ABOUT
FROM SMALL MOMENT TO LASTING LESSON
Turtlefoot Consulting was born from a small moment that turned into a lasting lesson about resilience, perspective, and navigating uncertainty.
When Jamie first brought home her rescue dog Gizmo, one of his very first toys was a stuffed turtle. Within days, he had chewed off and swallowed one of the turtle’s feet. What should have been a simple, joyful start to dog ownership suddenly became stressful and uncertain. There was panic, worry, and the fear that one small mistake could turn into something much bigger.
Thankfully, Gizmo ended up completely fine.
The experience became a surprisingly meaningful reminder that early challenges don’t define the outcome — how you respond to them does.
That philosophy became the foundation for Turtlefoot Consulting.
Startups and growing companies often experience their own version of that “messy beginning.” Rapid growth, unclear processes, fundraising pressure, competing priorities, hiring challenges, and operational chaos can make even the strongest teams feel overwhelmed. In those moments, founders need more than advice — they need structure, clarity, and someone who can help steady the path forward.
Turtlefoot Consulting exists to help companies navigate that complexity with calm execution and operational leadership. We partner with founders and growing teams to build the systems, processes, and business infrastructure that allow innovation to scale sustainably.
The name may come from a small story, but the meaning behind it reflects something much larger: growth is rarely perfect, uncertainty is part of the process, and resilient companies are built by learning how to move forward through it.
JAMIE BRANDESS
FOUNDER
Jamie Brandess is an operations and business strategy leader with a passion for helping technical founders turn ambitious ideas into scalable companies. Through her work with startups, accelerators, and deep-tech ventures, she has spent years helping early-stage companies build the operational foundations needed to grow sustainably.
Most recently, Jamie served as Chief Operating Officer at AmplifiedSpace, a Colorado-based aerospace startup developing software-configurable power systems for spacecraft. During her time there, she helped lead the company through rapid growth, business development, fundraising, proposal strategy, team expansion, operational buildout, and the company’s first successful launch to orbit. Her role spanned nearly every aspect of the business — from contracts, HR, finance, and investor coordination to strategic planning, marketing, and day-to-day execution.
Before joining AmplifiedSpace full-time, Jamie worked extensively within Colorado’s startup ecosystem through the Boulder Small Business Development Center, where she helped support and advise hundreds of entrepreneurs and emerging technology companies. She was instrumental in launching programs that connected startups with government funding opportunities and commercialization support, particularly within the aerospace and advanced technology sectors. She has also worked with organizations including Innosphere Ventures and Creative Destruction Lab, building strong relationships across the startup, investor, and innovation communities.
Jamie is known for bringing calm, structure, and clarity to fast-moving environments. Her work focuses on helping founders navigate the “messy middle” of company growth — the stage where great technology alone is no longer enough, and operational systems, communication, prioritization, and execution become critical.
Through Turtlefoot Consulting, Jamie partners with founders and growing companies as a fractional COO and strategic operations advisor, helping teams build the infrastructure and momentum needed to scale without losing focus on what makes them exceptional in the first place.