Guest column: Human connections prove invaluable even in technology

While current technology has created unprecedented access to information, it doesn’t put us face-to-face with an experienced mentor. Human connections are invaluable, especially when starting a business.  

The Wachholz Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center at Flathead Valley Community College is building an ecosystem to support entrepreneurs in Northwest Montana. With a “give first” mentality, WIEC has developed a network of experts, mentors, business leaders, and others willing to share their time and experience with anyone building a business. Regular office hours make mentors and experts available for questions and monthly Brew & Build sessions gather people who are often working alone on their projects and help them find valuable connections. I’ve been to a session where someone brought a founder to me for financing (MWED has a business loan program) and I introduced another founder to FVCC’s Continuing Education staff. These connections would likely not have happened outside of this venue. 

Matt Kittel had an idea to use smart glasses to help maintenance and service providers document their work and created Viz Ai Technology to bring that idea to life. I’ve seen him present at WIEC twice, where he practiced telling his story and gathered valuable feedback from the audience. Then he won the Startup World Cup Montana Regional competition in Missoula and moved on to the global competition in San Francisco, where he competed for a $1 million investment prize. It’s that kind of environment that WIEC is trying to build: a connected group helping each other forward. 

MWED has partnered with WIEC on our Master Class series. Started last year to provide a cohesive curriculum across the business lifecycle from inception to succession, the series has attracted participants at all levels of business. This varied group shows up at other WIEC events too — dreamers with ideas, entrepreneurs who’ve started building something but need guidance, operators looking for peers and connections, and seasoned business owners trying to keep up with changing technology. They all have something to share and something to learn. 

WIEC is also leading the way on AI. For a non-technical person, it’s hard to keep up and know where to go for help. The AI Lab and AI Meetups at WIEC are that place. At the Meetups, someone gets a chance to show off what they’ve built and the rest of us can ask questions and learn more about what’s possible. At the Lab, it’s time to do it yourself and learn how to put those concepts to work. I went to the latest Lab where attendees — some of whom didn’t have an account with an AI provider when they walked in — were led through creating an app of their own. A few guiding prompts and experts moving around the room offering help led to a dozen or more creations after about 45 minutes. These were apps to create easy-to-remember passwords, track quilting projects, and crop photos. I made one to help track my beekeeping. These apps weren’t built by experts; they were built by people willing to try something new and supported by those who’ve done it before. 

So, bring your expertise and your curiosity to WIEC. You can help someone else, and I bet you’ll learn something too. I sure have. Information about WIEC and a calendar of future events can be found at wiecmt.org. 

Christy Cummings Dawson is the president and CEO of Montana West Economic Development.