Jackson Hole · Community
Chance Meetings: From Service to Startup—Mission-Driven Lessons from Military Service for Entrepreneurs
Monday, October 5
- When
- 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM
- Where
- Virginian Saloon, 750 W Broadway PO Box 804, Jackson, WY, 83001
- Price
- Free. The source said so.
- Source
- Jackson Hole Chamber of Commerce
Open to all and FREE to attend! We believe that great things don’t happen in a vacuum, and we encourage everyone to venture out to network at Chance Meetings. What does it take to go from commanding troops to commanding a boardroom? For veterans who've made the leap into entrepreneurship, the answer often comes down to the same skills that kept them sharp in uniform: discipline, adaptability, and a deep commitment to mission. Join us for a Chance Meetings panel featuring four members of our community whose military careers have shaped the way they build, lead, and serve. Todd Hanna, a decorated Marine Corps Captain with two combat tours in Iraq, has spent years guiding startups and early-stage companies through growth as founder of Belay On Advisors, and has held leadership roles at organizations like Kate's Real Food and Vertical Harvest. Matt Adkins, founder of Mountaineer Spirits and a former Army infantry commander in the 10th Mountain Division, is channeling his operational background into building a sustainability-driven whiskey brand in the Tetons. Eric Bressler, founder of Alpine Infrastructure, is tackling avalanche mitigation with remote technology used at resorts like Jackson Hole Mountain Resort and Alta. And Lauren Gurney, an Army Major who has spent 21 years flying UH-60 Black Hawks (often as the maintenance test pilot who takes the aircraft up after it's been taken apart to make sure it still flies), has kept a second career going in the kitchen the whole time, from owning Cocopelli Chocolatier in Santa Fe to baking for Dornan's and Jackson Cake Co. She's now bringing that same systems mindset to her next venture. Whether you've served, started a company, or are simply curious about what drives people to take big risks for a bigger purpose, this conversation has something for you. Our panelists will dig into the lessons that carry over from military life to business, the challenges that don't come with a playbook, and why a mission-driven mindset m...