From One Conversation to Nationwide Impact: How a CTA Event Sparked BIT’s Journey

Photo: Blind Institute of Technology (BIT) makes front-page news: Denver Post, 2015.

In 2013, Mike Hess launched Blind Institute of Technology (BIT) to tackle one urgent problem: the staggering unemployment rate among people with disabilities. 

Soon after, he attended the Colorado Technology Association’s (CTA) signature event, C-Level @ A Mile High, Colorado tech’s biggest night of the year. Mike calls it “speed dating with executives,” and for BIT, it was more than networking, it was the spark that set everything in motion. 

That single evening connected Mike with leaders ready to champion BIT’s mission, setting off a chain of opportunities that would change lives for years to come.

From First Conversation to First Hire

Among those first connections were CTA board members Scott Burt, whose son is blind, and Alan Cullup, CIO of DaVita Healthcare. Alan’s interest quickly turned into opportunity: DaVita interviewed candidates from Mike’s network, including Eric Arthur, a legally blind MBA graduate struggling to find employment. 

Eric was hired, and thrived, at DaVita for several years. His success made headlines, literally, with a 2015 Denver Post front-page feature on BIT’s work. 

When Eric later sought a career shift into financial services, Mike connected him with FirstBank. He was hired on the spot, earned multiple promotions, and is still thriving today in a leadership role.

BIT’s Growth and National Reach

Eric’s journey captures BIT’s core mission: transform individuals from “tax consumers” into “tax producers” by opening doors to meaningful, high-paying careers, and it all started in the collaborative, opportunity-rich environment of a CTA event. 

Since those early days, BIT has expanded well beyond Colorado. Highlights include: 

• Becoming Salesforce’s only global training provider for professionals with disabilities
• Launching the nation’s only U.S. Department of Labor Registered Apprenticeship Program for professionals with disabilities in Salesforce Administration and Digital Accessibility
• Receiving an $8 million U.S. Department of Education Disability Innovation Fund grant in 2024 to scale programs nationwide

Full Circle

Thirteen years after that first C-Level event, Mike still walks into CTA gatherings with the same sense of possibility. The relationships built then, and the ones still forming today, continue to change lives. 

“Our tech community is strongest when every voice and every talent has a seat at the table,” said Brittany Morris Saunders, President & CEO of the Colorado Technology Association. “When we remove barriers and intentionally create space for all, we unlock innovation, strengthen our workforce, and build solutions that work better for everyone.” 

With the combined support of CTA, Salesforce, and a growing network of partners, BIT’s impact is only just beginning.