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Services and support for entrepreneurs across Wyoming will be expanded as a result of a $2.4 million CARES Act Recovery assistance grant to the University of Wyoming from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration. The grant, to be matched with $600,000 in local investment, is expected to create 368 jobs and generate $1 million in private investment. “Supporting local strategies designed to create stronger and more resilient economies in response to the coronavirus pandemic is a top priority for EDA,” Dennis Alvord, acting assistant secretary of commerce for economic development said. “This project will broaden the University of Wyoming’s IMPACT 307 business incubator program to serve statewide clients through a hybrid virtual and in-person startup launch and entrepreneurial support structure.”
December 21, 2020 IMPACT 307, Sheridan’s business incubator, recently held its inaugural Buffalo High School Start-Up Challenge pitch event, the first of its kind at the high school level in Wyoming. The winners of the first round were Hell Hound Forge, founded by Chase Wellington; N.E.W. Bricks, founded by Sam Hulick; and Purpose Planner, created by Caydence Engling. In all, five student entrepreneurs presented their business plans and ideas in front of a panel of judges assembled by IMPACT 307. The student businesses are competing for $5,000 in seed capital funding to help start their ventures. IMPACT 307, with business incubators in Casper, Laramie and Sheridan, is a business development program of the University of Wyoming. It is administered by UW’s Office of Research and Economic Development.
Five Buffalo High School student entrepreneurs gave presentations on their business ideas to a panel of judges compiled by IMPACT 307 for a chance to win funding to make their ideas a reality. The inaugural Buffalo High School Start-Up Challenge was held on Wednesday, and the five students and their ideas were: Sam Hulick with N.E.W. Bricks: Chase Wellington with Hell Hound Forge; Caydence Engling with Purpose Planner; Katelyn Sutton with Breezy Bookings; and Aaron Dyess with Car Meets Now. According to a release from Scot Rendall with IMPACT 307, all five did an outstanding job of creating and preparing a professional presentation.
Buffalo High School students will be getting an opportunity to earn seed funding for their entrepreneurial ideas when they present their business plans this Wednesday at the BHS Auditorium. IMPACT 307, Sheridan’s business incubator, will have a panel of judges that will be listening to and choosing one business idea from five student finalists from the teacher Kami Kennedy’s Advanced Entrepreneurial Class. Scot Rendall, Director of IMPACT 307, explains more about how the inaugural BHS Start-Up Challenge came about. Rendall said the BHS challenge could become a model for other school in the Sheridan area, and around the state, to get involved with their own challenge if there is interest enough from the students in the schools.