Silicon Slopes rebrands PAC, tweaks mission

The political action committee created earlier this year to watch out for the interests of Utah’s booming tech industry has changed its name. Launched in August, the Slopes PAC will now be known as Tech Leads. The organization said its focus will be on protecting Utah’s business climate, preserving the state’s quality of life and promoting Utah and Utah’s tech industry to draw talent from across the world.

Sunny Washington, the Utah technology veteran who co-founded and is chair of Tech Leads, said, “It’s a really exciting time for tech in Utah and we have a lot to be thankful for. But to sustain the rapid growth of tech in Utah, we also have to be intentional about making sure all of the community benefits. Our relationships with the Legislature and legislative leadership is key so we can understand where we can support the work of protecting what makes our state great.”

Elizabeth Converse, currently at Silicon Slopes Commons, the former Utah Technology Council, will be moving to Tech Leads as full-time executive director and co-founder in early 2022.

“It’s an amazing experience to see the impact that one industry can have on an entire state,” said Converse. “While our growth continues, it’s our goal to focus on avoiding the missteps of Silicon Valley, to protect this environment and to be able to share it with generations to come.”