University of New Mexico – Taos

Location

Ranchos De Taos, NM

 

Build to Scale Program

Venture Challenge

 

Project Name

UNM-Taos HIVE Pollinator: All Hands on Tech

 

Award Amount

Federal Share

Local Match

 

$700,944

$700,944

This EDA investment supports the HIVE Pollinator in rural Taos, New Mexico, which aims to grow community awareness of and support for technology-based entrepreneurial ecosystem development. This project will engage historically underrepresented members of the tech community by supporting scalable tech startups in northern New Mexico through narrative building, innovative mentorship programming, and tech entrepreneur pollination (incubation and acceleration). This program will be housed out of the University of New Mexico-Taos’ Hub of Internet-Based Vocation and Education (UNM-Taos HIVE or “the HIVE”).

In a partnership with The University of New Mexico-Taos (UNM-Taos), Kit Carson Electric Cooperative, and the Taos Community Foundation, the HIVE will build on successful, customized support models for businesses and individuals, creating a tech entrepreneurial ecosystem to support at least 20 new startups in northern New Mexico. Through a focus on locally-relevant content, local ecosystem knowledge sharing, mentorship, and a hybrid incubator/accelerator program, the HIVE Pollinator will deliver resources to satisfy the demand for tech solutions in current small businesses and jumpstart tech entrepreneurship in the region.