Colin Maynard – Founder

Colin is the founder of The EpiForge and a career business development specialist with a focus on innovation that drives real results.

His journey began in leadership and management roles that eventually led to joining a startup in 2017 Where he began honing his approach

to sales, marketing, training, and community engagement. When the startup matured, Colin explored e-commerce to broaden his skill set before returning to his roots: business development within his local community.

A self-proclaimed nerd and lifelong learner, Colin blends his passion for people with a love for process. Inspired by his community-driven upbringing, with a church planter father and a hard-working, service-oriented mother, he developed a BD approach that leverages technology for the busywork and prioritizes real human connection where it counts.

In 2024, while working in a franchise model, Colin saw a gap. Too many franchisees and small business owners were struggling to implement consistent business development strategies. They lacked the time, the tools, or the resources to bring someone on full-time. That’s when he teamed up with long-time friend and former colleague, Tim Phares, to build something new and The EpiForge was born.

Colin’s Business Development Philosophy

I love business development because it’s rooted in something I care deeply about; real connection. In a time of digital overload and divided attention, I see BD as a way to unify teams, serve communities, and bring value that actually matters.

My approach is a blend of sincerity and strategy: using technology to streamline what can be automated, so I (and my team) can stay present where it counts. That balance, human connection backed by smart systems, has been key to my success.

Tim Phares – Co-Founder

Tim’s path has been shaped by more than a decade of business development and leadership roles in healthcare and sales. Early in his career, he found himself drawn not just to organizational growth, but to the people behind it — coaching teams, developing leaders, and helping businesses create sustainable relationships and processes that fuel long-term success.

With an MBA from the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, Tim blends his leadership experience with a strong understanding of relational marketing, while focusing on helping others perform at their best. Tim has a true desire to see others succeed because his passion for growth is deeply personal — not only professionally, but at home as well. Tim and his wife live in Colorado Springs with their three sons, where much of his time is spent investing in his family, encouraging his boys, and supporting his wife through her ongoing battle with Multiple Sclerosis. His personal values of resilience, service, and community shape much of his work at EpiForge.

Tim has had a long connecting to serving and entrepreneurship and has spent time serving on the Board of Directors of Pikes Peak Suicide Prevention Partnership (2019) and the Small Business Advisory Counsel (2024). In 2025, after years of conversations about leadership, growth, and business development, Tim partnered with long-time friend and former colleague, Colin Maynard, to co-found EpiForge — a platform designed to help franchise and small business owners build confidence, sharpen skills, and grow their businesses with the support they often lack.

Tim’s Business Development Philosophy

I believe business development is ultimately about creating authentic connections between people and the value their business brings to others. At its core, it begins with two things: showing up as your genuine self and finding meaningful ways to serve others — whether or not they choose to do business with you. My passion is equipping leaders to build sustainable growth while keeping people and communities at the center. For me, true success is not just about growing businesses, but about seeing individuals and communities thrive through new opportunities, meaningful relationships, and lasting impact.