SILICON SLOPES, UT--(Marketwired - December 06, 2016) - Today, Silicon Slopes and Beehive Startups announced the two brands have formed a new nonprofit organization and have joined forces inside the entity to better serve Utah's growing startup and tech community. Beehive Startups founder Clint Betts will serve as the executive director of the organization.

By coming together inside this newly-formed nonprofit organization both brands will immediately begin working to empower Utah's startup and tech community to learn, connect and serve.

Silicon Slopes will focus exclusively on Utah's tech community, while Beehive Startups will focus on early-stage startups and entrepreneurship. The purpose of the new organization is to combine the efforts and resources of these two well-established and respected brands to expand the reach and influence of Utah's startup and tech community.

"We started Silicon Slopes over a decade ago with others in the tech community as a nonprofit branding initiative to help attract talent, capital and business to the state," said Josh James, founder and CEO of Domo. "If you look at the activity that's been going on in Utah over the past few years, it's clear that we have a strong tech economy and that there's never been a better time to be an entrepreneur here. The traction Clint has achieved with Beehive Startups in such a short amount of time is truly impressive and a testament to the energy of Utah's entrepreneurial spirit and success across all sectors. This new organization announced today is designed to harness that energy and the participation of tech and startup leaders in taking our community to the next level."

The following community leaders have joined the organization as founding members of the executive board: Adobe SVP Brad Rencher, Domo founder and CEO Josh James, InsideSales.com founder and CEO Dave Elkington, former Symantec CMO and MartizCX CEO Carine Clark, Pluralsight co-founder and CEO Aaron Skonnard, Qualtrics co-founder and CEO Ryan Smith, and Vivint founder and CEO Todd Pedersen.

The organization also announced the launch of Silicon Slopes Summit, a two-day technology conference at the Salt Palace in downtown Salt Lake City, January 19-20, 2017. The event, which coincides with the Sundance Film Festival, will feature high-profile keynotes, premium workshops, a startup competition, community hero awards, and a high-energy closing concert.

The organization will also soon be announcing an advisory board and a number of small committees focused on addressing specific issues and improving areas within Utah's startup and tech community.

With the creation of this new organization, and by collaboratively using the power of both brands, Silicon Slopes and Beehive Startups will work to empower Utah's startup and tech community to learn, connect and serve, as outlined below.

Learn
We believe entrepreneurship should be open and accessible to all. We also believe education is key to a diverse, healthy, and vibrant startup community. Our focus on education appears in a variety of different formats with the intent to both inform and mentor Utah startups and entrepreneurs.

Connect
We have created a unique community platform that fosters a collaborative support environment for every entrepreneur in Utah. It's our belief that a community is at its best when it's relentlessly inclusive and the opportunity to be heard and comfortably participate is democratized. Part of our overall mission is to give every Utah entrepreneur a voice and an extensive network of support.

Serve
We believe in the power of community. We believe service is the central tenet to a healthy and vibrant community, which is why we will consistently rally Utah's startup and tech ecosystem to give back through a number of different programs and initiatives.

"I'm excited to have the opportunity to build upon the Silicon Slopes brand that many community leaders have created over the past 10 years," said Clint Betts. "By combining that brand and its resources with the focus and community that Beehive Startups brings, we can continue to grow Utah's startup and tech ecosystem into something truly special. We believe a community is at its best when service and inclusiveness are central to its mission. That belief will be what guides this organization. We hope to build something here that accurately represents and is fundamentally owned by every entrepreneur in Utah. I can't wait to get started."

About Silicon Slopes
Silicon Slopes is a nonprofit organization that exists to empower Utah's tech community to learn, connect, and serve. It was founded more than a decade ago by Domo founder and CEO Josh James to promote the interests of Utah's high tech community and today the brand is synonymous with Utah's thriving tech scene.