Steve Elias, dean of Fort Lewis College’s School of Business Administration, has been awarded the inaugural Anchor Point Foundation’s Startup Champion Award in partnership with the Greater Colorado Venture Fund and Startup Colorado. The award was presented during a virtual session with Techstars’ Brad Feld and David Brown during West Slope Startup Week in July.

The Startup Champion Award is awarded to individuals in rural Colorado who have demonstrated a strong commitment and dedication to their communities and to efforts that support and elevate local entrepreneurship. Recipients also receive a $10,000 grant from the Anchor Point Foundation to further support activities that grow local entrepreneurial ecosystems.

Elias was one of the main proponents behind the creation of the Center for Innovation in downtown Durango. The center is a business development collaborative where from one location, small businesses can find the resources and support to launch and grow.

FLC uses the Center for Innovation to facilitate collaboration of business development partners, to provide more opportunities to student entrepreneurs and to advance the Durango business scene.