Entrepreneurship could anchor you in JH
By Will Stabler
In 1990 Mikey Franco was a firstyear snowboard instructor at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort. His 1995 summer was spent guiding the whitewater section of the Snake River. In 2002 he managed catering events for Fine Dining Restaurant Group. In the years between you might have also found Mikey selling T-shirts, making chocolate or serving a porterhouse.
“Having tons of jobs was just as important then as it is now,” he said.
I’d imagine everyone reading this knows a contemporary version of this Mikey Franco, if not several: some young person sweating it out to enjoy the recreation opportunities afforded by wide-open spaces and daunting mountain ranges. But that person might not be here long, or may have moved away.
“It took me 25 years to feel a part of the community, to feel like this is my home,” Franco said. “It was so transient. ... From my 20s to my mid-30s I’d have friends leaving every other year. I felt [Jackson] was a hard place to feel like ‘this is home.’ It took a lot for me to say Jackson Hole is my home, even though I never intended to leave.”
Today Mikey is a business owner, responsible for two full-time and several part-time employees; he is an emeritus snowboard instructor at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort; he is a factory owner and landlord, providing other entrepreneurs a space to pursue their own dreams; and he is permanently settled here in Jackson Hole. He is an indisputably integral member of the community, floating between so many walks of life in both valleys adjacent the Tetons. What changed?
In 2010 Mikey made his first snowboard at the Igneous Skis factory on Gregory Lane. Mikey was recovering from back surgery at the time, and
his ski-shaping friends had found a great outlet to cheer him up. While Mikey always knew he wanted to make snowboards, this may have been the catalyst of his transition from snowboard instructor to entrepreneur, and a new wave of milestones followed.
In 2013 Mikey formed his company, Franco Snowshapes, which makes bespoke snowboards with state-of-the-art technology and an on-snow custom fitting experience, led by the company’s namesake with his years of high-level instructing experience. Mikey partnered with his friends at both Igneous and
Maiden Skis for factory space and turned his instructing clients into his first customers. In 2018 Mikey joined Silicon Couloir’s Teton Entrepreneurs and Mentors Service program, in which he still participates. The next year he was a finalist for the organization’s Pitch Day. This year Franco Snowshapes opened its own manufacturing facility in Victor, Idaho, which will allow the business to grow even more. Mikey started this transition from instructor to entrepreneur in his 30s. With rising rent and limited housing stock, lifestylefirst Jackson Hole residents are being forced to adapt or move earlier than in years past. While interviewing Mikey by phone, I find myself recalling my own time in Jackson Hole. Hearing him describe his 20s, I see my friends juggling several jobs: serving, photographing, ranching; I see my friends who are the ultimate networkers, knowing everyone around town; I see terrific advocacy efforts on social and environmental issues; and I admire all of you for your commitment to the valleys and to the community. Entrepreneurship may be an avenue to afford you more sunny days on the Snake, rides on the Thunder Chair, or nights in the wilderness.
I encourage you to look at Mikey’s story, how he was open to working with his neighbors and
available to timely collaborations around town: with Silicon Couloir, with his friends, with his competitors, with Jackson Hole Mountain Resort and with many others. There are so many resources available to you, many of them free. Consider how Mikey has found success marketing a product to the wealthy crowd that makes up an increasingly large part of our community. I hope you’ll start setting aside time to ponder what product or service you and your friends could provide the community, and soon — with some finesse and hard work — you might be as entrenched in Jackson Hole as Mikey Franco is today.
Will Stabler is operations manager for Silicon Couloir. Reach him at will@siliconcouloir.com.
“It took me 25 years to feel a part of the community, to feel like this is my home.
It was so transient.”
— Mike Franco
