TRUCKEE, Calif. — A decade after it began hosting educational and entrepreneurial events, Tahoe Silicon Mountain (TSM) is turning the page to a new chapter. The longtime nonprofit has formally transitioned into the Lift Truckee Foundation, expanding its community-focused mission to support innovation, entrepreneurship, and social enterprise in the Truckee-Tahoe region.

The newly launched nonprofit will continue operating out of the Lift, a coworking, conference, and wellness center located at the Truckee Tahoe Airport. Founded by Eric Brown in 2014, the Lift has been under the management and ownership of Jan Holan since 2018. Though technically a for-profit business, Holan said the Lift has always been viewed more as a “community-building project.”

“Even though the Lift has operated for 11 years technically as a ‘for-profit,’ we see it more as a community-building project to support innovation and entrepreneurship,” Holan said. “As ‘owners’ of the business we have invested significant time and capital into the Lift project but have not (and don’t expect to) receive compensation or a financial return on investment. We do believe that operating the Lift has provided an amazing community benefit.”

For years, the Lift has offered its space to groups such as the Truckee Roundhouse, Friends of the Library, and Tahoe Silicon Mountain, hosting events that foster collaboration and connection. That role expanded significantly in 2023 when the Lift moved into its new 11,000-square-foot location at the airport, which offered greater capacity for educational programming and social enterprise support.

The idea of establishing a nonprofit had been percolating since the early days of the pandemic in 2020, when the need for community gathering spaces became more pronounced. During that time, TSM pivoted to virtual events hosted at the Lift, drawing strong engagement. But as fatigue around online events set in, the organization went dormant, eventually deciding to dissolve and contribute its remaining assets—roughly $10,000—to a mission-aligned nonprofit.

That’s when discussions between Lift leadership and the TSM board took a new turn.

“We pivoted and started discussing the possibility of evolving TSM into the Lift Truckee Foundation instead of creating a nonprofit from scratch. This move actually grows the legacy of TSM,” Holan said. 

Founded in 2018 as a nonprofit, TSM spent its first five years operating as an association, hosting well-loved events like Mountain Minds Monday, a signature community program. Under the leadership of Board President Ellen Raynor since 2019, TSM emphasized innovation, curiosity, and personal connection. Raynor now serves as a board member of the Lift Truckee Foundation, which elected Holan as its president in March 2025. Other board members include Ed Steinglass (Treasurer), Connie Gallippi (Secretary), and members Mike Rogers, Emily Gendron, and Dean Freeman.

Though TSM’s remaining funds are modest compared to its prior programming costs of $75,000 annually, the Lift Truckee Foundation is calling on community support to sustain and grow its work. While the coworking, conference, and wellness operations remain a separate entity for now, Holan said the ideal scenario would involve integrating all operations under the nonprofit umbrella.

“Having space where nonprofits, social enterprises, entrepreneurs and for-profit businesses can call home, collaborate and learn is an essential asset to insure the health and prosperity of our community,” Holan said. “Most importantly, we want to ensure that the Lift community-benefit programming grows and is self-sustaining for decades to come.”

The Lift Truckee Foundation’s mission is rooted in creating a thriving community and entrepreneurial ecosystem. Its programming includes:

• Grants and Scholarships: Free or reduced-cost Lift memberships for nonprofits, startups, students, artists, and entrepreneurs.
  
• Community Learning Events: Open-to-all sessions like learning lunches, film screenings, climate meetups, wellness workshops, and art showcases.
  
• Tahoe Inc. Entrepreneurs Roundtable: Peer-to-peer mentoring meetups for small business owners and nonprofit leaders.
  
• Truckee Climate Hub: Monthly gatherings focused on sustainability and clean energy.
  
• Art Showcases: Rotating exhibitions and events featuring local artists.
  

Lift also provides discounted space to over 20 regional nonprofits, including the Truckee River Watershed Council, Sierra Community House, and Truckee Trails Foundation.

Looking ahead, the Foundation envisions additional projects such as a podcast production room, entrepreneurial teaching kitchen, social enterprise incubator, youth STEAM education programs, multi-generational housing, and daycare and senior services collaborations.

To commemorate the transition and honor TSM’s legacy, the public is invited to a Tahoe Silicon Mountain Celebration and Lift Truckee Foundation Ribbon Cutting on Monday, June 9 at 5 p.m., held at the Lift Cowork, Conference, and Wellness Center. The event’s Monday timing nods to Mountain Minds Monday, the community’s hallmark innovation series.

For more information, visit http://www.lift-truckee.org or email info@lift-truckee.org.