May News

MONTHLY CHANCE MEETINGS 
Wed, May 8th, 5 - 7 pm @ Melvin Brewing in Alpine, WY

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...
 

REGISTER FOR CHANCE MEETINGS

About our esteemed presenter...

Lindsey Kneuven, founder of Pure Impact, is an award-winning impact practitioner, social entrepreneur and humanitarian with over 20 years experience across the for profit, nonprofit and social enterprise sectors. She is the founder and CEO of Pure Impact, a social impact consultancy that focuses on systems change. Prior to launching Pure Impact, Lindsey served as the Chief Impact Officer at Pluralsight, a fast-growing enterprise technology learning platform, as well as founder and Executive Director of Pluralsight One, Pluralsight’s social enterprise and foundation. In her role, Lindsey developed and implemented the strategy for all global philanthropic initiatives, including the creation and management of a $40M+ foundation with $5M+ in annual grants. 

Prior to joining Pluralsight, Lindsey served as the Chief Impact Officer at Cotopaxi, the first social enterprise to incorporate as a Public Benefit Corporation and receive venture funding. While there, Lindsey developed and oversaw the company’s global philanthropic strategy, including all giving, supply chain initiatives and community engagements. Under her leadership, the company launched a successful and thriving model, proving to investors that an integrated social impact strategy created positive value for both the business and the world.

Lindsey also held senior positions at several notable nonprofit and private organizations, including Salesforce.com Foundation, Silicon Valley Community Foundation--the largest community foundation in the world, and Nuru International. While at Nuru, Lindsey lived in Kenya and designed education programs to improve literacy rates among primary school-aged children experiencing extreme poverty in rural communities. 

Lindsey is an active member of the philanthropy community and serves as a member and advisor on several national and international boards. She has been acknowledged for her outstanding work on several occasions. Lindsey was awarded the Leigh Stillwell Award for Excellence, recognized by Utah Business as one of 30 Women to Watch, listed by the Community Foundation of Utah as an Enlightened 50, received the Women in Tech Award, was a finalist for EY Social Entrepreneur of the Year, was recognized as a Utah Community Hero awardee by Silicon Slopes, and more. 

NEWS AND NOTES

PITCH DAY APPLICATION PERIOD OPENS MAY 15th

We're pleased to announce that the the finalist application period for Pitch Day will open May 15th and run until June 28th.

Pitch Day will be held at the Center for the Arts on the evening of Wednesday, October 9th. Silicon Couloir's  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 will be awarded in three categories: the Panelist Choice Award, the Audience Choice Award, and the Bob Arndt Community Caretaker Award.

Selected entrepreneurs will have four to five coaching sessions with a team of successful and experienced business experts leading up to the main event. A critical and high-value feature of the program, coaching helps entrepreneurs hone their delivery and synthesize their concept, financials, and presentation.

Pitch Day is a celebration of the highly successful entrepreneurial ecosystem in the Teton region. We hope to inspire audience members and others in our community to dream up or begin their own entrepreneurial journey.

If your company meets the following criteria, we welcome your application.

• Stage: Pitch Day applicants will be considered in the following stages of their business cycle: developmental, pre-revenue and post-revenue.

• Funding: Companies should be actively raising a pre-seed, seed or series A round or plan to do so in the next 6 months.

• Growth potential: Priority will be given to ventures with a business model that has potential to scale and experience significant growth.

• Industry: We do not accept  tourism-based or real estate development companies.

• Geography: Preference will be given to ventures with the greatest potential for impact in the Teton region.

• Values-Based: SC is a values-based, mission-driven organization, and applicants will be required to provide a description (not more than 250 words) of how their venture relates to SC’s guiding principle of “Profit. People. Planet.”.

• SC Ecosystem: Previous participation in other SC programs may be considered as a factor by the Selection Committee.

Key dates for finalists can be found HERE. Stay tuned for more details on how to apply. 

   Tana Hoffman on the Center stage.                                                    Griffin Post  speaks with attendees at the reception.  

NOONTIME KNOWLEDGE WEDNESDAY, JUNE 19th

BASKING IN EXCITEMENT & DISCOMFORT: THE PSYCHOLOGY OF INNOVATION FOR ENTREPRENEURIAL TEAMS

Speaker: Tom Thorsheim, PhD - Leadership Coach & Psychologist

When we venture into new and challenging terrain in our professional or personal lives, we often feel both fear and excitement; it’s usually not either/or. It's both. Whether you are sharing a new product innovation with a VC, starting a business, undergoing a merger, getting a promotion, or beginning or ending a personal or professional relationship, crossing these thresholds can stir potent feelings. As team members and leaders, we can create work cultures that support these emotional experiences and promote growth, creativity, and healthy risk-taking. This talk will explore how we can become more compassionate, playful, and productive as teams, and more courageous and fear-tolerant at work and home. You don’t need to be fearless to be brave!

Registration is free and required. Register by clicking the button below. 
 

 

REGISTER HERE

Extended Experiential Workshop 

With Tom Thorsheim, Thursday, June 27th

Hansen Hall at St. John’s Episcopal Church, 10am - 4pm 

Fee: $250 per person (limited sliding scale slots for those in need - call to inquire or reserve your place)

This experiential group-format workshop will help people explore areas where they strive to undertake an important personal or professional venture but may be procrastinating or holding back because of discomfort. This workshop is for those interested in enhancing open communication, stress tolerance, and creative problem-solving as individuals, growth-minded couples, entrepreneurs, or work groups. The workshop will involve a talk and a facilitated group experience.

 To learn more and reserve your place, contact Tom Thorsheim at 864-421-0098 or email tom@drthorsheim.com.

GET EXPERT MENTORING WITH TEAMS

TEAMS, Silicon Couloir's world-class mentor program licensed by MIT, is now accepting new ventures and encouraging those interested in receiving mentorship to apply. Certain criteria is required and listed on the application. "This is an exciting opportunity for local founders," says Brittney Ziebell, Silicon Couloir's Director of Entrepreneurship. "Historically, the program has been in very high demand, causing a multi-month waitlist for businesses and nonprofits to join. Right now, we're excited to share that our volunteer Applications Committee has caught up with the high demand, and we're encouraging those interested in mentorship  to apply!" TEAMS has served 58 ventures in the program since 2018 with 94 volunteer mentors. TEAMS completed 127 mentor meetings in 2023 and grew to it's largest size in history. It's recognized statewide as a world-class mentor program, and serves entrepreneurs as far as Pinedale, Cody, and Tetonia, Idaho.

Questions? Email Brittney Ziebell at britt@siliconcouloir.com

Ready to Apply? Click HERE for more information and to access the entrepreneur application
 

WELCOME TO NEW SC TRUSTEE MICHAEL EDWARDS

A warm welcome to new Trustee Michael Edwards. Thank you, Michael, for your commitment to supporting entrepreneurship in the Teton region. 

Dr. Michael Edwards is a retired cancer surgeon and former healthcare executive. He currently serves as a full-time Visiting Professor at the University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany, in the Department of Molecular Biology, chaired by Dr. Erich Gulbins.  For the past 15 years, Dr. Edwards has worked in research collaboration with Dr. Gulbins.  The two have recently partnered to form Snake River Bioscience, Inc., a company headquartered in Wilson, Wyoming, that is on track to develop a novel drug therapy for major depressive disorder. 

INTRODUCING NEW SILICON COULOIR SPONSOR
LOCAL FLOW

Local Flow Marketing: Your Path to Local Success. Enhance your online presence and dominate the local market for your products and services with our cutting-edge digital marketing services. Our expert team specializes in local and organic search engine optimization, search engine marketing, and digital health and website design. Our strategy ensures your business stands out in local search results, to in turn, convert clicks to sales. We craft personalized campaigns that captivate customers and deliver tangible outcomes. With transparent reporting and measurable results, we empower you to stay ahead in the digital landscape. Unlock the full potential of your business by working with a mountain-minded team, and a fresh approach to being found by customers who are actively searching for your products and services. 

BEYOND EFFICIENCY IS HIRING

Beyond Efficiency, A TEAMS company participant,  is seeking a licensed mechanical engineer with 8+ years experience in mechanical design to manage, grow, and lead our HVAC and plumbing engineering design work. Applicants based in Jackson WY, Northern MI, or the San Francisco Bay Area preferred. Applicants should be skilled with project management, Revit, design review, and construction administration. We are looking for a whole-systems thinker who understands how buildings and systems are put together and recognizes that thoughtful enclosure design improves occupant comfort, reduces heating and cooling loads, and saves owners energy and money. 


Please apply directly through the jobs page on our website at https://beyondefficiency.us/jobs. Direct your cover letter to Annette Hartsfield. 

ANNOUNCING MAY 9th SBDC WORKSHOP IN JACKSON

The SBA Wyoming District Office & Wyoming SBDC Network will take you behind the scenes and share what it will take for you to get ready to approach a lender, and how you can increase your chances of getting an approval on your loan request.

We’ll share best practices for ensuring that your personal financial situation – the foundation for the success of your business is as strong as possible, and we’ll go over:
• preparing a personal financial statement
• checking your credit score
• what your safety net looks like if it takes longer than you expect to achieve the revenues you’re projecting
• a hands-on case study to review cash flow projections for a loan application, so you will better understand how to evaluate a potential deal from a lender’s perspective.

You will also have an opportunity to schedule a free one-on-one appointment with your SBDC Regional Director to assist you with developing cash flow projections for your business, to help you explain to your lender where the money to repay your loan will come from, in the format they will understand.

REGISTER HERE

gBETA ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR SUMMER COHORT

gBETA is a free, seven-week hybrid accelerator for early-stage companies with local roots. Each program is capped at five teams, and requires no fees and no equity. Applications are due May 20th. The program runs from June 6th to July 26th. 
 

LEARN MORE ABOUT GBETA

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 Hello@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 Hello@siliconcouloir.com.
 

April News

MONTHLY CHANCE MEETINGS 

Monday, April 1st, 5 - 7 pm @ The Virginian Saloon

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: Networking to Build Bonds

Sometimes networking is hard. We get it. That's why we're hosting a Chance Meetings to facilitate making new contacts. Join us from 5-7 pm on Monday, April 1st for Speed Networking. Designed to accelerate business contacts through 4-minute introductions and conversations, speed networking is lively, fun, and will expand your community and connections. So, bring your business cards, a pen, and paper, and be ready to meet new friends in the Silicon Couloir ecosystem. Please register below. 
 

REGISTER FOR CHANCE MEETINGS

NEWS AND NOTES

START-UP SUCCESS STARTS APRIL 12TH
APPLY NOW!

We have a few remaining spots in Start-Up Success: Fundamentals! Don't miss this opportunity to turn an idea into a successful business.

You will learn the entrepreneurial frameworks tools, and financial templates along with developing answers to the essential questions for your start-up. You will also gain skills, strategy, confidence, and community as you build and develop a values-based business. Students will have the opportunity to pitch their business at Silicon Couloir’s Chance Meetings the first Monday in June to an audience of entrepreneurs, local leaders, and investors. 

Start-Up Success: Fundamentals will be taught by world-class instructors Sandy Schultz Hessler and Liza Millet. Each week, guest speakers comprised of local entrepreneurs, mentors, and investors will share their insights and experience with students. 

DETAILS & APPLICATION

VISIONARY VENTURES:
MAKING THE CASE ONE MORE TIME

"It takes all three sectors—public, private, and non-profit— working together to meet the community’s vision and needs," states outgoing Executive Director Gary Trauner. "Helping the private sector use its financial, intellectual and community clout to lift up members of the local community while taking some of the burden off of the public and non-profit sectors is a win-win for everyone: growing ventures, individuals, government, non-profits and, perhaps most importantly, the community as a whole. The private sector can do well (financially) by doing good (communally) and do good by doing well."
 

READ THE COLUMN HERE

NOONTIME KNOWLEDGE WEDNESDAY, JUNE 19th

BASKING IN EXCITEMENT & DISCOMFORT: THE PSYCHOLOGY OF INNOVATION FOR ENTREPRENEURIAL TEAMS

Speaker: Tom Thorsheim, PhD - Leadership Coach & Psychologist

When we venture into new and challenging terrain in our professional or personal lives, we often feel both fear and excitement; it’s usually not either/or. It's both. Whether you are sharing a new product innovation with a VC, starting a business, undergoing a merger, getting a promotion, or beginning or ending a personal or professional relationship, crossing these thresholds can stir potent feelings. As team members and leaders, we can create work cultures that support these emotional experiences and promote growth, creativity, and healthy risk-taking. This talk will explore how we can become more compassionate, playful, and productive as teams, and more courageous and fear-tolerant at work and home. You don’t need to be fearless to be brave!

Registration is free and required. Register by clicking the button below. 
 

REGISTER FOR NOONTIME KNOWLEDGE HERE

Extended Experiential Workshop With Tom Thorsheim, PhD, Leadership Coach & Psychologist

- June 27th from 10am -4pm (lunch break from 12-1)
- Hansen Hall at St. John’s Episcopal Church
- Fee: $250 per person (limited sliding scale slots for those in need - call to inquire or reserve your place)

This experiential group-format workshop will help people explore areas where they strive to undertake an important personal or professional venture but may be procrastinating or holding back because of discomfort. This workshop is for those interested in enhancing open communication, stress tolerance, and creative problem-solving as individuals, growth-minded couples, entrepreneurs, or work groups. The workshop will involve a talk and a facilitated group experience.

To learn more and reserve your place, contact Tom Thorsheim at 864-421-0098 or email tom@drthorsheim.com.

PIRATE SHIP IS HIRING NEW CREWMATES
 

At Pirate Ship, we’re helping the next generation of ecommerce businesses hold on to more of their hard-earned treasure by providing free, instant access to deep discounts on UPS and USPS rates. That means the cheapest shipping rates available with no monthly fees, no hidden costs, and no more feeling lost at sea. With Pirate Ship’s simple shipping software, incredible discounts, instant customer support, and one of a kind pirate experience, it’s nothing but smooth sailing ahead.
 

Our crew is committed to plotting a course that helps our shippers and shipmates get the most out of their voyage. Our brand embodies the most positive characteristics of pirates—a fiercely independent spirit, an unyielding determination to level the playing field, and the desire to spark joy in all that we do—because those same qualities are what drive the small businesses we seek to empower. We live by our Pirate Code: caring for our customers, crewmates, and our hometown of Jackson, WY. To be fair, to be nice, and to be real is who we ARRrrr…and we have a jolly good time doing it.
 

PIRATE SHIP CAREERS

THE COWORK SPACE HAS PREMIUM SPACE FOR YOU

Are you looking for affordable, convenient office space, and an inspiring community in addition to all the amenities an office should have?  The Cowork Space in downtown Jackson has several offerings that won't last long...

The Cowork Space has a rare opportunity for a private office in downtown Jackson at $1400/ month!

We also have several premium dedicated desks available with personal, dedicated desk in shared space. Desks in this space are larger and rent for $450/month with no contract. 

Amenities include: 

• Fast, reliable internet

• Dedicated and shared desk space in an open space filled with natural light

• Phone booths for private calls

• Large conference room with projection and conference call capabilities

• Kitchenette

• 24x7 access for members

• Open 8 am - 5 pm, Monday-Friday for day pass holders

Contact Kristine@siliconcouloir for more details or to schedule a tour.
 

ANNOUNCING  MAY 9th SBDC WORKSHOP IN JACKSON

The SBA Wyoming District Office & Wyoming SBDC Network will take you behind the scenes and share what it will take for you to get ready to approach a lender, and how you can increase your chances of getting an approval on your loan request.

We’ll share best practices for ensuring that your personal financial situation – the foundation for the success of your business is as strong as possible, and we’ll go over:
• preparing a personal financial statement
• checking your credit score
• what your safety net looks like if it takes longer than you expect to achieve the revenues you’re projecting
• a hands-on case study to review cash flow projections for a loan application, so you will better understand how to evaluate a potential deal from a lender’s perspective.

You will also have an opportunity to schedule a free one-on-one appointment with your SBDC Regional Director to assist you with developing cash flow projections for your business, to help you explain to your lender where the money to repay your loan will come from, in the format they will understand.

REGISTER HERE

gBETA ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR SUMMER COHORT

gBETA is a free, seven-week hybrid accelerator for early-stage companies with local roots. Each program is capped at five teams, and requires no fees and no equity. Applications are due May 20th. The program runs from June 6th to July 26th. 

LEARN MORE ABOUT gBETA

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 hello@siliconcouloir.com.
 

Making the Case One More Time

Making the Case One More Time

By Gary Trauner

Suddenly, here we are. My last day leading Silicon Couloir is this coming Friday. Five years of hard work, rapid growth, unadulterated joy (most of the time), and – hopefully – impactful service to our incredible community.

And yet, I still sense that there is a sizable segment of our community that doesn’t understand what we do or why a non-profit is needed to serve the private sector. FULL DISCLOSURE: some of this column includes points I made over 2 years ago in a previous Visionary Ventures piece, and which I believe deserve to be re-emphasized as my parting effort.

Let’s look at the latter point first. Non-profits in our community that provide food, shelter, medical services and other social services do incredible, vital, and necessary work. They need and deserve our community’s full support. I am endlessly appreciative of the difference they make for so many who need their aid. However, much of the work they do is immediate (and critical) relief, instead of solving the root cause of the demand for their respective services.

This is where the 3-sector model of every community, and Silicon Couloir, come into the picture. As I wrote about 2 years ago, every community is essentially divided into 3-sectors: the public sector, the non-profit sector and the private sector.

The public sector - what we know as government - obviously has significant impact in our community and on our lives. Yes, government can do good things; yet this sector tends to be reactive, subject to changing priorities and slow to effect policy (how many public hearings did that zoning change or land protection take?).

The non-profit sector serves a vital function, generally filling the gap where there is a perceived community need that is not being adequately addressed by the public or private sectors. Non-profits are necessary, but not sufficient, to ensure a healthy and thriving community.

That leaves the private sector. The 800-lb. gorilla on the block. The sector in which most of a community’s financial capital, and much of its intellectual capital, resides. It’s also the sector which, in aggregate, generally provides the vast majority of jobs. Historically, in the Tetons region, the private sector was dominated by tourism, agriculture, and a bit farther afield, resource extraction. As our region changes, wealth disparity and the resulting lack of living affordability have become major issues. Therefore, creating meaningful year-round work with living wages is more important than ever.

In addition, the private sector isn’t going away. It is, after all, the foundation of our entire free-market economy. To me, the challenge is thus very clear: how to ensure the private sector succeeds while channeling a portion of its resources in the direction of aligning entrepreneurship with community vision to promote a diverse economy and healthy environment for current and future generations.

Here is what I wrote two years ago, and it is just as applicable today:

“A successful private sector that provides meaningful, well-paying jobs with appropriate benefits can lift community members and alleviate, to some extent, the non-profit and public sector’s social program burden, allowing these sectors to do more and have a greater impact with their resources. The private sector clearly influences public policy (think comp plan, zoning, development approval, etc.). Just as obviously, all one needs to do is look at private sector sponsorship of charitable organizations in our valley to gauge the symbiotic relationship between those two sectors.”

Now let’s be realistic. The private sector will always have at least one eye focused on profits. To state the obvious, private enterprises must be profitable to, well, stay in business, and entrepreneurs generally are looking to be rewarded for their risk-taking efforts with personal financial success. Yet, with proper oversight and guidance, the private sector can - and I would argue must – be a positive force in ensuring our region is one where people, flora and fauna can thrive in coexistence.

It takes all three sectors working together to meet the community’s vision and needs. Helping the private sector use its financial, intellectual and community clout to lift up members of the local community while taking some of the burden off of the public and non-profit sectors is a win-win for everyone: growing ventures, individuals, government, non-profits and, perhaps most importantly, the community as a whole. The private sector can do well (financially) by doing good (communally) and do good by doing well.

To answer the former point in the 2nd paragraph of this column, supporting and incubating one of the engines of our local economy through a values-based, community-oriented lens is what Silicon Couloir does, and why a non-profit that supports the private sector makes sense. We do this through discrete programs that serve entrepreneurs wherever they are in their journey: providing physical coworking space, education, networking events, mentoring, a pitch competition, and capital access through angel investing and investor networking.

The proof is in the pudding: based on the continually increased demand to participate in Silicon Couloir programs, we must be meeting a critical community need.

Finally, I want to take the opportunity to thank everyone in the Silicon Couloir ecosystem for being part of this wonderful journey with me: the board, volunteers, financial supporters and community members who engage in our programming. But most of all, I want to thank my incredible teammates - Rebecca, Britt, Kristine and Thomas - for their support, dedication, hard work, constructive criticism, honesty, integrity and occasionally appropriate skepticism. Without you, I’m just a guy with a title.

See you around town.

March News

MONTHLY CHANCE MEETINGS 

Monday, March 4th, 5 - 7 pm @ The Virginian Saloon

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: Startup Survival Guide— Key Legal Insights to Help Entrepreneurs Navigate the Journey Safely

Join us on Monday, March 4th from 5-7 pm at The Virginian Saloon for a “fireside chat” tailored specifically for entrepreneurs with attorneys LizAnn Eisen and Ian Smith. We'll delve into the critical legal pitfalls that can ensnare even the most promising startups. From intellectual property to contracts and compliance, we'll equip you with the knowledge and strategies to safeguard your venture's success. Don't let legal complexities hinder your entrepreneurial journey – arm yourself with the insights you need to navigate confidently and thrive!
 

REGISTER FOR CHANCE MEETINGS

Our esteemed speakers...

Acting Professor of the Practice, Cornell Tech & Cornell Law School | Sr. Partner, Strategy & Regulatory, Braven | Former Deputy Director, Division of Corporation Finance, SEC

LizAnn is a trusted advisor to companies, organizations and individuals facing complex business and legal challenges. She is a highly accomplished professional with a remarkable career that spans the legal, academic, and public sectors. Her career has been shaped by working collaboratively to identify opportunities, implement value-enhancing strategies and solve problems. LizAnn brings an unusual range of business, strategy and regulatory expertise in both large organizations and startups. She regularly advises entrepreneurs, evaluates and invests in businesses, and serves on public, private and governmental boards.

LizAnn is an Acting Professor of the Practice at Cornell Law School, and has taught at Cornell in Ithaca and Cornell Tech on Roosevelt Island since 2018. At the end of 2018, LizAnn retired from Cravath, where she had been a Corporate Partner since 2005, and had a wonderful 20 plus-year career. Her practice focused on domestic and international public and private corporate finance transactions, corporate governance and reporting matters, M&A, and liability management transactions. She has worked across many industries, including technology, financial services, industrials and consumer products.

From January 2022 to September 2022, LizAnn served as the Deputy Director, Disclosure Operations, Division of Corporation Finance at the SEC. In that seat, she led a team of over 350 people overseeing the disclosure review program for ‘33 and ‘34 Act disclosure, including in emerging areas such as fintech and digital assets, and division-wide performance evaluation, risk oversight and strategy.

LizAnn’s experiences have deepened her passion to work with entrepreneurs as a valuable sounding board to them on strategy, regulatory matters and talent. She was on the board of a SPAC and serves on the board of CEA company capitalizing on emerging market trends. Since 2018, through teaching at Cornell Tech, she has spent time with entrepreneurs early in their startup journey. This complements her role as a Senior Partner, Strategy & Regulatory, at Braven, an early-stage investment firm, and as an independent advisor to startups in fintech, digital health and consumer products.

 
Ian Smith brings to the table a wealth of experience in identifying and capitalizing on new business opportunities, developing strategic partnerships, and leading teams to achieve collective goals.
 
At the helm of a pioneering travel company situated in the historic and vibrant heart of Rome, Italy, Ian showcased his strengths by carving a notable niche in the travel industry. In addition to his significant achievements in the travel industry, Ian also made a formidable foray into the field of Real Estate Development--focusing on the dynamic and competitive market in the California Bay Area.
 
Upon returning to his home state of Wyoming, Ian's built on his passion for law and advocacy took center stage by attending law school. After earning his law degree, Ian made the strategic decision to return to Jackson, Wyoming, where he founded his own law firm focusing on bankruptcy and secured transactions. He was soon recruited by Wylie Baker, a firm locally renowned for its prowess in complex real estate transactions. 
 
In a strategic pivot, Ian joined Pirate Ship, stepping into the role of Director of Corporate Development. In this capacity, he led the charge on mergers and acquisitions (M&A), skillfully negotiating partnerships that propelled the company forward in a competitive tech landscape. Ian's expertise in identifying synergistic opportunities and executing complex transactions played a pivotal role in Pirate Ships growth and expansion.
 
Ian's leadership and strategic vision at Pirate Ship soon led to his appointment as General Counsel, a role in which he has excelled over the past year. Overseeing a team of more than 40 outside counsel attorneys, Ian has adeptly managed a broad spectrum of legal matters. His portfolio includes international taxation, business transactions across borders, intellectual property concerns, corporate restructurings, and cybersecurity, showcasing his comprehensive understanding of the legal challenges and opportunities facing global tech companies today.
 
Under Ian's guidance, Pirate Ship's legal strategies have become more robust, proactive, and aligned with the company's ambitious goals. His ability to steer the company through a complex legal landscape, combined with a strategic approach to risk management, has safeguarded Pirate Ship’s interests and laid a strong foundation for its future endeavors.
 

REGISTER FOR CHANCE MEETINGS

NEWS AND NOTES

NEW ENTREPRENEUR VIDEO: KEELY'S CAMP!

COACHING GIRLS TO BE THE NEXT GENERATION OF LEADERS IN SKIING AND BEYOND

Keely's Camp was founded in 2011 as the first ski racing camp for girls in North America. Her experience in both TEAMS and Start-Up Success have lent focus, efficiency and fortitude to her thriving company.

Keely's Camp was founded in 2011 as the first ski racing camp for girls in North America. In this short video Founder Keely Kelleher explains how Silicon Couloir's TEAMS and Start-Up Success programs have leant focus, efficiency and fortitude to the company.

CLICK HERE FOR THE KEELY’s CAMP VIDEO.

SILICON COULOIR 2023 ANNUAL REPORT

We invite you to read about our accomplishments, vibrant community, and  more in this Annual Report.  We hope this report inspires you and confirms the remarkable and unique value that Silicon Couloir brings to our community.

READ THE REPORT

VISIONARY VENTURES:

BUILDING AN ENTREPRENEURIAL ECOSYSTEM

"An entrepreneurial ecosystem refers to the interconnected group of individuals, organizations, institutions and resources that collectively contribute to the development and growth of entrepreneurial activities within a specific region, " explains Kristine Brandt, Silicon Couloir staff member. "The best way to empower makers, doers and dreamers is by growing the entrepreneurial ecosystem around them. This supportive environment enhances the entrepreneur’s capabilities and provides a foundation that fosters innovation, growth, and sustainability over the long term."

READ THE COLUMN

NOONTIME KNOWLEDGE THURSDAY, MARCH 14TH:

THE SKILL AND ART OF NEGOTIATIONS

To successfully navigate the challenges and opportunities in business, negotiation is an essential skill to master. Please join us on Thursday, March 14th from 12-1:30 at Center for the Arts Conference Room for a free, educational, and engaging Noontime Knowledge to dive deeper into practical approaches and strategies of negotiating. Attendees will have the opportunity to practice the skills they learn.

REGISTER HERE

CONFERENCE IN STYLE AT THE COWORK SPACE

We are pleased to announce a new larger conference room at The Cowork Space with Logitech for seamless connectivity. Our new technology was made possible with a grant from The Community Foundation of Jackson Hole. The conference room is available at no cost to members and can be rented by non-members. 

Contact Kristine@siliconcouloir for more details or to schedule a tour, or click the button below for the conference room webpage.
 

CWS CONFERENCE ROOM

ANNOUNCING THE ILLA APP

ILLA is more accessible than ever via the app store.
Ladies, get connected and get after it! 

CONNECT WITH ILLA

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.
 

Building an Entrepreneurial Ecosystem

Building an Entrepreneurial Ecosystem

By Kristine Brandt

When we think about the drivers impacting the future of our mountain town, thoughts commonly run to the financial sector. What is to be done to introduce more high-paying jobs, establish affordable housing, and promote the synergistic effects of cutting-edge, transformative technology that introduces new products, services and solutions to our community, while also protecting our environment? When the issue is framed as strictly financial, the reaction is commonly confined to those terms as well – it will take a lot of capital, allocated wisely, intentionally and constructively to address these difficult issues . As Teton County is now, by some standards, the richest county in the nation in the richest country in the world, using money as the primary lever to provide solutions shouldn’t be a problem, right? Wrong.

The most important component missing in the equation above is what fundamentally comprises our great community:our great people. Additionally, innovation is achieved not by technology, but by how humans create, develop, and utilize technology, and its services to help improve the human condition. How do we bring together all of the assets that we have in abundance in our community to creatively solve pervasive problems?

Silicon Couloir believes in the transformative power of entrepreneurship. And oftentimes, successful entrepreneurs are stars! This is for a reason – it takes intelligence, grit, perseverance and often, many, many failures prior to achieving that well-deserved stardom. Each month, three out of every 1000 people in the US will start a new business[i]. Those three people take on a tremendous task and assume a great deal of risk. However, the 997 remaining people also play a role in the entrepreneur’s success or failure. That is where the idea of an entrepreneurial ecosystem comes in.

An entrepreneurial ecosystem refers to the interconnected group of individuals, organizations, institutions and resources that collectively contribute to the development and growth of entrepreneurial activities within a specific region. The best way to empower makers, doers and dreamers is by growing the entrepreneurial ecosystem around them. This supportive environment enhances the entrepreneur’s capabilities and provides a foundation that fosters innovation, growth, and sustainability over the long term.

Measures of Success

A robust entrepreneurial ecosystem holds itself accountable to measures of success; accurate measurement is essential for continuous improvement in any system, and is crucial in a healthy entrepreneurial ecosystem where constant change and innovation is naturally occurring.

The most obvious measures of the success of an entrepreneurial ecosystem include accessible quantifiable data such as number of start-ups, job creation, and amount of invested capital. However, as the practice of building entrepreneurial ecosystems matures, research is delving further into qualitative factors, such as the emotional, cognitive and physical toll that founding and leading a start-up imposes on an entrepreneur. That is where the importance of a healthy ecosystem demonstrates its relevance. And, as in the example at the opening of this article, this is where the human component of the equation is most relevant. Entrepreneurial ecosystems can and should be designed to help mitigate challenges that founders inevitably face by offering a safety net made up of mentors, educators, investors and peers who encourage resilience and build a culture that promotes both successes and failures.

Start-Up Snapshot, a data sharing platform for the entrepreneurial ecosystem, found that 72% of founders reported that the entrepreneurial journey affected their mental health, 37% suffered from anxiety and 36% from burnout. Not surprisingly, as many founders are known for their stoic determination, only 23% reported going to a coach or psychologist. And only 10% of founders reported that they talk to their investors about their stressors, worried that transparency could affect their chances of securing additional funding. [ii]  This research is leading to a deeper understanding of the needs of entrepreneurs in a fast paced, stressful environment. Measures such as collaboration among stakeholders, presence of an innovative culture, access to supportive resources and community engagement are more difficult to measure, but just as important to understand.

Ideally, programs offered within an entrepreneurial ecosystem collectively support and nurture the growth of start-ups and founders along the entire trajectory of conceptualizing, launching and running a venture. It is Silicon Couloir’s mission to support the Teton region’s entrepreneurial ecosystem – all of our programs together serve as a lever to advance entrepreneurship and build a stronger, more holistic economy that works for the betterment of the whole of our community. Here is where our programs fit within the pillars of a healthy entrepreneurial ecosystem:

Education & Training – our educational programs, workshops and training opportunities, such as Start Up Success, and Pitch Day equip entrepreneurs with the skills necessary to transform an idea into a business plan.

Mentorship & Guidance – experienced mentors and advisors participating in our TEAMS program provide invaluable insights, guidance and constructive feedback, helping entrepreneurs navigate challenges and make informed decisions.

Networking & Collaboration – programs including Chance Meetings and Pitch Day foster connections among entrepreneurs, investors, peers and industry experts facilitating knowledge exchange.

Supportive Infrastructure – physical and virtual infrastructure provided by our Cowork Space offer an environment conducive to innovation & growth.

These programs are designed to support the entirety of the entrepreneur’s journey and include quantitative and qualitative measures of success.

[i] Kauffman Foundation, Building Playbook 3.0

[ii] Start-Up Snapshot, “The Untold Toll: The impact of stress on the well-being of startup founders and CEOs.”

Alta wellness pro looks for holistic remedies

Alta wellness pro looks for holistic remedies

By Tibby Plasse

Aligning business and wellness comes naturally to Cate Stillman.

It’s an unlikely pairing: an alternative medicine and wellness practitioner with an instinct for business.

But since 1996, Cate Stillman has been aligning chakras with commerce, like the tea recipe that she shares with clients when they embark on ayurvedic cleanses.

Stillman, 51, didn’t intend on settling in the Tetons.

After graduating from Carleton College with a major in international environmental politics, she was inside the Washington, D.C., beltway and working on global warming policy in the early 1990s. But in 1996 she convinced her bosses to let her telecommute from Driggs, Idaho.

“Working on global warming policy made me very aware of where the most snow was falling, and back then the Tetons were getting 700 inches of powder,” Stillman said from her office in Alta as she talked about finding her path in the wellness world.

“I had been to China and eastern Pakistan for policy stuff, and I just kept asking the question: Where is human consciousness best understood, and how can we shift it?

She changed her professional track entirely, going to school in the summer and skiing through the winter. She attended California College of Ayurveda and the Iyengar

CLOSE-UP

Yoga Institute.

“I put a tipi up in my parents’ backyard in Teton Valley and started my ayurvedic practice next to the creek running through their yard,” she said.

She found traction with the local wellness community and expanded her clientele to both sides of Teton Pass to experience therapies like abhyanga massage.

“I had this little office in Jackson and would teach yoga over there one day a week, and then I’d go to Sun Valley for one weekend a month,” she said.

It took time to build up a clientele, but as the dot-com industry boomed in the early 2000s, Stillman saw the value and started YogaHealer.com. She began collecting emails, and now her mailing list has 60,000 subscribers.

What began as a yoga detox program for clients transitioned into a nine-month “innovative course,” an online experience that included a stockpile of interviews from gurus and experts from around the world, while simultaneously creating a virtual community, a club she dubbed “Living Ayurveda.”

“At that time, people were not on the internet like they are now, and a friend of mine from the yoga world who went into podcasting saw the volume of information I had gathered,” Stillman said.

“She’s like ‘You have a podcast!’ So we dumped all the files around 2010 or 2011 and put out what was probably the first Ayurvedic podcast.”

The “Thrive with Cate” podcast now has racked up more than 600 episodes.

Stillman’s business intuition mirrors the beliefs that have carried her career further, thinking on planetary and cosmic scales. But one theme continued to reveal itself over and over the further she got into her modalities: the American diet and chronic inflammation always being associated with how well people felt. She also saw it in herself.

This month she released a new book through Amazon, “The Witch’s Cancer Journal.” It’s a combination of a meta-awareness reflection on inflammation and physiological predisposition that intersects with the era of COVID-10 and the unlikelihood of a clean holistic lifestyle getting sucker-punched by cancer.

“Witch’s” as Stillman refers to it, is her journey not just as a cancer survivor but also as a publisher and learning how to share a story. Stillman is looking to take on inflammation in the corporate world now that’s she conquered her own body and helped others take control of their own.

“I’m super thrilled about helping companies explore the correlation between having regenerative habits that decrease chronic inflammation and decrease overhead with health care, but also activate focus,” she said.

Though Stillman is no longer working out of a tipi but in a house in Alta she designed with her husband and daughter, and traveling the world, she has never stopped asking the question: Where is human consciousness best understood, and how can we shift it?

Contact Tibby Plasse via valley@jhnewsandguide.com.

Keep resolutions with a measurable system

Keep resolutions with a measurable system

By Rebecca Reimers

The new year is practically synonymous with resolutions, which despite our best intentions often fall by the wayside by Feb. 1. We all want to have greater financial success, achieve our fitness goals and be happier in our daily lives, but how do we get from here — overworked, under-rested and stressed — to our ideal selves?

The answer, according to entrepreneur Matt Boney, is accountability. Boney has developed a framework based on self-assessment, tracked metrics and actionable steps, all of which are reviewed on a regular basis. This system helps busy entrepreneurs (and others) achieve their goals and move from their current state to the best version of themselves. His new project, launched in October and currently in beta phase, is called Alpha Mentoring.

Alpha Mentoring was born out of personal insight and experience. Boney was a Silicon Couloir Pitch Day finalist in 2015 with his company Daycation (then called Pineapple). After an initial outside investment in 2017, the company grew rapidly with expansion in Florida, New York and California. Boney built his sales team and even raised capital from Uber’s first investor. The company was off to a successful start. Then COVID hit.

“We were entering our high season and at the start of a new round of fundraising, and then overnight the industry collapsed,” recalls Boney.

With the company paused and no assurance for its future, Boney decided to take some time for personal reflection and well-being. He headed south to Mexico, where he found mentors in yoga and meditation. He began to create art. The result? When the travel industry did return, Boney found that he was not only happier and more fulfilled, he was also better at his job. Daycation is now profitable and growing 30% year over year. A reexamined work-life balance sparked Boney to build a new business that could help fellow entrepreneurs find more equilibrium in their own lives.

As a seasoned entrepreneur, Boney understands the importance of using metrics and actionable steps to build a successful business. Why not, he postulated, apply the same principles to health and well-being? He developed a system based on these principles and implemented the program for himself and his co-workers with excellent results. Boney’s Alpha Mentoring and the One Month Comeback Challenge (1MCBC) are the result of these efforts.

The 1MCBC starts with a free assessment and program outline so that potential clients can see if the program is the right fit. Rates start at $299 to complete the challenge. The framework consists of categories such as business, fitness, mental health and additional areas identified by the client. Each area is assigned a number between 0 and 10, with 10 being excellent.

Because clients define what a 10 looks like, the challenge is personal, not based on societal norms. Each week, clients create actionable steps to make gains in each category and report on results in a weekly call. Emphasis is placed on what went well and why, and what could be improved and how. In this way, clients are mentored and held accountable, but also self-directed. Progress is made incrementally in a manageable fashion.

“We’re not claiming to be experts,” explains Boney. “Our aim is to support our clients with their own goals and provide references and access to experts when appropriate. Because the program is incremental and based on self-discovery, it’s applicable for people at all stages of life and career.”

Early results from the Alpha Mentoring program have been strong.

If you have struggled in the past with sticking to your new year’s resolutions, perhaps this year you should consider trying an approach that replaces a general striving for vague goals with a system that is thoughtful, detailed and measurable.

One cohort of clients has gone through the challenge with 9 of 10 electing to continue the program on a monthly, rather than weekly, basis. Rates for a yearlong package are coming soon.

“These four weeks have been an amazing experience in self-discovery, understanding life priorities and setting quantitative goals for personal growth,” states client Christian Andreesen.

“Matt’s approach has given me an understanding of critical areas of improvement, and together we have set paths for improvements on each. Supported by his personal experiences, resources and conversations, I’ve seen progress and set myself on a better path toward success in all areas. I really recommend Alpha Mentoring and was happy to participate in it.”

Boney is now accepting applicants for the next cohort. If you are interested in joining and keeping your new year’s resolutions in 2024, visit AlphaMentoring.co to learn more and sign up.

January News

MONTHLY CHANCE MEETINGS 

Monday, January 8th, 5 - 7 pm @ The Virginian Saloon

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: Financial Strategies for a Business Lifecycle

Ryan Wilson, Senior Relationship Manager at Bank of America, will share his decades of experience and insight helping to support financing businesses at all stages, from an idea to an exit.  He will give an overview of the evolution of a company’s banking needs as the company grows in staff, revenue, and complexity including what banking, lending, currency, and staff retirement plans are needed.

Please register for Chance Meetings by clicking the button below.

 

REGISTER FOR CHANCE MEETINGS

NOONTIME KNOWLEDGE SESSION TO FOLLOW
CHANCE MEETINGS

If you’re interested in a more in depth workshop on this topic, please also attend our Noontime Knowledge session with Ryan Wilson on Tuesday, January 9th from 12-1 pm. Registration is free and required.
 

REGISTER FOR NOONTIME KNOWLEDGE

NEWS AND NOTES

START-UP SUCCESS: FUNDAMENTALS REGISTRATION NOW OPEN

We're pleased to announce that we'll be offering our popular Start-Up Success: Fundamentals course again this spring with instructors Sandy Schultz Hessler and Liza Millet. Start-Up Success is a six week business intensive program for nascent and established entrepreneurs, small business owners, and non-profit leaders. The course is taught over two weekends and six Wednesday evenings. Using a proven framework for success, students will learn key business frameworks, tools, and financial templates along with developing answers to the essential questions for a start-up. Students will gain skills, strategy, confidence, and community while building and developing a values-based business. 

The course always fills, so reserve your place today! Click the button below for full details, dates, and link to apply. 
 

LEARN MORE AND APPLY

CONGRATULATIONS TO BILL HAALAND, SC
VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR

Bill Haaland has been honored as Silicon Couloir's Volunteer of the Year. "Bill goes above and beyond in every way," says Director of Entrepreneurship Brittney Ziebell. "He's a Lead Mentor on two teams, is on the TEAMS Committee, and has attended 19 out of the last 21 monthly mentor luncheons. Bill takes new mentors under his wing, and the founders he mentors appreciate him greatly, speaking to his down-to-earth nature and the way he generally cares about them as people first and foremost." From all of us at Silicon Couloir, thank you for everything you do for our entrepreneurs, Bill. 
 

COME SEE WHAT THE COWOK SPACE OFFERS AT OUR CHAMBER CELEBRATION 

Join us on February 8th from 5-7 pm at The Cowork Space for a special Chamber Celebration honoring the expansion of this wonderful community resource. Enjoy delicious appetizers, refreshments, and exciting raffle prizes.

• Enjoy premier networking opportunities as you celebrate a local community asset

• Partake in delicious food and drink

• Learn more about The Cowork Space, an affordable workspace that offers a range of membership options

SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS LEADERS & BEST GATHERING:  TAKING CLIMATE ACTION

The Riverwind Foundation is excited to announce a Sustainable Business Leaders and BEST program luncheon on January 9, 11:30 am - 1:30 pm for business/organizations who are Sustainable Business Leaders,  have been BEST certified, or are interested in learning about either program. We are grateful to the Teton Raptor Center, one of the most recent BEST certified sustainability leaders in Jackson Hole, for hosting the event.  The event will offer a panel discussion on managing carbon emissions and an opportunity to network with sustainability-minded businesses and organizations.   

For more information on the gathering and to RSVP, please contact Tim O’Donoghue at tim@riverwindfoundation.org

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.
 

December News

 

Monday, December 4th, 5 - 7 pm @ The Center for the Arts Lobby

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...

FREE & open to all!

Please join us to celebrate Silicon Couloir ecosystem companies. Stock up on holiday gifts and learn about the remarkable companies established by local entrepreneurs. All participating companies have been part of our TEAMS mentoring program, including Franco Snowshapes, Noso Patches, Iksplor, Naughty Fruit, and more. Complimentary appetizers and a cash bar will be provided.

REGISTER FOR OUR HOLIDAY PARTY

FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

 
Dear Friends of Silicon Couloir,

I’ll try and keep this intra-holiday note sweet and short.

As I detox from another wonderful – if too filling – Thanksgiving, my thoughts turn to all the reasons I have to be thankful.

• I am thankful for my wonderful family and friends. They are the foundation upon which everything else is built;

• I am thankful that I – and we – get to live in one of the most wonderous regions in the entire world, blessed with natural beauty, an abundance of flora and fauna, and a dynamic, thriving community of special people;

• I am thankful that I lead a unique values-based organization focused on maintain a healthy, vibrant community through helping the private sector to “do well by doing good and do good by doing well”;

• I am thankful beyond words 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;

• And I am thankful for 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 healthy and joyous 2023 holiday season, and we hope to see you at our Holiday gathering at the Center for the Arts on December 4.

Warmly,

       Gary Trauner, Silicon Couloir ED
 

NEWS AND NOTES

VISIONARY VENTURES

PITCH DAY: WHAT HAPPENS BELOW THE WATERLINE

"For the general public, Pitch Day is an event that takes place on a specific day for several hours", explains Gary Trauner, SC Excutive Director. "Yet those of us at Silicon Couloir view Pitch Day as the tip of the iceberg. The public sees the 10% or so that’s above the waterline. Internally, our staff, the finalists and the volunteer coaches combine over several months to craft the 90% the public does not see. To continue the analogy, it’s the 90% of Pitch Day that is below the waterline that makes the publicly visible 10% a meaningful and quality community event."

"I thought it might be interesting in this column to provide readers with insight into the world of Pitch Day below the waterline."

Click the button below to read more. 
 

READ THE COLUMN

NOONTIME KNOWLEDGE
FINANCIAL STRATEGIES FOR A BUSINESS LIFECYCLE

Join us for our next Noontime Knowledge on Tuesday, January 9th from 12-1 pm in the Center for the Arts conference room. This session will be an in-depth look at financial strategies needed for every phase of a business lifecycle. Ryan Wilson, Senior Relationship Manager at Bank of America, will share his decades of experience and insight helping to support financing businesses at all stages—from an idea to an exit. Ryan will map out the evolution of a company’s banking needs as the company grows in staff, revenue, and complexity – what banking, lending, currency, and staff retirement plans are needed – as a company grows.

This Noontime Knowledge will follow the January 8th Chance Meetings on the same subject. Registration is free and required. Please click the button below to register. 

Prior attendance at Chance Meetings is encouraged, but not required. 

REGISTER HERE

GO GREEN HOME SUPPLY LAUNCHES WEBSITE

Go Green Home Supply is proud to announce the soft-launch of our new website, gogreenhomesupply.com. Offering a growing selection of sustainably minded building materials, we provide homeowners an online platform to find, learn about, and buy truly eco-friendly products for their home. Vetted by industry experts, you'll only find the best available, healthy, and high-performing products, making it easier for you to build mindfully.  Join our community as we strive to help people - Plan well.  Build well. Be well.

NOSO PATCHES IS HIRING AN OPERATIONS DIRECTOR

Want to work with a bunch of rad humans who genuinely enjoy their jobs? Want to work towards reducing waste while making things look extra beautiful?

The Noso team is welcoming, mission-driven, organized, passionate about sustainability, and down for good times.

Position Overview: This person will wear multiple hats and at times make quick decisions on the fly. This person will provide coaching, mentoring and leadership to hold the team accountable. From customer experience, to design, to production, to fulfillment, this person will oversee the team and continue to develop and support as needed. This includes researching and implementing software to reduce redundancy, create and implement efficient workflows, interviewing, recruiting talent… and sometimes taking the cardboard to the recycling center too. This person will continue to create a people-centered culture, ensure daily business operations run smoothly, help founder/CEO continue to scale company collaboratively. You will work closely with a team of activists who are passionate about being the change they’d like to see in the world. Click the button below for the full job description and instructions on how to apply. 

FULL JOB DESCRIPTION HERE

WELCOME TO NEW TRUSTEE

A warm welcome to our newest SC Trustee, Teri Hernandez. Thank you, Teri, for your generous committment to supporting entrepreneurship in the Teton region. 

Teri Hernandez is the founder and President of HernandezHQ with over 30 years’ experience in the legal and insurance industries. She has provided administrative and marketing support for prominent national insurance regulatory practices in legal and insurance consulting firms. Teri has established a proven track record for developing and executing marketing strategies. She has exceptional knowledge of insurance issues and extensive contacts within the insurance industry, with a particular emphasis on the NAIC, ACIC, IAIR and IRES organizations and conferences. Teri has an excellent reputation for her outstanding organizational and communication skills and her ability to manage and coordinate several competing schedules and agendas for groups attending conferences.  Her ability to network and interact with regulators, service providers and industry executives is unparalleled. Over the years, Teri has also served as a board member for several non-profits, focusing on public policy issues and advocacy.  She has developed and maintained political relationships with elected officials on state and national levels through her advocacy work with national non-profits.  Teri is known for her keen ability to analyze and distill issues down to their essence and identify then obtain the appropriate audience.

THE COWORK SPACE OFFERS AFFORDABLE
DEDICATED DESKS

If you're in need of affordable work space for you and your team, we've got you covered. Dedicated (original and premium) desks are available now at The Cowork Space. Secure your work space before the busy winter season starts. We also have a waitlist for highly coveted private offices. (PS, we'e hoping to create a few more!)

The Cowork Space, owned and operated by Silicon Couloir and located one block from the town square, offers all the amenities you need for inspired work including: 

• Fast, reliable internet

• Dedicated and shared desk space in an open space filled with natural light

• Phone booths for private calls

• Conference room with projection and conference call capabilities

• Kitchenette

• 24x7 access for members

• Open 8 am - 5 pm, Monday-Friday for day pass holders

• After-hours access when space is not in use for events

Contact Kristine@siliconcouloir or more details or to schedule a tour. 
 

ENVIROCAST: SAVING OUR WATERS,
ONE CAST AT A TIME

Congratulations to Liza Millet and the Envirocast team for working to reduce plastic waste in our waters. 

Envirocast has invented the first ever all natural fully marine biodegradable fishing line and intends to bring this to market in 2024. Our future includes a portfolio of innovative product ideas combined with patented IP to bring a range of clean and natural products to the fishing industry. 

Check out this new trailer that was just launched. If you’re a fisherman or woman interested in following our launch, go to www.enviro-cast.com and sign up!

STIO NAMED A TOP 50 BEST PLACE TO WORK

Following honorable mentions for five consecutive years, Stio has been named among the top fifty “2023 Best Places to Work” by Outside.

"We are so proud of this team of passionate people and the spirited culture we've created together," says Founder Steve Sullivan. 

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.
 

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McJunkin aims to clean water with code

McJunkin aims to clean water with code

After cleaning up waterways, winner of Silicon Couloir’s 2023 pitch day has eyes on more government permits.

By Sophia Boyd-Fliegel

It’s not the typical childhood dream: patenting safer septic systems or inventing a so-called TurboTax for local construction permits. But James McJunkin, 27, has found some glory in grime and bureaucratic headaches.

McJunkin won this year’s Silicon Couloir “Panelist Choice Award” with a $20,000 prize during the organization’s Pitch Day for his growing software company, which is poised to transform how environmental health systems like septic are regulated.

McJunkin was an outdoorsy kid and self-described nerd, who spent his free time reading about animals he was supposed to see in Chesapeake Bay. The young CEO seems to have always moved quickly, but thoughtfully.

“It’s the very core to who I am,” he said, “I don’t do well with bureaucracy. You can ask my parents. I never was good at ‘This is just the way it is.’”

As a junior in high school in Washington D.C. McJunkin was an intern for his mom, a real estate developer, when he met an inventor with a chronically failing septic system in his backyard.

With an allowance from the county, George Frigon jerry-rigged a new septic tank. Through home experiments, Frigon found that a recirculating system with an above-ground cabinet was cheaper and easier to operate than other septic systems.

Disturbed by the long-standing nutrient pollution near his home and wanting to spend more time around scientists like Frigon, McJunkin spent the next five years working with Frigon to patent and certify the LooLoop.

McJunkin’s first pitch was to his parents to cover patent costs. He got help from an aunt, who was a retired medical device engineer and executive.

With LooLoop on the backburner in college, McJunkin graduated from Dartmouth College in 2018. He’d grown up coming to his parents’ vacation home in Jackson Hole and had an internship with Vertical Harvest.

In 2018, he was surprised to find news articles about Fish Creek being categorized as an impaired waterway.

“Everything seemed very clean and pristine,” he said, but the more he learned, the more it made sense. Septic systems bloom in a place that’s experiencing a housing boom in an area that doesn’t have a lot of existing water infrastructure. A couple of decades down the line, septic systems start to fail and sewage pollution creeps into the waterways.

He thought he’d sell his patent for LooLoop; however, after doing research to pitch to companies, he realized a company to buy his didn’t exist.

“What we figured out pretty quickly was how fragmented and how outdated the industry is,” he said.

McJunkin saw that local governments were already backlogged in certifying applications for new septic systems, and understaffed offices were spending almost 90% of their time just checking boxes. Checking out new technology was going to take a lot longer.

There are over 3,000 different jurisdictions that govern new septic systems in the U.S. The Environmental Protection Agency has estimated that about 25% of septic systems are malfunctioning, and about 20% of households rely on septic.

Since LooLoop needed an operating system, McJunkin’s company SOSystems invented one. His software also checks the rules of a new septic permit against the application.

Other people in Teton County government saw the new software could minimize risk and work. Some started to ask if they could use Sep.OS — the name of the software product from SOSystems — for themselves.

When both sides of the permit are using the software instead of just relying on drawings, there’s less gray area and a quicker turnaround.

“Everyone’s speaking the same language,” McJunkin said.

McJunkin is now in the process of trying to sell his software to all 23 counties and the department of environmental quality in Wyoming, where he’s lived for three years. He’s in the procurement process with Teton County.

In a beta test in August, Sep.OS processed Teton County’s 40-permit backlog in two weeks, performing seven times the amount of checks in the process. In a separate test with a state’s Department of Environmental Quality, the software spotted 10 errors in two days. The DEQ had taken six months to process the same permits and found no errors. McJunkin shared his results with the DEQ.

McJunkin found his software was 90% faster and seven times more accurate than human-checked permits.

As adoption spreads, McJunkin hopes to ride the wave of untapped billions from the federal government for water infrastructure, like the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

Software is a lot easier to scale up than down. Wyoming will be the proving grounds, with many counties seeing low levels of applications.

“If we can add value for them,” he said, “that’s a really good indication that we can add value for any county in the country.”

Pitch Day: What happens below the waterline

Pitch Day: What happens below the waterline

By Gary Trauner

Finalist entrepreneurs stand onstage at the Center for the Arts auditorium, presenting their entrepreneurial ventures to the audience and a panel of judges, vying for cash awards and looking to secure investment in their respective companies.

Maybe you’ve attended over the years. Maybe you’ve just heard about it from friends or co-workers. Maybe you’ve heard the tagline “Like that Shark Show, Teton Style.”

For the general public, Pitch Day is an event that takes place on a specific day for several hours. Yet those of us at Silicon Couloir view Pitch Day as the tip of the iceberg. The public sees the 10% or so that’s above the waterline. Internally, our staff, the finalists and the volunteer coaches combine over several months to craft the 90% the public does not see. To continue the analogy, it’s the 90% of Pitch Day that is below the waterline that makes the publicly visible 10% a meaningful and quality community event.

I thought it might be interesting in this column to provide readers with insight into the world of Pitch Day below the waterline.

First, why does Pitch Day exist? The answer is pretty simple: Most entrepreneurial ventures eventually require significant funding from outside sources to succeed, and that means investors. Most of us have heard of venture capital — firms that have raised large sums of money to invest in startup and growth companies like Apple, Google, etc. Generally, venture capital firms do not invest in ventures that are in the developmental stage (or “pre-revenue” — just what it sounds like, not yet bringing in any money from sales) or the early post-revenue stage (bringing in some revenue but not enough to sustain the venture for the long term) of their life cycle. These stages are called the “pre-seed,” “seed” and “Series A” stages. To raise funds at these stages, entrepreneurs generally must turn to wealthy individual investors. These individuals are known as “angel” investors. Pitch Day provides select entrepreneurs/ ventures the opportunity to make their case to potential angel investors, with the added incentive of a possible cash infusion into the venture from prize money.

Most entrepreneurs are, rightfully, consumed with building and growing their venture. Generally speaking, creating a “pitch deck” to present to potential investors and actually presenting in front of such investors is not a core competency.

And that’s where the unseen part of the iceberg comes into play.

It starts with applicants submitting an initial deck with a standardized number of slides, each slide addressing a specific topic that, when taken together, paint a picture for potential investors to analyze and assess. Topics include: the problem being addressed, the proposed solution to the problem, the addressable market and value proposition, competition and differentiation, financial projections and the management team (There is a saying in the investing world: Investors buy management, not ideas.)

A Selection Committee composed of a volunteer group of business experts recruited by Silicon Couloir staff sifts through applications and views in-person presentations to choose the finalists who will present at the Center for the Arts. The focus for the Selection Committee is less on the quality of the initial deck/ presentation and more on the perceived prospects of the proposed venture. Once finalists are chosen, the real work begins. Finalists receive multiple coaching sessions over several months to hone their deck content and design, presentation skills, business model and viability. Silicon Couloir utilizes a rotating cadre of expert and experienced coaches to provide feedback and constructive advice. Most finalists are surprised at their progress from their first presentation to the last coaching session prior to the actual Pitch Day event.

The last piece of the puzzle is put in place onstage on the evening of Pitch Day. The Silicon Couloir team assembles a diverse panel of expert judges for the purpose of assessing the entrepreneurs and their ventures through the process of constructive questioning. This is the 10% above the waterline — engaging, interesting and, yes, a bit challenging for the finalists.

Building a successful company from scratch is a demanding and ambitious effort. Frankly, the odds are generally stacked against success. Yet one hallmark of vibrant communities is a high level of entrepreneurial activity. And while Silicon Couloir hopes Pitch Day is entertaining to the general public, it is the work done below the waterline that furthers Silicon Couloir’s mission of empowering entrepreneurship for a healthy, vibrant community.

November News

MONTHLY CHANCE MEETINGS 

Monday, November 6th, 5 - 7 pm @ The Virginian Saloon

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: Networking to Build Bonds

We all know networking is important, but sometimes walking into a room of people you do not know can be intimidating. We get it, and we want to make it easier by helping facilitate introductions with a fun and dynamic networking game on Monday, November 6th from 5-7 pm at The Virginian Saloon. At a time where differences are often emphasized more than commonalities, we invite you to spend some time finding the bonds that make us a dynamic, resilient and creative entrepreneurial community. 
 

REGISTER FOR CHANCE MEETINGS

NEWS AND NOTES

VISIONARY VENTURES

WYOMING’S INNOVATION FRONTIER: VENTURE IN THE COWBOY STATE

"Venture Capital is coming to Wyoming," states Thomas Ferguson, Silicon Couloir Angel Investment Group Director. "Beyond the vast wilderness and cowboy heritage, a new frontier is emerging in the entrepreneurial ecosystem that might seem incongruent with the state’s image but many believe is critical to the future of Wyoming’s evolving economic landscape."

If you're interested in learning about new financing opportunities in the state, read the full column by clicking on the button below.

Want to learn more? Check out the Noontime Knowledge session information below. 
 

READ THE COLUMN

NOONTIME KNOWLEDGE FRIDAY, NOV. 17TH:

START-UP FINANCING IN WYOMING

As a follow-on to the above Visionary Ventures column, we're offering a free Noontime Knowledge session on Friday, November 17th from noon to 1:30 pm at the Center for the Arts conference room for those who are interested in learning more about emerging Start-Up financing opportunities in Wyoming. The session will be led by Thomas Ferguson, Silicon Couloir Angel Investment Group Director. Please register by clicking the button below. 
 

REGISTER HERE

ALPINE REVIVAL LAUNCHES

AJ Cargill, 2020 Entrepreneurs Essentials student (now Start-Up Success) announces the launch of her new company, Alpine Revival. AJ has partnered with HP Featherman of Crested Butte, CO. The two met while competing in the 1990’s-era Extreme Skiing circuits. AJ excelled as an alpine skier and HP became the face of women’s telemark skiing. They quickly became friends with similar dispositions for sport and friendly competition, laughter and good times outside of the mountain, and their mutual adoration and passions for thoughtful, timeless, colorful and unique fashion.

Alpine Rival blends a vintage-inspired style with updated silhouettes and essential mountain style elements, like extra long collars, cozy thick hoods, and elbow patches.  The cashmere knits are made in small batches with limited size and color runs, so that each piece is truly a keeper.
 

THE COWORK SPACE OFFERS AFFORDABLE
DEDICATED DESKS

If you're in need of affordable work space for you and your team we've got you covered. Dedicated and premium dedicated desks are available now at The Cowork Space. Secure your dedicated desk before the busy winter season starts. We also have a waitlist for highly coveted private offices. 

The Cowork Space, owned and operated by Silicon Couloir and located one block from the town square, offers all the amenities you need for inspired work including: 

• Fast, reliable internet

• Dedicated and shared desk space in an open space filled with natural light

• Phone booths for private calls

• Conference room with projection and conference call capabilities

• Kitchenette

• 24x7 access for members

• Open 8 am - 5 pm, Monday-Friday for day pass holders

• After-hours access when space is not in use for events

Contact Kristine@siliconcouloir or more details or to schedule a tour. 
 

OUTDOOR INDUSTRY FUNDING SUMMIT ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS

Building off a successful launch of the event in 2023, the ICELab is hosting the third Outdoor Industry Funding Summit in Crested Butte, Colorado this winter. This invite-only summit brings resources and opportunities together by connecting vetted investors and early-stage company founders who are seeking investment. Two days will be spent in the beautiful Gunnison Valley forging meaningful relationships and gaining cutting-edge industry insights from a lineup of guest speakers.

Companies in the outdoor industry who are raising capital in the first half of 2024 are encouraged to apply. 

Requirements for companies:

• In the outdoor industry

• Raising capital in the first half of 2024

• Early-stage (pre-seed, seed)

• U.S. based

Applications will be open until December 12th and they will announce the selected companies on December 15th. 
 

MORE INFO & APPLICATION HERE

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.
 

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Wyoming’s Innovation Frontier: Venture in the Cowboy State

Wyoming’s Innovation Frontier: Venture in the Cowboy State

By Thomas Ferguson 

Venture Capital is coming to Wyoming. Beyond the vast wilderness and cowboy heritage, a new frontier is emerging in the entrepreneurial ecosystem that might seem incongruent with the state’s image but many believe is critical to the future of Wyoming’s evolving economic landscape. 

Earlier this year, Language I/O, an AI translation company out of Cheyenne, announced an $8m Series A round and the largest investor was Wyoming Business Council's Wyoming Venture Capital (WYVC) Fund. When a Wyoming-based company receives funding from a Wyoming-based VC, it’s time to pay attention. 

The startup ecosystem in the intermountain west is still in its early stages but growing rapidly– Denver was recently named #18 on Pitchbook’s Global VC Ecosystem Rankings and over $5 Billion are invested in Colorado’s venture ecosystem each year. Many of these investors are now looking at their northern neighbor as an emerging market. Business incentives and a friendly regulatory environment, a 'Do It Yourself' Western culture, and a high quality of life are all of the right ingredients for successful ventures that have been passed over due to the lack of education on VC as an asset class, and lack of funds focused on the state. Access to capital remains a key barrier for founders looking to build in Wyoming – a problem several entities are making headway in alleviating.

When the Wyoming Business Council (WBC) launched the WYVC Fund they signaled a crossing of a milestone and sparked national interest. The WYVC strategy is outlined on their website, and in brief, allocates $35m for direct investments into startups and an additional $23m to contribute to emerging VC funds looking to invest in Wyoming– the overall aim is to attract more venture dollars to the state. By investing more capital both directly into businesses and also with a ‘fund of funds’ strategy, the network effects and resulting economic impact will be tremendous.

Previous studies found that Government-Sponsored VC programs like WYVC have a positive influence on the quantity and quality of patents, as well as job creation and industry productivity. Programs like WYVC are effective policy tools for fostering innovation and entrepreneurship, and is a big step for the Cowboy State to provide access to capital for high-growth startups. WYVC was quick to close its first investment into Language I/O, as well as back several emerging funds including the Rockies Wyoming Fund from the Denver-based Rockies Venture Club and WYO VC from the Jackson Hole Technology Partnership. WYVC’s efforts are lifting longtime historical barriers to access capital in a state that has been typically overlooked by venture funds.

Where is this influx of new venture dollars going to go?

The opportunity for additional venture capital in the state comes at a time when folks are eyeing Wyoming as a leader for on-the-ground projects in the energy transition and VC firms are looking to invest in net zero projects in energy communities.  According to Goldman Sachs Research, the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) will spur about $3 trillion in investment in green energy technologies. Wyoming’s abundance of natural resources, combined with its supportive regulatory environment, existing energy infrastructure and energy industry work force make it a top contender for carbon sequestration and clean energy technologies. From the massive wind generation capacity to the advanced nuclear reactor demonstration project, a state that has been historically dismissed by major investors is now poised to contribute meaningfully to a promising opportunity in the energy transition. 

Additionally, the WBC has identified target industries in advanced manufacturing, ag tech, blockchain, and data centers & IT (to name a few).

Wyoming is making strides to position itself as an innovation frontier, with efforts to attract venture funding, support local startups, and create a favorable environment for entrepreneurial success. 

You can join Silicon Couloir and the Wyoming Business Council for a session on Startup Financing in Wyoming: Nov 17th from 12:00-1:30pm at the Center for the Arts Conference Room. 

And the winners are...

Pitch Day Finalists L to R: Griffin Post, Robb Sgroi, James McJunkin, Shawn O'Connor, Tana Hoffman, Brenton Gunning
Photo credit :Lisa King.

AND THE WINNERS ARE…

Thank you to all of our wonderful finalists for the vision and courage to create and share a company that fulfills your values and dreams, and has a positive impact on customers, community, and the planet. So much hard work went into this event.
 

PANELIST CHOICE AWARD

James McJunkin, SOSystems

 

AUDIENCE CHOICE AWARD

Tana Hoffman, ILLA
 

BOB ARNDT COMMUNITY CARETAKER AWARD

Robb Sgroi, Teton Bear Products
 

If you weren't able to make it to Pitch Day, you can view the event recording on our Pitch Day webpage. 

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.
 

Pitch Day is this Wednesday! Free and open to the public

 WE INVITE YOU TO JOIN US FOR PITCH DAY • FREE TO ATTEND AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC • REGISTER BY CLICKING THE BUTTON BELOW

OUR 2023 FINALISTS  
 

BRENTON GUNNING, ALDEA FOUNDER

At Aldea we’re building the best blockchain for app developers so that every creative person can unleash their full potential.

 

GRIFFIN POST, CRUXLEY FIELD GOODS FOUNDER

At Cruxley Field Goods we make the world's lightest, most portable solar panels to power anything, anywhere. 

 

TANA HOFFMAN, ILLA FOUONDER

 ILLA: an AI-powered adventure platform for women+

 

SHAWN O’CONNOR, MAZZY HEALTH FOUNDER

Mazzy Health is a virtual platform that offers tweens, teens, and young adults access to evidence-based adolescent teletherapy, expert academic coaching, and live and recorded content.

 

JAMES MCJUNKIN, SOSYSTEMS C0-FOUNDER

Sep.OS consolidates and automates septic system design and compliance for government offices and civil engineers, all on a single web-based platform. By reducing the time-to-permit by 80% and eliminating critical design errors, Sep.OS provides our customers with the efficiency, accuracy, and structure necessary to deploy $55B in historic federal funding to permanently fix septic pollution.

 

 ROBB SGROI, TETON BEAR PRODUCTS FOUNDER

Teton Bear Products, creator of the Grizzly Guard Composter, seeks to support diversion of organics from the waste stream, and to increase human wildlife coexistence. We make wildlife and scavenger resistant composters to keep food and yard waste secure.
 

REGISTER HERE

OUR 2023 PANELISTS

REGISTER HERE

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.
 

September News

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...
 

REGISTER FOR CHANCE MEETINGS

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. 
 

REGISTER FOR PITCH DAY

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.

I WANT TO GIVE BACK

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. 

TLC SUMMIT 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.
 

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Voices JH connects immigrants with our community

Voices JH connects immigrants with our community

By Rebecca Reimers

Voices JH estimates that nearly 20% of Teton County’s population is comprised of immigrants. That’s 6.4% greater than the national average, according to the 2021 Census.

Immigrants perform essential work in our community. Many were raised here.They are our friends and coworkers. And yet, very few have influence or hold leadership positions in our community. Voices JH, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, is on a mission to change that.

Voices was born at the start of the pandemic from a working group of nonprofits convened by the Community Foundation of Jackson Hole. We all experienced fear and insecurity during the pandemic, but those concerns were amplified for immigrants.

“Immigrant community members were particularly impacted by the pandemic shutdown, as many could not qualify for stimulus checks or unemployment. Voices was initially founded to build awareness of local resources that were available to immigrants, and to ensure that people felt safe accessing those services,” said Jordan Rich, executive director.

The immigrant leaders who stepped up to help their community during that critical crisis moment included Blanca Moye, Elizabeth Perez, Tina Babis, Nicolae Botan, Miriam Morillon, Marcela Badillo and Roney de la Cruz. The working group hired these individuals to deliver public health and resource information to immigrant households via text, WhatsApp and social media. Thus, Voices JH was formed.

“Our community values immigrants for their basic labor, but does not activate the fullness of their talent, capacity and voice,” Rich emphasized. “We address this by holistically working with local institutions and immigrant communities to serve as an activator of immigrant social capital.”

At this point readers may be wondering what any of this has to do with Silicon Couloir. As it turns out, a lot. At the Couloir, we recognize that nonprofits are businesses, too. While the goals may be different, nonprofits share a similar structure and often face the same challenges as for-profit businesses. With more than 200 nonprofits in Teton Country, we also appreciate the essential contribution these organizations make to our economy. With this in mind, in July 2022 we started a pilot program to incorporate nonprofits into TEAMS, our highly successful mentoring program. Voices was the first nonprofit accepted.

“TEAMS has been a huge support in helping Voices grow our internal infrastructure,“ Rich said. “As a nonprofit that acquired 501(c)(3) status this summer, having experts to help us navigate organizational systems has been transformative for our learning.”

Prior to joining TEAMS, Rich was a student in Start-Up Success, our intensive educational program designed to help new entrepreneurs (or executive directors) form the needed vision, values and practical skills to succeed. “SUS helped Voices articulate for the first time our problem, our impact and our solution,” Rich said.

Impressively, Voices has grown its budget by 25% since first working with Silicon Couloir, and hopes to add a third staff member within the next year.

Voices continues its mission today to engage and empower the immigrant communities of the Teton region. Clients are from 15 countries and speak 10 languages. The organization has established a new network of information and connections, making it possible for entities and agencies to reach immigrant communities. In fact, Voices is a unique model in the nation, and one that is potentially scalable in communities throughout the country.

Says Voices client Cristina Silva Garcia, “The impact of Voices is that they want to lift us up and they want us all to have true involvement here. And that we all have this experience — to have trust and a little bit of support from Jackson.”

Anyone involved with a nonprofit organization that could benefit from free expert business mentoring should visit SiliconCouloir.com/teams-mentoring to learn more about the program and apply.

August News

MONTHLY CHANCE MEETINGS 

Wednesday, August 9th, 5 - 7 pm @ Melvin Brewing, Alpine, WY
(624 Co Rd 101)

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: Growing an Entrepreneurial Ecosystem 

Join us at Melvin Brewing in Alpine, WY on Wednesday, August 9th from 5-7 pm for a panel discussion led by Mayor Eric Green on growing an entrepreneurial ecosystem in Northern Lincoln County, part of Silicon Couloir’s “tri-county” service area. This community event is aimed at identifying the needs for a thriving future and will bring together passionate entrepreneurs, business leaders, investors, and support organizations to spark conversations and collaborative efforts. Together, we will explore ideas to strengthen our community's entrepreneurial ecosystem, drive economic growth, and create abundant job opportunities while maintaining the community character Alpine holds dear.

REGISTER FOR CHANCE MEETINGS

REGISTER FOR CHANCE MEETINGS

NEWS AND NOTES

ANNOUNCING PREMIER DEDICATED DESKS AT THE COWORK SPACE

Looking for premium office space in the heart of downtown Jackson? Silicon Couloir is thrilled to announce that we're expanding The Cowork Space! Our newest suite features premier dedicated desks, which are larger and more private than the current space offers, and includes a separate kitchenette. Premier dedicated desks are offered at $450/ month. Regular dedicated desks ($335/month) and day passes are also available. All memberships are month-to-month and include access to our conference room. Click on the button below to contact Kristine for a tour or to reserve a desk. 
 

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE COWORK SPACE

MAKE A DIFFERENCE BY BECOMING A TEAMS MENTOR

TEAMS has grown and is the largest it has ever been with 25 active ventures and two pilot programs for nonprofits and for select University of Wyoming Venture MBA students. We're seeking volunteer mentors to help us meet the growing demand for mentorship in the Teton region. Not only will you be giving back to new entrepreneurs, you will also be part of a thriving network of fellow mentors.

To learn more and/or apply, click HERE. Questions? Please email Brittney by clicking the button below. 

TEAMS MENTORING INQUIRIES

GET YOUR TICKETS FOR THE TLC KICK-OFF CONFERENCE

Teton Leadership Center, (TLC) a collaboration between Silicon Couloir and Central Wyoming College, launched this summer to cultivate purpose-driven leadership and inspire innovative thinking about community and capitalism for organizations in Wyoming and around the globe.

TLC kicks off its offerings with the “Igniting Next Level Leadership: Connecting Deeper; Engaging Wider” conference Saturday, Sept. 23, and Sunday, Sept. 24, at Center for the Arts. The speaker line up is INCREDIBLE! Tickets are now available HERE. 

Please stay in touch by subscribing to TLC's newsletter. Visit the website and sign up. 
 

PITCH DAY COACHES LEND EXPERTISE

Pitch Day coaching is underway!  Finalists receive 5-6 focused coaching sessions leading up to the big event on Wednesday, October 4th starting at 5 pm. We couldn't put on this world-class event without the help of our wonderful volunteer coaches...THANK YOU! Pitch Day is FREE and open to the public. We'll see you there! 

SC STAFF MEMBER HIGHLIGHT

Many entrepreneurs in our ecosystem are former competitive (and often professional) athletes. The experience they gained in sport shape who they are as entrepreneurs. As a former Division 1 alpine ski racer, SC staff member Brittney Ziebell knows a thing or two about competition. In this short film Brittney produced and launched in 2020, she explores what skiing and community mean to her in a new light on her own terms. 

LATITUDE is a poetic short documentary film that follows four daring young women to the 79th parallel, under 700 miles from the North Pole to rediscover themselves amidst Svalbard's epic arctic ocean sailing, ice mountain climbs, and ski descents.

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.
 

Deriving a bigger ‘why’ helps businesses flourish

Deriving a bigger ‘why’ helps businesses flourish

By Sandy Schultz Hessler

Last summer in Teton Valley, Idaho, I spent an evening on the land of a fifth-generation cattle farmer listening to his story of effective new grazing and siring techniques.

Over the years I’ve heard the founder of Cascade Engineering, which creates plastics’ design and injection molding, discuss its innovative employment model, and just recently I’ve enjoyed some evenings at Highpoint Cider in Victor, Idaho, listening to music or a story slam.

Over the years I’ve engaged with other organizations, including Stio, Vertical Harvest and more. While these organizations cover many industries, they hold something in common: a deep commitment to a core purpose, much deeper than just the products or services they bring to the marketplace.

You need only spend time with these founders or walk through their organizations to feel it. To the farmer his purpose is about sustaining a viable connection with the land for future generations. For Cascade Engineering it is about empowering people and giving everyone a chance; for Highpoint Cider it’s about creating community and connection.

I bring up these examples of the powerful ways that business becomes so much more than a financial bottom line. This work around the purpose and economics of mutual benefit is what I’ve been about for the past 30 years. It is also the core principle of the newly created Teton Leadership Center, founded by Silicon Couloir and Central Wyoming College.

Over 30 years ago in “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People,” Stephen Covey said that when we discover what deeply inspires us inside and what our more holistic purpose is, the money will follow. Highpoint Cider created a new drink as its financial “what,” but the underlying purpose points to inspiring community and connection. Additionally, organizations daily adhering to their core values also grow something much needed in the world right now: trust.

This bond of trust is the wider container of success that allows businesses to more easily innovate, to be nimbler and more creative in their thinking. It allows them to become better listeners, and to consistently replenish their energy with new ideas and new perspectives on how to bring that deeper purpose to life to benefit not just financial profits, but the health and well-being of all the stakeholders they touch.

This is the huge potential and possibility for our thriving future: When our purpose, values, collaboration and a deeper/broader sense of responsibility become infused in how we show up every day, companies across industries demonstrate that success grows wide and deep roots.

This way of thinking and being isn’t always easy or simple. It takes commitment and sometimes tough calls that prioritize a longer vision over short-term fixes. But research and data continue to demonstrate that businesses living their deeper purpose and values succeed more effectively in every direction: financial results, employee commitment, customer loyalty and environmental sustainability.

Continuing to learn and teach businesses how to live from this more holistic, multifaceted perspective is my purpose. I think of it as helping to awaken the Jedi within all of us. Many of us with a similar desire created the Teton Leadership Center.

We hope you’ll join us on Sept. 23 and 24 as we kick off the Teton Leadership Center’s first annual summit, titled “Connecting Deeper and Engaging Wide,’’ to learn from powerful thinkers and doers on how together through capitalism, connection and smart business practices we can strengthen the health and well-being of ourselves, our organizations and the nature around us.

And next time you’re in Victor, spend some time at High Point Cider and feel the power of community.

Visionary Ventures is a column written by the staff of Silicon Couloir. Contact Sandy Shultz Hessler via rebecca@siliconcouloir.com.

July News

MONTHLY CHANCE MEETINGS 

Monday, July 10, 5 - 7 pm @ Highpoint Cider in Victor, ID (7565 Lupine Lane)

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: Health and Wellness Companies in Teton Valley, ID and Alta, WY

Teton Valley, ID and Alta, WY, vital parts of Silicon Couloir's Teton regional service areas, are home to a myriad of thriving companies in the health and wellness space. Please join us on Monday, July 10th from 5-7 pm at Highpoint Cider in Victor, ID (7565 Lupine Lane) to hear elevator pitches and purchase product from the founders of the following four companies and one organization.

A pioneer in primal wisdom-meets-modern health, Cate Stillman is the leader at CLUB THRIVE (B2C) and WELLNESS PRO ACADEMY (B2B). CLUB THRIVE grew out of her first company, Yogahealer, which grossed $1.5M in 2020 with a small remote team and a high-profit margin. Cate’s unique thought leadership on primal habits and purposeful life strategy merge with the CLUB business model to guide both individuals and wellness professionals to form healthier communities around the planet.  

Naughty Fruit, Founded by Juan Morales, uses natural dehydration techniques that preserve the nutritional qualities of fresh fruit, we bring convenient, travel-ready snack.

Sweet Hollow Farm, founded by Jonah Sloven, is a diversified vegetable farm focused on growing food for our community using organic practices. The farm distribute direct to consumers through our Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program, farmers markets, and to various other restaurants and wholesale accounts.

Beppe Amodio is the co-founder and CFO of Orchestra Provisions, an alternative, cricket-based protein company. Beppe Kate Stoddard while working on the Middle Fork of the Salmon River. A year later, Beppe joined Kate in her mission to reimagine sustainable protein sources, adding his knowledge of business and mathematics to help the company expand its product line, streamline operations, and build a robust supply chain in order to scale operations.  

In today’s ever faster, complex and distractible world, it’s more important than ever to learn the leadership practices and skills of deepener listening and expanded awareness.  Sandy Schultz Hessler will share some key initiatives, including The Teton Leadership Center,  the latest in collaboration with Silicon Couloir and Central Wyoming College, to help us grow as heathy effective leaders of self, organizations and community. (Read more about the Teton Leadership Center and upcoming offerings below.)
 

REGISTER FOR CHANCE MEETINGS

NEWS AND NOTES

COMING SOON: PREMIER DEDICATED DESKS AT THE COWORK SPACE

Silicon Couloir is thrilled to announce that we're expanding The Cowork Space! Our newest suite will feature premium dedicated desks that are larger and more private than the current space offers.  The new space will include a separate kitchenette. Premium dedicated desks will be $450/ month. If you are interested in learning more and getting on the wait list please contact Kristine@siliconcouloir.com. 

TETON LEADERSHIP CENTER (TLC) LAUNCHES TO PROMOTE BUSINESS LEADERSHIP FOR THE GREATER GOOD

Teton Leadership Center, (TLC) a collaboration between Silicon Couloir and Central Wyoming College, launched this month to cultivate purpose-driven leadership and inspire innovative thinking about community and capitalism for organizations in Wyoming and around the globe.

“Our goal is to create an inspiring space for dialogue across complex issues in leadership and business, including growth and sustainability; ecosystems and economic systems; competition and collaboration,” says Sandy Schultz Hessler, Teton Leadership Center Executive Director. “We are blessed to have so many great thinkers and leaders here with varying perspectives willing to engage and teach.

TLC kicks off its offerings with the “Igniting Next Level Leadership: Connecting Deeper; Engaging Wider” conference Saturday, Sept. 23, and Sunday, Sept. 24, at Center for the Arts. 
 
TLC will also offer advanced upper-level college credit courses on purpose/values-driven leadership, regenerative entrepreneurship, and more beginning this fall.
 
Click the button below to learn more and register for the TLC Kickoff Summit ($99, early-bird registration thru August 15, $125 thereafter) and courses. 
 
For conference sponsorship opportunities, please contact sue@tetonleadership.org. 
 

REGISTER FOR THE CONFERENCE

NOONTIME KNOWLEDGE: GETTING STARTED WITH CHAT GTP AND AUTOMATING YOUR BUSYWORK 

Want to learn more about Chat GTP and what it can do for you? Join us on Tuesday, July 18th from 12-1 at the Center for the Arts conference room for a FREE workshop with Chat GTP expert and Founder of ByeBye Busywork Zach Rachlin. Register by clicking the button below. 

Dive into the world of AI with ChatGPT, a tool that can help you simplify and automate everyday tasks for your business or personal life. We’ll look at what it does well, where it falls short, what to watch out for. Learn how to craft effective prompts to get the best bang for your buck. Bring your lunch and leave with all the tools and resources to start transforming the way you tackle your to-do-list.

Content includes:

• What is ChatGPT and what are language models in general (very high level). Who built it, facts and misconceptions, what it’s good/bad at, what alternatives are out there.

• How you can start using Chat GPT with a personalized set up. 

• The top 5 things you could start using ChatGPT (or another model) for today to start saving yourself time.

• Things to watch out for and be careful of when using AI and Language Models like ChatGPT.

• How to scale with automation. (i.e. what if you didn’t have to have a chat session with ChatGPT every time you wanted to make use of its power?)

• Intro to ByeByeBusywork: how we can combine AI with automation to take things to a whole new level.

REGISTER HERE

TWO SC TEAMS COMPANIES ACCEPTED INTO gBETA

Congratulations to Marko Ruble, Founder and CEO of Yerguides.io, and Shawn O'Connor, Founder and CEO of Mazzy Health, for being accepted into Gener8tor's gBETA Wyoming's spring cohort. Both companies are active participants in TEAMS. 

Yerguides.io is a web3 digital map store for critical insights into new destinations for a new type of traveling remote worker called digital nomads. Yerguides.io provides an online marketplace for freelance peer-to-peer guiding services, catering specifically to digital nomads who seek remote work and travel opportunities. Yerguides.io connects digital nomads with fellow digital nomads, local guides, mentors, travel brands, and cultural awareness groups, enabling them to make informed decisions about their next adventure. Yerguides.io transforms travel maps into digital assets and transforms digital assets into travel intelligence.

Mazzy Health is a subscription service that provides top quality mental health and wellness services to tweens and teens in communities large and small. Through our proprietary technology platform, adolescents benefit from weekly individual therapy and academic coaching while supporting one another in study halls and group discussions.

 

CHRISTIAN BECKWITH HONORED BY 10TH MOUNTAIN DIVISION

Christian Beckwith, Start-Up Success grad and producer of the podcast "90 Pound Rucksack", was inducted into the 10th Mountain Division Warrior Legend Hall of Fame last week.

The podcast, which will provide the foundation for a book, is the story of the formation of the U.S. Army's10th Mountain Division (often referred to as "the 10th"), and how the 10th impacted mountain recreation and the outdoor industry as we know it today. The 10th helped end Germany’s occupation of Italy with the use of alpine climbing and skiing in extreme mountainous terrain. The history of mountaineering in the Tetons is interwoven in the podcast, as many of it's founding members cut their teeth in the Tetons. 

“The 10th Mountain Division is one of the most important units in U.S. military history,” Beckwith said. “Not only has its service been critical to U.S. security, but its contributions to outdoor recreation have shaped a cornerstone of American society.”

Click the button below to learn more and hear the podcast. 
 

LISTEN TO THE PODCAST

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.
 

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