A panel of local judges chose Start-Up Challenge finalists after hearing presentations about their business ideas. The finalists will now pitch their concepts in front of the judging panel and a live audience during a free event open to the public the evening of Wednesday, April 9th in the Little Theater on the CWC Campus in Riverton.
Here are the panel of judges for this year’s competition:
David Merrill
David Merrill is the founder and owner of Bow Spider, which launched in 2019. Before launching his own company, he attended college at CWC in Riverton, Wyoming, receiving his Associate’s Degree in Business Management. Since the original launch of Bow Spider, he has expanded the product line to include over 30 products.
Amanda Gaudern
Amanda Gaudern is the Chief Financial Officer and Director of Client Services at County 10, where she has spent nearly a decade managing a wide range of business operations, from marketing and event planning to small business finances and HR. She specializes in project management and using technology to improve business efficiency and brand visibility.
Owen Sweeney:
Owen Sweeney is the CEO of the Lander Chamber of Commerce. Sweeney was recruited to Lander in 2011 by Wyoming Catholic College (WCC), where he served as an administrator overseeing the college’s admission office. Previously, Sweeney spent many years in state and local government relations, most notably leading state advocacy efforts for Symantec Corporation and managing regional affairs for the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA). In 2017, he and his wife Regina founded a successful small e-commerce health supplement business. Sweeney has been one of Lander’s two appointees to the Wind River Visitors Council, Fremont County’s lodging tax board, since October 2019, and he has been serving as the board’s chairman since July 2023. A former board member of the Wyoming State Chamber of Commerce, he earned his Institute for Organization (IOM) certification from the United States Chamber of Commerce in January 2024.
Victor R. Allen, Senior Vice President, Wyoming Community Bank
A native of Wyoming, Victor grew up in rural central Minnesota with a lot of corn, soybean, sugar beets, and dry bean production. He holds a Bachelors of Ag Business from the University of Minnesota and an MBA from Wake Forest University. His first job out of college was with Eastman Kodak’s chemicals division (now Eastman Chemical Company) selling animal nutritional supplements. During his career he led multiple business and product line teams with profit and loss responsibility. He also held multiple management roles in financial planning & analysis, corporate development, divisional director of finance, and his final role as global corporate treasurer for Eastman Chemical Company. Seeking new entrepreneurial opportunities, he served as CFO with a start-up algal technology company that grew, harvested, and separated algae into proteins, oils, and high-value nutraceuticals. He also provided CFO consulting services for smaller companies until joining Wyoming Community Bank in 2018 as Senior Vice President, responsible for agricultural and commercial loans. He served as an independent board member with Stone Mountain Technologies, Inc. until they successfully completed a $15 million Series A fundraising, which enabled the company to launch their novel Anesi gas-thermal heat pumps. He currently serves as a director on the boards of the Riverton Chamber & Visitors Center, and the newly formed Riverton Senior Citizens Service District.
Pitch Night is free and open to the public. Light snacks and drinks will be provided. Pitch night is Wednesday, April 9th in the Little Theater on the CWC Campus in Riverton and starts at 6 p.m.
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.