Thea Chase Email and Phone Number

The mission of the Southwest Innovation Corridor (SWIC) is to bring together loosely connected efforts in entrepreneurism and commercialization to create a purposeful strategy for moving ideas from consideration and development to fundable companies, creating jobs, and sustained economic activity in a geographically disbursed rural area - 8 southwest Colorado counties.SWIC is a Telluride Foundation initiative with funding from the EDA i6 challenge program, state of CO Advanced Industries and a private foundation.

I am running for Colorado House District 54 as an Independent. I am passionate about preserving our quality of life while preserving our western culture – fiercely independent - and supporting a healthy, vibrant economy that provides family wage jobs.I feel by putting people over party I can provide the representation it takes to create opportunities for the people of the west slope of Colorado to not only survive but to thrive and to excel.

The Telluride Venture Accelerator is the first accelerator focused on outdoor recreation, tourism, natural products, health, energy, water, and education.Each year we accept up to six businesses, and become a partner in your success.We invest $25,000, surround you with world-class mentoring, and assist with getting follow-on investment.

An exciting new effort to enhance the entrepreneurial culture at Cal Poly and the greater community - includes working with faculty, students, alumni and affiliates.Built programs on and off campus including for CIE - Elevator Pitch Competition, Entrepreneurship forum series, Hatchery and Summer Student Accelerator; the Cal Poly SBDC for Innovation - consulting and training programs including the Kaufman Foundation FastTrac for Tech Ventures and the collaborative effort - the SLO HotHouse a 6000 square foot space in downtown SLO offering the Accelerator, post-Accelerator Incubation and Co-working programs and housing the CIE and SBDC team.

Primary responsibility for Entrepreneurship Concentration. Taught Entrepreneurship, Entrepreneurial Finance, Marketing and Finance

Director of non-profit business and economic development organization. BIC is oldest business incubator in state and has a comprehensive set of programs including a 6MM revolving fund, SBDC, kitchen incubator, enterprise zone and 60k square foot mixed-use incubator. While at BIC I oversaw the reuse project and move to the 46-acre DOE site, BIC recognized by 5 national awards from NBIA and 1000s of companies created, assisted and hundreds of jobs created.