Wachholz Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center: Northwest Montana's Hub for Entrepreneurs

The Wachholz Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center (WIEC), made possible by a $4 million gift from local businessman and entrepreneur Paul Wachholz, opened in October 2025 on the Flathead Valley Community College campus. Utilizing an existing campus building, the WIEC features a media room, co-working spaces, and large rooms configurable for a variety of needs. The center uses the term "builder" to be inclusive and accessible, reflecting the reality that innovation in rural Montana takes many forms and does not always fit the traditional entrepreneurship mold. Programming grows from the ground up, built around the real needs of the community the WIEC serves. Monthly Brew x Build meetups, workshops, and mentor office hours connect people with volunteer builders in residence who meet them where they are in their journey. An advisory council grounds the work in local expertise. The WIEC is early proof that rural community colleges can build innovation infrastructure that is homegrown, sustainable, and worth replicating.

Innovator

• Jane Karas, President