On the road with the Colorado Technology Association tour

Day one of the Colorado Technology Association's inaugural Tech Tour saw seven passengers board a colorfully decorated bus at daybreak Monday to travel from Denver to Telluride, exploring technology's economic and community impact along the way.

All this week, tour participants will visit Telluride, Grand Junction, Aspen, Frisco, Colorado Springs and Fort Collins to meet and mingle with communities of varying size and scope that are embracing technology within existing and highly innovative industries.

"Colorado is growing through the power of technology every day,” CTA's CEO Erik Mitisek says. “From Denver to Telluride, there are companies, agencies and schools leveraging innovation to move the state and its residents forward.

"The first Colorado Tech Tour is about showcasing the companies and leaders all over the state — and how they are putting us on the map. With Town Hall meetings in each city, we hope to identify opportunities to further strengthen the relationships with the Front Range and tell the story that Colorado is growing through technology."

Mitisek says he anticipates part of the learning process along the way will be engaging in dialogues to grasp the shared and unique challenges and opportunities each community faces, from rural mountain communities to midsize cities spread throughout the state. He thinks tech talent acquisition will be a common theme and challenge regardless of geography.

Other travelers include representatives from the Colorado Innovation Network (COIN), the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT), the Governor's Office of Information Technology and Go Code Colorado. CTA has invited individuals from small to enterprise level technology companies, startups, STEM education programs and innovation experts to partake in the listening events, happy hours and site tours. During listening sessions, the Denver-based delegation will meet with community members and business leaders to discuss their goals and roadblocks along the way to building a successful tech infrastructure.

Monday's leg of the road show took travelers to the Telluride Venture Accelerator and Arroyo Wine Bar. Stay tuned for more reports from the road.