FREE & open to all! Register for Chance Meetings HERE .

Great things don’t happen in a vacuum, and we encourage everyone to join us once a month at Chance Meetings.

Theme: Founders’ Legal Landmines: Avoiding Common Contractual Pitfalls

Join us for an invaluable Chance Meetings on Monday, March 3rd from 5-7pm at the Virginian Saloon with Austin Harms, Founder and Managing Partner of Startup Venture Advisors, as he uncovers the most critical legal mistakes startups make in founding documents, partnership agreements, and early-stage contracts. Learn to recognize red flags and implement preventative strategies to protect your business from costly missteps.

With extensive experience advising startups and emerging growth companies, Austin specializes in corporate formation, governance, venture financing, and mergers and acquisitions. Before founding Startup Venture Advisors (SVA), he served as Counsel at Perkins Coie LLP, one of the world’s top corporate law firms, where he advised high-profile technology companies. An active investor in the startup space, Austin brings insider knowledge on how to navigate legal challenges and position your venture for success.

Don’t miss this opportunity to gain expert insights and safeguard your startup’s future!

For those seeking an in-depth legal workshop, A Noontime Knowledge session with Austin entitled "Fundraising Legal Essentials" will be held on Thursday, March 6th. Please see details and link to registration below. 

Join us on Thursday, January 23rd from 12:00-1:30 pm for a workshop with AI expert Dr. Paul Nemirovsky, co-founder and CEO of dMetrics. This is an interactive workshop designed to help entrepreneurs and business professionals understand the potential of AI and how one can use it to enhance decision-making, develop or grow your business, and more. Participants will explore ideas around applications, data quality, model training, use cases, and the edges of science and science fiction.

Cost is $20 and advanced registration is required. 

Register HERE.

FREE & open to all! Register for Chance Meetings HERE .

Great things don’t happen in a vacuum, and we encourage everyone to join us once a month at Chance Meetings.

Theme: The Power of Place: How a small-town identity shapes brand storytelling, customer loyalty, community spirit, and product authenticity.

Our next Chance Meetings will be held on Monday, January 6th from 5-7 pm at The Virginian Saloon. The Power of Place panel explores how small-town identity can serve as a cornerstone for building compelling brand stories, fostering deep customer loyalty, and cultivating vibrant community spirit. Featuring industry leaders Kelli Jones, Founder of NoSo Patches, Jennifer Gurecki, Founder of Coalition Snow, and AJ Cargill, Founder of Alpine Revival, and is moderated by Silicon Couloir Co-Founder Liza Millet. This program delves into the unique role of place-based narratives in creating authentic products and meaningful connections. Discover how embracing the character and values of a small-town origin can differentiate your brand in competitive markets while strengthening ties with customers and communities who resonate with the sense of home, heritage, and authenticity your story and company represents.

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

Please join us to celebrate Silicon Couloir ecosystem companies. Stock up on holiday gifts and learn about the remarkable companies established by local entrepreneurs. Featuring: Rise Centered, WYldlife for Tomorrow, Alpine Revival, Nation Botanics, Mountaineer Spirits, Battle Bored, Free Range Wear, and Mountaineer Spirits. Free and open to the public with complementary appetizers.

Please register HERE.

FREE & open to all! We believe that great things don’t happen in a vacuum, and we encourage everyone to join us once a month at Chance Meetings.

Theme: Smart Scaling: Harnessing AI for Business Breakthroughs

This panel will explore how businesses can leverage artificial intelligence (AI) to achieve rapid, sustainable growth while navigating the challenges of scaling in a dynamic marketplace. Industry leaders and AI experts will discuss practical strategies for integrating AI into business operations, from automating workflows and enhancing decision-making to improving customer experiences. The session will cover key considerations such as data management, ethics, and the role of human oversight, while showcasing real-world examples of companies that have successfully harnessed AI to unlock new opportunities, drive innovation, and stay competitive.

Please register HERE.

Pitch Day will be held at the Center for the Arts on the evening of Wednesday, October 9th. Pitch Day is free to attend and open to the public. Reception to follow the main event. Please register HERE.

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 prize of $20,000; the Audience Choice Award of $10,000 plus one year free use at The Cowork Space; and the Bob Arndt Community Caretaker Award of $5,000, an invitation to join the TEAMS Program, and six months free use at The Cowork Space.

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

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

Presenter: Natalie Reitman-White, Founder and Principal at Purpose Owned

This will be a virtual event via Zoom.

Most entrepreneurs have other motivations than "just being a business". They bring personal passion, philosophy, and integrity to their work. They work hard to build their company culture, care about their employees, customers, suppliers and the quality of the products they provide.

How do you keep your business profitable—and grow—without losing sight of your purpose? And just as important, how do you exit your company and ensure what you have built continues on? 

In this workshop we will talk about a new ownership model that preserves local ownership, helps maintain community stewardship and wealth building, and offers a viable exit strategy for business owners. This game-changing new business ownership structure, called a Perpetual Purpose Trust (PPT).

Natalie Reitman-White is a recognized expert with more than two decades of experience working in for-profit and nonprofit leadership, with a focus on sustainability business and innovation. Natalie will share about her journey exploring ownership models that lead her to developing the model. 

In the workshop we will provide real world case studies of how companies are using this new ownership model from nationally recognized brands like Patagonia and Zingermans, to smaller mom-and-pop retail operations and professional services firms. Their purposes vary from "saving the planet", to simply continuing to be "a good employer in their community".   We will discuss practical aspects such as financing and investment, governance and leadership succession.

Whether you are in the midst of planning for business ownership succession, or just starting a business, this will be a provocative and educational conversation about intentionally planning the ownership and financing of your business to ensure your purpose remains central.

Registration is free and required. Please register HERE.

FREE & open to all! We believe that great things don’t happen in a vacuum, and we encourage everyone to join us once a month at Chance Meetings.

Theme: Pitch Day Sneak Preview

Our signature event of the year, Pitch Day features local entrepreneurs showcasing their innovative and creative businesses to a panel of esteemed judges and a live audience. Cash prizes will be awarded in three categories. 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 9th from 5 to 7pm  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. and will be held on Wednesday, October 9th from 5:00 - 7:30 pm at Center for the Arts with a reception to follow. Please register for Pitch Day HERE. 

Register for Chance Meetings HERE.

FREE & open to all! We believe that great things don’t happen in a vacuum, and we encourage everyone to join us once a month at Chance Meetings.

Theme: Founders Spotlight— Cowork Space Members Pitch their Businesses

Located in the heart of Jackson, steps from the iconic Jackson town square, the Cowork Space is an affordable communal workspace inspiring creativity and productivity to locals and visitors alike, and is one of the foundational offerings of Silicon Couloir. Join us on Monday, August 5th from 5-7 pm at The Virginian Saloon to hear elevator pitches from our dynamic Cowork Space members. Companies include a craft whiskey producer, a community climate and resilience consultancy, an immigrant advocacy nonprofit, and more! 

Please register HERE.

Join us for a workshop on Wednesday, July 24th from noon to 1:30 designed to help companies navigate the complexities of funding. We'll cover key topics like understanding funding instruments, equity & cap table management, and how to build investor relationships. Our guest speaker, Venture Capitalist Mark Wan, will bring his extensive experience and insights from a highly accomplished career to the discussion. Whether you're just getting started or gearing up for your next funding round, this workshop will give you the essential knowledge and strategies to confidently tackle the world of startup financing.

Registration is free and required. Register HERE.

FREE & open to all! We believe that great things don’t happen in a vacuum, and we encourage everyone to join us once a month at Chance Meetings.

Theme: Mentors in Action—Insight into the TEAMS Approach

TEAMS, our world-class mentoring program formed to accelerate the development of entrepreneurs in the Teton region, is the cornerstone of Silicon Couloir's programs. From our 2018 pilot of six ventures and sixteen mentors, we have grown to serve 60 local ventures and 100 expert mentors. 

Each selected venture is assigned a team of mentors with one lead mentor. The group mentoring model is extremely effective for entrepreneurs as a variety of insights, opinions, and strategies are offered by a team of mentors, each of whom has different expertise and experience. The result is a dynamic, multi-faceted mentoring session that focuses first and foremost on the individuals success as a founder and secondarily on the venture.

Silicon Couloir is currently accepting new ventures for mentoring. On Monday, July 8th from 5-7 pm at Highpoint Cider Taproom, we'll offer insight into the TEAMS model to Chance Meeting attendees. Four of our seasoned mentors will show the team mentoring model in action by taking audience member questions relating to themselves as founders and their business. So bring your business questions, challenges, and problems and gain new perspectives. 

Please register HERE.

Speaker: Tom Thorsheim, PhD - Leadership Coach & Psychologist

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

Registration is free and required. Register HERE.

About our presenter:

Dr. Thorsheim (Tom) has been in practice as a psychologist since 2002, providing coaching, psychotherapy, and psychological assessment services. Professionally, his favorite thing in the world is to help people live fully, with a clear sense of purpose and passion, and be freed of negative thoughts that may get in the way of accomplishing their personal or professional goals.

Tom’s undergraduate degree is from Carleton College, Northfield, Minnesota, where he majored in psychology and minored in French. He then got a master’s degree in Program Evaluation (assessing the effectiveness of organizational interventions) and a doctorate in Counseling Psychology at the University of Texas at Austin. He has extensive experience working clinically within hospital systems, in clinical practice privately, and coaching executives and healthcare providers. He is a Certified Group Psychotherapist passionate about working with groups and teams to enhance communication and amplify personal and organizational effectiveness.

FREE & open to all! We believe that great things don’t happen in a vacuum, and we encourage everyone to join us once a month at Chance Meetings.

Theme: Start-Up Success Graduate Pitches

Join us on Monday, June 3th from 5-7 pm at The Virginian to hear graduates from the spring Start-Up Success cohort 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.  Businesses include leadership coaching, a new children's clothing company, a family psych practice, sparkling ski poles, and more!

Please register here: https://form.jotform.com/Silicon_Couloir/2024chancemeetingsregistration

FREE & open to all! We believe that great things don’t happen in a vacuum, and we encourage everyone to join us once a month at Chance Meetings.

Join us for our Annual Alpine, WY Chance Meetings as we explore how entrepreneurs can integrate social and environmental impact into their businesses from the outset. Lindsey Kneuven, Pure Impact CEO, will talk through tactics to audit your resources, align your focus with core business strategy and evaluate community needs.

A 6-week intensive business start-up program offered by Silicon Couloir each spring.

Learn key business frameworks, tools, and financial templates along with developing answers to the essential questions for your start-up. Join fellow budding entrepreneurs, small business owners, non-profit leaders, and business-oriented students in the journey of building a proven framework for success. You will gain skills, strategy, confidence, and community as you build and develop a values-based business. Students will have the opportunity to pitch their business at Silicon Couloir’s Chance Meetings the first Monday in June to an audience of entrepreneurs, local leaders, and investors. 

Class will be in-person.

For dates and link to application click HERE.

FREE & open to all! We believe that great things don’t happen in a vacuum, and we encourage everyone to join us once a month at Chance Meetings.

Theme: Networking to Build Bonds

Sometimes networking is hard. We get it. That's why we're hosting a Chance Meetings to facilitate making new contacts. Join us from 5-7 pm on Monday, April 1st for Speed Networking. Designed to accelerate business contacts through 3-minute introductions and conversations, speed networking is lively, fun, and will expand your community and connections. So, bring your business cards, a pen, and paper, and be ready to meet new friends in the Silicon Couloir ecosystem. Please register below. 

Successful negotiation in business is an essential skill to master, and takes strategy and practice. Following our February 5th Chance Meetings on the introduction of negotiating, this Noontime Knowledge workshop on Thursday, March 14th from noon to 1:30 with business executive Charlotte Oheman will provide attendees with an in-depth opportunity to learn more about negotiating and the chance to practice new skills. Build your confidence and walk into your next negotiation with a plan of action and a positive outcome.

Registration is free and required. Please register HERE.

FREE & open to all! We believe that great things don’t happen in a vacuum, and we encourage everyone to join us once a month at Chance Meetings.

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

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

Join us on Friday, February 9th from noon to 1:30 pm for Fundamentals of Raising Equity Capital featuring guest speaker Bart Leslie, Serial Entrepreneur & Startup Mentor, who will be sharing fundraising stories and best practices from the road. Your new project not only needs funding—it needs the right type of funding. Join us to learn how to navigate the process, players, and strategies for equity fundraising. We'll cover equity capital basics, steps in fundraising, connecting with & pitching to investors, simple valuation methods, and how to manage investor relationships. Walk away with a better understanding of when you need outside funding and how it impacts your business. 

Registration is free and required. Click HERE to register.

This will be the first in a four part Pathways to Funding Workshop Series offered in 2024. 

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.

• Catering by Down Home Eats 

• Libations from Mountaineer Spirits

• Raffle items include Cowork Space memberships and passes, and a Stio jacket! Thank you to Stio for this generous donation! 

FREE & open to all! We believe that great things don’t happen in a vacuum, and we encourage everyone to join us once a month at Chance Meetings.

Theme: Negotiation—An Essential Skill

To successfully navigate the challenges and opportunities in business, negotiation is an essential skill to master. Please join us on Monday, February 5th from 5-7 pm for what will be an educational and engaging Chance Meetings. Charlotte Oehman will discuss her journey in learning the skill and art of negotiation. Also, she will provide insights into negotiation fundamentals and talk about real life negotiations. To enhance the audience involvement of the evening, attendees will be encouraged to share a negotiating experience.

Please register HERE.

Noontime Knowledge: The Skill and Art of Negotiations to Follow Chance Meetings

If you want to learn more about negotiating, please attend our Noontime Knowledge workshop on Thursday, March 14th. Charlotte Oheman will provide attendees with a more in-depth opportunity to learn about negotiating, and a chance to practice new skills. Build your confidence and walk into your next negotiation with a plan of action and a positive outcome.

Please register for Noontime Knowledge HERE.

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. 

This Noontime Knowledge will follow the January 8th Chance Meetings on the same subject. Registration is free and required.  Prior attendance at Chance Meetings is not required, but is encouraged. Register for Noontime Knowledge HERE.

FREE & open to all! We believe that great things don’t happen in a vacuum, and we encourage everyone to join us once a month at Chance Meetings.

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 – what banking, lending, currency, and staff retirement plans are needed.

Please register for Chance Meetings HERE.

If you’re interested in a more in depth workshop on this topic, please also attend our Noontime Knowledge session on Tuesday, January 9th from 12-1 pm. Register HERE.

FREE & open to all! We believe that great things don’t happen in a vacuum, and we encourage everyone to join us once a month at Chance Meetings.

Please join us for a celebration of Silicon Couloir ecosystem companies on Monday, December 4th from 5-7 pm at the Center for the Arts lobby. and stock up on local holiday gifts. All participating companies are part of our TEAMS mentoring program. Complimentary appetizers and cash bar.

FREE & open to all! We believe that great things don’t happen in a vacuum, and we encourage everyone to join us once a month at Chance Meetings.

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.

Please register HERE.