Strengthening the Creative Economy Through Infrastructure, Not Just Capital
In my role as a mentor and topic advisor for the Wyoming Innovation Partnership’s Investing in Wyoming’s Creative Economy program, I worked with a cohort of artists and creative entrepreneurs to secure $25,000 in funding to develop ventures in film, literature, design, and community-based creative practices. In this capacity, I supported participants in translating creative practice into sustainable organizational and business models, advising on fundraising strategy, audience development, pitch refinement, and early-stage venture design.
Across this work, I supported artists including:
Sophie Barksdale, SB Productions: A Lander-based film production company from Emmy-nominated Barksdale, sharing fiction and nonfiction stories from remote and rural America using local talent. The company serves statewide.
Bruce Cook, Creative Visionaries: Based in Fort Washakie, Creative Visionaries plans to partner with the Creative Nations Indigenous Artists Collective and the Dairy Arts Center to support emerging Native American artists in advancing their careers and achieving their goals of becoming established creative professionals.
Reilly Dibner, Ecosystem Films: Based in Laramie, Ecosystem Films distills the highest-quality science into engaging, educational, and accessible films rooted in data, serving statewide.
Francesca King, Footnote Literary Consultancy: Based in Laramie, the consultancy aims to elevate Wyoming’s statewide literary community through manuscript services, workshops, and networking, bridging gaps in resources and recognition for local writers.
Anne Mason, Anne C. Mason Creative Consultant: Based in Laramie, Mason mentors organizations statewide on improved practices in business and theater operation, applying cross-sector skills to strengthen empathy, efficiency, and impact.
Carrie McCarthy, Burning Torch Productions: A Rock Springs-based independent documentary production company focused on telling and sharing the stories of Wyoming statewide.
Korrine Ryan, Chandlar and Co. LLC: Based in Thermopolis, an art-focused community space where people of all ages and backgrounds can take art classes and connect over creativity.
What emerged through this work was a gap in supportive infrastructures.
Artists and creative entrepreneurs are consistently developing sophisticated, high-impact ideas, but often within systems not designed to support the transition from creative practice to sustainable enterprise. In many cases, the constraint is the lack of aligned operational, financial, and strategic scaffolding.
Within this context, mentorship is about systems translation, helping creatives navigate the structures required to sustain and scale their work.
This experience reinforced a broader pattern I continue to see across my work in philanthropy and fiscal sponsorship: strengthening the creative economy requires more than capital deployment. It requires aligned support systems, accessible strategic expertise, and intentional design of the intermediaries that sit between creative practice and sustainable organizational infrastructure.
Increasingly, I am interested in how these intermediary systems, whether philanthropic, public, or hybrid, can be designed to better support creative practitioners not only as artists, but also as builders of sustainable ventures and contributors to broader economic and cultural ecosystems.
About the Program
Investing in Wyoming’s Creative Economy is a state-funded program through Wyoming Innovation Partnership (WIP) aimed at supporting artists and creatives in building a sustainable art practice, starting an arts-related nonprofit, or building an arts-related business. The initiative is led by the Neltje Center staff, along with UW colleagues, consultants, and mentors. During Phase II of the WIP Initiative (July 1, 2023 - June 30, 2024), a total of 100 Wyoming-based artists and creatives in any field were invited to apply to participate in:
Workshops: Skills and community-building workshops focused on reaching personal and professional goals.
Mentors: Mentorship from experts in diverse creative fields and start-up businesses.
Resources: Access to resources necessary to sustain a creative life.
Funding: The opportunity to compete for up to $25,000 towards an arts-focused business start-up, nonprofit initiative, or arts-related enterprise.
Plans for Phase III of the WIP Initiative will be announced by the Governor's Office in summer 2024. Read the full announcement here.