Sweetwater County Innovation Launchpad Announces Pitch Night
Sweetwater County Innovation Launchpad (SCIL) participants attended two Bootcamps in August where accounting and banking topics were presented. Accounting topics were presented by Hallows & Company representatives Ladd Hallows, Kade Hallows, CPA, and Adam Roundy, CPA. The bankers panel consisted of Cody Bateman and David O’Connell (State Bank), Tiffany Kindel and Shannon Alam (Commerce Bank of Wyoming), Ben Bell and Jeff Killpack (First Bank of Wyoming), Ozzie Hay (RSNB) and Ted Ware (Uinta Bank).
SCIL is a competition for local entrepreneurs. SCIL participants receive valuable mentorship from IMPACT 307 and local professionals. SCIL is run by IMPACT Sweetwater, a collaboration between University of Wyoming’s IMPACT 307 and Western Wyoming Community College, which is made possible by the EDA CARES grant. SCIL’s program is sponsored by Wyoming Business Council, Governor Gordon’s Wyoming Innovation Partnership, Rock Springs Main Street URA, Rock Springs Chamber of Commerce, Green River Chamber, and the Green River Main Street URA.
This first annual competition attracted 28 applicants. Nine semi-finalists gave pitches to local judges: Rick Lee (CEO, Rock Springs Chamber of Commerce), Lisa Herrera (CEO, Green River Chamber of Commerce) and Cody Bateman (CEO, State Bank). Six companies were selected as finalists, who will compete in the final round Pitch Night. Local judges will determine the winners of seed funding, which is made possible by Wyoming Innovation Partnership, JP Morgan Chase, First Bank of Wyoming, State Bank, Commerce Bank, RSNB Bank, and Rocky Mountain Power.
Pitch Night will be held on September 27th at 6:00pm at the Broadway Theater in Rock Springs. The event will begin with pitches by Dylan Covington (Shop Dog Custom), Amanda Finch, Cody & Brittany Gray (High Desert Technology LLC), Justin Hood (Wyoming Apparatus), Glen & Mindy Reddon (GM Valley Processing), and Nick Walrath (Wild Sage Market). The pitches will be followed by a reception while judges deliberate before announcing the winners. The public is invited to attend this free event to cheer on these new local businesses.