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EMPOWERING ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN THE TETONS
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VIRTUAL MONTHLY CHANCE MEETINGS
JANUARY 4, 2021 5 - 6 pm Via Zoom (login below)
Sometimes all you need is the right connection and a little inspiration. Well, what are you waiting for? Find both at our free monthly virtual networking event. You never know...
Theme: Success Starts with You— Taking Care of Your Health and Wellbeing
Being an entrepreneur isn't easy in the best of times, but the turmoil and uncertainty of 2020 have upped the difficulty significantly. How can entrepreneurs stay grounded, healthy, and productive while weathering the changes and uncertainty of business during COVID? Join us for Virtual Chance Meetings on Monday, January 4th from 5 - 6 pm as we explore this topic with Sandy Hessler and Todd Hanna. Both Sandy and Todd are entrepreneurs, consultants, and experts in strategy and leadership. They will share practical and meaningful ways to safeguard and enhance your own health and wellbeing as we go into a new year. Success starts with you.
Join Zoom Meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83484814686?pwd=Wm9WeTJxTzhXbEhpZVNMTXRNbzc3dz09
Meeting ID: 834 8481 4686
Passcode: 260831
By phone (audio only):
+1 253 215 8782
Meeting ID: 834 8481 4686
Passcode: 260831
NEWS AND NOTES
From the Executive Director
Dear Friends of Silicon Couloir,
As we approach the impending New Year, and we try to put a difficult and challenging 2020 in our rear-view mirror, we are still dealing with an uncertain, but hopefully much brighter, future. For me, there’s an element of Groundhog Day to my daily existence, so I am working hard on staying healthy, staying active and keeping a positive mental attitude. It’s not always easy, but I know that I, along with my spouse, pets, kids, friends, peers, and neighbors are better for it. I hope you are all doing the same.
I want to take a moment to express my deepest gratitude and appreciation to everyone involved with Silicon Couloir—staff, board members, volunteers, entrepreneurs—for the work they have done and continue to do in service to our community. I also want to thank all of you who follow what we do—it truly takes a
village to help others grow and succeed, and in turn keep our community vibrant and strong.
We at Silicon Couloir wish you and yours a happy and healthy 2021. Together, may we emerge with renewed strength and commitment towards a Tetons region where we can once again flourish and thrive.
Warmly,
Gary
Entrepreneur Resource Page Added to Website
We're pleased to share that we've added an Entrepreneur Resource Page to the Silicon Couloir website. You'll find business oriented WY agencies, links to libraries, granting agencies and angel groups, Rocky Mountain accelerators, and helpful templates and how how-to's. If you have suggestions for additional entries, please contact Rebecca@SiliconCouloir.com.
Announcing Silicon Couloir Volunteer of the Year
It's with mixed emotion that we honor outgoing Board Member, Bryan Kujawski with our Volunteer of the Year award. In addition to serving on the Silicon Couloir board in 2020, Bryan has spent countless hours assisting local entrepreneurs in SC programs. He served on 3 TEAMS groups (2 as lead mentor), was an engaged member of the TEAMS executive committee, conducted 3 Business Crisis Coaching sessions during the pandemic, and has been an "above and beyond" Pitch Day coach.
"Bryan provided actionable, hands-on guidance and was so engaged in a real way, I couldn’t be more grateful. He went above and beyond and shared time way beyond. He’s a star in every way," says Caitlin Iseler, Founder and CEO of happyly and 2020 Pitch Day Audience Choice Award winner.
Heather Smith, Founder and CEO of Juliet, and 2020 Pitch Day Community Caretaker award shared similar sentiments. "One of the biggest highlights from Pitch Day was meeting Bryan and getting to learn from him," says Heather. "He took time to really get to know me and the company—asking thoughtful questions about ‘why’ and giving just as thoughtful feedback. It was clear he was there to help me grow as an entrepreneur. He’s given me perspective, support, feedback, and encouragement—especially during those mountain and valley type days. Some of my best ideas have come from those thoughtful conversations."
Unfortunately for us, Bryan has recently relocated to Florida but promises to stay involved remotely with the companies he mentors. He will be greatly missed by the Silicon Couloir community.
Welcome New Trustee Lyons Brown
W.L. Lyons Brown III is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Altamar Brands, LLC, a distiller and importer of artisanal spirits brands. Prior to starting Altamar, Lyons spent fifteen years in his family business at Brown-Forman Corporation serving as Marketing Director for Europe and Director of Sales for the United States. Since moving to Charlottesville in 2012, he has founded two more companies: The Elysium Honey Company, a social impact firm focused on the plight of the honey bee, and Mad Buffalo, LLC, a company managing a portfolio of investments focused on sustainable agriculture.
He is a Trustee of the College of Arts and Sciences at The University of Virginia and the current Chair of the Board. He is also a Trustee of The Darden School of Business where he is the Senior Entrepreneur-in-Residence and a Visiting Executive Lecturer. Previous Board service includes The Betty Ford Center in Rancho Mirage, CA; Lenox China in Lawrenceville, NJ; National City Bank and the J. B. Speed Art Museum in Louisville, KY and St. Margaret’s Episcopal School and The Laguna Beach Community Foundation in Orange County, CA. He was an Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Tulane University’s Freeman School of Business from 2003-2005. Mr. Brown holds a BA (1982) and an MBA (1987) from the University of Virginia. He is married with three children and lives in Jackson, Wyoming.
Give'r Makes Strides for Employees
Silicon Couloir envisions a robust entrepreneurial ecosystem with the goal of sustaining a thriving middle class fueled by next-generation leaders who demonstrate a triple bottom line approach their business: profit, people, planet. Give'r, one of our TEAMS companies, has embodied this vision with recent growth and employee support.
"In the realm of jobs/positions, we've brought on 6 new part time positions where, along with most other part time employees working above 20 hrs/week, they are eligible for health insurance coverage," explains CEO and Founder Bubba Albrecht. "We've introduced several training and compensation programs to support team members in hopes that we can recognize and compensate those who want to be on the team and give it their all. We have increased our remote squad as well, now having three kick-ass employees joining the Give'r Team from Florida, California, and Tennessee!"
DMOS Moves Engineering and Operations to Alpine
DMOS Collective, the innovative creator of light-weight, pro quality, packable tools that enhance outdoor experiences, has ended its outsourcing partnership with Lit Workshop in Portland, Oregon and is moving essential supply chain, assembly, and fulfillment functions to Alpine, Wyoming. DMOS now operates out of a 1,950 square foot shop and a 40’ shipping container. Additionally, DMOS has acquired the tooling to do prototyping, assembly, and some manufacturing processes in its own facility.
“DMOS is in the process of developing innovative storage products scheduled to
launch this April that extend our brand promise of keeping your gear ‘always at hand and never in the way," says Founder and CEO Susan Pieper. "We recognized the need to build our own engineering and operations team here in Wyoming and that's what we’re doing. We are excited for this development in the evolution of our brand."
Congratulations, DMOS!
HAVE NEWS
TO SHARE?
As always, please feel free to send news of your company's press, events, successes, and milestones to Gary@siliconcouloir.com and we'll do our best to feature them in our newsletters!
ARE YOU A COMMUNITY CARETAKER?
Silicon Couloir strengthens our Teton regional community by empowering the entrepreneurial ecosystem. More than just business development, we believe in enriching our community character and enhancing our mountain town culture. Help us support business pioneers in the Tetons by becoming a community caretaker!
To offer your time or talent, please email us at Gary@siliconcouloir.com.