4/28/23 (Lander, WY) – The IMPACT 307 2023 Fremont County Startup Challenge finalist pitch night took place at the Lander community center Thursday, April 27, with dozens of community members turning out to see the top five finalists pitch their business ideas and find out who the official winners are.
The top five finalists this year were:
- Penguin Projects – Kaitlyn McRann & Chad Clark: Penguin Projects is an innovative startup that is addressing a common concern in Wyoming – slow or non-existent internet signals. Their product is designed to improve transmission of internet signals around obstacles in rural areas – like Wyoming.
- DigitSock – Bradley Hayes: DigitSock is looking to alternative solutions for hand hygiene, and with this in mind have designed their own anti-microbial solution – but their solution is in solid form – gloves.
- Storm Chasers – Julianna Aycock & Jose Torres: Founded by a group of snow problem solvers, Storm Chasers is a new concept to solve the problem of excess snow accumulation. This challenge can be a health concern and a structural concern, and Storm Chasers design will resolve both.
- Wind River Adventure and Design – Matthew & Heather Cobb: Wind River Adventure and Design is jumping into the van revolution and taking it one step further: Wind River Adventure and Design is a company who develops customized interiors for vans based on the owners uses and recreational activities.
- Wind and Sage – Monica & Matthew Thoman: Wind and Sage is an all natural candle company committed to the creation of wonderfully scented candles that don’t include properties that can have a negative impact in an environment. Wind and Sage is primarily an online/order business.
Brian Young from IMPACT 307 was the host for the evening, and acting as judges this year were Kevin Kershisnik, Executive Director for IDEA Inc.; Tracey Rue, Healthcare Entrepreneur; Drew Freeman, Director of CWC Bootstrap Collaborative; Carrie Guschewsky, Business Owner and Healthcare Professional; and Victor Allen, Senior Vice President of Wyoming Community Bank.
Following each of the finalist pitches and follw-up questions, the judges then had to make the difficult decisions while the audience voted for their favorite pitch, and enjoyed free food and alcoholic beverages courtesy of MAVEN and Mr. D’s.
After about an hour of deliberation, the judges came to their decision and Young announced the top three choices along with the Audience Choice Award winner.
The 2023 Fremont County Startup Challenge winners are:
- Storm Chasers (who also won the Audience Choice Award)
- Penguin Projects
- Wind River Adventure and Design
Congratulations to the three winning pitches, and to all of the other competitors and entrepreneurs as well!