Building off a successful launch of the event in 2023, the ICELab is hosting the third Outdoor Industry Funding Summit in Crested Butte, Colorado this winter. This invite-only summit brings resources and opportunities together by connecting vetted investors and early-stage company founders who are seeking investment. Two days will be spent in the beautiful Gunnison Valley forging meaningful relationships and gaining cutting-edge industry insights from a lineup of guest speakers.

As the Summit draws closer, attendees, contact info, the event schedule and other resources will be posted on this page. 

Attendee applications are open

Dec. 12, 2023: Attendee applications close

Dec. 15, 2023: Selected companies will be announced 

Steve Westover – Digsbury Ventures
Bill Ronai – Gunnison River Partnership 
Catherine Popper – Angel Investor
Noah Eckhouse – Angel Investor
Drew Himmelreich – Angel Investor
Payam Daniel Abbassian – REI Path Ahead Ventures
Taylor Hanson – Camano Capital
Kurt Giesselman – Angel Investor
Doug Campbell – Angel Investor
Cory Finney – Greater Colorado Venture Fund
Gus Bergsma – Angel Investor

Conor Hall – Director of the Office of Outdoor Recreation Industry — Colorado
Hao Wang – Of Counsel – Holland & Hart
Layne Rigney – Former CEO of Osprey 
Russell Cree – Managing Partner – Bell Lap Advisors

The first Outdoor Industry Funding Summit was held in February 2023. Here’s what participants had to say about the event!

If you love the outdoors, you’ll love the Gunnison Valley. Millions of acres of public lands allow you to explore this scenic section of Colorado’s Rocky Mountains. Check out all the things to do here!

The Gunnison Valley is also home to some of Colorado’s coolest mountain towns! Crested Butte is a quirky old mining town with an Instagrammable main drag full of restaurants, bars and shops. Gunnison is a laid-back college town close to biking and ski trails and the river.

The easiest way to get to the Gunnison Valley is to fly to Gunnison-Crested Butte Regional Airport. Here’s everything you need to know about traveling to the valley. 

The ICELab is the hub of business and entrepreneurship in the Gunnison Valley. Located on the beautiful campus of Western Colorado University in Gunnison, the ICELab is a gathering place for the local business community. The ICELab’s spacious coworking space is a great place to work or have a meeting. The ICELab facilitates several programs throughout the year, including business incubator and accelerator programs.