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."
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.
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.
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
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.
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.