May 10: A Good Pitch Can Make or Break a Company

Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/413096320115384

A carefully crafted presentation can make or break a company’s chance of early success in gaining financial backing, gaining early customers, and securing critical partnerships. Presentation content, slide layout, properly setting expectations, tempo, and pace of the presenter, they all play a role in helping to set the hook and getting funding to help sustain the business. Join Tahoe Silicon Mountain, a local network of entrepreneurs and professionals, on Monday, May 10th, for a panel presentation on how “Pitch Camp” made a difference for my company. 

Tahoe Silicon Mountain will have a panel discussion of former pitch camp attendees, who will share updates on their businesses and how pitch camp helped them succeed. In a normal year, the Sierra Small Business Development Center at Sierra Business Council and Tahoe Silicon Mountain sponsor Startup Weekend and a pitch camp where the camp enables early-stage businesses with a chance to create a pitch that can be used with early stage investors, donors, target customers, and potential partners.  

Please join us on Monday, May 10, at 5:00 PM online at bit.ly/YouTubeTSM. The event will be available on YouTube as a livestream and after the event. Livestream for this event starts at 5:00 PM on bit.ly/YouTubeTSM, or log onto YouTube and search for Tahoe Silicon Mountain. 

The audience will be able to submit questions during the presentation.

A Suggested donation of $5.00 will help TSM to defray the expenses of live streaming the event. Please donate at www.Tahoesiliconmountain.com

You can find us at TahoeSiliconMountain.com or sign up for email meeting announcements here: http://bit.ly/TSMEmail

April 12: Stop Throwing Your Marketing Money Out the Window

Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/121554536466941

Marketing and branding for any business is a key component to its success! But how do you know when your company’s marketing and branding dollars are being spent effectively, and you’re getting the impact you want?

Join Tahoe Silicon Mountain, a local network of entrepreneurs and professionals, on Monday, April 12th, to hear Bill M. West of Bareknuckle Brand Marketing share how he and his team have developed a demystifying approach to branding and marketing that brings serious punch to businesses. West’s presentation will help to bring clarity to branding and marketing and help companies get a better return on investment. Participants will leave with marketing-specific tips that can be easily implemented, and a list of 10 brand improvements they can make over lunch, and to learn how to stop throwing marketing money out the window.

 
In his presentation West will discuss:

• The intersection between strategy and creative marketing

• The distinction between branding and marketing, and how they wildly influence each other

• The good and bad of using marketing agencies

• How to make your marketing dollars have greater impact

• And audience-intriguing questions

Bill M. West is the Owner and Lead Eyebrow-Raiser of Bareknuckle Brand Marketing. West pulls from his background as a speech writer, ghostwriter, and university writing instructor to help entrepreneurs develop a rich, compelling, articulate brand and customer-seducing marketing. His work has been featured in media sources such as the New York Times, CNBC and Fox News, and financial websites such as E*TRADE.

Please join us on Monday, April 12, at 5:00 PM online at bit.ly/YouTubeTSM. The event will be available on YouTube as a livestream and after the event. Livestream for this event starts at 5:00 PM on bit.ly/YouTubeTSM, or log onto YouTube and search for Tahoe Silicon Mountain.

The audience will be able to submit questions during the presentation.

A Suggested donation of $5.00 will help TSM to defray the expenses of live streaming the event. Please donate at www.Tahoesiliconmountain.com

You can find us at TahoeSiliconMountain.com or sign up for email meeting announcements here: http://bit.ly/TSMEmail

March 9: Exploring the Depth of Chocolate

RSVP: https://www.facebook.com/events/619443942164427/

Volunteer and attend free! https://signup.com/go/ZqXeaVN

Tahoe Silicon Mountain, a local network of entrepreneurs and professionals, is pleased to welcome Krysta Bea Jackson who will present on the intricacies and creativity that go into making chocolate.

Jackson will take a deep look into chocolate, one of the world’s most interesting and tasty delicacies. She will discuss the best ingredients, the history, gender studies of chocolate, and the economics of the industry.

Jackson is the creator and owner of Sugar Love, founded in 2015, a company that prides itself on creating imaginative chocolates to always bring you something new to experience. Jackson is the lead organizer for Startup Weekend Reno and 1 Million Cups Reno and has been involved in multiple organizations promoting entrepreneurship in the region.

Jackson was awarded the 2016 Faculty Advisor Special Recognition Award from the Governor’s Cup. In 2018, she received the Swimming Upstream award from the Nevada Business magazine which recognizes women business owners. She likes to sum it up as, “I’m a nerd for business.”

Please join us on Monday, March 9 at Alder Creek Cafe, located at 15275 Alder Creek Road in Tahoe Donner, Truckee. Registration begins at 5:30pm. Dinner will be available, and we use a pay-what-you-can model ($5 minimum). Before and after the presentation, there will be time for networking.

The event will also be available on YouTube as a livestream and after the event: bit.ly/YouTubeTSM

You can find us at TahoeSiliconMountain.com or sign up for email meeting announcements here: http://bit.ly/TSMEmail

January 13: New Location! Stress Management, A Skill Everyone Can Learn

Mountain Minds Monday new location: Alder Creek Cafe, 15275 Alder Creek Road

Volunteer and attend free! https://signup.com/go/ZqXeaVN

RSVP: https://www.facebook.com/events/2625744704314170/

Tahoe Silicon Mountain, a local network of entrepreneurs and professionals, is pleased to welcome Julia Arndt to speak on how to manage stress in life by rethinking our lifestyles in order to bring long-lasting transformations. 

Arndt will give us an overview of how stress impacts our lives and provide tips on how to manage daily stress to function at a high-performance level.

Julia Arndt is the proud owner of Blue Mountain Mindfulness. She is an international speaker, peak performance coach, and stress management trainer. Combining her extensive business background working for Google for over 7 years, her unique journey in reaching mindfulness, and her passion to inspire and motivate people, Julia is helping professionals in high-pressure environments prevent burnout and build a mindful lifestyle--one that delivers focus, high energy, and productivity.

Please join us on Monday, January 13th at Alder Creek Cafe, located at 15275 Alder Creek Road in Tahoe Donner, Truckee. Registration begins at 5:30pm. Dinner will be available, and we use a pay-what-you-can model ($5 minimum). Before and after the presentation, there will be time for networking.

The event will also be available on YouTube as a livestream and after the event: bit.ly/YouTubeTSM
You can find us at TahoeSiliconMountain.com or sign up for email meeting announcements here: http://bit.ly/TSMEmail

NEW LOCATION! December 9th: The Advances in Ski Technology

** NEW LOCATION **

Volunteer and attend free! https://signup.com/go/ZqXeaVN

RSVP: https://www.facebook.com/events/450556412270690/

Tahoe Silicon Mountain is MOVING Mountain Minds Monday to Alder Creek Cafe, located at 15275 Alder Creek Road in Tahoe Donner. Please join us on Monday December 9th for a lively discussion on the advances in ski technology.

Tahoe Silicon Mountain, a local network of entrepreneurs and professionals, is pleased to welcome three pathfinders of the ski industry, Lauren Okerman of Coalition Snow, Luke Jacobson of Moment Skis, and Phil Pugliese of Pugski, who will educate us on the advances in ski technology.

The panel will enlighten the audience on the changes in ski technology and the challenges of working in the ski manufacturing industry over the past several years, and what the future of skis may look like.

Lauren Okerman is the Creative Director and Co-Founder of Coalition Snow, a local women-owned and operated ski and snowboard company. She’ll speak to the ways Coalition Snow has been pushing the boundaries and changing the dialogue in the industry since 2014.

Luke Jacobson is the CEO of Moment Skis, the biggest little ski company in Sparks, NV. Prior to his tenure as CEO, he held an engineering role for Moment, a company who hand makes their skis in Nevada. He’ll be able to speak to the technical innovation of the Indie brand since 2003.

Phil Pugliese is the owner of Pugski.com, and is a fully certified self-proclaimed gear guru. He pairs his early experience in ski shops with extensive experience as a ski reviewer and as a ski tester, which has prepared him to give a longitudinal perspective on how the technology of the heritage brands have changed.

Please join us at Mountain Minds Monday on December 9th from 6-8pm at the Alder Creek Café in Tahoe Donner located at 15275 Alder Creek Road, Truckee. Registration begins at 5:30pm. Dinner will be available, and we use a pay-what-you-can model ($5 minimum). Before and after the presentation, there will be time for networking.

The event will also be available on YouTube as a livestream and after the event: bit.ly/YouTubeTSM

You can find us at TahoeSiliconMountain.com or sign up for email meeting announcements here: http://bit.ly/TSMEmail

November 11th: How Olympians Reduce Injury and Improve Peak Performance

Volunteer and attend free! https://signup.com/go/ZqXeaVN

RSVP: https://www.facebook.com/events/1347320408774880/

Tahoe Silicon Mountain, a local network of entrepreneurs and professionals, is pleased to welcome Dr. Barry Triestman D.C. to discuss how to benefit from medical technology used at the U.S. Olympic Center to help with injuries and obtain peak performance.

Triestman will share his experience working with athletes at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, CO, and will educate the audience on the care and technology used to keep the USA’s Olympic hopefuls in tip-top condition and injury free. He will also encourage the audience to employ these techniques in their daily routine to reduce injury and improve their performance.

Dr. Barry Triestman D.C. is a local Truckee Healer and Chiropractor with 30 years of experience. He is master certified in the Active Release Techniques as a “Gold Standard” in soft tissue treatment. Triestman has volunteered at the Olympic Training Center in the Sports Medicine Clinic in Colorado Springs, CO to help hone his skills as a healer.

Please join us at Mountain Minds Monday on November 11th from 6-8pm at Pizza on the Hill, in Tahoe Donner located at 11509 Northwoods Blvd., Truckee. Dinner will be available, and we use a pay-what-you-can model ($5 minimum). Before and after the presentation, there will be time for networking.

The event will also be available on YouTube as a livestream and after the event: bit.ly/YouTubeTSM

You can find us at TahoeSiliconMountain.com or sign up for email meeting announcements here: http://bit.ly/TSMEmail

October 14th: Unlocking The Mystery Of Coffee

Volunteer and attend free: https://signup.com/go/ZqXeaVN

RSVP: https://www.facebook.com/events/553624378512500/ 

Tahoe Silicon Mountain, a local network of entrepreneurs and professionals, is pleased to welcome a panel of experts, Scott Coleman, David Wilson and Gale Klenk, who will enlighten Tahoe Silicon Mountain on the “Mystery of Coffee”.

The Esteemed Panel will educate the audience on the never-ending mystery that is called coffee, from the sourcing and picking of the bean through the roasting process, to the delivery of the final product. They will also discuss how they provide opportunity for coffee producers who otherwise might not have access to the USA market. The format will be a panel discussion with a period of prepared questions, and then time for questions from the audience.

Klenk is the founder of Sierra Pacific Coffee Roasters and head roaster for Sierra Pacific Coffee Roasters and Twisted Tree Coffee Roasters, Wilson is the director of coffee at Coffeebar, and Coleman is the co-owner Glory Cloud Coffee.

Please join us at Mountain Minds Monday on October 14th from 6-8pm at Pizza on the Hill, in Tahoe Donner located at 11509 Northwoods Blvd., Truckee. Dinner will be available, and we use a pay-what-you-can model ($5 minimum). Before and after the presentation, there will be time for networking.

The event will also be available on YouTube as a livestream and after the event: bit.ly/YouTubeTSM

You can find us at TahoeSiliconMountain.com or sign up for email meeting announcements here: http://bit.ly/TSMEmail

This month's Mountain Minds Monday is a Special Event!
(at a different location)

Tahoe Pitch Showcase

Date/Time: September 9
Time: 6-8pm (doors open at 5:30)
Location: Community Arts Center in Truckee
Cost: Pay What You Can

Buy tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/3rd-annual-tahoe-pitch-showcase-tickets-65191357104

Sierra Business Council (SBC) and Tahoe Silicon Mountain (TSM) are excited to announce the return of Tahoe Pitch Camp and Tahoe Pitch Showcase, a series of workshops culminating in a showcase for Tahoe/Truckee entrepreneurs, startups, and founders to present to the community their innovative companies & ideas.

On September 9th at 6pm at the Community Arts Center in Truckee, entrepreneurs will present their pitch deck for the chance to win prizes and receive feedback from an expert panel of judges, as well as the audience of community members.

Tahoe Pitch Camp, a series of workshops delivered by Sierra Business Council, is designed for entrepreneurs to hone their skills, learn about successful pitch techniques, and craft a winning pitch. Taught by SBC’s Kristin York and other seasoned mentors in collaboration with Tahoe Silicon Mountain, participants will hone their presentation skills and information into a five minute presentation, referred to as a pitch, identifying their value proposition and their organization’s capital needs. The Showcase will feature the finalists of the entrepreneurs from the Pitch Camp.

Entrepreneurs at any stage, startups, founders, and established businesses are all welcome to apply for Tahoe Pitch Camp and Showcase. In addition to the classes, entrepreneurs are encouraged to take advantage of free one-on-one consulting with SBC’s Sierra Small Business Development Center staff.

Kristin York is director of the Sierra Small Business Development Center, VP of Business Innovation at Sierra Business Council, and a Professor of Sustainable Urban Development and Implementation of Sustainable Business at Presidio Graduate School. Sierra Business Council pioneers innovative approaches and solutions to increase community vitality, economic prosperity, environmental quality, and social fairness in the Sierra Nevada.

Tahoe Silicon Mountain is the hub for entrepreneurs, aspiring entrepreneurs, small business owners, tech and other professionals who live, frequently visit, or own a second home in the Truckee-‐Tahoe region. Find out more here: http://www.tahoesiliconmountain.com/

Sponsor the Pitch Showcase for just $25: http://bit.ly/sponsor25

Our local Truckee/Tahoe/Reno entrepreneurs are coming together to sponsor our 3nd Annual Pitch Showcase. We've set the sponsorship level at just $25 per company, because it is our goal to have a show of force of how many startups we have.

Sponsors are encouraged to submit a logo to be displayed on an Entrepreneur Sponsors slide at the Pitch Showcase.

Don't be left out, commit to sponsoring today!
http://bit.ly/sponsor25

Please Get Your Tickets in Advance: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/3rd-annual-tahoe-pitch-showcase-tickets-65191357104

Supported by:  Town of Truckee, Truckee Chamber of Commerce, Tahoe Truckee Community Foundation, Nevada County Tech Connection, Plumas Bank, and MOBO Law.

August 12th: Unhustle and Shift Your Perspective

Volunteer and attend for free: https://signup.com/go/ZqXeaVN

RSVP: https://www.facebook.com/events/2557845814265933/

Tahoe Silicon Mountain, a local network of entrepreneurs and professionals, is pleased to welcome Milena Regos who will discuss how to Unhustle. Unhustle is a new way of living. We slow life down, become mindful, take time for ourselves, connect with nature, claim back our lives, dream, create, and achieve bigger things. 

Regos will discuss how by unhustling, we can improve our mind body wellbeing, create extraordinary experiences and meaningful work, claim back our time, and shift our perspective to redefine success. Regos believes in living an Unhustled way of life. It’s a lifestyle design and human movement base upon the following four pillars:

● Mindbody wellbeing 
● Experiences 
● Digital wellbeing 
● Shift your perspective 

Regos is the Cofounder of the Unhustle, and works as an Entrepreneur, Lifestyle Designer, Marketer, and is a Certified Human Potential Coach.

Please join us at Mountain Minds Monday on Monday August 12 th from 6-8pm at Pizza on the Hill, in Tahoe Donner located at 11509 Northwoods Blvd., Truckee. Dinner will be available, and we use a pay-what-you-can model ($5 minimum). Before and after the presentation, there will be time for networking. 

The event will also be available on YouTube as a livestream and after the event: bit.ly/YouTubeTSM 

You can find us at TahoeSiliconMountain.com or sign up for email meeting announcements here: http://bit.ly/TSMEmail 

May 13th: Raising Startup Capital in Tahoe

RSVP on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/2252628655000784/

Tahoe Silicon Mountain, a local network of entrepreneurs and professionals, is pleased to welcome Dave Sick to present on Raising Startup Capital in Tahoe.

Come hear first hand the stories and lessons learned from someone who has spent the last three years raising capital and starting and growing a company. Dave also brings a unique perspective of someone who has been on both sides of the table, as previous roles include analyst at a VC fund, small time angel investor, and startup founder. His presentation will cover what you need to be ready to start pitching and how to find capital for your startup.

Dave Sick is the Co-Founder and CTO at Stomp Sessions and a Truckee local. His resume touts Silicon Valley Startups, Marketing and Technology at Booth Creek (acquired by Vail), and Product Management at Clear Capital.

Please join us at Mountain Minds Monday on Monday, May 13th from 6-8pm at Pizza on the Hill, in Tahoe Donner located at 11509 Northwoods Blvd., Truckee. Pizza and salad are available and we use a pay-what-you-can model ($5 minimum). Before and after the presentation, there will be time for networking.

This month’s event is sponsored by Holland & Hart LLP and Molsby & Bordner, LLP.

The event will also be available on YouTube as a livestream and after the event: bit.ly/YouTubeTSM

You can find us at TahoeSiliconMountain.com or sign up for email meeting announcements here: http://bit.ly/TSMEmail

April 8th: Building Thriving Mountain Town Entrepreneurial Ecosystems

RSVP on Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/events/582389918930856/

Volunteer and attend free: http://signup.com/go/rWZWPtl

 

We are pleased to welcome Pamela Hurt Hobday and Colleen Dalton to present the key takeaways from the recent Mountain Ventures Summit held in Mammoth, California.

The Summit hosted over 41 mountain town communities aspiring to diversify their towns and grow their middle class and economy with year-round sustainable startups. Hobday will discuss how the 41 mountain towns are taking action to improve their communities. Dalton, who was the keynote speaker at the event, will discuss protecting and measuring the quality of life in mountain towns and Truckee specifically.

Dalton is the Brand Communications Director at the Truckee Chamber, and Hobday, who will be representing Truckee Tomorrow, a Truckee Chamber initiative, is CEO of Pamela Hurt Associates.

Please join us at Mountain Minds Monday on Monday April 8^th from 6-8pm at Pizza on the Hill, in Tahoe Donner located at 11509 Northwoods Blvd., Truckee. Pizza and salad are available and we use a pay-what-you-can model ($5 minimum). Before and after the presentation, there will be time for networking.

The event will also be available on YouTube as a livestream and after the event: bit.ly/YouTubeTSM

 

This month’s event is sponsored by Holland & Hart LLP and Molsby & Bordner, LLP.

You can find us at TahoeSiliconMountain.com or sign up for email meeting announcements here: http://bit.ly/TSMEmail