Meet “Chip” Evans: Failed Ventures, Cleantech Startups and Political Activism
This is the story of a man who has engaged in failed ventures, clean tech energy promises, political ambitions, and is currently stoking the political flames as he gains notoriety.
Feb 17, 2026
I began this story after reading a political article by Chip Evans that, in my opinion, could incite violence. I wondered who this person was, so I started investigating. The story that follows is worthy of a book, and there is a book that discusses Hugh Dudley “Chip” Evans and some of his colleagues and connections. It’s fascinating.
Cleantech Con Artists: A True Vegas Caper, by Jim Rossi
The book is available on Amazon. They have a Kindle version too. It’s 520 pages, but I read it so that you don’t have to.
I have a copy given to me by someone in the know; it makes interesting reading about Chip’s involvement in real estate, cleantech, and politics. I also did my own investigation to complete this article by speaking with people, including Jim Rossi, and reviewing source documents, such as the bankruptcy filing and business filings.
Real Estate Ventures and Bankruptcy
Before coming to Reno, Chip Evans worked at technology giants, including Fairchild Semiconductor and Hewlett-Packard, and then transitioned to entrepreneurship and politics in Reno in the early 2000s.
Chip and his wife, Laynette, launched several real estate investment firms in 2002 and thereafter, which were invested in by friends and family, as well as personal retirement funds. A few years later, their overleveraged business became insolvent, and Evans filed for bankruptcy in 2011, writing off $10.8 million, including $1.4 million owed to 21 private investors, raising questions about his financial acumen.
Real Estate ventures controlled by Evans during this period include Vantagepoint Properties, LLC; Sandy Layne, LLC; Reno Townhouses, LLC; Shiloh Ventures, LLC; Bcpartners, LLC; and Get Real, America! LLC, Management & Development Services Inc., Vantagepoint Development LLC., all of which were shut down.
United States Bankruptcy Court District of Nevada Document 11-53588-btb
Here is the link to the 618-page Bankruptcy Document. I read it so that you don’t have to.
The Cleantech Open Connection
Chip Evans became the director of Cleantech Open, an accelerator supporting clean technology startups, in Nevada in about 2012 and was involved in recruiting new entrepreneurs and connecting them with funding sources.
The would-be fund seekers included one named “Xavier,” who was linked to fraudulent business startup activity, according to the book by Jim Rossi. Despite warnings that “Xavier” was using an alias and reappeared in Las Vegas after a seven-figure fraud involving real estate and a video game company in Colorado, Evans reportedly continued to support him as he sought funding, raising suspicions of complicity or negligence.
According to the book, the allegation is that “Xavier” secured funding for ghost startups that burned through VC money without producing a product. This relationship became central to the investigation into con artists operating under the guise of legitimate cleantech innovation company founders.
The Evans Consulting Group
According to his LinkedIn Profile, Chip currently runs ECG, which he describes as a consultancy specializing in solution development and implementation for the significant transitions businesses must navigate to survive and grow.
Whoever they are, Chip says they are problem solvers, change agents, catalysts, and transition coaches with broad expertise and experience across a range of skills. Whatever that means, it’s interesting given Chip’s history. Perhaps it’s only him.
Curiously, Chip’s Facebook profile states that he resides in Faro, Portugal, as of December 2025. I’m not sure if he has returned to Reno. I guess one could write to him and ask if he’s coming back, chipevans7@gmail.com.
Political Involvement in Washoe County
Using his Silicon Valley connections to secure introductions, Chip was installed as chair of the Washoe County Democratic Party, serving from 2009 to 2011. He left under controversial circumstances, according to sources. He also served as CEO and host of America Matters, a political talk show.
Chip lost to Mark Amodei in Nevada’s 2nd Congressional District in 2016, despite longtime Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s endorsement. He entered the 2017 primary for lieutenant governor but withdrew. Chip keeps establishment company, serving on the boards of “progressive” nonprofits, according to sources.
Campaign for Washoe County Accessor
Despite having no background in tax law and having gone bankrupt investing in real estate, Chip Evans ran for Washoe County Assessor against Mike Clark in 2018. The County Assessor wields minimal policymaking authority, but given the discretion to assess taxes on casinos and developments in a rapidly growing economy, there is potential for political influence, as alleged in the book.
Mike Clark’s campaign conducted research that revealed Evans’ involvement with nine companies whose licenses were revoked in Nevada, significant debts, and suspicious business practices. These findings bolstered Clark’s claims about Evans’ unsuitability for public office.
ASSESSOR CLARK: Hugh D.” Chip” Evans, The Real Story (Opinion) August 22, 2018
This is Mike Clark’s article from 2018 explaining his findings about Chip Evans.
Leadership of Indivisible Northern Nevada
After leaving the Democratic Party, Chip assumed a leadership role in Indivisible Northern Nevada. This political organization supports gun control, expanded mail-in voting, abolishing the Electoral College, eliminating carbon emissions by 2050, and abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
On his Facebook, Chip links to Indivisible and lists himself as Co-Founder, Leadership Team Member.
See, Indivisiblennv.org, and Influence Watch: Indivisible Northern Nevada and Influence Watch: The Indivisible Project.
Recetly Chip published an article stating that ICE, a government agency funded by Congress, which has existed for over 20 years, during 5 administrations, and is tasked with enforcing immigration law, is equivalent to the Nazi Brownshirts, an extra-legal paramilitary organization, that was the personal army of a dictator, and used to assassinate political opponents.
You might disagree with how ICE has operated, and you have a right to protest peacefully. Still, in my analysis, Chip Evans is using a false equivalency that appears intended to stoke outrage and possibly push people to actively resist ICE, which could put people in danger.
Indivisible’s motto is “Turn your outrage into action.”
The article reads like Chip is taking this motto to the extreme. If people think that ICE really is the Brownshirts, they might engage in extreme activity, such as following ICE, blowing whistles in their faces, and blocking their way, which has been happening and is dangerous.
If ICE agents perceive a threat to their safety, they are legally allowed to use deadly force to protect themselves; however, the Brownshirts would shoot you simply for who you were, whether an opponent of the regime or a declared undesirable person. It’s not the same, and people should understand the difference.
In Conclusion
I’m not looking to convince people one way or the other about ICE. I’m saying, beware of hyperbole. Don’t let Chip Evan’s article have you transfer your outrage about what happened to people in the 1930s to today. That is stoking outrage.
I’m not saying you should avoid Indivisible; I am saying be aware of what Chip Evans might be doing. Just as he took over Nevada CleanTech Open and the local Democratic party leadership, he has taken over Indivisible Northern Nevada, and his intentions matter.
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