MONTHLY CHANCE MEETINGS
November 1, 2021, 5 - 6 pm via Zoom
Please register below for Zoom link
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: Mini-Pitches from Engaged Entrepreneurs
An elevator speech is "a short description of an idea, product or company that explains the concept in a way such that any listener can understand it in a short period of time. This description typically explains who the thing is for, what it does, why it is needed, and how it will get done." Join us on Monday, November 1st from 5-6 pm to hear our version of the elevator speech, the "mini-pitch". Four of our local companies: All Hands Craft Cocktails, Allfalfa, Avant Delivery, and YogaLyte will present their "what, why and how" to the audience, followed by Q&A. Please come support these entrepreneurs and learn how to perfect your own "mini-pitch."
Caroline Fabacher, Founder and CEO of All Hands Craft Cocktails: "bar strength" cocktails in the convenience of an adventure proof can.
Brad Walsh, Founder and CEO of Allfalfa: offering 100% live learning, for the good of your mind, body, and soul.
Sam Schwartz, Founder and CEO of Avant Delivery: eliminating single-use cups and take out containers by focusing on customer convenience.
Dani Perry, Co-Founder of YogaLyte: Thirst for Balance. Simple, Natural & Effective.
NEWS AND NOTES
RIDE FORCE AWARDED DREAMERS & DOERS MEMBERSHIP
Pitch Day finalist, Ride Force, was recently chosen for a first-of-its-kind award, a one-year membership to Dreamers & Doers which is a powerful combination of high-impact community and PR hype machine amplifying extraordinary entrepreneurial women founded by Gesche Haas.
"I can’t thank Gesche enough for this amazing opportunity and award. I’m so honored to be a part of such an inspiring and supportive community," says Ride Force Founder & CEO Taylor-Ann Smith.
ANGEL GROUP BEST PRACTICES TO SUPPORT LOCALS
Gary Trauner, Silicon Couloir's Executive Director, sat down with Hall Martin of TEN Capital Network to discuss best practices for Angel Groups to support their local entrepreneurial ecosystem.
WELCOME TO NEW TRUSTEES
We are pleased to announce a new group of Silicon Couloir Trustees. Welcome and thank you for your generous commitment to support entrepreneurship in the
Teton region.
Eric Ellenbogen has spent more than 30 years running entertainment businesses, including holding senior management roles as President of Broadway Video Entertainment (the TV and film production and distribution company founded by Lorne Michaels); President of Golden Books Family Entertainment; and President and CEO of Marvel Enterprises before its acquisition by Disney. With the backing of private equity, he co-founded Classic Media in 2000, which became one of the largest private owners of branded kids’ and family entertainment and was acquired by DreamWorks Animation (DWA) in 2012. At DWA, Mr. Ellenbogen became Co-Head of DreamWorks Classics and DreamWorks International Television and was largely responsible for the company’s entry into the television business. Following DWA’s sale to NBCUniversal, Ellenbogen became Co-President of Classic Media, which was restarted as a business unit of NBCUniversal. Mr. Ellenbogen was a board director of Golden Books and Marvel, then both public companies, and is a Trustee of the Public Theater in New York City among other civic involvements. He is a graduate of Harvard College and holds an MBA from UCLA.
Christine Kwak is a founding Principal and President of Aris Real Estate Ventures (ARIS), KL Realty (KLR), and American Opportunity Zone Advisors (AOZA). Ms. Kwak is responsible for overseeing all aspects of the companies’ activities, including fund investments, investment management, and strategic planning. Ms. Kwak leads sourcing, underwriting and executing on the investments, as well as managing the on-going liquidity, profitability, and capital structure of its investments. With over 25 years of experience in the real estate industry, Ms. Kwak has worked with multi-property types with specialization in multifamily, office and industrial. Her experience has ranged from acquisition and debt originations of more than $4.0 billion of acquisition and disposition transactions
and $2.0 billion of financings. Prior to co-founding ARIS and KLR with Dr. Peter Linneman, Ms. Kwak was a Managing Director of the Shorenstein Company in San Francisco responsible for sourcing, evaluating, negotiating, and closing capital transactions in the Western United States. Prior to Shorenstein, Ms. Kwak was a Vice President at Goldman Sachs in New York in the Investment Banking Group, an Associate with Boston Financial, and a Senior Consultant with Ernst & Young/Kenneth Leventhal Real Estate Practice leading teams on due diligence and restructuring of non-performing real estate for the RTC and various banks and insurance companies.
Ms. Kwak graduated from University of California at Berkeley with a B.A. in Architecture and an MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Ms. Kwak serves as a full member of the Urban Land Institute (IOPC council member since 2006), prior board member of NAIOP (San Francisco chapter) and prior advisory member of the California Alumni Association Finance Committee at UC Berkeley.
Dominic Ramos-Ruiz is a member of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York’s Community Development and Impact Investing team. On this team, Dominic has been focused on identifying and scaling market-based solutions to systemic challenges faced by low-and-moderate-income communities. Prior to joining the New York Fed, Dominic was the Director of Healthy Buildings at GreenGen, a global sustainability consultancy, and a Senior Policy Advisor to the International WELL Building Institute (IWB), a public-benefit corporation whose mission is to improve human health through building technology and design. Before GreenGen and IWBI, Dominic worked in real estate development for Weitzman Associates and Lane4 Property Group, and earlier, as a fellow for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Dominic is a graduate of Kansas State University, where he earned a master’s degree in regional and community planning. He serves as Vice Chair of the Urban Land Institute’s National Public-Private Partnerships Council and as Executive Co-Chair of ULI New York’s Young Leaders Group.
He’s a member of the Public Theater’s Young Partner Board and the MoMA Contemporary Arts Council, as well as ACE Mentor through which he mentors high school students interested in architecture, construction, and engineering. Dominic was recognized by Crain's New York Business in July 2020 as a Rising Star in Real Estate.
Eric Samay is a retired sales management executive turned angel investor and mentor. During his sales career in data-driven marketing, Eric helped transform early-stage companies into attractive acquisition targets for the likes of Oracle, Sallie Mae and Kroger. He has deep vertical expertise in consumer packaged goods, technology, telecommunications, media and entertainment, and an ease at navigating both start-up and Fortune 500 organizations.
Eric is also an accomplished real estate investor and portfolio manager, and has brought this "side hustle" into the forefront since his corporate retirement in 2019.
LEARN MORE ABOUT SILICON COULOIR
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.