Chaffee County Economic Development Corporation

Name

Chaffee County Economic Development Corporation

Legal name

Chaffee County Economic Development Corporation

Website

https://chaffeecountyedc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Economic Development Services

NAICS

Administration of General Economic Programs (92611)

akta.pro primary industry

Small Business & Entrepreneurship Community Education (EDAAAFAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Mentorship & Coaching (Career, Academic, Industry-Specific) (EDAMAKAA)

Keywords

• Economic development services
• Small business advising
• Startup accelerator programs
• Business membership associations
• Rural economic development

Headquarters

HQ city

Salida

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Investor/Sponsor Memberships: The EDC generates revenue through tiered investor/sponsor memberships at three levels: The Visionary ($5,000/yr), Changemaker ($2,500/yr), and Community Builder ($1,000/yr). Members receive benefits including Board seats, event access, social media recognition, and policy committee involvement.
2. Grant Funding: The EDC applies for and receives private and public grants to sustain operations, including support from Colorado Department of Local Affairs (DOLA) and other state programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Chaffee County Economic Development Corporation is a nonprofit that delivers business growth support, policy advocacy, and entrepreneurship programming for Chaffee County, Colorado. Its core offerings are the Ascent Accelerator (a 12-week startup accelerator), three-tier investor/sponsor memberships ($1,000-$5,000/year), Policy Pillar advocacy across housing, water/wastewater, childcare, education, infrastructure, and land use, the EDC Insights Series quarterly briefings, and the Chaffee Remote work resource program.

Product overview

Chaffee County Economic Development Corporation operates as a nonprofit organization providing economic development services rather than a traditional product company. Its core offerings include the Ascent Accelerator (a 12-week startup program), EDC Investor Programs (three membership tiers), Policy Pillar Services (advocacy across housing, water, childcare, education, infrastructure, and land use), EDC Insights Series (quarterly forums and events), and Chaffee Remote (remote work resources). These programs work together to support business growth, entrepreneurship, workforce development, and community economic vitality in Chaffee County, Colorado.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Ascent Accelerator: A 12-week accelerator program tailored for early-stage businesses in Chaffee County, part of the Central Mountain Entrepreneurs startup community
• Chaffee Remote
• Ascent

Products and services

• Ascent Accelerator A 12-week accelerator program tailored for early-stage businesses in Chaffee County, providing targeted instruction on entrepreneurship mindset, legal issues, financial forecasting, digital marketing, brand building, and pitch practice. Founders receive 20 hours of mentorship with a Lead Advisor and pitch at an annual Demo Day.
• EDC Investor Programs Three-tiered investor sponsorship program (Visionary $5,000/yr, Changemaker $2,500/yr, Community Builder $1,000/yr) offering benefits including Board eligibility, social media recognition, event tickets, and policy committee seats for businesses investing in Chaffee County's economic future.
• Policy Pillar Services Advocacy and guidance across six focused policy areas - Housing, Water and Wastewater, Childcare and Early Childhood Education, Education and Talent Pipeline, Infrastructure and Transportation, and Land Use - to advance business-friendly public policy in Chaffee County.
• EDC Insights Series Quarterly policy briefings and community forums featuring expert insights, panel discussions, and networking opportunities for business leaders and community members in Chaffee County.
• Chaffee Remote Remote work support resource helping businesses and workers in Chaffee County with remote employment opportunities and distributed team best practices.

Quantifiable outcome

• Nearly 50 promising founders and ideas recruited since 2022 through the Ascent Accelerator program
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Destination IQcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTourism management organization leading destination promotion in Chaffee County. EDC serves on the Destination Management County Board alongside Destination IQ to align economic development and tourism efforts. Collaboration spans hospitality, music industry, and music-focused focus groups.
• Chaffee County Community Foundation (CCCF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-producer of the annual Profit with Purpose panel event bringing business and nonprofit leaders together. Longstanding partner in community economic initiatives.
• Central Mountain SBDCcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSmall Business Development Center co-hosting the Employee Ownership event on September 23 in Buena Vista. Provides business development resources to the community.
• Bonfire EntertainmentminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFestival producer behind Smalltown for the Cause (formerly Campout for the Cause), hosting events at Riverside Park in Salida. Partnering with local businesses for co-created experiences.
• Coletrain Music AcademyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal music education institution (Ascent Alumni) co-producing Rhythms On The River festival with Destination IQ. Running acoustic Camp Coletrain workshops at Smalltown Gathering.
• Small Business AdministrationminorOthersListed as a resource partner providing financial services, lenders, and programs for small businesses in the area.
• B:Side CapitalminorOthersListed as a resource partner providing capital access for businesses in the region.
• Colorado Enterprise FundminorOthersListed as a resource partner providing loans and business support services.
• Energize ColoradominorOthersListed as a resource partner for small businesses in Colorado.
• Colorado Venture Capital AuthorityminorOthersListed as a resource partner providing venture capital resources.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Direct peers

• SCORE: SCORE is a national nonprofit network providing free small business mentoring, advising, and workshops, mirroring the EDC's one-on-one advising, mentorship matching, and small-business education offerings for entrepreneurs.
• gener8tor: gener8tor is a startup accelerator that operates cohort-based programs nationwide, including in non-metro geographies, making it a direct comparable to Chaffee County EDC's Ascent Accelerator on accelerator model, mentor matching, and cohort pitch structure.
• Village Capital: Village Capital runs non-metropolitan, rural, and underestimated-geography startup programs and investor-readiness cohorts, aligning closely with the EDC's mission of supporting rural mountain-region entrepreneurs via accelerator and investor programming.
• America's SBDC: America's Small Business Development Centers network delivers no-cost business advising and training to entrepreneurs via state-funded centers, including Central Mountain SBDC, listed as a partner of the Chaffee County EDC. Overlap is direct on mission and target audience.

Emerging players

• Arch Grants: Arch Grants is a regional startup accelerator offering $50,000 equity-free grants to startups that relocate to the St. Louis region. The capital-grant structure combined with accelerator programming is comparable to Chaffee County EDC's grant facilitation, like the $100K IHIP win for Peaks Precast.

Broad incumbents

• Techstars: Techstars is the largest global startup accelerator with hundreds of programs and a broad sector and geography footprint, including rural and sustainability tracks. It operates one cohort at a vastly different scale but serves a structurally comparable accelerator function to Ascent.

Others

• OEDIT Colorado Office of Economic Development & International Trade: OEDIT is the Colorado state agency that funds and partners with rural economic development organizations, including Chaffee County EDC. It is not a peer in the same way but provides funding, Advanced Industries programs, and the strategic framework the EDC operates within.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Chaffee County Economic Development Corporation