UW’s Casper Start-Up Challenge Announces Pitch Night April 13

April 10, 2023

IMPACT Casper has scheduled the 2023 Casper Start-Up Challenge Pitch Night Thursday, April 13, at Casper College’s Wheeler Concert Hall. Doors open at 5 p.m.

Four local entrepreneurs will pitch their business ideas to a panel of five local judges. Presentations start at 5:15 p.m. Each finalist will be given 20 minutes to present and answer questions from the judges. 

IMPACT 307, a business development program of the University of Wyoming, is a statewide network of innovation-driven business incubators committed to growing and strengthening Wyoming’s entrepreneurial community by providing resources and support for founders to thrive.

“I am very excited about the progress the companies have made in the last few months,” says Eric Schlidt, director of IMPACT Casper. “Each year, we see these companies come up with solutions that will hopefully continue to benefit Wyoming and beyond. I can’t wait for Casper to see these companies show their innovative ideas.”

The final four businesses and entrepreneurs for the 2023 Casper Start-Up Challenge Pitch Night are:

— Office Outing, founded by Meagan Kuhl, is a website that will help businesses and corporations connect with the venues, vendors and entertainment they need to hold successful business events. The website also provides a one-of-a-kind opportunity to vendors, venues and entertainment to get in front of the corporate audience and garner business they’re looking for from team-building events and corporate retreats, as well as employee appreciation, holiday and retirement parties.

— Red, White and Blued, founded by Toyon Wiggs, is a full-service gunsmith and ammunition manufacturer in Casper. The business provides repair, custom long guns and handguns, custom coatings, ammunition manufacture and reloading services.

— EvelynElaine, founded by Carley Applegate, is a standardized approach for hospitals and health care organizations to deliver cost-effective and fundamental caregiver training to the 53 million family caregivers across the country. Hospitals and health care organizations, using EvelynElaine products and services, can reduce costs, improve outcomes and create a community of caregivers.

— Savage Thread Works, founded by Charles Mateker, started in 2020 with the idea of creating covert concealed carry bags and has expanded into long-range shooting and hunting gear. The company designs and builds all of its gear with high-quality materials in house.

The judging panelists are Tiffany Gamble, business adviser, Hat Six Travel Center; Justin Farley, CEO, Advance Casper; Kendall Hutchinson, development loan officer for Wyoming Smart Capital Network; Chris Lorenzen, director of public relations, Casper College; and Jerad Stack, CEO and co-founder of Flowstate Solutions.

Sponsors include UW, the TW Foundation, Advance Casper, First Interstate Bank, Hilltop Bank and the Wyoming Innovation Partnership.

Following the pitches, IMPACT Casper will host a reception at Wheeler Concert Hall, where the winning teams will be announced.

“We will have a $1,500 Audience Choice Award that will be determined 100 percent by the audience,” Schlidt says. “So, I encourage everyone to come down and vote for your favorite company and support these entrepreneurs.”

For more information about IMPACT Casper, call (307) 315-6401 or email casper@uwyo.edu.

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