Entrepreneurship contest winners take home cash

CHEYENNE, Wyoming – Contestants and teams walked away with cash for their business startups after the Everyday Entrepreneur Pitch Competition Feb. 15 at Laramie County Community College in Cheyenne. 

Eight unique pitches were presented, each a reflection of the diverse talent at LCCC. The judges, tasked with allocating the $32,000 prize fund, were looking for more than just business viability; they were looking for innovation, impact and growth potential. 

The finalists represented how entrepreneurship is a part of LCCC’s eight Pathways. Student finalists’ Pathways ranged from STEM to Communication and Creative Arts, with various program outcomes, including certificate programs and a bachelor of applied science student in healthcare management. The businesses ranged in stages of development, from those already testing the market and making sales to those looking to turn a hobby or side hustle into a full-fledged business, including a nonprofit.

All eight contestants and teams received cash for their startups. The top award of $8,000 went to Alejandro Romero for his startup Cultivate, LLC. Romero, a 25-year-old Cheyenne native, said he first conceived his business idea for building greenhouses out of used shipping containers during the pandemic. To harness his skills for building those greenhouses, he enrolled in the LCCC Welding Program. It wasn’t long before he found his way to the Entrepreneurship Program, which led him to the Feb. 15 competition. 

Regardless of whether he won a cash award that night, Romero said it seemed like just giving his pitch was getting him on the right track. 

“I walked into the lobby and I didn't know if I had won any money,” Romero said. “But as soon as I walked out into that lobby, people were coming up to me saying, ‘I loved your pitch — I want you to build a greenhouse. I want your contact information.’ First place or not, I'm meeting new people, acquiring clients. I said to myself, ‘This is a good thing.’”

The Everyday Entrepreneur Program and Fund — a collaboration between LCCC, the National Association of Community College Entrepreneurship (NACCE) and the Everyday Entrepreneur Venture Fund — aims to support student entrepreneurs in bringing their innovative ideas to fruition. The program provides not just funding but also mentorship, education and access to a network of industry experts. 

LCCC’s Entrepreneurship Program is designed to provide students with comprehensive training in starting and managing their own businesses. It covers a range of essential skills, including feasibility testing of business ideas, sales and branding techniques, creating business plans and digital strategies for online presence. Additionally, the program focuses on financial planning, business communications, marketing for small businesses, and is structured to be adaptable as either an add-on to other degrees or as a standalone certificate.

A Pathway at LCCC is a set of related programs grouped to allow for exploration in multiple areas with low risk of wasting credits or semesters. There are eight unique Pathways at LCCC.

For more information about the Entrepreneurship Program, go to lccc.wy.edu/entrepreneurship or contact Minden Fox at mfox@lccc.wy.edu or 307.778.1279.