January News

MONTHLY CHANCE MEETINGS 

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

Please register below 

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

Theme: Financial Strategies for a Business Lifecycle

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

Please register for Chance Meetings by clicking the button below.

 

REGISTER FOR CHANCE MEETINGS

NOONTIME KNOWLEDGE SESSION TO FOLLOW
CHANCE MEETINGS

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

REGISTER FOR NOONTIME KNOWLEDGE

NEWS AND NOTES

START-UP SUCCESS: FUNDAMENTALS REGISTRATION NOW OPEN

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

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

LEARN MORE AND APPLY

CONGRATULATIONS TO BILL HAALAND, SC
VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR

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

COME SEE WHAT THE COWOK SPACE OFFERS AT OUR CHAMBER CELEBRATION 

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

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

• Partake in delicious food and drink

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

SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS LEADERS & BEST GATHERING:  TAKING CLIMATE ACTION

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

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

LEARN MORE ABOUT SILICON COULOIR

HAVE NEWS TO SHARE?

As always, please feel free to send news of your company's press, events, successes, and milestones to Gary@siliconcouloir.com and we'll do our best to feature them in our newsletters!

ARE YOU A COMMUNITY CARETAKER?

Silicon Couloir strengthens our Teton regional community by empowering the entrepreneurial ecosystem. More than just business development, we believe in enriching our community character and enhancing our mountain town culture. Help us support business pioneers in the Tetons by becoming a community caretaker!

To offer your time or talent, please email us at Gary@siliconcouloir.com.
 

December News

 

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

Please register below 

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

FREE & open to all!

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

REGISTER FOR OUR HOLIDAY PARTY

FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

 
Dear Friends of Silicon Couloir,

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

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

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

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

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

• I am thankful beyond words to everyone involved with Silicon Couloir – staff, board members, volunteers, entrepreneurs - for the work they have done and continue to do in service to our community;

• And I am thankful for all of you who follow what we do – it truly takes a village to help others grow and succeed, and in turn keep our community vibrant and strong.

We at Silicon Couloir wish you and yours a healthy and joyous 2023 holiday season, and we hope to see you at our Holiday gathering at the Center for the Arts on December 4.

Warmly,

       Gary Trauner, Silicon Couloir ED
 

NEWS AND NOTES

VISIONARY VENTURES

PITCH DAY: WHAT HAPPENS BELOW THE WATERLINE

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

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

Click the button below to read more. 
 

READ THE COLUMN

NOONTIME KNOWLEDGE
FINANCIAL STRATEGIES FOR A BUSINESS LIFECYCLE

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

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

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

REGISTER HERE

GO GREEN HOME SUPPLY LAUNCHES WEBSITE

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

NOSO PATCHES IS HIRING AN OPERATIONS DIRECTOR

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

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

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

FULL JOB DESCRIPTION HERE

WELCOME TO NEW TRUSTEE

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

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

THE COWORK SPACE OFFERS AFFORDABLE
DEDICATED DESKS

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

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

• Fast, reliable internet

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

• Phone booths for private calls

• Conference room with projection and conference call capabilities

• Kitchenette

• 24x7 access for members

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

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

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

ENVIROCAST: SAVING OUR WATERS,
ONE CAST AT A TIME

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

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

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

STIO NAMED A TOP 50 BEST PLACE TO WORK

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

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

LEARN MORE ABOUT SILICON COULOIR

HAVE NEWS TO SHARE?

As always, please feel free to send news of your company's press, events, successes, and milestones to Gary@siliconcouloir.com and we'll do our best to feature them in our newsletters!

ARE YOU A COMMUNITY CARETAKER?

Silicon Couloir strengthens our Teton regional community by empowering the entrepreneurial ecosystem. More than just business development, we believe in enriching our community character and enhancing our mountain town culture. Help us support business pioneers in the Tetons by becoming a community caretaker!

To offer your time or talent, please email us at Gary@siliconcouloir.com.
 

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McJunkin aims to clean water with code

McJunkin aims to clean water with code

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

By Sophia Boyd-Fliegel

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Pitch Day: What happens below the waterline

Pitch Day: What happens below the waterline

By Gary Trauner

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

November News

MONTHLY CHANCE MEETINGS 

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

Please register below 

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

Theme: Networking to Build Bonds

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

REGISTER FOR CHANCE MEETINGS

NEWS AND NOTES

VISIONARY VENTURES

WYOMING’S INNOVATION FRONTIER: VENTURE IN THE COWBOY STATE

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

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

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

READ THE COLUMN

NOONTIME KNOWLEDGE FRIDAY, NOV. 17TH:

START-UP FINANCING IN WYOMING

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

REGISTER HERE

ALPINE REVIVAL LAUNCHES

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

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

THE COWORK SPACE OFFERS AFFORDABLE
DEDICATED DESKS

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

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

• Fast, reliable internet

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

• Phone booths for private calls

• Conference room with projection and conference call capabilities

• Kitchenette

• 24x7 access for members

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

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

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

OUTDOOR INDUSTRY FUNDING SUMMIT ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS

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

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

Requirements for companies:

• In the outdoor industry

• Raising capital in the first half of 2024

• Early-stage (pre-seed, seed)

• U.S. based

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

MORE INFO & APPLICATION HERE

LEARN MORE ABOUT SILICON COULOIR

HAVE NEWS TO SHARE?

As always, please feel free to send news of your company's press, events, successes, and milestones to Gary@siliconcouloir.com and we'll do our best to feature them in our newsletters!

ARE YOU A COMMUNITY CARETAKER?

Silicon Couloir strengthens our Teton regional community by empowering the entrepreneurial ecosystem. More than just business development, we believe in enriching our community character and enhancing our mountain town culture. Help us support business pioneers in the Tetons by becoming a community caretaker!

To offer your time or talent, please email us at Gary@siliconcouloir.com.
 

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Wyoming’s Innovation Frontier: Venture in the Cowboy State

Wyoming’s Innovation Frontier: Venture in the Cowboy State

By Thomas Ferguson 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

And the winners are...

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

AND THE WINNERS ARE…

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

PANELIST CHOICE AWARD

James McJunkin, SOSystems

 

AUDIENCE CHOICE AWARD

Tana Hoffman, ILLA
 

BOB ARNDT COMMUNITY CARETAKER AWARD

Robb Sgroi, Teton Bear Products
 

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

LEARN MORE ABOUT SILICON COULOIR

HAVE NEWS TO SHARE?

As always, please feel free to send news of your company's press, events, successes, and milestones to Gary@siliconcouloir.com and we'll do our best to feature them in our newsletters!

ARE YOU A COMMUNITY CARETAKER?

Silicon Couloir strengthens our Teton regional community by empowering the entrepreneurial ecosystem. More than just business development, we believe in enriching our community character and enhancing our mountain town culture. Help us support business pioneers in the Tetons by becoming a community caretaker!

To offer your time or talent, please email us at Gary@siliconcouloir.com.
 

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

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

OUR 2023 FINALISTS  
 

BRENTON GUNNING, ALDEA FOUNDER

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

 

GRIFFIN POST, CRUXLEY FIELD GOODS FOUNDER

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

 

TANA HOFFMAN, ILLA FOUONDER

 ILLA: an AI-powered adventure platform for women+

 

SHAWN O’CONNOR, MAZZY HEALTH FOUNDER

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

 

JAMES MCJUNKIN, SOSYSTEMS C0-FOUNDER

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

 

 ROBB SGROI, TETON BEAR PRODUCTS FOUNDER

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

REGISTER HERE

OUR 2023 PANELISTS

REGISTER HERE

LEARN MORE ABOUT SILICON COULOIR

HAVE NEWS TO SHARE?

As always, please feel free to send news of your company's press, events, successes, and milestones to Gary@siliconcouloir.com and we'll do our best to feature them in our newsletters!

ARE YOU A COMMUNITY CARETAKER?

Silicon Couloir strengthens our Teton regional community by empowering the entrepreneurial ecosystem. More than just business development, we believe in enriching our community character and enhancing our mountain town culture. Help us support business pioneers in the Tetons by becoming a community caretaker!

To offer your time or talent, please email us at Gary@siliconcouloir.com.
 

September News

MONTHLY CHANCE MEETINGS 

Monday, September 11, 5 - 7 pm @ The Virginian Saloon (750 W Broadway)
Please register below 

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

REGISTER FOR CHANCE MEETINGS

Theme: Pitch Day Sneak Preview

Our signature event of the year, Pitch Day features local entrepreneurs showcasing their innovative and creative businesses to a panel of esteemed judges and a live audience. Cash prizes, double in amount this year, will be awarded in three categories. Our finalists have been hard at work perfecting their pitches with the help of expert volunteer mentors. 

Join us for a Pitch Day sneak preview on Monday, September 11th from 5 - 7 pm  at The Virginian Saloon to hear about the coaching process and progress finalists are making leading up to the big event. 

Pitch Day is free to attend and open to the public. "Shark Tank, Teton Style" will be held on Wednesday, October 4th from 5:00 - 7:30 pm at Center for the Arts with a reception to follow. Please register for Pitch Day below. 
 

REGISTER FOR PITCH DAY

NEWS AND NOTES

WELCOME TO NEW SC STAFF MEMBER

 Thomas Ferguson joins Silicon Couloir as the Angel Group Director to lead and reimagine the angel investment program in the Tetons. Previously, Thomas led Portfolio Development at Intel Capital ($13.3B AUM) for deep tech and silicon domains. Thomas brings experience in venture capital deal sourcing, due diligence, startup mentorship and company building to the Silicon Couloir team. He holds dual degrees in Political Economy and Computer Science from UC Berkeley and has called Jackson, Wyoming home since 2018. In addition to his passion for fostering collaboration within the local entrepreneurial ecosystem, Thomas is an avid ski mountaineer and ultra runner and he is currently fostering curiosities around identifying more of the birds and fungi of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.

PLEASE SUPPORT SILICON COULOIR AT OLD BILL'S

Silicon Couloir works toward a vibrant and diverse Teton region economy by empowering entrepreneurs and helping them realize their professional dreams. We offer an array of free to low-cost programs designed to assist ventures at every stage of development, from founding to funding. Our ecosystem companies create sustainable, year-round, high paying jobs, and enables ambitious and creative individuals to remain in the area.

Our world-class programs include TEAMS, Pitch Day, Angel Investing Group, Chance Meetings, Start-Up Success, and The Cowork Space, all of which require significant resources to plan, administer, and execute. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, we are supported 100% by community donations from people like you who want to see their entrepreneurial neighbors succeed. 

If you appreciate the investment Silicon Couloir makes in our community please support our work through Old Bill’s Fun Run. Your gift will be leveraged with a generous match from the Community Foundation of Jackson Hole CoChallengers. Donate from now until Friday, September 15th at 5pm by clicking the button below.

I WANT TO GIVE BACK

TLC KICKOFF SUMMIT: IGNITING NEXT-LEVEL LEADERSHIP

"The essence of next-level leadership across all organizations and in our personal lives reverberates around one core principle ‘leave something better than you found it’ - in all its dimensions,” says TLC Executive Director Sandy Schultz Hessler. 

You are invited to the TLC Kickoff Summit, a transformative event with world-class speakers designed for organizational leaders, entrepreneurs, and community members who aspire to develop and embody 21st-century leadership practices. 

The Summit takes place on Saturday, September 23 from 4-8 pm, and Sunday, September 24 from 8:30-5 pm. Click on the button below for tickets. 

TLC SUMMIT TICKETS

WELCOME TO NEW SC TRUSTEES

A warm welcome to new Trustees Michael Coles and John Jenkins. Thank you for your commitment to supporting entrepreneurship in the Teton region. 
 

Deeply involved in the community, Michael Coles is a transformational leader, accomplished entrepreneur, education advocate and motivational speaker and author. He is living proof that there are no limits to what we as individuals can accomplish. He brings his story to life in his book “Time To Get Tough How Cookies Coffee and a Crash Led To Success In Business and Life”.

After a successful 19-year career in the clothing business, Michael tested his entrepreneurial skills in 1977 when he co-founded Great American Cookie Company with an investment of only $8000. Shortly after starting the company, Michael was involved in a near-fatal motorcycle accident and was told by doctors he would never walk again unaided. As Michael recovered through a self-designed rehabilitation program, he took the company from its first store in Perimeter Mall in Atlanta to hundreds of stores nationwide and, at the same time, set three USA Transcontinental  bicycling world records. 

In 2003, Michael accepted the corporate reins of Caribou Coffee Company as Chairman, CEO and President. Over the next five years, Michael more than doubled the size of the company, extending the brand reach domestically and abroad. In September 2005, he successfully took the company public on NASDAQ under the symbol CBOU 

Appointed by Governor Roy Barnes in 1999 to Chair the Georgia Film, Video and Music Advisory Board, during his four years as Chairman, Michael and his board successfully passed HB610 which was the first tax incentive ever given to the industry in the state of Georgia. That bill allowed the industry to begin a rebirth going from $170 million 1999 to over $1.5 billion in economic impact by 2003. Today, the industry’s economic impact to the state is over $12 billion.

Coles was one of the founders of Charter Bank & Trust and served as its Chairman, taking the bank public and selling the publicly traded company to Synovus Bank. Michael is also the former Chairman of Brand Holding Company and Chairman of Brand Bank.

Michael lives in Jackson Hole, Wyoming with his wife Donna and they are the parents of three adult children and seven grandchildren.

John Jenkins is an experienced and successful entrepreneur. Finding individuals who are passionate about excellence, who have a proven track record of superior performance and engaging them in new companies is what drives John to new frontiers. Since graduating from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 1987, John's career has been focused on improving the interaction among the various stakeholders in the employee benefits insurance relationship (carrier/administrator, broker, employer and member). These same passions have benefited John as he transitions from founder to investor. 

John is Chairman and CEO of Hoback Assets, LLC, an investment and management advisory firm, based in Mitchell, South Dakota. Additionally, John is a venture partner with Dundee Venture Capital, an early stage business capital firm with offices in Omaha, Chicago, Minneapolis and St. Louis. He serves as the Chairman of the Board for Batten Trailer Leasing.

NOSO PATCHES STEPS UP TO SPONSOR SC

We're pleased to announce that Noso Patches is our newest Community Caretake sponsor. Noso, a home-grown regional company, is the creator of stylish and durable patches to quickly and easily repair your gear. Kelli Jones, Founder and CEO also serves on the SC board. Thank you to Kelli and her wonderful team for supporting our work. 
 

ENTREPRENEUR RESOURCE ADDITION: 
THE STARTUP LAW PLAYBOOK

Announcing a free and comprehensive resource of the most common legal questions entrepreneurs encounter over the lifecycle of a company. Created by Attorney Austin Harms, The Startup Law Playbook provides answers to over 120 common questions he's helped advise on over his career. You can find the guide and other valuable assets on our "Resources for Entrepreneurs" webpage. 

gBETA ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR FALL COHORT

gBETA is a free, seven-week accelerator for early-stage companies with Wyoming roots. Each program is capped at five teams, and requires no fees and no equity. Learn more about gBETA Wyoming Fall 2023.  Application deadline is September 25th. 

LEARN MORE ABOUT SILICON COULOIR

HAVE NEWS TO SHARE?

As always, please feel free to send news of your company's press, events, successes, and milestones to Gary@siliconcouloir.com and we'll do our best to feature them in our newsletters!

ARE YOU A COMMUNITY CARETAKER?

Silicon Couloir strengthens our Teton regional community by empowering the entrepreneurial ecosystem. More than just business development, we believe in enriching our community character and enhancing our mountain town culture. Help us support business pioneers in the Tetons by becoming a community caretaker!

To offer your time or talent, please email us at Gary@siliconcouloir.com.
 

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Voices JH connects immigrants with our community

Voices JH connects immigrants with our community

By Rebecca Reimers

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

August News

MONTHLY CHANCE MEETINGS 

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

Please register below 

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

Theme: Growing an Entrepreneurial Ecosystem 

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

REGISTER FOR CHANCE MEETINGS

REGISTER FOR CHANCE MEETINGS

NEWS AND NOTES

ANNOUNCING PREMIER DEDICATED DESKS AT THE COWORK SPACE

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

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE COWORK SPACE

MAKE A DIFFERENCE BY BECOMING A TEAMS MENTOR

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

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

TEAMS MENTORING INQUIRIES

GET YOUR TICKETS FOR THE TLC KICK-OFF CONFERENCE

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

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

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

PITCH DAY COACHES LEND EXPERTISE

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

SC STAFF MEMBER HIGHLIGHT

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

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

LEARN MORE ABOUT SILICON COULOIR

HAVE NEWS TO SHARE?

As always, please feel free to send news of your company's press, events, successes, and milestones to Gary@siliconcouloir.com and we'll do our best to feature them in our newsletters!

ARE YOU A COMMUNITY CARETAKER?

Silicon Couloir strengthens our Teton regional community by empowering the entrepreneurial ecosystem. More than just business development, we believe in enriching our community character and enhancing our mountain town culture. Help us support business pioneers in the Tetons by becoming a community caretaker!

To offer your time or talent, please email us at Gary@siliconcouloir.com.
 

Deriving a bigger ‘why’ helps businesses flourish

Deriving a bigger ‘why’ helps businesses flourish

By Sandy Schultz Hessler

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

July News

MONTHLY CHANCE MEETINGS 

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

Please register below 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

REGISTER FOR CHANCE MEETINGS

NEWS AND NOTES

COMING SOON: PREMIER DEDICATED DESKS AT THE COWORK SPACE

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

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

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

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

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

REGISTER FOR THE CONFERENCE

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

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

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

Content includes:

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

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

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

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

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

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

REGISTER HERE

TWO SC TEAMS COMPANIES ACCEPTED INTO gBETA

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

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

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

 

CHRISTIAN BECKWITH HONORED BY 10TH MOUNTAIN DIVISION

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

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

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

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

LISTEN TO THE PODCAST

LEARN MORE ABOUT SILICON COULOIR

HAVE NEWS TO SHARE?

As always, please feel free to send news of your company's press, events, successes, and milestones to Gary@siliconcouloir.com and we'll do our best to feature them in our newsletters!

ARE YOU A COMMUNITY CARETAKER?

Silicon Couloir strengthens our Teton regional community by empowering the entrepreneurial ecosystem. More than just business development, we believe in enriching our community character and enhancing our mountain town culture. Help us support business pioneers in the Tetons by becoming a community caretaker!

To offer your time or talent, please email us at Gary@siliconcouloir.com.
 

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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. 
 

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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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