The 2026 Fremont County Start-up Challenge Pitch Night will be Friday, April 24th, at the Wind River Hotel & Casino in Riverton. Doors open to the Blue Sky Conference Room at 5:30, with pitches starting at 6 p.m.
Pitch Night is open to the public and free to attend! This is a great way to meet entrepreneurs and future leaders in the community. The event usually lasts from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
This year’s host sponsor, Wind River Hotel & Casino, will also be providing food in the form of light fares, drinks, and appetizers, especially during the judges’ finalist deliberations.
Fifteen applicants made it to the semi-final round from a pool of twenty-one. Eight finalists will pitch a five minute presentation of their business idea, followed by a Q&A from a panel of local judges.
There are two categories for competition this year, Homegrown (traditional small businesses and startups) and Fremont Futures (startups that are leveraging technology to create high growth businesses.) There will be a first-, second-, and third-place winner chosen in each category.
The finalists are:
Homegrown
- Sheridan Davis – Sunnyside Daycare
- Marisha Graves – The Busy Mother
- Bison Basin – Blair Hurtado
- Kirbie Despain – Forrest and Fawn
Fremont Futures
- RJ Jubber – Q Score
- Kodie Andersen – Herd Wise
- Gwenith Wachter – Melaney & Co
- Ella Svensson – Smart Fridge
First place winners receive a basket of prizes including a one-year membership to the Riverton Chamber of Commerce and executive training sessions with the Bootstrap Collaborative. There are also cash prizes, including an “audience choice” winner, as the pitches will be happening in front of a live audience.
💼 What: Start-Up Challenge Pitch Night
🎰 Where: 180 Red Wolf Place, Riverton
🕰️ When: Friday, April 24th, 5:30 p.m.
Thank you to Start-Up Challenge sponsors Central Wyoming College, Wind River Hotel and Casino, Wyoming Community Bank, County10; Riverton Chamber of Commerce, The LOR Foundation, Brunton, Lander Community Foundation, Startup Wyoming, and the Wyoming Business Council.
The Bootstrap Collaborative is a joint effort between Central Wyoming College, County 10, Makerspace 307 and the Wind River Development Fund. Its intention is to help new and existing businesses and entrepreneurs succeed and prosper while providing events and networking.