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.
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.
Join Teton Leadership Center at the Fall Summit, Human Intelligence: Bold Leadership for a Purpose-Driven Future, where we’ll gather to explore the frontiers of human possibility, organizational transformation, and cultural shift. The Tetons will provide an inspirational backdrop for networking with business-minded individuals and entrepreneurs interested in spurring innovation to enhance our communities and environments, and create a roadmap for personal, team and systems transformation in this rapidly accelerating, uncertain, and extraordinary world.
Learn from world-class speakers, transformative workshops, facilitated discussion with regional coaches and leadership experts, and social networking events.
Register HERE.
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.
Silicon Couloir is pleased to offer 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.
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: 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.
JOIN US FOR SILICON COULOIR’S 12TH ANNUAL PITCH DAY OUR FREE SIGNATURE EVENT OF THE YEAR
’LIKE THAT ‘SHARK SHOW’ TETON STYLE’
Wed, October 4th, 5:00 to 7:30 pm • Center For the Arts, Jackson, WY
Pitch Day is open to the public and free to attend. Reception to follow
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. Pitch Day is an intensive program that provides expert coaching to participants and is a celebration of the highly successful entrepreneurial ecosystem in the Teton region fostered by Silicon Couloir.
Selected entrepreneurs will have five to six 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.
Please join us to support your entrepreneurial neighbors and celebrate our highly successful ecosystem.
TLC KICKOFF SUMMIT: IGNITING NEXT-LEVEL LEADERSHIP
CONNECTING DEEPER; ENGAGING WIDER
SATURDAY, 9/23/2023, 4 PM-8 PM and SUNDAY, 9/24/2023, 8:30 AM-5 PM
Teton Leadership Summit is a transformative event designed for organizational leaders, entrepreneurs, and community members who aspire to develop and embody 21st-century leadership practices. Throughout the summit, we will delve into aligning with purpose, expanding the container of success through meaningful collaboration, and catalyzing transformative shifts within systems and structures. We aim to foster the creation of prosperous businesses, vibrant communities, and thriving ecosystems.
Through leading-edge keynote presentations, engaging roundtable discussions, and valuable networking opportunities, participants will embark on a journey of deep exploration, self-discovery, and a wider engagement with the environment and community, leading to professional growth. By the summit’s end, attendees will emerge as empowered leaders of the new economy, equipped to shape a better future for themselves, their organizations, their communities, and the planet.
KEYNOTES
Aligning with Purpose: Nick Craig, founder of the Core Leadership Institute and author of “Leading From Purpose: Clarity and the Confidence to Act When It Matters Most”
Expanding the Container of Success: Betsy Myers, senior adviser to President Bill Clinton and Barack Obama and author of “Take the Lead: Motivate, Inspire, and Bring Out the Best in Yourself and Everyone Around You”
Shifting Systems and Structures: Craig Chalquist, author of “Ecotherapy: Healing with Nature in Mind” and “Terrapsychological Inquiry: Restoring Our Relationship with Nature, Place, and Planet,” and James L. Ritchie-Dunham, Ph.D., founder of the Institute for Strategic Clarity and Harvard University Institute for Quantitative Social Science’s Leadership for Flourishing Project
Join us as we embark on a transformative journey towards sustainable and prosperous futures. Together, we will ignite next-level leadership and shape a better world for all.
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, 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 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.
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.
PARTICIPANTS MUST REGISTER HERE: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScbH2WP2msyNguamfPqAJz_OwX50Bf9Ze5mj7jVUE-Afy7gAQ/viewform
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.
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: 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: Club Thrive, Naughty Fruit, Sweet Hollow Farm, Orchestra Provision, and Teton Leadership Center.
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: 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.
Please register here: https://form.jotform.com/Silicon_Couloir/2023-chance-meetings-registration
