PHX FWD, the nonprofit organization dedicated to making Phoenix a top software city by 2035, announced that Clate Mask, founder of Keap, will serve as its new Chief Executive Officer. Mask, who recently sold Keap after more than two decades of leading the company to success, will bring his extensive experience in SaaS growth and entrepreneurship to accelerate PHX FWD’s mission.
Despite Phoenix being home to nearly 500 software companies, few reach their full potential because they don’t know where to find the resources and knowledge available to build great, impactful businesses. PHX FWD provides content and programming designed to support the founders and builders of these companies. This includes workshops, CEO Coaching, the PHX Founders Podcast, community events and more. Adding Clate’s expertise, the organization aims to elevate Phoenix to the same level as Austin, Salt Lake City, and Denver in the software industry.
“Phoenix has everything it needs to be a software leader—we just need to bring it all together,” said Clate Mask. “PHX FWD will unite our software talent, light the path to success, and inspire the next generation of software leaders to build great companies. We are founder-led, builder- based and stage-specific in our programs designed to help Phoenix software companies succeed. And we’re rallying everyone who wants to see Phoenix become a top software city.”
Gregg Scoresby, Founder of PHX Ventures and Chairman of PHX FWD, emphasized his enthusiasm around bringing Clate onboard. “Clate has built and scaled an incredibly successful software company, and he knows what it takes to turn a startup into a category leader. His leadership at PHX FWD will be instrumental in giving Phoenix’s software community the support and structure it needs to thrive.”
Scoresby founded PHX FWD to help software entrepreneurs by sharing insights from his own experience at CampusLogic, one of Arizona’s fastest-growing software companies before its acquisition. Under his leadership, PHX FWD has become a key player in connecting and building Phoenix’s software community.
