Entabeni Systems and Indy Pass relocate headquarters to New Hampshire; reassumes full ownership of Black Mountain.

Erik Mogensen announced today that he will buy out all early investors and return the historic ski area to 100-percent private ownership under his leadership. As part of the move, Mogensen will permanently relocate the world headquarters of Entabeni Systems and the Indy Pass from Colorado to Jackson, New Hampshire.

Black Mountain will operate both as a ski area and as an "Independent Mountain Laboratory.” Erik Mogensen and his team will test new software, hardware, mechanical systems, and operational strategies designed to help independent ski resorts compete in an industry increasingly dominated by large corporate operators.

“In the 18 months since purchasing Black Mountain, we have not only saved a beloved ski area but tested dozens of ideas to help independent mountains tackle the biggest challenges they face,” said Mogensen, CEO of Entabeni Systems, which owns Indy Pass and Black Mountain. “By basing our team here on the mountain, we can develop and test real solutions on the front lines that help the entire industry.”

Most small ski areas lack the resources and time to build, test, and iterate new systems. Black Mountain will serve as the proving ground for new ideas developed by Entabeni Systems and shared with independent resorts across North America and beyond.

“In addition to the opportunity to support independent ski areas, my team and I have fallen in love with New Hampshire and the Mount Washington Valley,” Mogensen said. “As much as I love the Colorado Rockies, this region has captured my heart. Jackson is an incredible ski community, and we are excited to make it our long-term home.”

The relocation will bring significant economic development to the Mount Washington Valley. Black Mountain is already the largest employer in Jackson, and the relocation of Entabeni Systems and Indy Pass operations will add more than 30 highly skilled and paid positions to the region. These jobs include roles in software and hardware development, finance, marketing, and management, expanding the local workforce beyond traditional seasonal tourism positions.

"New Hampshire is the best place to ski in America and a beacon of economic opportunity,” said Gov. Kelly Ayotte. "It's exciting to have Indy Pass and Entabeni Systems relocate to the Mount Washington Valley with the goal of making Black Mountain a hub for innovation in the ski industry. With our unmatched quality of life, beautiful outdoors, and welcoming environment for businesses, there is no better choice for companies looking to grow than New Hampshire."

Mogensen has served as acting general manager of Black Mountain since acquiring the historic ski area in 2024, but plans to appoint a veteran ski industry executive in the coming months. The new GM will oversee day-to-day ski area operations while Mogensen focuses on innovation and industry-wide initiatives.

Founded in the 1930s, Black Mountain is the oldest continuously operating ski area in New Hampshire. The resort plays an important role in the Mount Washington Valley community, contributing to the local economy and providing generations of families with an authentic New England skiing experience. Since purchasing the mountain in 2024, Mogensen and his companies have worked to preserve its legacy of independent ownership while ensuring the ski area remains accessible and affordable.

Mogensen’s turnaround of the mountain has drawn national attention and earned him recognition in the industry.

“Black Mountain almost disappeared,” Mogensen said. “The last year showed how much this place matters to people. We are going to build on that energy and vibe and ensure this mountain not only survives but helps the entire independent ski industry thrive.”

In a wider ranging letter he said: "I struggle to write these letters. I can’t spell to save my life and trying to sit still long enough to compile my thoughts and ideas into a few hundred words makes my brain hurt every time. I far prefer to communicate through actions, not words. This one letter from the GM is almost 1,500 words. Lots to unpack.

"With still a significant amount of the season still in front of us, Black Mountain has already surpassed last year’s total revenue. More importantly to me, more people have skied here as of today than over the entirety of last season. While records going back 90 years are imperfect, it is hard to believe this has been anything other than Black Mountain’s best season ever.

Sure, it has been a good snow year, but something magical happened that had little to do with snowfall and everything to do with a new “vibe” that has been created here. This vibe did not fall out of the sky, it was built on top of deeply positive experiences and memories that were made over the last 91 years. Black Mountain is New Hampshire's oldest ski area for a reason, and the happiness here spans generations. It almost disappeared. Sometimes you don’t know what you have until it is gone.

"Prior to getting involved, I had never been to Black Mountain. In October 2024, when I made the decision to purchase the ski area, move here, and become the GM, it was more than just saving Black Mountain. When I was 16, the small ski area that I grew up at closed and that experience allowed me to relate to the loss of a unique place like Black Mountain, and keeping it open was just solution to a singular problem. The main problem being that the independently owned ski areas, that provide affordable outdoor recreation to so many, are on a death slide. Black Mountain’s peril was just a micro example of a macro problem.

"I have come to think of the term “vibe” as slang for the word “culture”. Culture is not something that you can buy. You must build culture, and you cannot build it yourself. The vibe and culture at Black Mountain is remarkable because of the people who contribute their time and money to the cause that this little mountain has become. The idea behind a Co-Op ownership structure was to align passionate participation with ownership. It quickly became clear to me that different levels of participation were needed, and over the last year I tackled the problem by creating the Black Mountain Community Corporation comprised of Class A, Class B, and Class C shares.

"Class A shares were priced at $250,000 and B Shares at $25,000 with corresponding governance and equity. A and B shares transacted under Regulation D, while we applied for a Regulation A exemption for the C shares priced at $5,000. All 15 Class A were sold and funded quickly. Over a 1/3 of B shares were sold with no public offer under Reg D. We have over 2,600 people looking to purchase what would be 2000 Class C shares under the future Reg A. These first shareholders are a remarkable group of people that deeply believe in what we were trying to build at Black Mountain and beyond. The model is solid.

"It has always been my dream to make a living in skiing. Growing up in the East, the idea of living and skiing in the big mountains out West was a dream that I made a reality by working hard over the last 20 years. I have built a company whose relentless sole goal is to keep skiing independent and affordable. Our headquarters in Colorado is the home of an incredible group of people who work tirelessly for Entabeni Systems and the Indy Pass to that end. To make the Black Mountain project work, many of them picked up their lives and moved to Jackson, New Hampshire. In many ways putting their personal lives on hold to help solve the macro problem skiing is facing. It was a crazy idea to split the company in half, move back East to a ski area none of us had ever been to. Needless to say we all miss Colorado and the life we built there.

"Professionally, Entabeni has excelled from being on the front lines every day. While our facility in a quaint Colorado town was darn close to idyllic, the code we write, the hardware we construct, and the team we have built during our time at Black Mountain has been extraordinary. These short feedback and iteration loops could only be accomplished from the third floor of the Black Mountain base lodge. The upside for Indy Pass has been equally profound. Black Mountain has given me a significantly better understanding as to how to positively shape this irreplaceable product for partners and consumers alike. I have always believed in spending 90% of my time and effort understanding a problem and 10% actually fixing the problem. Black Mountain forced that way of thinking to a level I never thought possible.

"Personally, while I came here to address the challenges facing skiing, Black Mountain required me to address my own challenges. December 10, 2024 was the first day we opened the lifts after the purchase. All morning, I was pacing up the base lodge looking out the windows and hoping to see that first group of cars park. Did we get the pricing right? Would people spend their money here? Was this entire thing just too crazy of an idea, and had I made a really bad decision financially? As cars came in and filled the first row I relaxed enough to go out and personally thank each one of them with “Thanks for Being Here”. That simple phrase started me down the path of understanding and embracing that we were not in fact competing only for people’s money. More importantly, we are competing for people’s time. Black Mountain has taught me to be a less transactional human in every area of my life. It has shown me that community matters more than big mountains and western snow quality. This community and its resulting culture is what got me through the hardest moments of this project, and it is what has made it very hard for me to leave. In many ways Black Mountain saved me.

"All of my experiences over the last 18 months have allowed me to truly reconcile why I made the abrupt decision to purchase Black Mountain in the first place. I now have clarity on what I want my life to be like, and the difference I hope to make through Entabeni and Indy Pass for skiing and outdoor recreation. It has shown me that I need to make a long-term life decision to buy Black Mountain, now for a second time.

"Accordingly, Entabeni Systems and Indy Ski Pass will exit our Colorado headquarters. We will move all operations to New Hampshire and the Mount Washington Valley. We will be the long-term custodian and again 100% owner of Black Mountain. I am grateful that every single shareholder not only consented, but also allowed me to purchase back their stock at par to their original purchase price. This direction change is only possible because of their trust and belief that the best path forward for a sustainable and vibrant Black Mountain is under the stewardship of Entabeni, Indy Pass and myself.

"Black Mountain will become a laboratory and incubator where we will aggressively try to solve some of the biggest challenges facing independent ski areas. Aging infrastructure, rising costs, and big money competition demand critical thinking and fresh solutions. Our world class team will permanently relocate, building their own lives in the Mount Washington Valley. I look forward to building my life and a family in this incredible place I will now call home.

"The ski area will remain open, public, and on the same non-stop charge to be the best that it can be. We will carefully balance operating a small ski area while innovating and supporting many others. Micro and Macro. Over the past 18 months a line has been drawn at Black Mountain by people who have demanded that Black be saved. That it remain open and vibrant. Under my direction we will do everything we can to hold that line. This mountain and everything that it stands for will indefinitely be a place where the sport and culture of skiing does not just survive. It will thrive."

Entabeni Systems develops technology and operational solutions designed specifically for independent ski areas. The company provides point-of-sale systems, payment processing, and operational tools that allow smaller ski resorts to compete with larger consolidated operators. Entabeni’s technology currently processes more than $1 billion annually in transactions across independent ski areas worldwide.

The Indy Pass is the fastest-growing multi-mountain pass in the world, offering access to more than 300 Alpine and Nordic resorts across the United States, Canada, Europe, Japan, and South America. Each resort provides two days of skiing or riding, with a third day available at a discounted rate. All participating resorts are independently owned and operated.