Our Story
Born from nationally renowned entrepreneurial activity in Montana, Last Best Conference was created by a small group of inspired community members, artists, and entrepreneurs in 2016 to celebrate our place. And yes, a river runs through it. Personally, Missoula centers me; its people, its instant access to public lands, its eclectic culture, and its continued support of passion projects and their creators. The Missoula community holds our hands through our individual journeys and transforms the simple notion of “a place to live” into something of an essence. An essence that is central to our wholeness, our purpose, and our humanity. Last Best Conference works to harness that same Missoula essence, its powerful community, and its unique thinking in order to cultivate meaningful collaborations, connections, and experiences for the Last Best Conference community. Whether you come to Last Best Conference to gain inspiration, to take a leap of faith, to pursuing an idea, learn something new to apply to your job, or to make meaningful business or personal relationships, I hope that you are able to reframe your state of mind and rejuvenate your thinking. I hope that through this new lens you attain a brighter, more purposeful future, which in turn can create meaningful impact in your community.
Why Missoula?
Nestled at the bottom of the Rattlesnake Wilderness, Missoula Montana’s inviting, intellectual, outdoorsy culture attracts people from across the globe. Last Home to Montana’s flagship institution, University of Montana, Missoula boasts opportunities for educators, students, community, and visitors to intermingle through hiking, river play, art walks, fishing, music, global lecturers, delicious food, and exciting events. Montana is known as the Last Best Place and with that, Last Best Conference hopes to connect people inside the state and the regional Mountain West. Beyond a reputation of beauty and raw wilderness, Montana is also building a name for itself in the entrepreneurial world. The Kauffman Foundation ranked Montana as #1 in Startup Activity several years running. Last Best Conference aims to support this ranking and innovative culture through inspiring pursuits of passion that leave lasting impact. Every piece of this experience ties back into the values of creativity, community, and courage. This event is not just for entrepreneurs, but for creators, dreamers, innovators, and thinkers. Statewide pioneers have come together to make this event different from the rest and exciting for Missoula, Montana, and the Mountain West. Last Best Conference is a labor of love, nonprofit effort, and exciting opportunity for people to build a new community- we hope you’ll be a part of it.
“It was a great experience to get out of my comfort zone and meet individuals from different walks of life and industries.”