John Wetzel Joins IMPACT 307 as New Park County Business Counselor
Written by Caleb Nelson on July 12, 2022
IMPACT 307, Wyoming’s statewide network of innovation-driven business incubators, is committed to growing and strengthening Wyoming’s entrepreneurial communities.
John Wetzel has been selected to join IMPACT 307 as a new business counselor who will serve the Park County area in northwest Wyoming.
John Wetzel, courtesy of IMPACT 307, Facebook
According to a recent press release, “Wetzel is very well connected in Park County. He has spent a large portion of his career in Cody working as a general manager for the Buyer’s Guide, a weekly newspaper advertising circular.”
Currently, Wetzel serves as the mayor for the City of Powell, and he has held leadership roles in both Cody and Powell.
“In his role as IMPACT 307 Business Counselor, Wetzel will be providing business advisory services to innovative, growth-oriented entrepreneurs and early-stage businesses in the Park County and Bighorn Basin areas of Wyoming,” the press release states.
Wetzel has plans to launch a “startup business plan pitch competition” in 2023. This competition will offer seed capital to winning entrepreneurs. Each year, IMPACT 307 looks for individuals who are interested in starting a new business or early-stage entrepreneurs wanting to grow. Through the local Start-Up Challenges, IMPACT 307 provides a monetary incentive and the business support needed for contestants to act on their ideas.
IMPACT 307, a unit of the University of Wyoming’s Office of Research and Economic Development, is leading the development of the state’s entrepreneurial ecosystem to foster economic diversification and additional career opportunities for Wyoming residents.
As the University of Wyoming website for the Office of Research and Economic Development states, “The Office of Research & Economic Development works with faculty, staff and students in all seven colleges and UW’s outreach programs to link research, technology transfer, and economic development efforts to enhance federal, state and private sector support for faculty and graduate student scholarship. ”
Wetzel begins his new role on July 11th, 2022. James Klessens, CEO and President of Forward Cody, had this to say regarding Wetzel’s appointment, “We are really excited to partner with the University of Wyoming to expand the services available to entrepreneurs in the area.”
“John’s business experience and knowledge of the area will really help accelerate the growth of emerging businesses. Not to mention, John is a really great guy!”, Klessens says.
