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.)
 

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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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Silicon Couloir · PO Box 804 · Jackson, WY 83001 · USA

June News

MONTHLY CHANCE MEETINGS 

Monday, June 5, 5 - 7 pm @ The Virginian ~ 750 West Broadway

Please register below 

Sometimes all you need is the right connection and a little inspiration. Well, what are you waiting for?  Find both at our free monthly networking event. You never know...

Theme: Start-Up Success Student Pitches

Join us on Monday, June 5th from 5-7 pm at The Virginian to hear graduates from the spring Start-Up Success cohort course share their elevator pitches and discuss key learnings and insights from the course. Network with these new founders and learn about their business ideas or plans to grow existing companies.  

Photo: Our wonderful 2023 SUS cohort and instructor Liza Millet. (Not pictured: Instructor Sandy Schultz Hessler.)

Here's what this year's students had to say about SUS: 

"This course helps provide structure, forces you to ask yourself hard questions, and gives you a clear path forward." 

"The best class I have ever taken on business."
 

REGISTER FOR CHANCE MEETINGS

SC UPDATES MISSION, VISION, AND VALUES

On behalf of all of us at Silicon Couloir we are excited to share our updated Mission, Vision, Values statements as a key component of of our “Vision 2030” strategy initiative.
 
Our 2022 Silicon Couloir Board strategic retreat was the genesis for our “Vision 2030” strategic planning initiative. The driver for this was a realization that the world and Teton region has changed. While our service offerings remain relevant and in high-demand, we want to be sure Silicon Couloir is positioned to provide the highest value world-class services for entrepreneurs now and into the future. Our Mission, Vision, and Values drives everything we do, and updates reflect a greater emphasis on providing a broad range of services while building community with in the various sectors of our ecosystem. We look forward to sharing more about our Vision 2030 plans moving forward.   

—Tom Quantrille, Board Chair

OUR MISSION:

To empower entrepreneurship in the Tetons for a healthy, vibrant community. 

OUR VISION

To provide relevant, world-class programs and support for Teton entrepreneurs.

OUR CORE VALUES

• COMMUNITY

  We value community in all its forms, and strive to build community amongst empowered entrepreneurs. We celebrate diversity of people and thought while nurturing a diverse community of volunteers and servant leaders. Most of all, we value building a healthy and vibrant community that supports all socio-economic levels as well as the natural attributes that make the Tetons region so special. We believe ventures can do "good" by doing well and do well by doing "good".

• INTEGRITY

  Ethical and moral behavior is the foundation for everything we say and do. We value listening and learning. We believe open, honest communication and transparency are fundamental to achieving our service mission. We believe the Tetons-forged spirit of directly confronting risk and adventure is part of our region's secret sauce for success.

• COMMITMENT

  We value 360 commitment. We are committed to putting words into impactful action; to providing world-class programming and support to entrepreneurs and their ventures; to having fun while putting forth monumental effort. In return, we expect those in our ecosystem to commit to excellence and success.

CALLING ALL PITCH DAY APPLICANTS

Silicon Couloir is pleased to announce that we will accept entrepreneur applications for our 12th Annual Pitch Day beginning Monday, May 29th and ending Friday, June 16th. 

Pitch Day— “Like that Shark Show, Teton Style”—will be held at the Center for the Arts on the evening of Wednesday, October 4th. 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 will be awarded in three categories: the Panelist Choice Award, the Audience Choice Award, and the Bob Arndt Community Caretaker Award. Stay tuned for more information regarding increased prize money this year. 
 
To learn about applicant criteria, and program commitment, and how to apply, click on the button below. 

LEARN MORE

VISIONARY VENTURES: 
KEELYS’ CAMP: WOMEN IN SPORT FACILITATES BUSINESS SUCCESS

Of the women who hold C-Suite positions in business, 94% have a background in sport. There is an indisputable correlation between athleticism and business success. Attributes such as self-discipline, confidence and self-efficacy are born in sport and carried throughout life. But by age 17 more than half of girls — 51% — will have quit sports. These are statistics that Keely Kelleher, founder and director of Keely's Camp, shared with me immediately as we sat down on a spring evening in Jackson.

"Keelys’ Camp: Women in Sport Facilitates Business Success," Silicon Couloir's May Visionary Ventures column, is the story of how one athlete entrepreneur is changing the coaching dynamic and subsequent success for many girls in alpine and backcountry skiing, and thereby, is creating future leaders. 
 

READ THE COLUMN HERE

WELCOME TO NEW SC STAFF MEMBER

We're pleased to welcome Kristine Brandt to the team as our new Cowork Space and Administrative Manager. Originally from British Columbia, Canada, Kristine grew up in Upstate New York and has lived in Jackson off and on since 1992. Kristine has a BS in Psychology & Economics from St. Lawrence University and holds an MBA from the University of Denver.

After working with a couple of start-up companies in Jackson, Kristine’s subsequent finance degree took her to Manhattan, where she was a Private Equity investor with Invesco Private Capital for twelve years. Upon returning to Jackson, Kristine served as President of the Board of the Doug Coombs Foundation (now “Coombs Outdoors”) sparking her interest in the non-profit sector.

"I am enthusiastic about this position with Silicon Couloir for several reasons, but primarily because it brings together my past roles investing in venture capital and private equity firms, love for this town and respect and appreciation for the non-profit sector, states Kristine. "I hope my background in these areas proves valuable to Silicon Couloir."

TEAMS IS SEEKING MENTORS

TEAMS is seeking new mentors to join the program and support local entrepreneurs. Mentors are asked to volunteer approximately 4.5 hours per month, and mentor perks include a Monthly Mentor Luncheon with unique local presenters and networking opportunities with other mentors in the program. 

"After more than 20 years of visiting Jackson I was thrilled to land here full-time in 2021 and become a part of this vibrant, active community. I initially took some time to explore the many organizations in which to involve myself and happily discovered Silicon Couloir. I attended Pitch Day and was impressed by the quality of the presentations and variety of business representation. I was sold from that day forward! The framework and tools of TEAMS makes for a smooth entry to the business mentor role. Taking a break from my business career, I missed the tempo and solving problems in business day-to-day. Engaging in TEAMS and becoming a mentor is my joy. I currently mentor two teams, both of whom are smart, focused, coachable and driven to succeed. Attending monthly Chance Meetings and mentor luncheons connects me to an instant community of business peers and entrepreneurs. The time commitment for these events plus mentoring 2-3 teams is quite manageable (approx. 4.5 hours per month).  Jackson is incredibly fortunate to have TEAMS supporting the entrepreneurs and making a difference every day in our community.

-Kathleen Brown, TEAMS Mentor & Silicon Couloir Trustee

LEARN MORE & APPLY

THE COWORK SPACE OFFERS DAY PASSES

If you or a visitor need a clean, convenient workspace with all necessary office amenities, consider a day pass at The Cowork Space.  Located in the heart of Jackson, steps from the town square. The Cowork Space inspires creativity and productivity.
 

PURCHASE A DAY PASS

WELCOME TO NEW TRUSTEE

A warm welcome to new Silicon Couloir Trustee Michael Murphy. Thank you Murphy for your generous commitment to supporting entrepreneurship in the Teton region.

Murphy is the Founder & CEO of Siddha Privacy, Inc. and a lifetime technology entrepreneur. Murphy has been building companies for over two decades, and now his sole focus is building Siddha with a 20-year view to positively impact the future of humanity.

Prior to Siddha, Murphy founded and scaled high-growth companies across eCommerce, APIs, and artificial intelligence. Two achieved significant exits - one acquired by Overstock.com (Nasdaq: OSTK) and another acquired by (ERI), the largest cyber-security recycler in the U.S.

Murphy founded Siddha with a clear mission: to maximize human freedom. Central to this mission is empowering individuals through cryptocurrency's original promise of being censorship-resistant, decentralized, and trustless.

ILLA FINALIST FOR INSPIRATION AWARD

ILLA was recently named as a finalist for the 13th annual Outdoor Retailer Inspiration Awards. Presented to people, brands, and organizations, the awards recognize those dedicated to getting more people outside, supporting access, and improving the outdoor experience. 

Congratulations to Tana Hoffman, ILLA Founder, for her innovative work building community for women in the outdoors. 

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.
 

Keelys’ Camp: Women in Sport Facilitates Business Success

Keelys’ Camp: Women in Sport Facilitates Business Success

By Brittney Ziebell

Of the women who hold C-Suite positions in business, 94% have a background in sport. There is an indisputable correlation between athleticism and business success. Attributes such as self-discipline, confidence and self-efficacy are born in sport and carried throughout life. But by age 17 more than half of girls — 51% — will have quit sports. These are statistics that Keely Kelleher, founder and director of Keely’s Camp, shared with me immediately as we sat down for dinner on a spring evening in Jackson.

Kelleher is a retired World Cup Alpine ski racer who specialized in super-G and downhill, the fastest disciplines in the sport, oftentimes reaching speeds exceeding 80 mph. But when I sat down with Keely and asked her about her story, she doesn’t share anything about how she was ranked 38th in the world in super-G, or about how she was the 2010 super-G national champion after overcoming seven surgeries and being sidelined for three years during recovery. Rather than sharing a story about her comeback from injury and the accomplishments of her time as a World Cup racer, Kelleher focused on the fact that she was not coached by a female until she was 19 years old and approaching the pinnacle of her competitive career.

When Kelleher was assigned to her first female coach, she experienced a similar “Tough love, if you can’t keep up, you’re left behind” treatment that was exuded by the rest of the male-dominant coaching fleet at the time.

“Although I was building my mental fortitude, I didn’t realize how badly I needed someone to support me as a female athlete,” she said.

Kelleher continued to dedicate herself to the sport by building her strength and refining her technique, but she lacked the ability to see herself in role models that surrounded her.

“I had some incredible male coaches throughout my career, but there are moments when you need someone to relate to on a deeper level,” she said

We discussed how women coaching like men is not an empowering, modern-day tactic for girls.

“Female athletes can be tough, but they also need space to be their authentic female selves,” she said.

That is why, six years later at the age of 25, Kelleher founded Keely’s Camp, an all-women-led business for ski racing, backcountry skiing, mountain biking and kayaking, with a focus on empowering young girls ages 8 to 18 and bolstering female ski coaches ages 18 and up.

Since Keely’s Camp was founded in 2011 it has grown to host more than 400 campers a year and employ 30 female coaches, and its most popular camps have a 35-person waitlist. Camp locations have expanded nationally to Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Colorado and Wyoming, and internationally to New Zealand, Chile and Iceland. Campers learn self-discipline, grit and adaptability, and develop a “get up and try again” attitude.

The all-female coaching staff pushes one another and practices stepping into leadership roles. Kristin Waddle and Leanne Smith, for example, retired NCAA Division I ski racer and two-time Alpine ski Olympian, respectively, have coached at Keely’s Camp since its infancy.

Today they are the only two female Alpine program directors in the 67 certified ski clubs in the United States. The leadership skills practiced at camps gave them the space and the confidence they needed to step into larger roles in the industry.

Keely’s Camp also offers a Coach Internship Program, where women who were once young campers can coach the next generation, pay forward the skills and life lessons that they learned and develop their own professional leadership skills.

“They’re coaching with confidence and setting their own courses,” Kelleher said, “which is a big deal considering the first woman to ever set a World Cup Alpine ski course only took place five years ago, in 2018.”

As I sat with Kelleher and discussed ways her business is changing the culture of women in sport and business, she leaned forward.

“Without sports, I don’t think that I ever would have accomplished what I have,” she said. “Women in sport is a greater influence than we will ever realize. I’m so proud of what we have built.”

She is clearly passionate about this topic but spoke calmly and eloquently about small steps of tangible change happening at each camp. Her humility is striking. After we spent an hour together, she finally shared with me that she just returned from Alaska the day before, and that she skied and filmed some of the toughest, most intimidating ski lines of her life.

She quickly changed the topic, and her eyes lit up as she spoke proudly about her participation in Start-Up Success, a six-week foundational course for entrepreneurs hosted by Silicon Couloir, and about TEAMS — Teton Entrepreneurs And Mentor Services — a mentoring program offered by Silicon Couloir, which she recently joined. She told me that Start-Up Success is offering her the chance to revisit important fundamentals in running a business, and that her mentors have helped her to understand the needs of her audience and home in on a more refined marketing strategy for her camps.

That is Keely in a nutshell: someone consistently pushing herself to do better and to be better 12 years after retiring from World Cup ski racing and founding her business. She has a mindset of lifelong learning, which is an attribute that makes for a good athlete, business person and coach.

As I wrapped up my conversation with Kelleher, I asked her what can be done to create inclusive environments in sports and in business — environments where everyone has a seat at the table and equal opportunity to achieve greatness. She said that it all comes down to constant consideration and awareness. We must allow each other the space to hone skills, the space to speak up, the space to feel heard and occasionally the space to make mistakes, fall, get up and try again.

“This provides the tools and education to respond, advocate for yourself and to not settle for traditional gender roles,” she said.

A supportive, open-minded and patient team is a powerful force for change, Kelleher said.

To learn more about Keely’s Camp, visit KeelysCamp.com. To learn more about Start-Up Success, TEAMS and other programming and events that Silicon Couloir offers to entrepreneurs, visit SiliconCouloir.com.

Former U.S. Ski Team racer Keely Kelleher has expanded her camps nationally and internationally.

May News

MONTHLY CHANCE MEETINGS 

Monday, May 1, 5 - 7 pm @ The Virginian ~ 750 West Broadway

Please register below 

Sometimes all you need is the right connection and a little inspiration. Well, what are you waiting for?  Find both at our free monthly networking event. You never know...

Theme—Beyond Profit: Companies That Benefit People and Planet

Silicon Couloir's guiding principle of "Profit. People. Planet." means that we encourage and celebrate business models that work for more that just the bottom line by striving to have a positive impact on both society and the environment. Join us at Chance Meetings on Monday, May 1st from 5-7 pm at The Virginia as we explore the many company structures and strategies that result in a positive triple bottom line. Our esteemed panel include Colby Cox, Co-Founder of Roadhouse Brewing, a Certified B-Corp with a "Best in the World" designation for environmental practices; Steve Sullivan, Founder and CEO of Stio, which is 100% Climate Neutral Certified and focuses on sustainability and stewardship; and Nona Yehia, Co-Founder and CEO of Vertical Harvest, a company wholly committed to sustainable agriculture, food security, and inclusive employment.
 

REGISTER FOR CHANCE MEETINGS

Learn more about our panelists...

Colby Cox is the Founder and a Managing Partner at Convergence Investments, a real estate private equity firm that specializes in transforming land into innovative residential Master Planned Communities. 

Cox is also the Co-Founder of Roadhouse Brewing, a Certified Benefit Corporation. that has committed itself to taking steps towards helping the environment. These steps have gained us an even more distinguished designation among B Corporations as “Best for the World” in the Environment category. that has committed itself to taking steps towards helping the environment. These steps have gained us an even more distinguished designation among B Corporations as “Best for the World” in the Environment category. 

Cox also serves on the board of several nationally affiliated non-profits, and has been active on boards and advisory panels for the US Green Building Council, and multiple privately held companies. He currently serves on the Resource Council and the Finance Committee for the Grand Teton National Park Foundation. He is also a Trustee of Silicon Couloir. Since starting his first company at 22, Cox has remained committed to the promotion of entrepreneurial leadership. He founded and continues to lead the Convergence Business Plan Panel, which provides coaching and scholarships to local high school students who have an interest in entrepreneurship. Cox is also a member of the Young Presidents Organization. 

Cox received a B.S. in Real Estate Finance and Construction Management from the University of Denver, where he was a four-year starter and Captain of their Division I lacrosse team. In 2009, he earned an M.B.A. from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. Cox is an avid homebrewer and paraglider pilot. He and his wife Blythe have three children and live in Jackson.

Stephen Sullivan is the Founder/CEO of Stio® a direct-to-consumer outdoor lifestyle brand based in Jackson, Wyoming. Sullivan was previously the CEO of Mountain Origins LLC, a consulting group with a focus in the Outdoor, Snowsports and Fly-Fishing industries and formerly the Co-Founder/President of Cloudveil®, an outdoor apparel manufacturer.  
 
Sullivan’s product, marketing and brand acumen has resulted in award-winning product and design communication creative including, among many, six Malden Mills Apex Awards for design excellence, three Outside Magazine “Gear of the Year” honors and awards from Advertising Age and US Ad Review. Sullivan’s resume of entrepreneurial accolades includes profiles in Inc., Entrepreneur, Mountain, Inspirato, Outside, Men’s Journal, Forbes, JH Style, Outdoor Retailer, Powder, Elevation and Sporting Goods Business. Sullivan’s company Stio® has been named one of Outside’s Magazines “Best Places to Work” for the past five years - 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022.
 
Sullivan is a frequent panelist and lecturer in the outdoor/snowsports/fly fishing space and serves as a business mentor to several local and national companies. He is a board member/treasurer of the Jackson Hole One Fly Foundation and Center Management, Inc. He was formerly Vice Chairman of The American Fly-Fishing Trade Association, and board member of both Jackson Youth Soccer and 1% for the Tetons. Sullivan holds a BA in Humanities from Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado and lives in Wilson, Wyoming with his wife Anna and three children, Pryor, Stewart and Harriet. In his free time Sullivan is an avid skier, cyclist, fly fisherman, climber, trail runner, rancher and youth sports transportation specialist.
 

Nona Yehia’s great passion project has been the groundbreaking Vertical Harvest (VH) project in downtown Jackson Hole. Vertical Harvest, begun in 2009 by Nona and co-founder Penny McBride, is a stunning vertical greenhouse with a 1/10 acre footprint that produces over 100,000 pounds of produce every year. A working expression of form supporting function, VH addresses issues and values of great importance to Nona and our community: agricultural integrity, economic sustainability, accessibility and quality employment for the differently-abled, all addressed through a rigorous design-driven process.
 
Nona graduated from the University of Michigan and then earned a Masters degree in architecture from the Columbia University Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation. Previous to GYDE, Nona was privileged to work with Reiser+Umemoto in New York and 13 years with Jefferson Ellinger, her partner in E/Ye which eventually moved from New York to Jackson, Wyoming. Highlights from her work included recognition from the Museum of Modern Art as a finalist their Young Architects Program, the flagship Stio Mountain Studio in Jackson,Persephone Bakery, Picnic, and Orsetto Italian Eatery.

A mother and wife, Nona also serves on governing boards for the Center for the Arts and local radio station, KHOL, where she enjoys a loyal following as a DJ. Once introduced at the SHIFT Festival as “The Renaissance Woman of Jackson Hole”, Nona loves good books, new music, and great food.

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NEWS AND NOTES

VISIONARY VENTURES: VENTURE CAPITAL FUND WORKS TO HELP WOMEN

Our April column profiles Carli Sapir, Founder of Amboy Street Ventures, which, impressively, closed a $20M fund in April. Sapir was also named a Forbes "30 Under 30" this year. Amboy is the world's first venture capital firm that invests in women's health and sexual health technology startups. Read more about the groundbreaking work Sapir is doing by clicking on the button below. 

 

READ THE COLUMN HERE

WATCH OUR LATEST ENTREPRENEUR VIDEO STARRING IKSPLOR

We sat down with sisters Karissa Akin and Kailey Gieck, Co-Founders of Iksplor, to learn about how Silicon Couloir programs have helped the company grow from an idea to a highly successful all women business that is unique in their space.
 

WATCH HERE

PLANTING THE SEEDS TO PURSUE DREAMS

Executive Director Gary Trauner recently attended a pitch session at Summit Innovations School at Teton County School District. Roughly ten high school students presented their entrepreneurial business ideas to Gary and teacher Rick Gordon. Gary and Rick provided feedback and guidance to each student. In keeping with its community-focused mission, Silicon Couloir believes reaching out to younger generations is critical to their future success.

WELCOME TO NEW TRUSTEE

A warm welcome to new Silicon Couloir Trustee Kathleen Brown. Thank you Kathleen for your generous commitment to supporting entrepreneurship in the Teton region.

Kathleen Brown is the former CHRO of eviCore healthcare, a subsidiary of Cigna. She joined eviCore in August of 2010 to re-build the people & talent function. As a member of the executive team, she led the talent strategy for the organization amidst five acquisitions, worked with private equity investors, the re-branding of eviCore in 2015, the 2018 purchase of eviCore by Express Scripts and subsequent acquisition by Cigna. During her time with Cigna,she led the eviCore HR integration and as well as the HR integration of MDLIVE, a telehealth company acquired by Cigna earlier in 2021. Her prior experience includes serving as partner and engagement manager at Hewitt (later purchased by Aon). 

Kathleen received her Bachelor of Business Administration (B.B.A.) degree at Loyola University of Chicago. She holds the following professional designations: Certified Society for Human Resource Management Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP); Certified Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR), by the HR Certification Institute; ATD and MMS coaching certificates, is a member of the International Coaching Federation (ICF) and recently became certified in Mental Health First Aid USA through the National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare. 

Kathleen is originally from the Chicago area, and after living in the southeast United States for more than 30 years, recently relocated to Jackson, Wyoming. She supports several local non-profit organizations including Becoming Jackson Whole, Jackson Historical Society, recently joined the Community Safety Network and Coombs Outdoors board of directors and is a business mentor to entrepreneurial start-ups within Silicon Couloir. 

T.H.R.I.V.E. EMERGING LEADERS REIMAGINED NOW ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS

 For the first time in the 15 year history of the program, the SBA will combine its Colorado and Wyoming training classes and hold in person sessions in both Fort Collins, CO and Cheyenne, WY. 

T.H.R.I.V.E. Emerging Leaders Reimagined is an executive-level training series intended to give ambitious small business leaders a challenging opportunity to accelerate their growth through targeted training led by motivating leaders in small business development. T.H.R.I.V.E. Emerging Leaders Reimagined revolutionizes the rich history of executive-level training for small businesses poised for growth.
 

LEARN MORE & APPLY 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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VC fund works to help women

Venture capital fund works to help women

By Rebecca Reimers

In 2022 startup teams composed entirely of women received less than 2% of allocated venture capital according to TechCrunch.com. Discouragingly, that's down from 2.4% in 2021. Amboy Street Ventures is chipping away at the imbalance by funneling 70% of its own investments into women-led companies.

Amboy is the world's first venture capital firm that invests in women's health and sexual health technology startups. Such investments help ensure success for promising startups by providing capital in exchange for company equity.

The venture capital firm participates in Silicon Couloir Teton Entrepreneurs and Mentors Service program and uses the nonprofit's co-work space in downtown Jackson.

At Silicon Couloir we believe private business can perhaps have the largest social impact of the three main sectors: government, nonprofit and private business.

Amboy Street Ventures is an unequivocal illustration of this maxim.

Amboy, a mission-aligned investment fund, is changing the landscape of venture capital for women in four important ways: First, it's a women powered fund investing in companies, which are led by women. These women also use female founded portfolio companies, with capital from women.

Over 50% of Amboy's limited partner investors are women, many of whom are Jackson locals, in comparison to the 2% average of women limited partners across other venture capital firms. And, most importantly, Amboy is the world's first venture capital fund in the sector of sexual health and women's health.

From a business perspective, Amboy is a rising star. Just last month, Amboy closed a $20 million round and saw over one thousand deals in 2022. Founder Carli Sapir, a Jackson resident, was named as a Forbes 30 under 30 this year, an exclusive group of leaders under 30 years old across a range of industries.

"I don't think I could have started Amboy Street Ventures without Silicon Couloir," Sapir said. "I found a group of people that resonated with my work quickly and decided to lean in whether it was through mentorship in Silicon Couloir TEAMS mentoring program or through investment. It's a more helpful and tighter community than I have found anywhere else." For society as a whole, Amboy is changing the conversation about sexual health and women's health. "Our mission at Amboy Street is to destigmatize women's health and sexual health for all genders," Sapir said. "Every single one of our portfolio companies is doing that in some way. There is so much shame around these women's health and sexual health issues that should not be shameful. They're just part of everyday life and health care. Having these companies brand themselves as 'No shame, no stigma, and just immediate accessible solutions' has been changing the industry."

Key focus areas of Amboy are: maternal health and fertility, menstruation and hormonal health, menopause and aging, abortion access and contraception, LGBTQIA-plus health and gender-affirming care, and sexual health and pleasure.

Illustrating the need for greater conversation and change in these areas, Sapir points to a John Hopkins survey that found only 20% of obstetrics and gynecology physicians are educated on menopause. Amboy has two portfolio companies that offer specialized menopause services.

"The reason why these things are brushed under the rug and stigmatized is a lack of education," Sapir said. "And these companies are really bringing the solutions to the forefront of people's attention."

Sapir found an organic path to her current role. She began working in engineering and then a private equity firm after college and couldn't help but notice she was the only woman on the North American team. Seeking more women in the field, she joined networks and met women investors sharing opportunities to invest in early-stage female-founded companies. She also gained a group of female founder friends raising money for their own startups. When she saw promising opportunities, Sapir brought the startups to her investor network, which resulted in significant capital raises for the startups. Over time Sapir had increasing requests to assist with company fundraising. In 2019 she started the Female Founded Club, an online networking organization that has assisted over 1,000 female founders and raised capital from over 500 venture capitalists.

"And by the way," Sapir said, "I was still working a day job in private equity. I was doing this at night as a hobby. There was no business model."

Having found her sweet spot in investing and motivated by a desire to change the landscape, Sapir founded Amboy Services in May 2020. Since that time she has brought on two general partners and an analyst, all of whom are women. Her general partners came from the go-to consulting agency for women's health and sexual health companies. Sapir approached the team about consulting for her companies and they countered with becoming co-general partners.

The company name is inspired by the first birth control clinic in the United States, which Margaret Sanger opened at 46 Amboy St. in Brooklyn in 1916. At the time both birth control and abortion were illegal in the U.S., and simply publishing or circulating information on either topic was deemed obscene and illegal by the federal Comstock Act. Sanger was arrested at least eight times in her career, but persevered and founded the American Birth Control League, and served as its president until 1928. The league was one of the parent organizations of the Birth Control Federation of America, which in 1942 became the Planned Parenthood Federation of America.

Like Sanger, Sapir and her partners are bold pioneers for equity by providing opportunities for companies with new ideas and approaches to women's health and sexual health to thrive.

April News

MONTHLY CHANCE MEETINGS 

Monday, April 3rd,  5 - 7 pm @ The Virginian Saloon ~ 750 West Broadway

Please register below 

Sometimes all you need is the right connection and a little inspiration. Well, what are you waiting for?  Find both at our free monthly networking event. You never know...

Theme—The Athlete Entrepreneur: Lessons from the Mountains

Grit, focus, determination, coachability...all of these qualities make for a superior athlete AND a successful entrepreneur. Our unique combination of mountain access, western spirit, and support for entrepreneurs has drawn and cultivated a notable crop of of athlete entrepreneurs in the Teton region. Join us on Monday, April 3rd from 5-7 pm at the Virginian Saloon for a conversation about how to apply lessons from our athletic lives to our professional lives. Panelists include former professional athletes turned entrepreneurs Mikey Franco, Founder of Franco Snowshapes, Keely Kelleher, Founder of Keely's Camp, and Sam Schwartz, Founder of Avant Delivery. 
 

REGISTER FOR CHANCE MEETINGS

Learn a little more about our panelists...

Mikey Franco started teaching snowboarding in 1987 at Tussey Mountain, a small hill in PA. From there he began his path with the American Association of Snowboard Instructors. With a certification as a professional instructor, he was offered a job with
the Jackson Hole Snowboard School in 1990. Franco moved up the ranks, being one of the few instructors that was certified. In 1995, he took over the
job of running the school, managing a staff of 60 instructors, growing the school to become the premier snowboard school in the west. During
this time, he was on the AASI national team, a backcountry guide at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, and guided in Alaska for Alaska Rendezvous Heli guides.

After a season-ending injury in 2010, Franco's snowboard shaping pursuit
began at the Igneous Ski Factory. In June of 2020, he built his own
workshop in Victor, Idaho—The Franco Snowshapes Factory. With the new space, Franco and team continue to make the most innovative, exclusive and stunning custom snowboards in the world. And with the new factory, there are have unlimited possibilities, including OEM manufacturing for smaller, independent brands and maybe even skis some day!

As a Big Sky, MT native, Keely Kelleher, found her passion for the outdoors and skiing early. She started ski racing at five years old and pursued it for 20 years, eight of which were on the U.S. Ski Team. Kelleher raced competitively on the World Cup speed circuit and won the 2010 National Super G title. After racing ended she returned to her roots of skiing big mountain terrain leading to a two-time win of the Red Bull Rahlves Banzai Big Mountain Skier Cross tour, was a featured athlete in two Warren Miller Films, and Sweetgrass productions, and is a professional skier today. 

Post retirement from the U.S. Ski Team Keely earned her B.A. in Business Management at Westminster College in Utah and won the Opportunity Quest Business Plan competition to kick off Keely's Camp. In 2011, Kelleher founded the first ski racing camp for girls in North America, Keely’s Camp for Girls, based around the mission to empower, inspire, educate, and connect the next generation of girls in outdoor sports through female mentors, guides, and coaches. The camp has grown eleven times its initial size, has coached thousands of girls in skiing, mountaineering, whitewater kayaking, and mountain biking. Keely's Camp has been in operation for 12 years.

Outside of skiing you can find Keely enjoying the outdoors with her friends, her dog Olle, and family. She loves whitewater kayaking, mountain biking, kite surfing and climbing mountains!

Sam Schwartz is an entrepreneur and athlete. After 10 years as a professional big mountain skier he transitioned into entrepreneurship through his start up Avant Delivery, a tech enabled reusable packaging company. With a technical background in accounting Schwartz also works as an Investment Banking Associate at Yellowstone Capital Advisors. 

Schwartz is dedicated to solving important societal problems and giving back to the community. He believes in using private business to drive lasting societal change and gives his personal time to help mentor underserved high school students in the mountains. In his spare time he dives deep into 100 mile ultra races, ski mountaineering, bow hunting, and cooking.

NEWS AND NOTES

MENTORING PROGRAM FLOURISHES

Silicon Couloir's TEAMS (Teton Entrepreneurs And Mentor Services) Program currently serves 19 Ventures, 52 mentors, and 8 Mentor Specialists, and averages around 60 hours of cumulative volunteered time per month via mentor meetings. 6 Ventures in the program are based in Teton Valley, Idaho. 

We've welcomed 4 new ventures since January: Keely's Camp, Voices Jackson Hole, Teatonic Kombucha, and Mazzy Health. TEAMS continues to experience a high demand from local businesses with 7+ applicants in the pipeline. TEAMS has launched a nonprofit pilot program and encourages nonprofits based in the Teton Region who are seeking mentorship to apply.

TEAMS is also seeking experienced mentors to join our program. If you are interested, please click our "Mentor Application" on the TEAMS website to review requirements and to submit your application. 

WELCOME TO NEW TRUSTEES

A warm welcome to two new Silicon Couloir Trustees. Thank you to Brian Garrett  and Stephen Fronk for your generous commitment to supporting entrepreneurship in the Teton region.

Brian Garrett is originally from Michigan and has lived in San Francisco for more than 20 years. After studying business and earning his commercial/instrument pilot’s license, Brian worked with tenants at San Francisco International Airport. Brian also worked in architectural CAD software sales prior to real estate sales and is enthusiastic about architecture and design.

Brian is a founding partner at Side, Inc.  And real estate brokerage which is venture backed with over $24B in sales in 17 States in 2022

Brian works tirelessly for his clients by being in constant communication with them and by ensuring that they are very well informed from the initial meeting through to close of escrow. In addition, Brian is committed to his clients’ needs and listens very carefully to ensure that he is able to achieve their desired goals. Brian’s repeat business is a testament to these traits and the earnestness he brings to his dealings with his clients.

Stephen Fronk focuses his practice on technology and intellectual property transactions. In particular, he has deep experience advising clients on digital media-related transactions and for many years has negotiated digital entertainment content distribution deals with leaders in the movie, television, music, publishing and consumer electronics industries. Representative clients include Amazon.com, Churchill Downs, eBay, Hulu, Microsoft, PayPal, Splunk, Salesforce.com, Shape Security, Twitch, Vital Proteins, and Vessel.

Stephen advises emerging and public companies, venture funds, entrepreneurs and individuals on a wide range of intellectual property-related issues, including copyright, patent, trademark and trade secret licensing, protection and enforcement, software and hardware development and distribution, and the establishment and operation of Internet-based businesses and services. He also routinely counsels clients on the intellectual property-related aspects of mergers, acquisitions, spin-offs and strategic investments. 

BEYOND EFFICIENCY IS HIRING

SC TEAMS company Beyond Efficiency is hiring a product manager to successfully launch BuildingGenius. BuildingGenius is a B2B SaaS platform that layers a community network over a knowledge base for building industry professionals. 

Congratulations to the Beyond Efficiency team for making BuildingGenius a reality!  

For full details, please visit the Silicon Couloir Career Board. 

SILICON COULOIR TEAM ROCKED THE RIDE! 

Congratulations to The Silicon Couloir Rock the Ride Team for raising over $2K for local stroke and cardiac patients through St. John's Health Foundation! Thank you to Liza Millet, LizAnn Eisen, Siri Cosper, Caitlin Iseler, and Carli Sapir for caring for others through community, camaraderie and connection! 

ROCKY MOUNTAIN VENTURES CONFERENCE FEATURES SC ENTREPRENEURS

Three companies from the SC ecosystem —ILLA, happyly, and Highpoint Cider— have been selected to present at the Rocky Mountain Ventures Conference. The conference will be held on Thursday, April 6th at the National Museum of Wildlife Art. Silicon Couloir is a proud sponsor of the conference. Details and registration 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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March News

MONTHLY CHANCE MEETINGS 

Monday, March 6,  5 - 7 pm @ The Virginian Saloon (750 West Broadway)

Please register below 

NOTE NEW LOCATION @ THE NEWLY REMODELED VIRGINIAN SALOON

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: Living your idea through your customers eyes with Sandy Schultz Hessler

We talk a lot about the power of elevator pitches to clarify and quickly message what we’re doing and why.  

But to truly understand how to build stickiness and loyalty to our products and services, we need to learn to walk in our customers’ shoes. When we learn how to speak in their language and understand their hopes / fears / desires and world view, we tap into creating community and loyalty beyond just buying a product — and that can make all the difference in how we show up to our employees, customers, and suppliers as well as opening up new ways of distribution, product design, pricing, and packaging.

Come and play with "living your idea through your customers’ eyes" and the expand your art of powerful story telling and the business that follows. 

Sandy is a passionate marketer, social entrepreneur and teacher. She spent the first seven years of her career in brand management at Procter & Gamble - learning to view the world through customers' eyes and building brands and programs that best meet their needs. She then switched her focus to the social and non-profit worlds. A member of the Imagitas founding team (a marketing services company that focused on public service through private enterprise), she led the build out of the organizational plan for a highly successful business. In 1998, Imagitas received a prestigious "Hammer Award" from then Vice President Al Gore for helping build a government that works better and costs less. In 2005, the company was acquired by Pitney Bowes.

Over the past twenty-eight years, Sandy has been an instructor at the college level in the fields of leadership, marketing, entrepreneurship and communications. Most recently, Sandy served as Assistant Dean at Harvard Kennedy School running the career services and internship office. Sandy was also the Co-Founder of Imagitas. She has also done significant leadership, teamwork, fundraising and strategy training in both the private and non-profit sectors - past clients include NASA, General Motors and the Center for Women & Enterprise. Consistently, Sandy is able to help people create a vision and make it happen, whether individually or organizationally.

REGISTER FOR CHANCE MEETINGS

NEWS AND NOTES

NOW ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR  START UP SUCCESS: FUNDAMENTALS

Do you have a business idea or want to take a new business to the next level?  Silicon Couloir is offering Start-Up Success: Fundamentals, our annual business intensive program, this spring with world-class instructors Sandy Hessler and Liza Millet. Don't miss this opportunity to gain business skills, strategies, and tools with a community of your peers. This year, we've added an additional week at no extra cost. 

Dates: April 14-16 (weekend), 5 Wednesday evenings following, May 19-21 (weekend), and Wednesday evening May 24.
 

"Start-Up Success came along exactly when I needed it. I had an idea, and the groundwork laid for how to approach bringing my idea to fruition, but there were holes I wanted to fill in my pitch deck, and I didn't know where to begin. Sandy and Liza provided a wealth of knowledge and guidance, as well as asked the hard questions other people may have avoided – and they forced me to get creative about finding the answers. I feel confident moving forward and pitching my business, but know that I can reach out for advice, or a reality check when I need it." 

— Megan LaTorre
    2020 Start-Up Success Graduate

APPLY NOW

Join the Teton region’s new economy & help support our thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem. Silicon Couloir is hiring a full-time Cowork Space & Administrative Manager.

JOB DESCRIPTION HERE

SWEET HOLLOW FARMS CSA REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN

One of our newest TEAMS companies, Sweet Hollow Farms is accepting customers for nutritions organic local produce this summer. Pick up is in Jackson or Victor. 

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.
 

February News

MONTHLY CHANCE MEETINGS 

Mon, Feb 6,  5 - 7 pm @ The Snake River Roasting Cafe ~ 50 W. Broadway

Please register below 

Sometimes all you need is the right connection and a little inspiration. Well, what are you waiting for?  Find both at our free monthly networking event. You never know...

Theme: Raising Capital: Entrepreneur Strategies & Approaches

Growing a company requires capital. For many entrepreneurs, one of the scariest and most daunting tasks is deciding how, when, and from whom to raise capital for their venture. What, for example are the advantages / disadvantages for different strategies? When do you decide to take a deal that requires compromise so you can remain in business? What really resonates with investors? 

Join us at Chance Meetings on Monday Feb. 6th from 5-7 at Snake River Roasting Cafe to hear from a panel of successful regional founders as we explore these questions and more. 

Panelists include Caitlin Iseler of happyly, Caroline Fabacher of All Hands Craft Cocktails, and Tana Hoffman of ILLA. Annie Morita, Silicon Couloir Board Member and experienced fundraiser, will moderate. 
 

Caroline Fabacher is Cofounder and Chief of Staff for All Hands Craft Cocktails. To date, she has raised $10MM+ for her startup ventures.

Additionally, she is Senior Counsel at McGovern Law, PLLC where her practice centers on corporate law for venture startups.

Caroline made the leap to entrepreneurship as one of the three foundational partners of Canteen Spirits, an Austin-based canned cocktail company. After successfully launching the brand across more than forty states, she moved on to Springdale Ventures as Principal, where she invested in passionate, resolute founders of early-stage consumer brands to help them accelerate their vision while creating meaningful and sustainable value. Additionally, Caroline serves as the managing member of Spirit Bear Advising, which supports female founders across industries and entrepreneurs launching vice-industry businesses. She is also a member of the founding committee of BEAM, an Austin-based angel network dedicated to investing in female founders.

Tana Hoffman is a 3X founder, outdoor community leader, and Forbes Next 1000 lister who has been a part of the Silicon Couloir ecosystem since 2012. Most recently, she was selected to be one of the first Entrepreneurs in Residence at VF Venture Foundry (backed by VF Corporation: The North Face, VANS, Smartwool), where she secured funding to develop and launch ILLA: an adventure collective and friend-finding app enabling every outdoor woman to find adventure partners in their area, so that they always have someone to get outside with. 

Caitlin Iseler is the CEO and co-founder of Happyly, the corporate wellness benefit that powers a connected and balanced workforce. With innovative scheduling tools and curated events, the happyly app makes it easy for teams to plan, gather, and share experiences in healthy ways.

Annie Morita is a tech and media executive who now calls Jackson home. 

Before the global pandemic, Annie served as an executive with Apple, Inc. Based in Shanghai, China, she was business lead for the Internet Software & Services Division in Greater China, focusing on the App Store, and Apple Media Products (Apple Music, TV, iTunes, and Podcasts).  

Prior to Apple, Annie held several key leadership roles at DreamWorks Animation including as COO for Oriental DreamWorks, DreamWorks Animation's first-ever joint venture in China. Annie worked on the creation of the joint venture and moved to Shanghai to set up operations and launch the new company.

A marketing and new media veteran, Annie has held top leadership positions at Warner Bros. Studios, Sony Pictures Entertainment, and Electronic Arts.  Annie began her career with Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., as an assignment editor with CNN International before moving to Hong Kong as the head of marketing for Turner International Far East Ltd.
 

Annie holds a BA from Smith College and a master's diploma in patisseries and baking from Le Cordon Bleu.  She currently serves on the board of 1% for the Planet, Grand Teton National Park Foundation, and Silicon Couloir.  She is also a certified Wilderness First Responder (WFR) and a member of the Community Response Emergency Team (CERT).

REGISTER FOR CHANCE MEETINGS

NEWS AND NOTES

NOW ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR  START UP SUCCESS: FUNDAMENTALS

Do you have a business idea or want to take a new business to the next level?  Silicon Couloir is offering Start-Up Success: Fundamentals, our annual business intensive program, this spring with world-class instructors Sandy Hessler and Liza Millet. Don't miss this opportunity to gain business skills, strategies, and tools with a community of your peers. This year, we've added an additional week at no extra cost. 

Dates: April 14-16 (weekend), 5 Wednesday evenings following, May 19-21 (weekend), and Wednesday evening May 24.

“Silicon Couloir's Start-Up Success course program brings business school level insight to the convenience of our mountain town. Silicon Couloir's instructors and staff provide programming in marketing and business that provides students a realistic framework of what it takes to move a start-up from an idea to reality.”

— Robb Sgroi, Founder and CEO, Teton Bear Product

2021 Start-Up Success Graduate

LEARN MORE

 JANUARY VISIONARY VENTURES: LET’S THINK ABOUT REDEFINING ENTREPRENEURSHIP

"When most of us think of entrepreneurism, we think of certain defining traits of an organization or venture, among them: scalability, rapid growth, and big financial rewards. However, over time, Silicon Couloir has come to recognize that entrepreneurism comes in all shapes, sizes and forms...The Teton region is full of small businesses started by individuals who took enormous risk and invested their own capital to build a successful enterprise. We believe those individuals who create small businesses also fit within our definition of entrepreneurship."

Read more to learn about how SC can support your business in the Teton region in our most recent Visionary Ventures column.
 

READ THE COLUMN

WORK SMART FROM THE COWORK SPACE 

If you're looking for an affordable open office to work and collaborate, consider The Cowork Space. Full-time access to shared workspace and all amenities now available for $225 per month with no long-term commitment.

Located in the heart of Jackson, steps from the town square at 140 E. Broadway, The Cowork Space is an affordable communal work space inspiring creativity and productivity. We offer a workspace designed to create connections between the people who choose to work, live, and play in the Teton region.

Amenities include: 

• Fast, reliable internet

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

• Phone booths for private calls

• 6-8 person 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

BECOME A MEMBER

WELCOME TO NEW TRUSTEES

A warm welcome to new Silicon Couloir Trustees. Thank you to  Wesley Chan, Anya Kopyleva, and Matt Wielbut for their generous commitment to supporting entrepreneurship in the Teton region. 
 

Wesley Chan is the Co-Founder and Managing Partner at FPV Ventures, a $450M early stage fund that backs and serves mission-driven founders. He is an investor in five $10B+ "decacorns," his most notable being Canva where he is a member of the board of directors, led the Series A and C rounds, and is worth north of $40B. He founded Google Analytics and Google Voice and holds 18 US patents for his work in creating Google AdWords.

He was formerly a Managing Director at Felicis Ventures and one of the first General Partners at GV (Google Ventures). He led investments and/or held board seats in Xilis, AngelList, Opsera, Pendulum Therapeutics, ProteinQure, Okera, Ascend.io, Overture Life, TopFunnel, Spring Discovery, iPierian (exit to BMS), Transphorm (NASDAQ: TGAN) and Dialpad. Wesley also founded GV’s seed investing program and wrote first checks into RobinHood, Plaid, Gusto, RobinHood, Vungle ($750M exit to Blackstone), Lucid, Optimizely, DataPad (exit to Cloudera), Freshplum (exit to TWTR), Namo Media (exit to TWTR), and Parse (exit to FB).  He holds a Bachelors degree in Computer Science and Electrical Engineering from MIT and completed his Masters degree at the MIT Media Lab.  As a fan of the arts, Wesley is also a board member of the Met Opera in New York City.

Anya Kopyleva is a founding partner of Latin Pay, a fintech focused on providing a better financial experience for people traveling and sending remittances to as well as companies operating in Argentina. 

Anya was a partner and portfolio manager at Gemcorp, an Emerging Markets focused fund based in London, from 2014 until 2020. She focused on the execution and management of investments across Africa, Latin America, and Eastern Europe. 

She has spent most of her career prior to Gemcorp in Asset Management and Emerging Markets Trading at Goldman Sachs as an investment professional and trader in credit and macro and managing portfolios using quantitative strategies. Anya holds a B.S. in Math and a B.S. in Management (Finance) from MIT. 

Matt Wielbut is the Chief Technology Officer of Openly, a tech-forward insurance company he co-founded in 2017. Openly offers premium homeowners insurance in 21+ states by combining insurance expertise, actuarial science, machine learning and other modern technology to create something completely new within the insurance marketplace.  Some of Openly's earliest investors include Google (via their AI-focused fund, Gradient Ventures), Advance Venture Partners, Clocktower Ventures, and Obvious Ventures.

Prior to founding Openly, Matt spent four years as a Founding Partner at Elements Insurance, one of the fastest-growing property & casualty insurance agencies in Massachusetts, which he co-founded in 2013 and sold in 2020.

Matt began his professional career at Goldman Sachs as a Vice President in Engineering where he spent 8 years in New York and London

SPONSOR SPOTLIGHT

Welcome to our newest sponsor, Amboy St. Ventures, led by Founding Partner Carli Sapir. Amboy St. Ventures is the world’s first venture capital fund focused on Women’s Health & Sexual Health Technology startups. Sapir founded Amboy Street Ventures to initiate a shift in the funding landscape that has stunted innovation, investing in eight leading startups. Her portfolio companies including Contraline, a company developing the first long-lasting reversible contraceptive for men, Dame, a product line for female-focused sexual pleasure and Aunt Flow, a company providing free menstruation products to schools, business and public bathrooms.

"I'm thrilled to find a way to give back to SC as I really believe I wouldn’t have been able to start Amboy Street without you all," says Sapir. 

In addition to being named to Forbes 2023 30 Under 30, Amboy St. is mentored by TEAMS. 

ANNOUNCING FEBRUARY SMALL BUSINESS CASH
FLOW CLASS 

Presented by Deliberate Dollars. Many people have a small business, passion project, side hustle or are an independent contractor but don’t know how much money they are personally making. What are your income goals? How much should be saved for taxes? Is your business working for you or owning you?

Deliberate Dollars’ Small Business Cashflow course will teach you simple financial systems to ensure that your business is serving you, paying your taxes and your cashflow can be easily summarized. Let’s make sure your business is working for you while you do what you love! No business is too small for this 3-week course!

Weekly group sessions (February 8, 15 & 22 6:00-7:30 PM) will be conducted online so people can join from anywhere. Individual sessions can be online or in person (Jackson, WY).

Interested? You can find all the details on the Deliberate Dollars website and specifically by clicking on Small Business Cashflow links. Space is limited to 4-6 people and the more accountability partners you recruit (aka participants) the greater your discount! Sign-up deadline to participate is Wednesday, February 1, 2023.

Any questions, please call or email Megan Smith, Chief Accountability Partner, megan@deliberatedollars.com, 307-699-0896.
 

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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Let’s think about redefining entrepreneurship

Let’s think about redefining entrepreneurship

By Gary Trauner

When most of us think of entrepreneurism, we think of certain defining traits of an organization or venture, among them: scalability, rapid growth, and big financial rewards. Historically, Silicon Couloir has focused on supporting such scalable ventures. However, over time, our organization has come to recognize that entrepreneurism comes in all shapes, sizes and forms.

Most people who study entrepreneurship would agree on a basic historical definition of that term. It is the act of creating a business or businesses while bearing the risks with the hope of making a profit. Merriam Webster’s definition is “one who organizes, manages, and assumes the risks of a business or enterprise.”

Yet in recent years that historical view of entrepreneurship has — with increasing frequency and emphasis — been viewed as outdated and limiting. Alternative definitions have begun to be offered by various organizations. To wit:

• Professor Howard Stevenson, the “godfather” of entrepreneurship studies at Harvard Business School, succinctly defines it as “entrepreneurship is the pursuit of opportunity beyond resources controlled.”

• Babson Business School has broadened its view to “entrepreneurship is a way of thinking. It’s a mindset that is opportunity obsessed, holistic in approach and leadership balanced. This new definition of entrepreneurship is about innovation; about seeing problems as opportunities; and about changing the world.”

• Stanford differentiates between different kinds of entrepreneurship, from social entrepreneurs looking to solve world problems to scalable start-up entrepreneurs seeking to grow a venture into an investible entity to “intrapreneurs,” individuals who act “as internal entrepreneurs who work within the structures of an established company (they are the hardworking individuals who constantly find ways to innovate and improve their roles, the quality of work, and sometimes their entire entity).”

In addition, there seem to be several attributes that are universally associated with entrepreneurship, including: job creation, innovation, risktaking, creating change, creating value, and, yes, giving back to society through their venture creation.

Silicon Couloir, with its focus on the Teton region, and in line with its nonprofit service mission, has recently broadened and adapted its view of what entrepreneurship means in our neck of the woods. Simply put, if people are risking their time, capital and energy to start and build an organization, we believe they may fit into a broader view of entrepreneurship.

The Teton region is full of small businesses started by individuals who took enormous risk and invested their own capital to build a successful enterprise. We believe those individuals (and people acting as a team) who create small businesses that are unlikely to scale beyond our region also fit within our definition of entrepreneurship. This might entail a former athlete who starts a training gym, or a former outdoor gear employee who branches out into her own clothing accessories venture. These “localpreneurs” take risk, lead organizations, create jobs and encounter many, if not all, of the same issues that a more traditionally defined entrepreneur who is endeavoring to build a more scalable venture might face. Additionally, an entire industry has grown up in the Teton region around nonprofit organizations seeking to support worthy causes. In fact, Teton County has the highest per capita charitable giving of any county in the country, resulting in somewhere north of 200 local and regional nonprofit organizations promoting their respective missions.

Silicon Couloir views founders and executive directors of these nonprofits as mission-driven entrepreneurs in their own right. Again, they build organizations, create jobs, take risks, create change and contribute to society.

As in any endeavor, organization or community, keeping an open mind, being open to new ideas and holding a willingness to question preconceived ideas is a prerequisite for longterm success. Given this expanded definition of entrepreneurship, Silicon Couloir has actively moved to provide support for these additional categories of entrepreneurs. We recently commenced a pilot project within its TEAMS mentoring program for nonprofit organizations.

Silicon Couloir has accepted small businesspeople and those looking to start a more local endeavor into its recent Start-Up Success educational programming, and we welcome entrepreneurial focused folks of all stripes to attend our monthly Chance Meetings networking events.

In a society in which the private sector, whether one likes it or not, is perhaps the key force in shaping our economy and our culture, supporting entrepreneurs — whatever shape and size they may come in — is a vital endeavor. Combined with Silicon Couloir’s principle of “doing good by doing well and doing well by doing good,” this support is critical to the “success” and “health” of our community, region and country.

Finally, in the spirit of broadening our reach, Start-Up Success 2023 is accepting applications for its spring offering (April 14 through May 21) at SiliconCouloir.com/start-up.

January News

MONTHLY CHANCE MEETINGS 

January 9th, 5 - 7 pm @ Snake River Roasting Cafe (50 West Broadway)

Please register below 

Sometimes all you need is the right connection and a little inspiration. Well, what are you waiting for?  Find both at our free monthly networking event. You never know...

Theme: Brand Architecture — One Entrepreneur’s Approach to Brand Building with Lyons Brown

Savvy entrepreneurs know that successful companies build brands that customers associate with value, authenticity, and consistency. Strong brands generate positive emotions and build loyalty. They tell a story. Please join us for an insightful discussion with entrepreneur and branding expert Lyons Brown, Founder and CEO of Altamar Brands. Lyons will share his approach, story, and lessons of brand architecture.

W.L. Lyons Brown III is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Altamar Brands, LLC, a distiller and importer of artisanal spirits brands. Prior to starting Altamar, Lyons spent fifteen years in his family business at Brown-Forman Corporation serving as Marketing Director for Europe and Director of Sales for the United States. Since moving to Charlottesville in 2012, he has founded two more companies: The Elysium Honey Company, a social impact firm focused on the plight the honey bee and Mad Buffalo, LLC, a company managing a portfolio of investments focused on sustainable agriculture.

REGISTER FOR CHANCE MEETINGS

NEWS AND NOTES

DECEMBER VISIONARY VENTURES: 
VALUES GUIDE IKSPLOR

From an idea in 2018 and a successful Kickstarter for “adventure essentials” in 2020, Iksplor reached $1M in revenue in 2022. Co-founding sister Karissa Akin and Kailey Gieck credit their Silicon Couloir TEAMS mentors for helping them achieve such remarkable growth. “They have seen us from our infancy to our current state and have helped us identify future roadblocks to our growth,” says Karissa. 

Read more about Karissa and Kailey's success and the values that define Iksplor in our December edition of Visionary Ventures. 

READ THE COLUMN HERE

CHALLENGE COURSE OFFERS TEAM BUILDING

Bring a team of co-workers to participate in a customized program designed to enhance efficiency and effectiveness in the workplace at The Doug Walker Challenge Course.  Challenge course activities encourage group problem solving, communication, goal setting, leadership and cooperation. Participants can then transfer and apply their new strengths to improve workplace relationships and performance.

The Doug Walker Challenge Course, located at the Jackson Campus of Teton Science Schools, is a facilitated rope and obstacle course built to foster leadership and teamwork. The 25 element course course includes both belayed elements, which are 40-45 feet high, and low elements, 1-2 foot high physical obstacles and logic puzzles that require teams to collaborate.

Trained Teton Science Schools facilitators tailor programs for each group’s interests, goals, abilities, and budget, and prompt groups to draw out meaning from each experience. The flow of activities begins with a ground-based teamwork challenge, then moves to the low elements. Groups often culminate their experience by learning to belay their peers as a team on high elements.

The Challenge Course is a rewarding and joyful way to transform team culture, and is an excellent resource for businesses, nonprofit organizations, and youth groups. Contact Partnersales@tetonscience.org to start planning your Doug Walker Challenge Course program.
 

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.
 

Values Guide Iksplor

Values Guide Ikplor

By Rebecca Reimers

Sisters Karissa Akin and Kailey Gieck grew up exploring the wilds of Colorado with their brother and parents. The adventures they had hiking, biking, camping, and sailing not only brought the family closer, it ignited in the sisters a passion for the outdoors and a desire to protect the planet. Years later, as adults with children of their own in tow (three girls with another on the way), Kailey and Karissa have translated their values into a company that reflects this love of nature and spirit of adventure. 

“In a fast paced, digitally-connected world, a deep bond with nature is as fundamental to our own physical and emotional health as it is to our children’s,” reflects Karissa. “Outdoor adventure sparks confidence, independence, a sense of awareness, stewardship for our environment and so much more.”

As their families grew, Karissa and Kailey noticed a lack of base layers that kids could wear all day long no matter the circumstances. They wanted a product that was soft, durable, easy to care for, and sustainable. In 2018, they set out to fill the market niche with base layer and mid layers made from 100% merino wool with sizing that extends from newborns to adults.

“Iksplor was launched on what would have been our brother’s 33rd birthday. Tragically, he had passed some years before. “We wanted to do something that honored him. Helping other families get outside like we always did, felt like the perfect way to do that,” explains Kailey. 

Later that same year, the two shared their idea with the world at Silicon Couloir Pitch Day. They were rewarded with the Bob Arndt Community Caretaker award. “Pitch Day helped provide the accountability and structure needed to bring our idea to life...and garner local support,” says Kailey. 

In addition to a cash prize, they were awarded a place in TEAMS for Iksplor. TEAMS provides a group of expert volunteer mentors who meet on a regular basis with companies accepted into the program. Kailey and Karissa took full advantage of the opportunity, “TEAMS  has provided coaching and accountability through every growth stage,” assets Kailey. “Our mentors have truly become a part of our iksplor family.” 

From an idea in 2018 and a successful Kickstarter for “adventure essentials” in 2020, Iksplor is on track for 1 million dollars in revenue this year. The sisters credit their mentors for helping them achieve such remarkable growth. “They have seen us from our infancy to our current state and have helped us identify future roadblocks to our growth,” says Karissa. 

Prior to Iksplor, both women had established successful businesses as creatives in videography and design. Careers, up until recently, they maintained in addition to running the company. The logistics of shifting to an e-commerce direct-to-consumer product company presented new hurdles that the mentors helped them navigate. “We struggled to get a handle on our financials and growth strategy,” admits Karissa, “Our mentors helped us transition our accounting system so we could better understand our margins.”

TEAMS mentors have also provided the emotional support the sisters needed over the past few years to keep growing the business. “Being an entrepreneur involves taking on big risks. It can be a very lonely and scary place,” Kailey conveys.  “When we launched with product in January 2020, our father helped us unpack and inventory our first run. We lost him 3 weeks later. A month after that, pandemic lock downs went into effect. Having a team of unbiased mentors, willing to continue meeting with us virtually throughout an incredibly isolating period was critical to us continuing to put one foot in front of the other.”   

Both Karissa and Kailey are now full-time with the company. They employ two additional women (and moms) to assist with content development, PR, and fulfillment. The live/work office houses both the company and one of their employees and her family. They take great pride in being an all-woman company.

Karissa and Kailey are deeply rooted in the Tetons and can’t imagine being anywhere else. “This is the place where we have chosen to raise our families, and we are very passionate about protecting its natural beauty,” responds Kailey when asked about the importance of the region. They will continue to grow a company and community that reflects the values of adventure, family, sustainability, and quality. “Our vision is to inspire the next generation of nature fanatics to become nature advocates.” 

Entrepreneurs tackling big problems win Pitch Day

Entrepreneurs tackling big problems win Pitch Day

By Mark Wilcox

Wyoming Business Report, Nov 27, 2022

Winners of a Jackson Hole competition where startups pitch their business to a live audience showed that small businesses can tackle big challenges.

Pitch Day is an annual competition put on by Silicon Couloir, an entrepreneurship development nonprofit. Winners receive about $20,000 in cash and other beneficial business rewards, like access to a co-work space run by the nonprofit and mentoring.

“We are biased,” said Executive Director Gary Trauner, “but I do believe we run a world-class event that will stack up against anyone anywhere.”

The program coaches and coaxes entrepreneurs through activities that help them clarify messaging and focus. Then it puts them on the stage in front of a live audience to practice pitching their business and compete for the aforementioned prizes.

Specifically, grand prize is a $10,000 cash award, chosen by a group of successful businesspeople who act as panelists. Think of it as the “Shark Tank” award, if the sharks gave a prize instead of offering deals for a cut of the companies. It goes to the most compelling business idea with the best chance for success, highest likelihood of getting funded, the strongest presentation and values aligned with Silicon Couloir.

Second place is the Audience Choice Award winner, which goes to the company that resonates most with the audience. Attendees vote live on their favorite pitch of the five presented via text. The winner gets $5,000 cash and a year of free use of Silicon Couloir’s co-work space in downtown Jackson.

The final prize is the Bob Arndt Community Caretaker Award. It gives $2,500 cash and six months of free use of the co-work space, and comes with an invitation to join a mentoring program offered by Silicon Couloir. It’s given typically to the most community- and environmentally conscious businesses.

Read on to catch up with the three award winners from this year’s Pitch Day.

“It was our strongest group of presenters yet, and the passion and purpose was palpable,” Trauner said in an email to the Wyoming Business Report.

Grand Prize Panelist Award: Remo Health

The grand prize award went to Remo Health, a company founder Matt LeKrey is building after finding dementia care for his father lacking in almost every respect.

He said during the last “lucid conversation” he had with his father that he would do everything he could to help other families struggling with the harsh realities of dementia, and the huge economic and social problems it creates.

“We found the current standard of care to be completely unacceptable,” LeKrey said.

Specifically, he said care providers all seem to say that nothing can be done for dementia victims.

“While there’s no cure, that’s categorically untrue,” he said. Without the proper guidance and support, patients end up neglected by uninformed caregivers, since their families simply don’t have an appropriate plan or even know how to make real decisions, like estate planning.

Beyond those issues, it’s also a multi-month or multi-year journey to even get diagnosed.

“Once you have the diagnosis, you have to pull all the pieces of the jigsaw together yourself, then magically figure out how to pay for it,” LeKrey said. This pattern ends up creating poor outcomes, like unnecessary ER visits or repeat trips to the hospital, because of adverse effects of medication.

“That is completely unreasonable and has to change,” he said. And change is on the horizon.

After a scant two years in business, the seed-stage Remo Health, based in Jackson, has developed a patient base of several hundred people being served by full-time doctors on the team. Additionally, LeKrey said there are about 5,000 more people in the pipeline to become customers.

He said, given the growth, it has required hard work to scale up and provide as much high-quality care as possible without compromises. Currently, Remo Health employs 11 people, including developers, doctors and business developers, and has taken in funding from venture capital and private investors.

Though based in Wyoming, the team is piloting the program in California and actively pursuing licensing in other states. They’ve built a system that uses telemedicine and community knowledge by foremost experts to provide a comprehensive care package that goes far beyond simple health care.

“Remo offers the ability to connect with a community of other caregivers, to learn from content created by foremost experts, and then to act to get the best care for your loved one where and when they need it,” LeKrey said.

That includes giving people the option to get care at home. That’s especially important for a state like Wyoming, where specialty doctors are often located hours from where patients live.

“We feel strongly that people shouldn’t have to miss a week of work and drive six hours to meet with someone for 15 minutes,” LeKrey said, adding that technology like video calls have helped enable better remote care.

But despite not being able to do everything, LeKrey said he recognizes they can do a lot for people dealing with subpar dementia care.

“There are millions struggling, and we’re at the beginning of a long road,” he said.

Audience Choice Award: Naughty Fruit

Naughty Fruit combines natural sugars and a little spice to create healthy snacks for outdoor-oriented people. The company has been in business for five years after coming through Silicon Couloir’s Start-Up Intensive, an immersive program helping people put flesh on their business ideas. Founder Juan Morales got his start by selling traditional Mexican tamales and tacos at places like local farmers’ markets.

But he noticed a lack of healthy snack options that don’t have preservatives, aren’t natural or are just tasteless. So he took a traditional Mexican flavor blend of salt, lemon and chili pepper to spice up healthy snacking.

“We like to add a little spice to our food,” Morales said.

While most Mexican palates are used to the blend and instantly know what to expect, American palates don’t always get it. He said his No. 1 question is if it’s spicy. “No, it’s spiced,” he said. “It’s a subtle flavor … but makes the fruit flavors jump out.”

And the majority of people who try it like it, though some request additional kick. Morales is now working to expand from a local footprint in the Jackson Hole market to a national market by expanding his team beyond himself and pushing into online marketing.

“Because of Pitch Day, we’ve let the community know where we’re at and where we want to be,” Morales said.

Community Caretaker Award: Avant Delivery

Recycling is a broken system, according to Sam Schwartz, founder of Avant Delivery.

“Recycling is a system we pay for, but that doesn’t really work, which is kind of maddening,” Schwartz said. “We’re replacing it with something that works.”

Avant is currently pivoting its business model after being in business two years to be the Uber of reusable coffee containers. That takes a little explanation. Essentially, Schwartz is working toward a volume play that will allow Avant to sell back reusable containers after collecting and washing them for less than it would cost a coffee shop to buy its own disposable containers.

“At the end of the day, you have to offer real fiscal incentives, and that’s what we’re going after,” he said.

At the point of sale, customers will pay a $1 pre-cycling fee for their cups that gets returned to them in full once they return it to a collection kiosk. Alternately, they’ll be able to use an app to call in an Uber-style driver to collect their cups. If they do this, the driver keeps the fees. A third option involves a split with a collection partner and the consumer.

But the cups will cost Avant about $2 apiece, and it’s difficult to squeeze a lot of profit out of that after washing it and returning it to the business for 15 cents apiece. As is, he said it will take about 36 returns per cup to come out ahead, but each cup has a lifespan of about 1,000 uses, and Schwartz said he’s going after a volume play that scales quickly.

“As much as I love Wyoming business, we’re not going to make a big difference eliminating single-use coffee cups in Wyoming,” Schwartz said.

Specifically, he wants to land large chains like Starbucks, Dunkin’ Donuts and others like them. Starbucks has already announced its intention to eliminate single-use cups by 2030, meaning someone has to pave an inroad anyway.

He said because of how he’s constructed the business model, it makes it simple and cost-effective for consumers and businesses to recycle while also adding some pocket change to drivers willing to pick up the cups. That means it should hold appeal across the political spectrum – an important goal for a recycling company in Wyoming.

“This is not this eco-warrior granola solution,” he said, adding that many such programs are heavy on costs and light on benefits.

Through a Local’s Lens: Tech startup improves dementia care

Through a Local’s Lens: Tech startup improves dementia care

By Julie Ellison

Buckrail, November 29, 2022

Dementia is the seventh-leading cause of death worldwide. Photo: Nick Sulzer // Buckrail

JACKSON, Wyo. — When Remo Health went live three months ago, it fulfilled a promise that Jackson resident Matt LeKrey made to his father four years ago.

After years of navigating the complex world of being a caregiver to his father, who suffered from a rare form of dementia, LeKrey made a commitment to his dad to make the experience better for anyone else who had to go through it. Along with co-founders Will Poe and Jason DeCastro, LeKrey created Remo Health, a comprehensive digital platform that supports and engages caregivers of dementia patients.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), more than 55 million people suffer from dementia worldwide, and 10 million new cases are diagnosed every year.

Dementia is currently the seventh leading cause of death among all diseases and one of the major causes of disability and dependency among older people worldwide. Dementia has physical, psychological, social and economic impacts, not only for people living with dementia, but also for their carers, families and society at large. There is often a lack of awareness and understanding of dementia, resulting in stigmatization and barriers to diagnosis and care.

—World Health Organization; who.int

Despite those high numbers, Poe, who is an internist in San Francisco with a masters in public health, has treated dementia patients on the clinical side and says many cases go undiagnosed because primary care providers (PCPs) shy away from an actual diagnosis.

“Only 1 in 4 cases gets diagnosed…often the PCP doesn’t know what to do after the diagnosis,” Poe said. Having had a grandparent with dementia, Poe describes the disease as a one-way train ride. “With Remo, we figure out which train you’re on and how long the track is. We talk with patients about their kids and family and what’s important to them. We want to save people emotional pain, stress and money.”

Since dementia doesn’t have standard treatments and medicines like other diseases, it can be a particularly challenging experience for the patient and their loved ones, who are often saddled with questions of what the diagnosis means, getting to and from medical appointments, dealing with confusing cognitive symptoms and figuring out how to pay for everything.

Prior to creating Remo, LeKrey had spent the previous decade building apps for families struggling with chronic illness, so he had the technical background to supplement his personal experience as a dementia caregiver. Through these past projects, LeKrey met Poe, whose grandmother had dementia. The two connected over the “problem hiding in plain sight,” which is how Poe described the lack of centralized care and support for dementia patients and their families.

They brought on DeCastro as co-founder and chief technical officer. A devoted coder since the age of 13, DeCastro had been building digital products for the previous decade but felt the work he was doing didn’t have much meaning.

“I’ve been a caregiver for family members with illnesses, so I understand the issues,” DeCastro said. He wanted his work to make the world a better place, and Remo was a good fit.

Poe describes Remo as a “virtual geriatric center of excellence,” where a group of brain health doctors help clarify a diagnosis and then stay with the person every step of the way, including prescribing and deprescribing medications, preventing slips, trips and falls, handling memory, movement and mood and evaluating home safety.

Building the business

In October 2022, Remo Health won the Panelist Choice Award, the top prize at Silicon Couloir’s Pitch Day, where entrepreneurs present their businesses to a panel of judges. It’s the culmination of a three-month process where startups develop their business plan, pitch and marketing through coaching and practice from top business leaders in the region.

Matt LeKrey is working to provide comprehensive, accessible dementia care. Photo: Silicon Couloir

Silicon Couloir is a Jackson nonprofit that aims to “align entrepreneurship with community vision to promote a diverse economy and a healthy environment for current and future generations.” Their annual Pitch Day awards money and resources to the winners so they can continue to expand their business.

“Silicon Couloir was a wonderful community for us to be able to find a way not just to meet individuals who had built companies, but also who helped us address the Intermountain West and helped us shape our story,” LeKrey said. Previously, LeKrey had taken Remo through gBeta Wyoming, an accelerator program that brings together entrepreneurs, investors, job seekers and other individuals to create advancement opportunities in business.

LeKrey says Jackson is a special and supportive place for entrepreneurs, where large names in business who have access to money and resources live down the street. LeKrey also points out that many of the moguls who live in the Tetons have a more friendly, helpful attitude.

“Everyone comes from a ‘How can we help?’ mentality, providing access to money, customers, talent and mentorship,” LeKrey said. “People have come out of the woodwork trying to help provide opportunities…in a way that’s without pretension or arrogance or extreme bias that might come from bigger cities.”

How Remo works

Using telemedicine, Remo hopes to bring world-class healthcare to every part of the country, from rural areas to densely populated cities. Remo also hopes to support caregivers, who are often overlooked in the current healthcare landscape. Online forums, mental health professionals and treatment guidance are integral to Remo’s framework of care.

Seeing doctors virtually removes the obstacle of getting patients to the doctor for in-person visits, which is difficult when caregivers must rearrange their own schedules and take time off work. Supporting and engaging caregivers—who experience burnout at a high rate with dementia—is a key to making the last years of a patient’s life more healthy and balanced overall.

“It takes a village to take care of a dementia patient,” Poe said. “We bring that interdisciplinary village to patients and families virtually so the ethos of Remo—it’s an empathy service.”

Dementia is a tough diagnosis because unlike cancer or heart failure, there are no medicines to treat the disease. The reality is that all patients will die from the disease or associated complications, so priorities shift from treating the illness itself to constructing what the patient and their family want those last years to look like.

“There’s only one real medicine at Remo: truth with compassion. We’re in a world mostly beyond medicines. This is not diabetes. This is not heart failure. We do not have effective medicines or cures for dementia,” Poe said. “What we do have is the courage to step up to the plate and give clarity on the diagnosis and give agency and empowerment back to families. They get to decide how the last chapter of life wants to be lived.”

By bringing timely, specialized care into a patient’s home, Remo also helps to another problem among patients with dementia: reducing needless trips to the emergency room. Often patients come in with cognitive impairment and no true medical reason for the visit, and a burned-out caregiver doesn’t know what else to do.

While Remo Health is fully operational in California with 11 full-time employees, the company has expansion plans for Nevada, Arizona and beyond, with the goal of closing gaps in healthcare for rural populations, including Wyoming.

“I would love people to know that if you or someone you love is struggling with dementia, you are not alone. You don’t have to do everything alone,” LeKrey said. “We’re here to help. This is a promise we made to our loved ones and one we intend to keep.”

December News

Select regional companies will participate with interactive displays for attendees to enjoy.
Free and open to all.
We hope to see you there! 

NEWS AND NOTES

NOVEMBER VISIONARY VENTURES: MAKING THE TRANSITION FROM ATHLETE TO EXECUTIVE

The Teton region is home to many who consider themselves both retired athletes and entrepreneurs. "Yet transitioning to the corporate world can be as daunting as starting a new sport without any coaches or a playbook to fall back on," states Brittney Ziebell in this month's Visionary Ventures column. What lessons and disciplines from sports can be applied to starting a venture? Read this month's interview with Silicon Couloir Trustee Vijay Karia, retired professional tennis player and the Chief Digital Officer at Connect America, to explore this question.

READ THE COLUMN HERE

THANK YOU TO OUR VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR

This year we honor Liza Millet for her many and significant contributions to Silicon Couloir. Liza is a founding member of the organization, and has tirelessly served as a Board Member, teacher, coach, advocate, and mentor. Liza has volunteered countless hours to empowering entrepreneurship in the Teton region, and Silicon Couloir would not be nearly as successful with out her devotion, passion, and support.
Thank you, Liza!

Photo: Liza enjoying all the Teton region has to offer.

CONNECT WITH ILLA

Tana Hoffman, a former TEAMS mentee, mentor, and 2019 Pitch Day Audience Choice Award winner has been quietly working on a new venture over the past year, thanks to an opportunity that she attributes to continued support from Silicon Couloir. Her new venture, ILLA, is a member-driven collective for active women powered by AI. It is currently in beta in Denver and Jackson Hole. Tana is supported by her investment partner, VF Corporation (VANS, The Northface, Smartwool), and is always looking to connect (or ski!) with other founders, potential partners, and individuals with whom her vision resonates. Reach her at tana@illa.co.

ANNOUNCING UNINFLAMED BY CATE STILLMAN

From the best-selling author of Body Thrive and Master of You comes Uninflamed, a big book that inspires biohackers, microbiome scientists, organic farmers, intermittent fasters, holistic healers, doctors and witches, the psychedelic community, urine therapists and modern people, who like most of us, suffer from chronic symptoms. Inspiring you to stretch and commit to making your daily habits into PRIMAL HABITS... Uninflamed documents the best anti-inflammatory habits in the history of humans. Uninflamed is an easy-to-read, easy-to-share book that makes you think different about how nature works, including you.

A pioneer in ancient-meets-modern health,Cate Stillman is the leader at CLUB THRIVE and WELLNESS PRO ACADEMY. She grew her first company, Yogahealer, by passing forward the timeless wisdom of Ayurveda and Yoga. Cate recently joined our TEAMS program. 
 

SILICON COULOIR IS POWERED BY DONATIONS

Silicon Couloir is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. We strive to be the hub connecting local entrepreneurs to all the resources needed to succeed: an expanded personal network, education, access to capital, connection to mentors, and leadership training. We accomplish our mission through private donations.

Our Trustee Circle provides a reliable runway for operations and programs. A heartfelt thank you to all of our wonderful Trustees. We truly couldn't do it with out you!

As we close the year, we'd also like to recognize our generous non-Trustee donors who have provided significant gifts in 2022:
Nathan & Claire Adams | Cynthia Blankenship & Dan Creighton | Tony & Linda Brooks | Cagann MacIntyre Family Fund | Cycle Haven / Fitzgerald's Bicycles Brad Farkas | Tammy Kiely via Goldman Sachs | James & Darlene O'Brien | The O'Neil Foundation | Marnie Peterson | Nancy Vic | Chris Woolley

If Silicon Couloir has made a difference in your community or venture, please remember us in your year end giving.

DONATE NOW

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.

Making the transition from athlete to executive

Making the transition from athlete to executive

By Brittney Ziebell

Jackson Hole is home to many who refer to themselves as “retired athletes.” Whether your path included junior high gymnastics, high school football, college soccer or skiing for the U.S. Ski Team, we can assume you’ve learned a lesson or two from sports along the way. And we can assume you’ve brought life lessons from your time as an athlete with you, such as self-discipline, focus, teamwork, time management and commitment.

Living in this playground of retired athletes means many of us tend to be a bit more tolerant of risk. That’s why Jackson is such a strong place for startups.

Entrepreneurs with budding ideas aren’t scared to take the leap into something new and unknown. Yet transitioning to the corporate world can be as daunting as starting a new sport without any coaches or a playbook to fall back on. So why don’t we talk more about the transition from sport to business more in a community like ours?

Vijay Karia is a retired professional tennis player and the chief digital officer at Connect America, a leading provider of personal emergency response systems with more than 900,000 active subscribers and operations throughout the U.S. and Canada. His business career path has taken him from the New York Stock Exchange to building mobile applications used by the NFL thanks to his expertise in technology, artificial intelligence, voice recognition and app development. But sports has also played a significant role in his success. I had the honor of sitting down with Karia to talk about his advice to athletes and budding entrepreneurs transitioning into the business world. He shares five lessons that have helped him along his journey in the technology industry.

1. Get to know yourself.

As athletes, one of the gifts we have is we get to know ourselves well. During countless hours of training and practicing, we get familiar with our strengths and weaknesses. So when we transition away from sport to business the same insights can be applied.

“You have to critically evaluate your strengths, your weaknesses and your wants for the future,” Karia said. Where do your interests lie? How do you want to spend your time? Karia was always a fast learner on the tennis court. His coach would show him a new technique and he’d apply it quickly, embracing the efficiency and insight.

Like a new serve style, he loved technology and discovered it could be the perfect fit for him as he retired from sport. “Technology changes so rapidly. Every month, new tech is coming out and old software is obsolete. New styles of programming are always emerging. It’s an industry that plays towards the strength of people who love to learn.”

The lesson here is to recognize your weaknesses, identify your strengths, and apply your learnings to your next steps in life.

2. Find your team.

Just like whatever sport you play, in business you need coaches, people willing to take you under their wing or who’ve blazed the path before you. “You’re in new territory,” Karia said. “If you try to do it yourself, you’re doing yourself a disservice.” Finding a mentor who you can align yourself with is important, and surrounding yourself with friends and family who support you and believe in you is integral.

Silicon Couloir’s Teton Entrepreneurs And Mentor Services program is a local option for budding entrepreneurs. The program currently includes 52 mentors who support 20 ventures with monthly meetings, free of cost. Meetings provide an opportunity for entrepreneurs to ask questions and receive objective advice. The main requirement? Entrepreneurs must be coachable, an attribute most retired athletes are well versed at.

3. Be patient with yourself, you’re starting a new sport.

Recognize that you’re starting a new sport. You’re on the junior varsity team surrounded by varsity — if not professional — players. When you start out it’s important to remember you simply may not be as good as your coworkers or others in your industry. Use your discipline from sports training and apply those skills to your new “sport.” With your self-awareness, and your mentors in place, you have the foundations to make yourself successful at your new discipline.

Karia recounts starting to work at the New York Stock Exchange and learning what at first felt like a foreign language: “I walked off the tennis court and into the board room. Everyone was speaking a different language of acronyms I did not know.”

4. There’s always more to learn.

Outside of the workspace, keep learning about your new endeavor. Karia spent the first three years of his job settling into the industry, reading books in his spare time and asking his mentors and coworkers questions. He would read books every evening and search the internet for the most up-to-date reports on emerging subjects in his field.

“Before long, I actually ended up knowing more about certain subjects than some senior professionals in the industry because I was learning the most current knowledge within the field,” he said. “There are new ways of doing things that come out every single day. All the knowledge is accessible at your fingertips and available to anyone who wants to read and learn about a subject.”

5. Remember your foundations.

Today Karia is 15 years into his career in the technology industry. He has never stopped learning and applying these core principles, all the while enjoying the sport he loves in his free time. “Don’t forget your foundations,” he urged, explaining that he returns to tennis often.

While progress isn’t always linear, you have fans supporting you from the sidelines. “People from your sport will always be there to cheer you on in another path in life. Once I realized that my sports background is not something to withhold or suppress [in the technology industry], and it was actually a strength, I realized that people were resonating and interested in being a part of my athletic life while helping me along my current path.”

So perhaps on the next Glory bootpack or hike up the Middle Teton, you can pat yourself on the back and thank yourself for all the years of hard work and commitment to sport. Then, ask yourself, what are you waiting for? It’s time to lean into that budding idea confidently, knowing that your familiarity with yourself and your background in sport has already set you up for success in whatever the future holds.

November News

MONTHLY CHANCE MEETINGS 

November 7th, 2022  5 - 7 pm @ Snake River Roasting Co. Cafe 

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~The Elevator Pitch: Summarizing your pitch in 2 minutes or less

An Elevator Pitch is "a description of an idea, product or company that explains the concept in a way such that any listener can understand it in a short period of time. This description typically explains who the thing is for, what it does, why it is needed, and how it will get done."

Join us on Monday, November 7th from 5-7 pm to hear succinct pitches from thee of the local companies that recently joined out TEAMS program. Remède, Vista 360, and Yoga Healer will present the "what, why and how" to the audience, followed by audience Q&A.

Remède is a wellness company that began in Jackson Hole in December 2016. We specialize in IV nutrient therapy, nutrigenomics, and aesthetics.

Vista 360° is an international artisan support business that brings luxury handmade accessories to the global market and in this way helps build sustainable artisan enterprises led by women.

At Yogahealer our mission is to expand our global community of people who want to thrive in their bodies and achieve their life goals.

REGISTER FOR CHANCE MEETINGS

NEWS AND NOTES

CONGRATULATIONS TO PITCH DAY FINALISTS

Silicon Couloir’s 11th Annual Pitch Day featured five local entrepreneurs pitching their businesses to a panel of experienced judges and an audience of hundreds. Following months of coaching, refinement and practice the finalists nailed their presentations and provided succinct answers to tough questions from the panelists. It was our strongest and most well attended Pitch Day yet, with the reception back in full swing. All finalists made huge strides in their business models and presentations that will help guide their success.  We are proud to announce the award winners of Pitch Day 2022.

• Panelist Choice Award: Remo Health

• Audience Choice Award: Naughty Fruit

• Bob Arndt Community Caretaker Award: Avant Delivery

"One of the most difficult things to find throughout the process of building your company is people that will tell you the truth about your business —what you need to hear, “ states Matt LeKrey Co-Founder of Remo Health. "Remo would not have been fortunate to win the Panelist Choice Grand Prize without the Pitch Day process or feedback from the coaches along the way. We're incredibly grateful for the Silicon Couloir community and how programs like Pitch Day enable us to live out our entrepreneurial dreams in the beautiful place we get to call home." 

If you missed the live event, we have you covered. The Pitch Day recording can be viewed HERE.

AWARD WINNER DETAILS

Nick Prevot visits with potential customers. Juan Morales shows off the goods.

Panelist Wayne Teetsel asking tough questions. Katy Hollbacher grateful for the time to shine.

Matt LeKrey shares ideas with an audience member. Sam Schwatrz gains insight from panelist Andrew Chung.

SC HOLIDAY GIFT LIST: SUPPORT LOCAL ENTREPRENEURS

As you plan your holiday shopping, please consider buying local from one of our hard working local TEAMS companies. Product information and a few choice discount codes can be found below.

OCTOBER VISIONARY VENTURES: DEFINING A HEALTHY COMMUNITY

In the Teton region, we strive for a healthy community, economy, & environment, but what biases and dynamics do we need to understand to truly achieve these aspirations? Our October Jackson Hole News & Guide column written by Gary Trauner seeks to uncover biases that could impede our progress.

READ THE COLUMN HERE

PERFECTUS BIOMED AQUIRED BY NAMSA

Congratulations to Marnie Peterson and the Perfectus Biomed Team for their recent acquisition by NAMSA, a world-leading MedTech Contract Research Organization (CRO) offering global end-to-end development services.

"From a tiny Jackson startup 2016 to a UK merger 2020 to acquisition 2022! Couldn’t have done it without the support of Silicon Couloir and TEAMS," Marnie shared.

Marnie joined TEAMS in 2018 with her venture, which was called Extherid Biosciences at the time. Marnie has been developing a non-live animal approach to drug development and discovery for over 20 years and is a leader in this niche style of research. In June 2020, Marnie took an entrepreneurial leap and merged her company with Dr. Samantha Westgate, a UK-based scientist. Together, they are Perfectus Biomed Group, a global biosciences company based in Jackson, Wyoming and Daresbury, England. Marnie feels proud to reach people all around the globe thanks to the work their team is conducting in Wyoming while also creating more opportunities for science to stay in the Cowboy state.

ANEX POWER FEATURED IN PIPELINERS PODCAST

In this week's episode of the Pipeliners Podcast, host Russel Treat is joined by Mike Longo of Anax Power to discuss using turbo expanders to generate carbon-free power from natural gas. Mike Longo is a Cowork Space member and enjoys being part of the SC ecosystem.

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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Announcing Pitch Day 2022 Award Winners

Last Wednesday night at Silicon Couloir’s Pitch Day, five local entrepreneurs pitched their businesses to a panel of experienced judges as well as an in-person and virtual audience, following months of coaching, refinement and practice. It was our strongest group of presenters yet, and the passion and purpose was palpable.  All finalists made huge strides in their business models and presentations that will help guide their success.  We are proud to announce the award winners of Pitch Day 2022.

Panelist Choice Award
Matt LeKrey, Co-Founder of Remo Health

$10,000 cash award

The panelist choice award is given to the company that our experienced entrepreneur judges determine has (1) the most compelling business idea, (2) the best chance for business success, (3) the highest likelihood of getting funded, (4) the strongest presentation, and (5) values alignment with Silicon Couloir. 

"One of the most difficult things to find throughout the process of building your company is people that will tell you the truth about your business —what you need to hear, “ states LeKrey. Remo would not have been fortunate to win the Panelist Choice Grand Prize without the Pitch Day process or feedback from the coaches along the way. We're incredibly grateful for the Silicon Couloir community and how programs like Pitch Day enable us to live out our entrepreneurial dreams in the beautiful place we get to call home." 

Photo: Matt LeKrey is working to provide comprehensive, accessible dementia care.

Audience Choice Award Winner

Juan Morales, Founder of Naughty Fruit

$5,000 cash award and one-year free use of The Cowork Space in Jackson, WY 

The audience choice award is voted on by the audience and is given to the company who “wows” the audience with their presentation and company.

Photo: Bill Haaland , Silicon Couloir mentor, announces Naughty Fruit as the audience favorite.

“Naughty Fruit has gone through a transformation since we became involved with Silicon Couloir, from its inception of the Start-Up Institute to our participation in TEAMS.” stated Morales. We have received so much invaluable business knowledge along the way. We were honored to win the Audience Choice Award and couldn’t have done it without the wonderful coaching.” 

Bob Arndt Community Caretaker Award

Sam Schwartz, Founder of Avant Delivery
$2,500 cash award + 6 months free use at The Cowork Space in Jackson, WY + invitation to join Silicon Couloir’s TEAMS Mentoring Program 

The Bob Arndt Community Caretaker Award is presented to that entrepreneur or venture whose person/team and company best embodies the core values and mission of Silicon Couloir, which is to align entrepreneurship with community vision to promote a diverse economy and healthy environment for current and future generations. Just as Bob lived his life guided by the value of community caretaking, this company will exemplify growing a culture of stewardship, leadership, participation, collaboration, and citizenship that inspires and enriches our tight-knit, welcoming mountain town.  The winner will have the opportunity to participate in TEAMS, our highly successful mentoring program. 

“Pitch Day was a 3 month process that encouraged my company to highlight our most unique position…me, the founder!” explains Schwartz. “How does my personal story drive a relentless pursuit to solve the single use plastic crisis? Silicon Couloir empowered me to highlight my commitment to protecting my community's greatest asset (the natural environment). Due to the multiple coaching sessions that enriched my presentation I was fortunate enough to walk away with the Bob Arndt Community Caretaker Award.”

 Photo: Sandy Hessler, who watched Sam Schwartz grow up next door, proudly announces the Bob Arndt Community Caretaker award for Sam.

Pitch Day would not be possible without the enormous volunteer efforts of our selection committee, coaches, and panelists.  We are extremely grateful for your participation. 

Pitch Day was generously sponsored by Pirate Ship and First Republic Bank. Photo by Lisa King. 

Defining a ‘healthy’ community

Defining a ‘healthy’ community

By Gary Trauner

The Jackson/Teton County Comprehensive Plan Vision Statement begins, “Preserve and protect the area’s ecosystem in order to ensure a healthy environment, community and economy for current and future generations.”

The mission statement for Silicon Couloir is “We align entrepreneurship with community vision to promote a diverse economy and a healthy environment for current and future generations.”

Both of these aspirational statements use the word “healthy” in reference to our community, but what does “healthy” actually mean? Well, a large group of engaged community members got together last week at the annual 22-in-21 conference put on by the Charture Institute to begin working toward defining just that.

As the leader of Silicon Couloir (and, full disclosure, a board member of Charture), I spoke about what I call the Elephants in the Room (“EITR”). That is, dynamics I believe we need to understand before we can determine what steps we need to take to achieve a truly “healthy” community. This column lays out those dynamics for all to explore.

EITR No. 1: Macro vs. Micro. This is the biggie. We have two overarching systems in this country: governance — participatory representative democracy, and economic — “free market” capitalism. One is inherently macro (governance), focusing on society’s priorities, and the other is inherently micro (economic), focusing on individual business profit and success.

The result is inherent tension between these two systems and misplaced priorities. Two examples:

• Jobs. At the macro level, competition and financial incentive means job creation. At the micro level, for individual businesses, jobs are actually a bug in the system, not a feature. The last thing a business generally wants to do is hire more people, the first thing it’ll do when it gets in trouble is lay people off, and if it can do things more efficiently with technology instead of people, it will.

• Drug deals and inside information. The free market is about efficiency and determining value. At the micro level, if someone wants to sell me hard drugs, and we agree on the cost, that is a free market transaction. Likewise, paying someone for inside information is simply the free market at work. Yet, at the macro level, we outlaw both of these transactions because we as a society believe they are bad (for various reasons).

EITR No. 2: Regulation Matters. Many proponents of our free market economic system desire minimal regulation. They view it as burdensome and bureaucratic. Yet those who study systems — biological, natural or human-devised — know that every system must be regulated, either internally or externally. Unregulated systems eventually become toxic (think cancer in biology and gross inequality in economics) and left unregulated, will collapse. Also, self-regulation is an oxymoron — think sports without referees or, well, anyone ever hear of Enron?

EITR No. 3: How/What We Measure Matters. It’s much easier to measure quantitative metrics than qualitative ones, so we tend to ignore the qualitative and place undue emphasis on the quantitative. I would argue that a healthy economy is one that improves the lives of all of its citizens. But when we measure our economy, we use metrics such as GDP, unemployment, wage growth, per capita income. But if 98% of GDP growth goes to the top 1% of the population, is that healthy? Shouldn’t we also measure the quality of our environment, the health of our population, work/life balance, reduced inequality?

EITR No. 4: Decision/Action Mismatch. Governance — reflecting the will of the people and our priorities — is bottom up and messy. It requires input from different community sectors, compromise, and, ultimately, consensus. The consequence? It’s time consuming and subject to manipulation (politics, special interests, money). Conversely, market action is generally topdown and nimble. Business owners/ managers can make decisions quickly and implement them without external input. This timing mismatch results in the “micro” changing reality on the ground while the “macro” is still working things out.

EITR No. 5: It’s the Private Sector Stupid. As I’ve written about previously, there are three sectors in every community: public (government), nonprofit and private. They are all important. However, in the immortal words of Reggie Jackson (Yankee fan here), the private sector is “the straw that stirs the drink.” Any attempt to achieve a healthy economy/environment will require buy-in from the private sector, which means individual businesses. This will require, in my estimation, both carrots and sticks.

Jonathan Schechter, the founder and brains behind the Charture Institute, has coined our conundrum the “250-Year Precedent.” To paraphrase, since the industrial revolution in England, no industrialized community has been able to balance a growing free market economy with preservation of its special natural attributes. Save one: Jackson Hole and Greater Yellowstone. Fortunately, we still have the chance to break the 250-Year Precedent.

To put it another way, when it comes to the macro (community desires and priorities) vs. the micro (free market business activity), the micro wins every time; and the hard truth is that if we continue on our current path, the micro will win here as well. The private sector is here to stay, and has many positive attributes. Yet it is simply a tool, one of many in our toolbox, to help us achieve our community priorities and goals.

In order to overcome the 250-Year Precedent, we must recognize the dynamics of the Elephants in the Room and formulate plans as a community to ensure we take them into account as we discuss and debate a “healthy” future for our economy, environment and community.

October News

MONTHLY CHANCE MEETINGS 

October 3, 5 - 7 pm @ Snake River Roasting Co. Cafe (50 West Broadway)

Please register below 

Sometimes all you need is the right connection and a little inspiration. Well, what are you waiting for? Find both at our free monthly networking event. You never know...

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 will be awarded in three categories. This year's entrepreneurs are disrupting traditional business models in the areas of single use plastics, sustainable housing, snack foods, health care, and outdoor apparel.

Join us for a Pitch Day sneak preview on Monday, October 3rd from 5 - 7 pm at Snake River Roasting Co. Cafe to hear about the coaching process and progress made 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 19th from 5:00 - 8:00 pm at Center for the Arts. Please register for Pitch Day below.

REGISTER FOR PITCH DAY

NEWS AND NOTES

SEPTEMBER VISIONARY VENTURES: MANY GIFTS CAN BE REALIZED FROM MENTORING

Our most recent Visionary Ventures column features dedicated and passionate TEAMS mentor, Bill Haaland. 

"There’s nothing more thrilling than a new business and a new business person grabbing onto their idea and trying to do something with it,” asserts Haaland. “I get goosebumps just talking about it.”

While Haaland gives generously of his time and expertise to young entrepreneurs, he feels he’s also a beneficiary in the process. Click on the button below to read more about the gifts of mentoring. 

READ THE FULL COLUMN

WELCOME NEW TRUSTEES

A warm welcome to new Silicon Couloir Super Trustees Jeff and Caren Hendren. Many thanks for your generous commitment to supporting entrepreneurship in the Teton region.

Jeff Hendren is a Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Siris Capital, which was launched in 2011. Jeff helped establish the Firm’s investment strategy, which focuses on driving value creation in mature technology companies with mission-critical products and services, facing industry changes or other significant transitions. Prior to founding Siris, Jeff served as a Managing Director at Ripplewood Holdings LLC, a global private equity firm. He started his career at Georgia Pacific and was a member of the mergers and acquisitions group of Goldman Sachs. Jeff earned an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School and a B.Sc. from Indiana University.

ANNOUNCING NEW BOARD MEMBERS

Silicon Couloir welcomes two new board members. Thank you to Rishi Kumar, SC Trustee, and Kelli Jones, TEAMS participant, for volunteering your time, talent, and leadership to the organization.

Kelli Jones is an entrepreneur, inventor, industry leader, community builder, and Founder/CEO
of Noso Patches, a sustainable company that creates solutions to keep your gear in use. To
date, Noso Patches has diverted over 25 million pounds of textiles from the landfill through
easy-to-use repair patches.

Prior to starting Noso, in 2016, Kelli’s background ranges from leading therapy programs to
crunching numbers as an accountant. From skiing the backcountry in Jackson Hole, Wyoming to
competing in triathlons in the Rocky Mountains, she determined to live a life full of adventure
and purpose.

Rishi Kumar is one part engineer and one part financier. He is an MIT trained computer scientist who spent many years as a bond derivatives trader on Wall Street before founding two financial technology companies. As Founder and Co-CEO of Kashable, an employee financial wellness platform, he is now looking to use the same talents to drive social and financial impact in the lives of Working Americans. Rishi’s companies have provided $2 billion in financing to underserved small businesses and consumers.

REGISTER NOW FOR 22 IN 21: HOW HEALTHY ARE WE

22 in 21: Jackson Hole in the 21st Century, is our region’s premier forum for considering where we are, where we are going, and how we might create the future we want. This year’s theme is “22 in 21: How Healthy Are We?”

“22 in 21: How Healthy Are We?” draws from the Vision Statement of the Jackson/Teton County Comp Plan: “Preserve and protect the area’s ecosystem in order to ensure a healthy environment, community and economy for current and future generations.”

But what is a healthy environment? A healthy community? A healthy economy? How healthy are ours? How do we know? Without clear answers to these questions, it will be difficult for us to achieve the future we want.

Given how the COVID pandemic has accelerated the pace of growth and change in the Tetons region, answering these questions is critical. This year’s 22 in 21 will begin that process.

What: 22 in 21: How Healthy Are We?
When: Wednesday, October 5; 10:00am - 5:00 pm, with a social hour to follow
Where: Snow King Resort
Cost: $100 (includes lunch and the social hour)

REGISTER FOR 22 IN 21

SUPPORT HIGHER EDUCATION IN THE TETON REGION

Please help Central Wyoming College, a valued partner of Silicon Couloir, find a permanent home for higher education opportunities in Teton County. CWC will be on the ballot this fall with a proposed SPET funded project to build a new Jackson campus. CWC's new home will bolster science and STEM programming, diversity health and wellness offerings, increase entrepreneurship and business programs, increase outdoor certifications, and enable the college to respond to student and community needs.

READ MORE

FIRSTS, EXPLORATION & CHOOSING YOUR JOURNEY: A CONVERSATION WITH TORI MURDEN McCLURE

Annie Morita, SC Board Member and Trustee will be in conversation with Tori Murden McClure on October 4th at 7 pm at Center for the Arts. Don't miss this opportunity to be inspired by a remarkable leader, athlete, and author. 

Tori Murden McClure is no stranger to trail blazing. With exceptional courage, vision, and determination she has many notable "firsts." She was the first woman and first American to row solo across the Atlantic Ocean. She was the first woman and first American to ski the geographic South Pole, and the first woman to climb the Lewis Nunatak in the Antarctic. And as President of Spalding University, a position she has held since 2010, she led the Kentucky-based Catholic university to certification as the world’s first compassionate university. 

Womentum is offering a special discount to the Silicon Couloir community. Use promo code "NOLS" for 30% off. 

BUY TICKETS

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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Many gifts can be realized from business mentoring

Many gifts can be realized from business mentoring

By Rebecca Reimers

There’s nothing more thrilling than a new business and a new business person grabbing onto their idea and trying to do something with it,” asserts Bill Haaland, Silicon Couloir TEAMS mentor. “I get goosebumps just talking about it.”

A serial entrepreneur, Bill doesn’t take the opportunity to pursue dreams for granted.

Haaland’s LinkedIn profile is telling: Business builder and leader / founder / consultant / contributor / changer / outdoor enthusiast. This is a person who is clearly looking to make a difference and who isn’t afraid of taking risks.

Following a long and successful career as a CEO in the financial insurance sector then as a founder of a business process outsourcing company, Haaland and wife Nancy relocated to the valley from Oklahoma City in August of 2018. Following a visit that same June they were certain they had found their new home. Two years ago he became an entrepreneur yet again with the establishment of Valley Rock Capital, a real estate finance brokerage founded in partnership with his son, George.

Haaland quickly found his tribe in Silicon Couloir, where he has been a dedicated and valued member in our mentoring program: Teton Entrepreneurs and Mentoring Services — TEAMS. Haaland previously served as a coach and judge for an innovation organization pitch event in the Midwest. Now he volunteers on three mentoring teams, two of which he leads.

Strong mentors have played a significant role in Haaland’s own life. His father passed away when he was only 22, at “about the time when a mentor would be useful.” He found role models in both his father-in-law and grandfather. He recalls watching his grandfather, who taught by example, patiently prepare to saw plywood by carefully moving the cord into the correct position for a successful outcome. That simple lesson has become a metaphor for the importance of taking the time to lay the foundation with proper preparation for a quality and enjoyable result.

While Haaland gives generously of his time and expertise to young entrepreneurs, he feels that he’s also the beneficiary in the process.

“There’s an element that’s selfish to my involvement with Silicon Couloir,” he said. “It’s exceedingly valuable to be around and immersed in it and to get to rub elbows with this group. It’s entirely motivating.”

His excitement is palpable as he describes the background diversity and depth of his fellow mentors: “I would imagine the intellectual capital at Silicon Couloir would rival anything in the country.”

Beyond Haaland’s substantial professional experience, he brings an infectious and genuine interest in people. He’s a networker by nature. If he meets you at an event, don’t be surprised if he calls you for a coffee get-together.

He often asks new acquaintances to introduce him to friends. He truly wants to learn about others and share ideas — a refreshing take in today’s increasingly divided and screen-dominated society.

“The more we’re connected,” he says, “the better everything works.” Experience has taught him that the payoff is so much greater than the risk of rejection.

Haaland is an advocate for inperson meetings. Zoom is convenient, but that pales in comparison to the in-themoment volley of ideas and strategies that can be realized in the best person-to-person interactions.

Haaland is also a collaborator. When asked what characteristics make for a good mentor, mentioned the willingness and importance of checking the ego.

In TEAMS a group of three to four mentors meets with the venture founder, who creates an agenda based on challenges and needs. The result is robust conversation and problemsolving from a variety of perspectives and approaches. Mentors work as a group to give the best guidance possible to the mentee based on a range of experiences.

“The last thing we want is the entrepreneur to be overwhelmed by a dominant personality,” Haaland said.

In a very real sense this openness to new ideas and perspectives gives mentors like Haaland as much opportunity to learn as the mentees.

“There’s just so much to be gained and shared,” he said. “The issues we face as business people are the same, whether it’s a little business or a huge business ... you’re equally valid.”

“We all learn in different ways,” Haaland said when asked about the value of TEAMS to the entrepreneur. “The opportunity for these entrepreneurs to hear business theories, principles and ideas from different perspectives is so much more valuable than if it were just one of us.” In the midst of the chaos of starting a business, taking the time to lay the foundation is crucial. The mentor group is able to stand back and see the bigger picture, so entrepreneurs can focus and deliver on their promise. Haaland is acutely aware of the challenges facing the Teton region.

“A community with socioeconomic diversity is healthier than one without. Doing whatever we can to generate jobs and help families to stay here is one of the ways we can help,” Haaland said. “That’s why I think Silicon Couloir is so important.”

TEAMS is adding new companies every month.

Those interested in being a part of the program as a mentor or a mentee can visit SiliconCouloir.com/teamsmentoring.