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Jackson, WY — The Wyoming Business Council (WBC) and Silicon Couloir unveiled the StartUp Wyoming Phase 1 Gap Analysis and Implementation Plan and formally approved Phase 2 of the StartUp Wyoming initiative at the WBC’s quarterly board of directors meeting in Casper last week. This marks a critical milestone in building a stronger, more connected startup ecosystem across the state.
StartUp Wyoming, a collaborative effort launched in September 2024 by the WBC and Silicon Couloir, completed a six-month listening tour engaging hundreds of stakeholders through in-person interviews and virtual focus groups across all 23 counties. The resulting report identifies strengths and pain points in Wyoming’s entrepreneurial landscape, examines key recurring themes shared across communities, and outlines a preliminary framework for supporting founders of high-growth potential startups statewide.
The report reveals three critical insights:
Lack of coordinated support: Wyoming lacks coordination of support for founders of high-growth potential startups, including education, connection to funding, mentorship, service-based resources, and networking opportunities. Many resources exist in the state, but finding them proves challenging and time-consuming.
Need for connection mechanisms: There is a strong desire throughout the startup ecosystem for consistent, well-promoted mechanisms to connect with other entrepreneurs both virtually and in person. These include online platforms and both state and local networking events that help promote a thriving and supportive startup community centered around innovation.
Importance of celebrating success: Celebrating success stories energizes and inspires those in the ecosystem, including those yet to come. Highlighting Wyoming’s wealth of resources, expertise, and business-friendly policies and spreading the message that innovation is alive and happening in every corner of the state is fundamental to growing and attracting the state’s startup founder base.
“Wyoming has a unique opportunity to leverage its entrepreneurial spirit, strong sense of community, and its established and emerging innovation sectors,” said Business Council CEO Josh Dorrell. “We are poised to launch the next phase of StartUp Wyoming, moving beyond the foundational work of understanding our entrepreneurial landscape to actively strengthening the connections that make businesses thrive – turning challenges into opportunities for all Wyoming founders.”
With unanimous approval from both the WBC and Silicon Couloir boards of directors, Phase 2 will create a more integrated ecosystem with a Startup Roadmap as a living guide tied directly to the resources entrepreneurs can access in Wyoming, and allow sharing of important peer success stories.
“Phase 2 will transform insights into action,” said Rob Kellogg, Executive Director of Silicon Couloir. “By focusing on better statewide coordination of resources and events, connecting and supporting a thriving ecosystem, and widely sharing information about our state’s startup successes, we’re not just filling gaps, we’re building a system that accelerates innovation and drives economic resilience across Wyoming.”
Taylor Vignaroli, WBC Entrepreneur Development Manager, is coordinating efforts in partnership with Silicon Couloir.
“We’re enhancing both our virtual platforms and in-person networking opportunities because we know that relationships drive innovation,” Vignaroli said. “Most importantly, we’re committed to amplifying the incredible Wyoming-based services that already exist and celebrating the success stories happening in communities across our state. When we shine that bright light on what’s working, we inspire others and show the world that Wyoming is not just a place where businesses can survive, but where they can truly flourish.”
A public webinar led by StartUp Wyoming Director Blossom Ko Lumley, who will shepherd the initiative from Phase 1 to 2, will be held on Friday, June 6, at 10 a.m. The webinar will provide an overview of the report, a timeline of upcoming programming, and allow participants to engage in community Q&A. Register for the webinar at wbc.pub/SUWY_Webinar060625.
Following the webinar, StartUp Wyoming plans a widespread launch targeted for mid-September. The StartUp Wyoming Gap Analysis and Implementation Plan is available at startupwy.com/resources.
