Mike has spent his entire career building software companies. He started his first software company out of his parents basement in college, and since that time has helped found, grow, and sell 6 SaaS companies.

During his years building businesses, Mike has personally worked on each aspect of building a software company - marketing, sales (yes including cold calling), product architecture and development, and operations management, fund raising, and everything in between.

Mike earned a BS in Computer Science & Information Security from Dakota State University in Madison, SD. Mike is based in Brandon, SD with his wonderful wife and four children. Mike loves overlanding and backpacking with his kids in the most remote places. This is probably because Mike was born in Canada where wilderness is everywhere.

Ms. Lorie Vega is the Deputy for the 28th Mission Support Group at Ellsworth AFB. In this role, she provides oversight to six squadrons which are responsible for security, communications, acquisition, construction and infrastructure, fire operations, acquisitions, supply chain and logistics, hospitality, leisure and recreation, child and youth services, human resources, and much more. She is also Ellsworth’s Innovation and Community Partnership Program lead.

Ms. Vega has served as a federal employee for the Air Force for 41 years. She began her career as the first Air Force Child Development Center Director Intern. Since then, she worked at seven locations overseas and in the continental US, holding a variety of positions of increasing responsibility at the installation and Major Command levels. She has a Bachelor’s in Psychology from Cornell University and a Master’s in Business Administration from Trinity College.

Ms. Vega is very involved in the local community as a member of the Board of Directors for the Box Elder Chamber of Commerce, Board of Directors for Big Brothers, Big Sisters, Black Hills Energy Citizens Advisory Committee, Black Hills Children’s Museum, and a member of the Black Hills Military Advisory Coalition serving on multiple pillars.

Originally from Durban, South Africa, Garth came to the United States after being recruited by the South Dakota State University Swim Team. He earned his bachelor’s degree in geography and GIS from SDSU and then a master’s in city planning from the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. As Elevate Rapid City’s Senior Public Policy Director, Garth works with community stakeholders to plan for strategic growth and quality of life in the region.

When he is not helping businesses with permitting and programs, Garth enjoys rock climbing, swimming in Pactola, or enjoying other outdoor activities with his wife Kelli, daughter Lucy, and their two rescue dogs, June and Emma.

Bert Adam is a strong proponent for venture capital in Wyoming, known for supporting innovation and driving results for both founders and funders. With a diverse career in engineering, digital marketing, UX, and leading development teams, Bert has helped the WYVC team back many companies across Wyoming in sectors including fintech, healthtech, energy, CPG, and enterprise SaaS.

As one of the Managing Directors at WYVC, Bert brings a unique blend of analytical rigor and entrepreneurial empathy to the table, bridging the gap between visionary ideas and realistic growth. As the board observer for part of the WYVC portfolio, he gets to live his purpose of "always be learning".

Bert lives in Cheyenne with his wife Sandy and two sons. He spends his time mountain biking and championing every project at school, at home, or otherwise. Bert spent a couple of semesters at South Dakota School of Mines & Technology, is a graduate of Montana State University, and holds certifications from Harvard and UC Berkeley.

Leads Fast Forward’s mission to transform utility inspections through innovative technology and actionable data. Dusty has built Fast Forward into a trusted partner for electric utilities nationwide, improving safety, efficiency, and reliability.

With multiple successful startups under his belt, Dusty is recognized as a subject matter expert for bringing innovative thinking to the utility industry, combining advanced technology with practical operational insight. His work focuses on modernizing how utilities leverage data and decision-making at scale.

Trevor Arnold is a senior software developer at FTI Defense, co-founder at Plenty of Hires (hiring platform for construction and the skilled trades), and founder of Arnold Technologies (fractional CTO and technology advisor services). He has been in the software space for over a decade in positions ranging from sales, management, data, and software development. Trevor's focus is on building software that truly provides value to people, deliberate organization, and effective communication. His combination of business and technical experience helps bridge the gap between code and the board room.

Corinne Perkins is the Founder and CEO of Plenty of Hires, a hiring platform for construction and the skilled trades that replaces resumes and job postings with structured fit-based matching. She spent 14 years in recruiting, marketing, and business development, including five years with Adecco Staffing, where she worked her way up from Staffing Specialist to Executive Recruiter and eventually Branch Manager. Most recently, Corinne spent two years building out the workforce development programs for the local Black Hills Home Builders Association. Her specialties are product strategy, go-to-market, sales, and business development. She completed the NSF I-Corps program, graduated from WildFire Labs in 2025, and launched Plenty of Hires into beta in February 2026, converting early users into paying customers.