CHEYENNE — More than 1,000 Wyomingites have now stepped into a statewide conversation about Wyoming’s economic future, a milestone reached Thursday as hundreds more joined the Wyoming Business Council’s Team Wyoming Huddle. 

The virtual gathering brought more than 500 people together in the largest session yet of the Wyoming Business Council’s listening tour, which kicked off in June. Participants in Thursday’s Team Wyoming Huddle tuned in from across the state and included business owners, private employees, government and nonprofit employees, educators and retirees. They brought diverse opinions on Wyoming’s economy, but largely agreed on one thing: Wyoming has room to grow, and work to do. 

“It’s hard to ignore 1,000 people,” said WBC CEO Josh Dorrell. “People from every corner of Wyoming are showing up because they care about what happens next. They see the challenges. They see the opportunity. And they’re telling us they’re ready to do something about both.” 

Attendees at Thursday’s huddle could participate by sharing their thoughts in the webinar chat and via a live survey. Some of the biggest challenges participants identified were rising costs, a lack of job and career opportunities, and limited access to essential needs like healthcare and housing. 

Perhaps more insightful than the challenges are the consequences of not solving them. Thirty percent of survey respondents said if the issues they identified are not addressed, they will “strongly consider” leaving the state, and 19% said they won’t be able to see a bright future for their kids here.

“That’s a big deal,” said Sarah Fitz-Gerald, chief strategy officer for WBC. “These are challenges that directly impact Wyoming residents every day. If we don’t do something about them, we’re in trouble.” 

The biggest takeaway in these listening sessions so far is that a healthy economy goes hand-in-hand with a healthy quality of life, with 30% of participants saying that making Wyoming a competitive place to work and live should be the state’s top priority. That priority was followed closely by building the infrastructure for future growth, helping communities lead their own growth, and building new industries. 

“More than 1,000 people have raised their hands and said, ‘I care about what happens to Wyoming, and I want to be part of it,’” Dorrell said. “That gives me a lot of hope. We don’t need everyone to agree on every answer. We need enough of us to decide that the future of this state is worth showing up for. And Wyoming is showing up.”