Open to all and FREE to attend! We believe that great things don’t happen in a vacuum, and we encourage everyone to venture out to network at Chance Meetings.

Many small business owners find the world of financing confusing—especially how SBA loans and independent financial firms like Altura work together to provide flexible options.

On March 23rd, 5-7 PM at Lula Wine Bar in Driggs, Idaho, Altura’s Director of Lending Katie Cook and Senior Loan Officer Forrest Grigg will host an engaging informational session. They’ll break down the types of financing available (including SBA programs, conventional loans, and alternative solutions), explain how these options complement each other, and dispel common myths that hold businesses back.

Bring your questions for an open Q&A session. Whether you’re planning to start, grow, or refinance your business, this is your opportunity to gain clarity and confidence in your financing strategy.

Space is limited—join us for drinks, conversation, and actionable insights!

Uncover Your #1 On-Camera Blind Spot

In a world of AI rising, your authentic personality will be your competitive edge. But even the best lighting & cameras mean zero if you don’t have the right mindset & presence! Join Rose Caiazzo on Tuesday, March 10th from 12:00 to 1:30pm for this high-impact, 90-minute interactive workshop designed to solidify your authority on camera. This is a high-level audit of your professional presence on video, where theory meets real-time execution.

What to expect:

First, Rose breaks down everything in her V.O.I.C.E. Framework. We discuss everything from the psychology of showing up on camera, removing unconscious behaviors repelling your audience & how you can trigger actual trust with your messaging.

Secure Your Hot Seat! 

The first 10 attendees to register and email a video clip (<2 min) to rosecllc@gmail.com will receive a live critique. Whether it’s an intro, teaching moment, or story -- send a URL or .mov of you speaking on camera. Rose will pinpoint your #1 blind spot at the workshop so you can fix it immediately!

About Rose

 Rose built her career on recognizing business shifts before they became obvious. In 2008, she sold nearly everything she owned, moved to Jackson Hole & launched two companies: one helped hundreds of organizations adopt social media when it was still dismissed as a fad; the other put her on the mic as a voice over talent, on-camera host & live event emcee -- work that led to a syndicated radio show & the trademarked name Jackson Hole Rose®.

 In 2022, Rose identified the next shift & merged her businesses around a conviction: live streaming video would become a major advantage as AI accelerated toward automation. Drawing on her broadcast background & strategic communications expertise, she developed a LIVE first methodology that empowers business leaders to master their on-camera presence, claim their authority & convert attention into revenue -- all while keeping it real & authentically human.

Zoom link will be send following registration. Register HERE.

Open to all and FREE to attend! We believe that great things don’t happen in a vacuum, and we encourage everyone to venture out to network at Chance Meetings.

Women Supporting Women: Building Businesses, Backing Each Other, Changing the Game

At Silicon Couloir, we believe entrepreneurship thrives through connection, shared experience, and honest conversation. Our March 2nd Chance Meetings panel brings together three women whose work spans venture capital, community building, and one of the most demanding industries imaginable—commercial fishing in Alaska—each demonstrating what’s possible when women support and uplift one another in business.

The panel features Gesche Haas, founder of a female-focused entrepreneurial network; Carli Sapir, a venture capital partner investing in women’s sexual health and wellness; and Jess Normandeau, owner of a salmon fishing boat operated by a female majority crew. Their stories highlight the many ways women drive economic impact, including investing capital, creating community, opening doors, and leading with grit and resilience.

Together, they’ll explore how women are not only building successful companies across sectors, but actively strengthening the entrepreneurial ecosystem by backing each other along the way. The takeaway is clear: there is no single path to leadership, and women are proving every day that they are powerful, capable, and successful business owners.

In fast-moving environments, it’s easy for urgency, pressure, and outside expectations to quietly pull leaders away from their values. Yet the leaders and organizations that endure across business, nonprofits, and public service are those that stay steady when decisions are difficult and the path forward isn’t clear.

This Noontime Knowledge session with Hailey Morton-Levinson on Wednesday, Feb. 4th from 12:00-1:30pm explores how values-based leadership shows up in everyday choices, especially when the stakes are high or the tradeoffs are uncomfortable. Participants will consider what it means to lead for the long term—whether their “community” is a place, a customer base, a team, or a mission—and how staying grounded in values builds trust, resilience, and sustainable success over time.

Grounded in Hailey Levinson’s experience across family-owned hospitality, as Mayor of Jackson, community service, and now as the Commodore of Community with Pirate Ship, this session helps participants reflect on how values guide leadership decisions over the long term. Through real-world examples and guided discussion, attendees will leave with practical ways to keep values front and center in day-to-day leadership, as well as in the moments that matter most.

Registration is $25 and space is limited. Register HERE.

Open to all and FREE to attend! We believe that great things don’t happen in a vacuum, and we encourage everyone to venture out to network at Chance Meetings.

The most valuable connections don’t stop at introductions, they deepen through meaningful exchange and follow-up. Our next Chance Meetings on Monday, February 2nd will focus on Needs & Leads, a structured, high-impact networking session designed to help participants move beyond surface-level connections and tap into the true power of the Silicon Couloir community.

Participants will break into small, facilitated groups of 10–12 people. Each person will have several minutes to clearly present a current need—professional, business, or otherwise—that would meaningfully support their growth or next step. After each presentation, fellow group members will indicate whether they have a lead to offer, such as a relevant contact, resource, idea, or follow-up conversation.

To make the most of this experience, all participants are expected to arrive prepared with a clear, concise need and to honor a shared commitment to confidentiality. The session will be guided by facilitators to keep conversations on track and ensure everyone has equal opportunity to participate.

Benefits of participating include:

• Gaining practical ideas, resources, and introductions to help solve a real challenge

• Engaging in meaningful follow-up conversations beyond the event

• Helping others advance by sharing your knowledge and network

• Experiencing firsthand the depth and strength of the Silicon Couloir community

Come prepared with a need, ready to contribute, and open to supporting others. Needs & Leads is about generosity, focus, and turning connections into action.

📢 IMPORTANT NOTES FOR PARTICIPATION
• The program will start promptly at 5:30, so please give yourseld ample time to check in and get settled.

• Come prepared to share a need in 90 seconds or less

• Bring your phone so you can record the leads offered to you

Open to all and FREE to attend! We believe that great things don’t happen in a vacuum, and we encourage everyone to venture out to network at Chance Meetings.

In small communities — and especially in entrepreneurial ecosystems — the quality of our communication determines the quality of our relationships, our leadership, and ultimately our results. In this gathering on Monday, January 26th from 5-7pm at Lula Wine Bar and Bistro, writer and community leader Sue Muncaster explores the practice of courageous communication: the ability to speak honestly and listen generously, while staying grounded in dignity and shared purpose. 

Drawing on 25+ years as a lifestyle entrepreneur, storyteller, and civic leader in the Tetons, Sue shares practical tools for navigating disagreement, building trust, reducing reactivity, and creating environments where people feel seen and respected. This isn’t about “being nice.” It’s about learning to engage and disagree with clarity, curiosity, and compassion — so we can turn tension into creativity rather than division. 

This session is especially relevant for founders, leaders, creatives, and community builders who believe that healthy organizations and resilient communities begin with how we speak — and how we listen. Because when communication improves, everything improves.

Join us for a lively discussion exploring:

• What courageous communication is — and why it matters in entrepreneurial, political, and community leadership

• How dignity-centered communication strengthens culture, innovation, and decisions

• How to recognize assumptions and reduce defensiveness in difficult conversations

• Tools for building real relational trust inside teams and partnerships

Leave with practical communication tools drawn from real-life situations in Sue's civic, business, and creative life that have helped her and will help you better understand human perspectives, diffuse divisiveness, and discover better solutions.

About Sue:

Sue Muncaster is a lifestyle entrepreneur, writer, and civic leader based in Teton Valley, Idaho. Over the past 25 years, Sue has built a creative career rooted in purpose, storytelling, and the outdoor lifestyle — including founding Teton Family Magazine, co-founding Slow Food in the Tetons, launching the Treetop Adventure at Snow King Mountain, and publishing essays on mountain culture, resilience, and human connection through her Substack, Teton Strong.

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...

Entrepreneurs, business owners, and community leaders are constantly pushing beyond their comfort zones,making high-stakes decisions, taking financial and reputational risks, and stepping into uncertainty where fear is often an unavoidable companion. While courage is celebrated in entrepreneurship, the internal struggle with self-doubt, anxiety, and pressure is rarely discussed openly. Learning to face fear head-on and use it productively can be the difference between hesitation and decisive, confident leadership.

Join us at Chance Meetings on Monday, January 5th to start the year with a powerful shift in mindset by learning how to harness the power of fear. Jason Ochs, a trial lawyer with more than 20 years of experience, teaches professionals how to overcome uncertainty and self-doubt in high-pressure situations. Through years of courtroom experience, he has developed a proven, four-step process, battle-tested where the stakes are highest, that transforms fear into fuel for growth and performance.

Jason’s methodology was born from witnessing how stress and anxiety could derail even the most capable individuals during depositions and cross-examinations. His approach prepared people to become mentally and emotionally resilient under pressure. Now, Jason is bringing this powerful framework beyond the courtroom, sharing practical tools that help individuals channel fear into focus, clarity, and strength.

Join Silicon Couloir on Tuesday, December 9 from 12:00 to 1:30 PM in the Cloudveil Room at the Teton County Recreation Center for our next dynamic Noontime Knowledge. Lindsey Kneuven, CEO and Founder of Pure Impact, will lead an engaging and practical Noontime Knowledge workshop on building resilient, mission-driven companies and organizations.

Lindsey will explore how mission and community engagement can boost employee morale, loyalty, and well-being, and share strategies for adapting to uncertainty while staying grounded in core values. She’ll also share how to build and employ a logic model tool, a powerful framework companies and leaders can apply to create strategies that drive long-term impact.

This session is ideal for founders, nonprofit leaders, and managers looking to strengthen their organization’s culture, clarity, and strategic impact.

Free and open to the community. Bring your lunch and your curiosity.

Please register HERE.

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 on Monday, December 8th from 5-7 pm at Center for the Arts Lobby to celebrate Silicon Couloir ecosystem companies. Stock up on holiday gifts and learn about the remarkable companies established by local entrepreneurs. Companies featured this year include: Dabble, Remote Dietitians, Rendezvu, Slipstream Sockeye and The Wonder Institute. Free and open to all!

This is a wonderful opportunity to connect with our community, and learn more about some of the up-and-coming local startups participating in our TEAMS mentoring program.

Come celebrate innovation, support local entrepreneurs, and get inspired by the ventures shaping our region’s future. Enjoy complimentary appetizers and a cash bar. 

FREE & open to all!

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

Experience the Power of TEAMS Mentoring - Live!

Ever wondered what happens behind the door of a TEAMS mentoring session? On Monday, November 3rd from 5-7 PM, four of our expert mentors will take the hot seat and tackle your real business questions live. Bring your toughest business challenges and watch as our mentors deliver the same insights that have helped 80 local ventures thrive.

It's mentoring, unscripted. No presentations or theory - just real questions, expertise, and solutions you can apply right now.

About TEAMS: TEAMS is Silicon Couloir's flagship mentoring program, designed to accelerate entrepreneurs in the Teton region. Since our 2018 pilot with 6 ventures and 16 mentors, we've supported 80 ventures with 117 expert mentors. Our unique group mentoring model pairs each venture with a team of mentors who bring diverse expertise and perspectives - creating dynamic sessions focused first on your success as a founder, and second on your venture's growth. We're currently accepting new ventures.

Pitch Day—free to attend and will be open to the public— will be held at the Center for the Arts on Tuesday, October 7th from 5:00-7:00 pm MT with a reception to follow.

Don’t miss our signature event of the year! Pitch Day features Wyoming 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.

Pitch Day is an intensive program that provides multiple coaching sessions to participants and is a celebration of the highly successful entrepreneurial ecosystem in the Teton region and beyond fostered by Silicon Couloir.

For those who can’t attend in person Pitch Day will also be livestreamed.

Please register HERE.

Join us at Lula Wine Bar in Driggs on September 22nd from 5-7pm for Clicks, Code, and Crew: Make Your Website Better Starting Today, an engaging panel designed to give you practical tools to strengthen your online presence.

Moderated by Erica Rice of The Brandstalk, the conversation will feature Chris Jensen, founder of Cirque Online, who specializes in SEO, AI optimization, and e-commerce solutions; BJ Hansen, founder of Teton Homestead, who brings a business owner’s perspective on how design and technology directly impact performance; and Lane Valiante, founder and CEO of Caldera Creative, a marketing and branding agency helping organizations turn audience insight into strategy-led creative solutions.

From search strategy to user experience to design-forward branding, this panel will deliver actionable takeaways you can start applying right away, all while connecting with fellow entrepreneurs and community members.

Find Your Funding Fit: Strategies That Match Your Mission

FREE & open to all!

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

Silicon Couloir is excited to welcome you to our September 8th Chance Meetings panel, Find Your Funding Fit: Strategies That Match Your Mission. This conversation will shine a light on the many ways entrepreneurs can fund their ventures, exploring the advantages, trade-offs, and practical lessons from those who have navigated each path.

Our entrepreneur panelists will share their firsthand experience across a wide range of funding strategies including bootstrapping, grants, crowdfunding, nonprofit, angel investments, and venture capital. Panelists include Karissa Akin, Marnie Peterson, Emily Byrne, Taylor Phillips, Ryan Buter, and Evan Huck.

Whether you’re launching your first venture or scaling to the next level, this session will help you understand which fundraising model best aligns with your mission, values, and growth goals.

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.

Self-Compassion and Resilience for High Performers with Hunter Lee

The Buddha's first noble truth alludes to the fact that we cannot escape difficulties and setbacks in life. This is all the more true for the high performers that call the Tetons home. Whether in business, outdoor pursuits or personal growth, when we seek to excel we inevitably come into contact with these setbacks and difficulties. Some of us have learned to rely on harsh self-criticism, perfectionism, workaholism or other potentially harmful traits to continue to excel and achieve. This workshop introduces the power of self-compassion to quiet the inner, restore balance, and sustain motivation from a place of kindness and encouragement, not fear. We will learn that self-compassion isn't an indulgent weakness, but a tool to build resilience, protect your wellbeing, and sustain peak performance. Take your business and life to the next level with the edge of self-kindness. 

Hunter is an International Coaching Federation member coach and graduate of the two year Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Certification Program. At Flourish JH Hunter specializes in one-on-one coaching to foster individual flourishing and workshops with teams to develop resilience and self-compassion. He has worked with diverse groups from local sports teams to corporate teams at UBER. 

The Real Deal: Fundraising Lessons from Both Sides of the Table

Join Silicon Couloir for a candid, behind-the-scenes conversation about what it really takes to raise capital. This dynamic panel features seasoned entrepreneur Bart Leslie and experienced investors Ben Davis, Thomas Ferguson and sharing unfiltered insights, hard-earned lessons, and actionable advice on navigating the fundraising process. Whether you're evaluating fundraising strategies, preparing for your first raise, or refining your pitch for institutional capital, this session will shed light on the realities, challenges, and strategies that drive successful fundraising.

Registration is free and required. Register HERE.

Adaptive Thinking and Rewiring the Brain for High Stress Situations with Tami Muller

Join us for a discussion on understanding the brain's capacity for adaptive thinking in high-stress entrepreneurial environments. Tami Muller, Speaker, Certified Happiness Trainer, Positive Psychology Coach, author of the book “How To Be On a Diet For 45 Years and Never Be Thin" will discuss the neurological reframing of failure, tools to help develop positive cognitive patterns, sustainable emotional intelligence mechanisms, and more.

Registration is free, required and limited to 30. Register HERE.

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

Theme: Start-Up Success Graduates Pitch Their Businesses

Join us on Monday, June 2, from 5–7 PM at The Virginian for an inspiring evening as graduates from the spring Start-Up Success cohort present their business ideas. Hear their compelling elevator pitches and gain insights into what they’ve learned throughout the course.

Connect with emerging founders and explore a range of innovative ventures—from an AI-powered cleaning and waste management marketplace, to a company offering focus and learning support solutions, to a winter hat brand, and more!

Don’t miss this opportunity to network, learn, and support the next generation of entrepreneurs.

Your elevator pitch is more than an idea—it's how you deliver it. In this interactive workshop, John Morgan, public speaking instructor and Founder of Dialogue Business Strategy, will help you harness your unique strengths and personality to make the most of your vocal and visual communication skills. You’ll learn how to use tone, body language, and presence to connect with your audience—whether you’re pitching to investors, customers, or partners. Through hands-on exercises, you’ll refine your message, build confidence, and develop a pitch delivery that feels natural, engaging, and authentic to you. Join us and discover how to make a lasting impression by owning the way you speak and present.

Registration is free, required and limited to 20. Please 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.