WINTER 2020-21 PITCH CHALLENGE
WINTER 2021 WYOMING YOUNG ENTREPRENEUR PITCH CHALLENGE
The Wyoming Young Entrepreneur Initiative cultivated by the Wyoming Enrichment Network (WYEN) encourages young people to explore and practice entrepreneurship and develop their critical thinking and problem-solving skills. The Wyoming Young Entrepreneur Pitch Challenge for Winter 2021 provided a platform for young people across the state to apply these skills and WYEN is proud to celebrate the standouts.
Wyoming Young Entrepreneur Winners
- Spirit of Wyoming Award presented by the Frederick and Patricia Supper Foundation (This award is for a young person who is interested in community improvement through a social solution.): Tutor-Tastic Submitted by Molly Doss from Star Valley
- 1st Place: Unity Community Submitted by Eliza Petty and Holly Draney from Star Valley
- 2nd Place: Astrospace Submitted by Riley O’Brien, Ivey Goff, Mari Ford, and Julia Quintinilla from Thermopolis
- 3rd Place: Swim Gym N’ Games Submitted by Kiara Kemp and Ryan Heiner from Star Valley
- 4-H Craftsman Award: Hatch Tack, Handcrafted Rifle Scabbards Submitted by Levi Hatch from Saratoga
Find a video introducing the winners at https://youtu.be/rdbSBg3HV5E.
WYEN would like to thank the Pitch Challenge judges: Baylie Evans, gBETA Cheyenne Director; Minden Fox, Laramie County Community College Instructor of Marketing, Business; Kayleigh Lund, Wyoming Young Entrepreneur Pitch Challenge Summer 2020 Winner; and Kyle Trumble, Central Wyoming College Instructor of Business.
Michelle Sullivan, WYEN Director, stated, “The Alliance is proud to encourage young people to develop and apply valuable skills that will help them excel today and into the future.”
Sullivan added, “Young people are truly making a difference in their communities. It was wonderful to see the diverse ways they answered the challenge to develop an idea for a business innovation or social solution. It demonstrates that we develop wealth not only by growing our economy but through growing our connection to community.” Entries ranged from artistic and functional leathercraft to helping middle schoolers transition to high school with a network of support in place.
To support the effort, afterschool program providers participated in regular informational sessions with local and national entrepreneurship leaders including Ron and Carson Rabou, Rabou Farms; Matthew Fox, University of Wyoming; and Minden Fox, Laramie County Community College.
In one coaching session, Ron Rabou captured the value of entrepreneurship activities like pitch challenges: “When you’re involved in a program like this, you learn how to see things differently. You are able to see things not for what they are but what they can be.” He said, “A lot of times we don’t try things because we think we’re not going to be good at them. But if we don’t try them, how do we know that? The key is that every day you’re putting your best effort forward.”
“We were so pleased to have the opportunity to work with and learn from all of the kids who participated in the cohort,” Sullivan said.
The Initiative is a result of a growing community of partners including Wyoming 4-H, Hilltop Bank, the University of Wyoming, Impact 307, afterschool organizations statewide, and many volunteers. This effort is made possible through a grant to WYEN from the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, which includes support for technical assistance from the Young Entrepreneur Institute and VentureLab. The grant is intended to promote innovation and an entrepreneurial mindset for youth in Wyoming. If you would like more information, visit https://wyoenrichmentnetwork.org/wyoming-young-entrepreneur-initiative/.
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE WINTER 2021 WINNERS!
WYEN is proud to celebrate the winners of the Wyoming Young Entrepreneur Pitch Challenge for Winter 2021!
WHY ARE PITCH CHALLENGES SO GREAT?
WYEN invites your organization or club to participate in pitch challenges to think of a product, business or social solution that could make a difference to your community or to Wyoming. Learn more in the following video!
EXPLORE THE WYOMING YOUNG ENTREPRENEUR PITCH CHALLENGE
Are you up for the challenge? Pitch challenges are a great opportunity for any organization that connects to youth, including 4-H, FBLA, FFA, makerspaces, libraries, and others . Learn about past WYEN Pitch Challenges at the links below.
HOST YOUR OWN PITCH CHALLENGE USING AGE-SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATIONS
WYEN is proud to work with organizations that can offer age-specific resources to students from 6-18. Explore the links below.
- I’m working with a group aged 6-9. Click here.
- I’m working with a group aged 10-14. Click here.
- I’m working with a group aged 15-18. Click here.
ROUNDTABLES OFFER GUIDANCE ON CULTIVATING AN ENTREPRENEURIAL MINDSET
February 11: The Do’s and Don’ts of Filming and Uploading a Pitch – Do you have a young person interested in submitting an entry for the Wyoming Young Entrepreneur Pitch Challenge? Young Entrepreneur Institute Marketing Coordinator Matthew Podl has worked with hundreds of young people across the country and leads this presentation. While crafting a pitch may be challenging, filming and submitting one can be easy!
January 28: Special guests Ron and Carson Rabou shared ideas on using the Entrepreneurial Mindset to inspire young people and to encourage young people to see risks as opportunities that will help them to gain valuable experiences to last a lifetime. Ron Rabou is the founder of Rabou Farms and an inspiring public/motivational speaker, author, and entrepreneur based in southeastern Wyoming. Carson Rabou is a first-place winner of the Summer Pitch Challenge. He and his brothers are the founders of Rabros, LLC. The business provides personally homegrown, wholesome, certified organic products.
January 7: UW Host Heather Heath and young entrepreneur Kayleigh Lund talked about ways that a pitch challenge can inspire young people to develop an entrepreneurial mindset. Jessie Jones and Kelly Biggar from Young Entrepreneur Institute shared perspectives on ways afterschool programs and youth serving organizations effectively use pitch challenges as part of a wider effort to help young people practice problem-solving, think critically, and share their voice. Identifying the Competition with the “Favorite Cookie” exercise was the module highlight.
December 17: Special guest speakers Matthew Fox, University of Wyoming Assistant Professor of Entrepreneurship, and Minden Fox, Laramie County Community College Marketing and Entrepreneurship Instructor addressed “Identifying Solutions in Your Daily Life.” Matthew’s teaching interests include entrepreneurship, organizational behavior, negotiations, and strategy. Minden’s focus is on the newly re-developed Entrepreneurship program that focuses on supporting students with business ideas and helping them develop these ideas into something feasible.
November 19: VentureLab Director of Education and Training Scott Mann focused on “Defining the Problem,” the important first step in the entrepreneurial process that helps young people think critically about the world around them so that they can be empowered to contribute solutions.
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Mission: We bridge the gap between Wyoming’s out-of-school programs and the communities they uplift, fueling them with resources, support and opportunities that inspire lifelong learning, growth and connection.
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Cultivating Community and Growing Leaders
Today we join the National Summer Learning Association to celebrate the power of Community & Leadership. Learning happens everywhere and young people thrive when they feel a sense of belonging and purpose. That’s why the Wyoming Enrichment Network supports programs and partnerships that build strong relationships and create meaningful leadership opportunities across the state. When we invest in the people and places that help youth grow, we help build a brighter future for all of Wyoming.
Why is Community & Leadership Important?
Research from the Afterschool Alliance shows that when youth are given authentic opportunities to lead, they gain confidence, build communication skills, and deepen their sense of purpose. Near-peer mentorship is especially powerful. As STEM Next says, “STEM confidence is contagious." When youth see someone just a step ahead, they’re more likely to take that step themselves.
Leadership in Action Across Wyoming
Wyoming 4-H helps youth explore leadership and civic engagement in fun, hands-on ways. At this year’s Showcase Showdown in Laramie, young people from across the state took part in contests, workshops, and tours—including a stick horse engineering challenge that brought together creativity, teamwork, and lots of laughs. Explore Wyoming 4-H Leadership & Civic Engagement>>
COWGIRLS in STEM inspires youth to engage with STEM across Wyoming. At their Cheyenne camp this summer, young people worked in teams to imagine AI-powered robots that could help them in their daily lives—an activity that sparked both innovation and connection. Learn more about COWGIRLS in STEM>>
Learning Through Mentorship
At WYEN, we’re proud to support programs like the Summer STEM Fellowship and our High School Fellowship pilot with the Big Horn Basin Boost Program. These efforts empower students—from high schoolers to college undergrads—to design and lead hands-on learning experiences for younger youth in their communities.
Nicole Porter, a graduate student in counseling at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs, continues to apply what she learned as a Summer STEM Fellow and mentor. One key takeaway? The value of “volleyball conversations” that keep ideas moving and invite many voices. “It’s something I still use today,” she says.
Spotlight: Download the ACRES STEM Facilitation and Learning Models. This simple three-page guide offers excellent ways to think about leading discussions in STEM. But it’s great for any subject! Click here.
When Nicole asked current Fellows what they love most about working with kids, the answers were heartfelt: Ashley and Jada spoke about relationship-building. Aidyn shared the joy of being outdoors and helping kids be themselves. Mia enjoys teaching STEM. Allison loves gardening with young people. Lauren appreciates seeing kids from the YES House unwind and connect. And Maisie? “They think out loud. No filter. It’s real.”
Nicole Porter, a 2023 Summer STEM Fellow Alum: “I get as much out of this work as the kids do. I learn so much about myself through working with young people—and that’s a beautiful thing.”
The Big Horn Basin Boost Program is helping high school students become role models. Through a WYEN pilot project, high schoolers designed and led weeklong mini-camps for middle schoolers. They choose topics based on their own interests and career goals. One of the participants was John, a sophomore with interests in theater, the military, and video games. He wanted to focus his mini-camp on ways that gaming can foster friendship and teamwork. WYEN connected him with a professional game designer and together they discussed career pathways and strategies to engage middle schoolers through gaming.
Try This! Activities for Programs and Families
Learn more about Youth Voice! The Afterschool Alliance Youth Voice Toolkit can help you explore the spectrum of youth voice work and tools and examples from partners at each level of youth involvement and best practices. Mizzen’s Ten Tips for Amplifying Youth Voice can help lead to more engaging and effective programs.
SPOTLIGHT: Get To Know You and Establish Group Norms is a 30-minute downloadable activity from the Search Institute designed to build trust between group members by exploring what members have in common and what makes them unique. This activity was popular with the Summer STEM Fellows! Click here.
Dig into the Leadership and Civic Engagement modules from Wyoming 4-H. The invite young people to "get started with a foundation in leadership that you can build upon over a lifetime!"
Learning to Give’s series “Open Doors to Your Community,” helps young people learn about the purpose of public safety while meeting people involved in their community. They have tips for visiting a fire station, a police station, and more! Each guide is a virtual door that leads young people to an actual door with ideas for engagement.
Build a fort with WY Quality Counts and help young people learn practice collaboration. The instructions note that reflection can help develop those skills: “Talk to them about how they feel working with another person. Did it make them happy? Did they have fun?" The instructions are for younger kids, but the lesson could easily be adapted.
Keep Learning!
Want to see more? Visit wyoenrichmentnetwork.org/summer-sparks to explore other stories. Share your own summer learning experiences using #SummerLearningWeek and #ThriveBeyondTheBell.
Igniting Curiosity, Connection, and Growth All Summer Long
The Wyoming Enrichment Network is celebrating National Summer Learning Week (July 14–18, 2025) by spotlighting the amazing ways communities across the state are helping young people stay curious, connected, and growing all summer long.
