Silicon Couloir announces Pitch Day finalists
Five entrepreneurs advance, receive coaching in preparation for 8-minute presentation of their business paradigm.
BY Riley Zeleznik
Vintage-looking cashmere ski sweaters. Estate planning made easy. Local produce jarred for the masses. These are products created by three nascent Jackson companies that have been chosen to pitch to investors next month at Silicon Couloir’s 15th annual Pitch Day.
Last week, Silicon Couloir announced their five finalists, among a record number of applicants. This year’s Pitch Day will be held Thursday, Sept. 24 from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Center for the Arts, with a reception after the presentations.
Silicon Couloir is a nonprofit that promotes innovation and works to connect Wyoming entrepreneurs with coaching and resources.
“We exist to support entrepreneurs, and to help those people realize their dream,” said Rebecca Reimers, the Silicon Couloir ecosystem director. “We want to support them and to get them as confident as they can be.”
After selection, Silicon Couloir finalists undergo intense coaching sessions with business experts, developing business concepts, financial aspects, and a public “Pitch Day” presentation. During Pitch Day, finalists conduct an eight-minute pitch and respond to questions from panelists.
“Not only do they have to perfect their pitch and deliver it really succinctly and smoothly, but they are also on the spot to answer these questions from the judges,” Reimers said.
The finalists go through four rounds of coaching and practice presenting with five or six business experts in the room, Reimers said. New this year, Silicon Couloir is introducing a one-to-one coaching session with Rose Caiazzo, who helps finalists perfect their speech and presentation.
“This is a new aspect that we’re adding because we’re always trying to improve the program and add new benefits for the finalists,” Reimers said. “Every year we just elevate the program more and more.”
The coaching process lasts months, and culminates in the Pitch Day presentation, where participants showcase their businesses in front of judges and a live audience for cash prizes. Prizes will be announced at a later date, but all finalists will receive a participation stipend.
In addition to helping out local entrepreneurs, Pitch Day also brings the community together, and can inspire the audience to be more entrepreneurial in their own lives.
“It helps give other people inspiration and courage to try to realize their own dreams and aspirations about starting a business,” Reimers said.
The experience celebrates entrepreneurs and innovation in Wyoming. Last year was the first year that Silicon Couloir opened Pitch Day to the whole state, making the process even more selective, Reimers said.
“There are quite a few really investible companies across the state who are building great products, very innovative companies,” Reimers said. “That’s been really exciting and a big add to the program.”
This year there are five finalist companies, with three from Jackson. The first finalist is Alpine Revival, founded by AJ Cargill. Inspired by vintage ski heritage, the Jackson company sells performance cashmere apparel for both men and women.
The second Jackson finalist company is EstateScribe, founded by Tyler Bass. To save time, minimize errors, and increase client counseling time, EstateScribe helps generate will and trust documents in a fraction of the usual time.
The third Jackson finalist company is Roots Kitchen & Cannery, co-founded by Orion Bellorado. Roots connects local agriculture with production and community across the Greater Yellowstone region. The fourth finalist company, Visual Engineering, founded by Cody Hamilton, is based in Pinedale. It aims to standardize coffee equipment into one machine to improve cafe margins.
The last 2026 finalist company is WYODYNAMICS co-founded by Stephen Elias and based in Powell. WYODYNAMICS turns waste energy and emissions into natural micro algae ingredients for cosmetics, supplements and animal nutrition.
Seventy-one percent of Pitch Day presenters continue to operate today, across 14 years of competitions, Reimers said. In comparison, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 34.7% of U.S. private sector businesses born in 2013 were still operating 10 years later.
“That’s a really encouraging metric,” Reimers said. “I think we’ve really helped these companies be more viable. Of course the entrepreneurs are working hard and they get all the credit, but we’re happy to help them in any way that we can.”
Roughly 40 volunteers contribute their time and experience to select finalist companies, coach, and judge at the 2026 Pitch Day event. In 2025, there was 156 hours of Pitch Day coaching, according to a Silicon Couloir Impact report. Last year’s finalist companies competed for over $80,000 in cash and prizes, and drew over 390 attendees.
The Pitch Day event is open to the public and free to attend, with a livestream available for those who are unable to attend in person. Those who want to attend can register on Silicon Couloir’s Pitch Day website. Audience members have the opportunity to vote for the audience choice winner every year, one of the top three prizes.
“We encourage anyone in the community to come out and to see what their friends and neighbors are building,” Reimers said. “It’s a really fun event, and we like to pack the house and bring the energy.”
