MONTHLY CHANCE MEETINGS
Monday, May 1, 5 - 7 pm @ The Virginian ~ 750 West Broadway
Please register 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 networking event. You never know...
Theme—Beyond Profit: Companies That Benefit People and Planet
Silicon Couloir's guiding principle of "Profit. People. Planet." means that we encourage and celebrate business models that work for more that just the bottom line by striving to have a positive impact on both society and the environment. Join us at Chance Meetings on Monday, May 1st from 5-7 pm at The Virginia as we explore the many company structures and strategies that result in a positive triple bottom line. Our esteemed panel include Colby Cox, Co-Founder of Roadhouse Brewing, a Certified B-Corp with a "Best in the World" designation for environmental practices; Steve Sullivan, Founder and CEO of Stio, which is 100% Climate Neutral Certified and focuses on sustainability and stewardship; and Nona Yehia, Co-Founder and CEO of Vertical Harvest, a company wholly committed to sustainable agriculture, food security, and inclusive employment.
Learn more about our panelists...
Colby Cox is the Founder and a Managing Partner at Convergence Investments, a real estate private equity firm that specializes in transforming land into innovative residential Master Planned Communities.
Cox is also the Co-Founder of Roadhouse Brewing, a Certified Benefit Corporation. that has committed itself to taking steps towards helping the environment. These steps have gained us an even more distinguished designation among B Corporations as “Best for the World” in the Environment category. that has committed itself to taking steps towards helping the environment. These steps have gained us an even more distinguished designation among B Corporations as “Best for the World” in the Environment category.
Cox also serves on the board of several nationally affiliated non-profits, and has been active on boards and advisory panels for the US Green Building Council, and multiple privately held companies. He currently serves on the Resource Council and the Finance Committee for the Grand Teton National Park Foundation. He is also a Trustee of Silicon Couloir. Since starting his first company at 22, Cox has remained committed to the promotion of entrepreneurial leadership. He founded and continues to lead the Convergence Business Plan Panel, which provides coaching and scholarships to local high school students who have an interest in entrepreneurship. Cox is also a member of the Young Presidents Organization.
Cox received a B.S. in Real Estate Finance and Construction Management from the University of Denver, where he was a four-year starter and Captain of their Division I lacrosse team. In 2009, he earned an M.B.A. from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. Cox is an avid homebrewer and paraglider pilot. He and his wife Blythe have three children and live in Jackson.
Stephen Sullivan is the Founder/CEO of Stio® a direct-to-consumer outdoor lifestyle brand based in Jackson, Wyoming. Sullivan was previously the CEO of Mountain Origins LLC, a consulting group with a focus in the Outdoor, Snowsports and Fly-Fishing industries and formerly the Co-Founder/President of Cloudveil®, an outdoor apparel manufacturer.
Sullivan’s product, marketing and brand acumen has resulted in award-winning product and design communication creative including, among many, six Malden Mills Apex Awards for design excellence, three Outside Magazine “Gear of the Year” honors and awards from Advertising Age and US Ad Review. Sullivan’s resume of entrepreneurial accolades includes profiles in Inc., Entrepreneur, Mountain, Inspirato, Outside, Men’s Journal, Forbes, JH Style, Outdoor Retailer, Powder, Elevation and Sporting Goods Business. Sullivan’s company Stio® has been named one of Outside’s Magazines “Best Places to Work” for the past five years - 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022.
Sullivan is a frequent panelist and lecturer in the outdoor/snowsports/fly fishing space and serves as a business mentor to several local and national companies. He is a board member/treasurer of the Jackson Hole One Fly Foundation and Center Management, Inc. He was formerly Vice Chairman of The American Fly-Fishing Trade Association, and board member of both Jackson Youth Soccer and 1% for the Tetons. Sullivan holds a BA in Humanities from Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado and lives in Wilson, Wyoming with his wife Anna and three children, Pryor, Stewart and Harriet. In his free time Sullivan is an avid skier, cyclist, fly fisherman, climber, trail runner, rancher and youth sports transportation specialist.
Nona Yehia’s great passion project has been the groundbreaking Vertical Harvest (VH) project in downtown Jackson Hole. Vertical Harvest, begun in 2009 by Nona and co-founder Penny McBride, is a stunning vertical greenhouse with a 1/10 acre footprint that produces over 100,000 pounds of produce every year. A working expression of form supporting function, VH addresses issues and values of great importance to Nona and our community: agricultural integrity, economic sustainability, accessibility and quality employment for the differently-abled, all addressed through a rigorous design-driven process.
Nona graduated from the University of Michigan and then earned a Masters degree in architecture from the Columbia University Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation. Previous to GYDE, Nona was privileged to work with Reiser+Umemoto in New York and 13 years with Jefferson Ellinger, her partner in E/Ye which eventually moved from New York to Jackson, Wyoming. Highlights from her work included recognition from the Museum of Modern Art as a finalist their Young Architects Program, the flagship Stio Mountain Studio in Jackson,Persephone Bakery, Picnic, and Orsetto Italian Eatery.
A mother and wife, Nona also serves on governing boards for the Center for the Arts and local radio station, KHOL, where she enjoys a loyal following as a DJ. Once introduced at the SHIFT Festival as “The Renaissance Woman of Jackson Hole”, Nona loves good books, new music, and great food.
NEWS AND NOTES
VISIONARY VENTURES: VENTURE CAPITAL FUND WORKS TO HELP WOMEN
Our April column profiles Carli Sapir, Founder of Amboy Street Ventures, which, impressively, closed a $20M fund in April. Sapir was also named a Forbes "30 Under 30" this year. Amboy is the world's first venture capital firm that invests in women's health and sexual health technology startups. Read more about the groundbreaking work Sapir is doing by clicking on the button below.
WATCH OUR LATEST ENTREPRENEUR VIDEO STARRING IKSPLOR
We sat down with sisters Karissa Akin and Kailey Gieck, Co-Founders of Iksplor, to learn about how Silicon Couloir programs have helped the company grow from an idea to a highly successful all women business that is unique in their space.
PLANTING THE SEEDS TO PURSUE DREAMS
Executive Director Gary Trauner recently attended a pitch session at Summit Innovations School at Teton County School District. Roughly ten high school students presented their entrepreneurial business ideas to Gary and teacher Rick Gordon. Gary and Rick provided feedback and guidance to each student. In keeping with its community-focused mission, Silicon Couloir believes reaching out to younger generations is critical to their future success.
WELCOME TO NEW TRUSTEE
A warm welcome to new Silicon Couloir Trustee Kathleen Brown. Thank you Kathleen for your generous commitment to supporting entrepreneurship in the Teton region.
Kathleen Brown is the former CHRO of eviCore healthcare, a subsidiary of Cigna. She joined eviCore in August of 2010 to re-build the people & talent function. As a member of the executive team, she led the talent strategy for the organization amidst five acquisitions, worked with private equity investors, the re-branding of eviCore in 2015, the 2018 purchase of eviCore by Express Scripts and subsequent acquisition by Cigna. During her time with Cigna,she led the eviCore HR integration and as well as the HR integration of MDLIVE, a telehealth company acquired by Cigna earlier in 2021. Her prior experience includes serving as partner and engagement manager at Hewitt (later purchased by Aon).
Kathleen received her Bachelor of Business Administration (B.B.A.) degree at Loyola University of Chicago. She holds the following professional designations: Certified Society for Human Resource Management Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP); Certified Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR), by the HR Certification Institute; ATD and MMS coaching certificates, is a member of the International Coaching Federation (ICF) and recently became certified in Mental Health First Aid USA through the National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare.
Kathleen is originally from the Chicago area, and after living in the southeast United States for more than 30 years, recently relocated to Jackson, Wyoming. She supports several local non-profit organizations including Becoming Jackson Whole, Jackson Historical Society, recently joined the Community Safety Network and Coombs Outdoors board of directors and is a business mentor to entrepreneurial start-ups within Silicon Couloir.
T.H.R.I.V.E. EMERGING LEADERS REIMAGINED NOW ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS
For the first time in the 15 year history of the program, the SBA will combine its Colorado and Wyoming training classes and hold in person sessions in both Fort Collins, CO and Cheyenne, WY.
T.H.R.I.V.E. Emerging Leaders Reimagined is an executive-level training series intended to give ambitious small business leaders a challenging opportunity to accelerate their growth through targeted training led by motivating leaders in small business development. T.H.R.I.V.E. Emerging Leaders Reimagined revolutionizes the rich history of executive-level training for small businesses poised for growth.
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.