An occasional look at issues facing Wyoming business owners and entrepreneurs from
the Wyoming Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Network, a collection of business
assistance programs at the University of Wyoming.
By Monica Jo Patten, research and commercialization director, Wyoming SBDC Network’s
Federal and State Technology (FAST) Program.
Wyoming ranks sixth in the nation for education, according to U.S. News & World Report.
Unfortunately, after Wyoming educates its youth, they often leave. Two-thirds of Wyoming-born
residents have left for other states by the time they reach 30 years old.
I understand this very well. I loved growing up in Wyoming schools. There were advanced
math and science courses, and plenty of academic-based extracurricular activities.
My Wyoming education helped me get into some of the best undergraduate and graduate
programs in the country for chemistry. It wasn’t until my senior year of undergrad
at Harvey Mudd College that I realized my research-heavy STEM background felt like
a one-way ticket out of the state I loved.
A professor talked to the graduating chemistry class and explained that the majority
of chemistry research jobs were in New Jersey, and that graduate degrees were recommended
for progression in one’s career. While claiming most jobs were in New Jersey was an
overstatement, I started looking at the job market despite already signing with a
grad school. To my dismay, I found the chemistry research jobs I found interesting
were predominantly on the coasts.
I went to graduate school, and then moved around the country, gaining industry experience,
always longing to go back to Wyoming. I noticed Wyoming STEM jobs were predominantly
in manufacturing. I slowly started expanding my skills. I got an MBA and transitioned
from making milligrams of new pharmaceuticals to processing chemistry for consumer
products and specialty chemicals. I monitored STEM jobs in Wyoming for years and didn’t
find one in my specific field until I made some pivots 20 years after leaving. I eventually
boomeranged back to bring my industry research and commercialization experience home
to advise startups, first for IMPACT 307 and now for the Wyoming SBDC Network.
The problem of retaining Wyomingite STEM professionals -- or recruiting them back
after they have been trained elsewhere -- is multifaceted. I have seen, firsthand,
how industry hiring managers respond differently to a resumé with a Wyoming address.
If an applicant isn’t here now, they are often considered an outsider. There is an
assumption that, if someone doesn’t currently live in Wyoming, they will leave after
their first winter or their first six-hour drive for a Target run.
However, this problem is external to the STEM professionals and is better addressed
by industries or economic development organizations (EDOs). Looking within the professional’s
control, the options for research-heavy STEM careers are often not in plain sight
because they have yet to be created.
If you are a STEM professional looking for a research-heavy job in Wyoming, the answer
may not be on Indeed or LinkedIn. It could be on grants.gov or agency-specific Small
Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR)
webpages. I understand that starting a STEM-focused business can feel overwhelming,
and that an out-of-state industry job might be the path of least resistance. However,
if you are up for the challenge, you are far from alone. The Wyoming SBDC Network
and many other Wyoming EDOs can help.
SBIR/STTR are federal grants. Government agencies post research problems for small
businesses to solve with research proposals. While funding amounts differ, typical
Phase I grants range from $50K to $300K, and Phase II grants range from $400K to $1.83
million. Companies can typically apply for Phase II after completing Phase I, though
some programs allow you to go straight to Phase II.
The Wyoming SBDC Network can help you locate funding. Our partners at the APEX Accelerator
can help find government contracts and secure the registration numbers needed for
grant applications. Wyoming SBIR/STTR Initiative (WSSI)/FAST can assist with the SBIR/STTR
process, and WSSI can even help fund your proposal writing through a Phase 0 grant
funded by the Wyoming Business Council. The rest of the Wyoming SBDC Network team
provides general business advising, market research and cybersecurity support.
If you are curious about starting your own business or securing funding through federal
grants and contracts, please contact the Wyoming SBDC Network.
The Wyoming SBDC Network offers no-cost advising and technical assistance to help
Wyoming entrepreneurs think about, launch, grow, reinvent or exit their business.
In 2025, the Wyoming SBDC Network helped Wyoming entrepreneurs start 42 new businesses;
support 2,017 jobs; and bring a capital impact of $12.8 million to the state. The
Wyoming SBDC Network is hosted by UW with state funds from the Wyoming Business Council
and funded, in part, through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business
Administration.
To ask a question, call 1-800-348-5194, email wsbdc@uwyo.edu or write Dept. 3922, 1000 E. University Ave., Laramie, WY 82071-3922.
For more information, go here.
All opinions, conclusions, and/or recommendations expressed herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the SBA.
