his ▁th