MONTHLY CHANCE MEETINGS
Monday, September 11, 5 - 7 pm @ The Virginian Saloon (750 W 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: Pitch Day Sneak Preview
Our signature event of the year, Pitch Day features local entrepreneurs showcasing their innovative and creative businesses to a panel of esteemed judges and a live audience. Cash prizes, double in amount this year, will be awarded in three categories. Our finalists have been hard at work perfecting their pitches with the help of expert volunteer mentors.
Join us for a Pitch Day sneak preview on Monday, September 11th from 5 - 7 pm at The Virginian Saloon to hear about the coaching process and progress finalists are making leading up to the big event.
Pitch Day is free to attend and open to the public. "Shark Tank, Teton Style" will be held on Wednesday, October 4th from 5:00 - 7:30 pm at Center for the Arts with a reception to follow. Please register for Pitch Day below.
NEWS AND NOTES
WELCOME TO NEW SC STAFF MEMBER
Thomas Ferguson joins Silicon Couloir as the Angel Group Director to lead and reimagine the angel investment program in the Tetons. Previously, Thomas led Portfolio Development at Intel Capital ($13.3B AUM) for deep tech and silicon domains. Thomas brings experience in venture capital deal sourcing, due diligence, startup mentorship and company building to the Silicon Couloir team. He holds dual degrees in Political Economy and Computer Science from UC Berkeley and has called Jackson, Wyoming home since 2018. In addition to his passion for fostering collaboration within the local entrepreneurial ecosystem, Thomas is an avid ski mountaineer and ultra runner and he is currently fostering curiosities around identifying more of the birds and fungi of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.
PLEASE SUPPORT SILICON COULOIR AT OLD BILL'S
Silicon Couloir works toward a vibrant and diverse Teton region economy by empowering entrepreneurs and helping them realize their professional dreams. We offer an array of free to low-cost programs designed to assist ventures at every stage of development, from founding to funding. Our ecosystem companies create sustainable, year-round, high paying jobs, and enables ambitious and creative individuals to remain in the area.
Our world-class programs include TEAMS, Pitch Day, Angel Investing Group, Chance Meetings, Start-Up Success, and The Cowork Space, all of which require significant resources to plan, administer, and execute. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, we are supported 100% by community donations from people like you who want to see their entrepreneurial neighbors succeed.
If you appreciate the investment Silicon Couloir makes in our community please support our work through Old Bill’s Fun Run. Your gift will be leveraged with a generous match from the Community Foundation of Jackson Hole CoChallengers. Donate from now until Friday, September 15th at 5pm by clicking the button below.
TLC KICKOFF SUMMIT: IGNITING NEXT-LEVEL LEADERSHIP
"The essence of next-level leadership across all organizations and in our personal lives reverberates around one core principle ‘leave something better than you found it’ - in all its dimensions,” says TLC Executive Director Sandy Schultz Hessler.
You are invited to the TLC Kickoff Summit, a transformative event with world-class speakers designed for organizational leaders, entrepreneurs, and community members who aspire to develop and embody 21st-century leadership practices.
The Summit takes place on Saturday, September 23 from 4-8 pm, and Sunday, September 24 from 8:30-5 pm. Click on the button below for tickets.
WELCOME TO NEW SC TRUSTEES
A warm welcome to new Trustees Michael Coles and John Jenkins. Thank you for your commitment to supporting entrepreneurship in the Teton region.
Deeply involved in the community, Michael Coles is a transformational leader, accomplished entrepreneur, education advocate and motivational speaker and author. He is living proof that there are no limits to what we as individuals can accomplish. He brings his story to life in his book “Time To Get Tough How Cookies Coffee and a Crash Led To Success In Business and Life”.
After a successful 19-year career in the clothing business, Michael tested his entrepreneurial skills in 1977 when he co-founded Great American Cookie Company with an investment of only $8000. Shortly after starting the company, Michael was involved in a near-fatal motorcycle accident and was told by doctors he would never walk again unaided. As Michael recovered through a self-designed rehabilitation program, he took the company from its first store in Perimeter Mall in Atlanta to hundreds of stores nationwide and, at the same time, set three USA Transcontinental bicycling world records.
In 2003, Michael accepted the corporate reins of Caribou Coffee Company as Chairman, CEO and President. Over the next five years, Michael more than doubled the size of the company, extending the brand reach domestically and abroad. In September 2005, he successfully took the company public on NASDAQ under the symbol CBOU
Appointed by Governor Roy Barnes in 1999 to Chair the Georgia Film, Video and Music Advisory Board, during his four years as Chairman, Michael and his board successfully passed HB610 which was the first tax incentive ever given to the industry in the state of Georgia. That bill allowed the industry to begin a rebirth going from $170 million 1999 to over $1.5 billion in economic impact by 2003. Today, the industry’s economic impact to the state is over $12 billion.
Coles was one of the founders of Charter Bank & Trust and served as its Chairman, taking the bank public and selling the publicly traded company to Synovus Bank. Michael is also the former Chairman of Brand Holding Company and Chairman of Brand Bank.
Michael lives in Jackson Hole, Wyoming with his wife Donna and they are the parents of three adult children and seven grandchildren.
John Jenkins is an experienced and successful entrepreneur. Finding individuals who are passionate about excellence, who have a proven track record of superior performance and engaging them in new companies is what drives John to new frontiers. Since graduating from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 1987, John's career has been focused on improving the interaction among the various stakeholders in the employee benefits insurance relationship (carrier/administrator, broker, employer and member). These same passions have benefited John as he transitions from founder to investor.
John is Chairman and CEO of Hoback Assets, LLC, an investment and management advisory firm, based in Mitchell, South Dakota. Additionally, John is a venture partner with Dundee Venture Capital, an early stage business capital firm with offices in Omaha, Chicago, Minneapolis and St. Louis. He serves as the Chairman of the Board for Batten Trailer Leasing.
NOSO PATCHES STEPS UP TO SPONSOR SC
We're pleased to announce that Noso Patches is our newest Community Caretake sponsor. Noso, a home-grown regional company, is the creator of stylish and durable patches to quickly and easily repair your gear. Kelli Jones, Founder and CEO also serves on the SC board. Thank you to Kelli and her wonderful team for supporting our work.
ENTREPRENEUR RESOURCE ADDITION:
THE STARTUP LAW PLAYBOOK
Announcing a free and comprehensive resource of the most common legal questions entrepreneurs encounter over the lifecycle of a company. Created by Attorney Austin Harms, The Startup Law Playbook provides answers to over 120 common questions he's helped advise on over his career. You can find the guide and other valuable assets on our "Resources for Entrepreneurs" webpage.
gBETA ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR FALL COHORT
gBETA is a free, seven-week accelerator for early-stage companies with Wyoming roots. Each program is capped at five teams, and requires no fees and no equity. Learn more about gBETA Wyoming Fall 2023. Application deadline is September 25th.
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.