CEO and Director Of Business Assistance

Bob Cohen has served as CEO and Director Of Business Assistance since March of 2007. In this role, he serves as a resource person for technology entrepreneurs in a multi-county area of north east Ohio as part of Ohio's Third Frontier-funded TechLift Program. He served as Braintree's Executive Director from July of 2004 until March of 2007.  Previous to accepting the position at Braintree, he spent ten years working as regional manager for a Washington-based international business development agency and one year as operations manager for a Columbus-based micro-enterprise program.  Cohen, who has lived in the Mansfield area since 1988, has served as an adjunct faculty member of North Central State College and Ashland University, and is currently on the faculty of The Ohio State University Mansfield, and OSU's Agricultural Technical Institute in Wooster.

Bob has a Ph.D in Higher Education from Ohio University, an M.A. from The Ohio State University, an MBA from Franklin University, and a B.A. from the University of Akron.  He is a licensed insurance agent, and a Certified Business Advisor (CBA).  His entrepreneurial background is in the insurance and broadcasting industries.  In his spare time he enjoys traveling and has been to all fifty states, all ten Canadian provinces and a total of 32 countries.

Director of Operations

Bob Leach joined Braintree in April 2007 as coordinator of all activities of the Mansfield/Richland Incubator program, and also as director of the Northern Ohio IT Association.  Previously he spent 11 years as the Facility Manager and Systems Administrator for an Optical Disk and Video Duplication facility in Grove City, OH. Prior to that, Bob spent ten years in management for a large Home Center retailer and four years in the US Navy.

Bob is a Graduate of the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program and served on board the commissioning crew of the USS Georgia SSBN 729.  Bob's entrepreneurial experience comes from several companies in the construction industry.

Director of Manufacturing and Technology Small Business Development Center

Ken joined the Braintree staff in May of 2008 as the MTSBDC Director.  Ken is a U.S. Navy Veteran, having served in the Viet Nam conflict.  He is a lifelong Mansfield, Ohio area resident   Ken is a graduate of Ashland University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management.  He has over 30 years in operations management experience at AK Steel in Mansfield, Ohio.  In addition, he as served as a substitute teacher and real estate agent, as well as sales coordinator for Carter Machine Company in Galion, Ohio.  Prior to becoming the MTSBDC Director, Ken was the Director of the Manufacturing Competitiveness Initiative at Ashland University.  Ken will be serving the small manufacturers in a seventeen county area as a Certified Business Advisor.

Microfinance Administrator

Barrett Thomas joined Braintree in May of 2009.  As the Microfinance Administrator, Barrett is responsible for the Appleseed Microfinance Loan Fund and the Braintree Microgrant program (coming in 2012). Barrett comes to Braintree with three years of micro-lending and program development experience gained in both domestic and international settings. He has also previously served as the Specialist for Information Management at the American Red Cross of Greater Columbus. Barrett acquired a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Systems at Taylor University and is currently finishing his Masters in Business Administration from Taylor University. He is a long-time Ohio resident and currently resides with his wife and daughter in Mansfield.