![\"In](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Chicken-coop-CAP3_Hen-Hub-design-1.4.26.jpg\")
In illustration showing how Hen Hub works. (Energy Capital Start-Up Challenge)Weather Inspiration<\/strong><\/p>\nThe idea emerged from something already in the\u00a0Berens\u2019\u00a0backyard: a weather station.<\/p>\n
\u201cI thought, \u2018Well, why can\u2019t you have something like that for my chicken coop so I could see what the temperature was like in there?\u2019\u201d Dan said.<\/p>\n
From there, the concept expanded.<\/p>\n
What if they could monitor whether eggs were in the laying box? Track food and water levels? Dispense treats and supplements? Control the coop door automatically?<\/p>\n
The Hen Hub connects all these functions through Wi-Fi to a smartphone dashboard, letting owners check on their flock at a glance.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was looking for ways to make it easier and also so that I could maybe just do these chores kind of more on the weekends or when I had time, spare time, not demanding so much daily attention,\u201d Dan said.<\/p>\n
The system appeals to busy families, travelers and older chicken keepers who might not make it to the coop every day.<\/p>\n
Dan Berens has been a licensed architect in Wyoming since 2010, working primarily on commercial projects across the state. His portfolio includes work on the Brinton Museum in Big Horn, a renowned institution showcasing Western and American Indian art in the foothills of the Bighorn Mountains.<\/p>\n Both Dan and Jenny have a design background, which they applied to create the Hen Hub\u2019s physical components. The technical side required self-education.<\/p>\n They joined Sheridan\u2019s community maker space, where Dan taught himself Arduino microcontrollers and 3D printing through YouTube tutorials. He built a board with all the sensors and actuators working, then 3D-printed models of the components.<\/p>\n In October, the couple secured a patent on the invention.<\/p>\n Chicken Benefits<\/strong><\/p>\n Dan grew up with chickens on his family\u2019s Oregon ranch. The couple brought them back into their lives around 2020 as backyard pets in Sheridan, where city ordinances allow them.<\/p>\n They started with six hens, now down to two. Their daughter sells the excess eggs.<\/p>\n Beyond the fresh eggs, the Berenses see broader value in backyard flocks. They hunt insects, improve garden soil, and produce compost. Surplus eggs can feed neighbors or food banks.<\/p>\n \u201cTo have a pet that kind of gives back by having eggs is really cool,\u201d Dan said. \u201cFood banks really rely on that because they don\u2019t typically get a lot of perishable items.\u201d<\/p>\n Dana Miller, program director for the Energy Capital Start-Up Challenge, said the Berenses represented exactly what the competition seeks.<\/p>\n \u201cFantastic, actually,\u201d Miller said of their presentation. \u201cHe and his wife both had parts and they presented. They had an idea and were solving a problem. They started using their local maker space.\u201d<\/p>\n Miller has run the challenge for three years through Energy Capital Economic Development. The program began in 2023 as a partnership with the Wyoming Business Council\u2019s Impact 307 initiative.<\/p>\n When the state pulled that program back to focus on Laramie, said Miller, the city of Gillette, Gillette College and Energy Capital Economic Development joined forces to continue it.<\/p>\n This year drew 40 applicants competing for slots among five finalists.<\/p>\n The challenge operates under a federal planning grant addressing economic diversification as coal declines in Campbell County. Miller said entrepreneurship is central to that transition.\u2028\u201cPeople who live here, love it here, want to stay here, and fix problems here,\u201d she said. \u201cWe know small businesses are the core of our economy.\u201d<\/p>\n The annual competition serves as a \u201cfront door\u201d to Wyoming\u2019s broader entrepreneurial support network, connecting inventors and business owners with resources from the Small Business Development Center, Gillette College and economic development organizations.<\/p>\n \u201cIt gets people motivated,\u201d Miller said. \u201cIt gets people into the ecosystem, meeting other people, meeting other entrepreneurs.\u201d<\/p>\n Next Steps<\/strong><\/p>\n The $50,000 will fund the\u00a0Berens\u2019\u00a0transition from models to working prototypes. Their own coop will serve as the first test bed, with plans to build four or five units for friends in Sheridan who also keep backyard chickens.<\/p>\n The Hen Hub website at\u00a0henhub.net\u00a0currently shows only a \u201ccoming soon\u201d message, but the couple expects that to change as development progresses.<\/p>\n For entrepreneurs with their own ideas, the next Energy Capital Start-Up Challenge will open applications in late summer 2026, with pitch night following in November.<\/p>\n![\"Jenny](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Chicken-coop-CAP1_Jenny-Berens-presenting-1.4.26.jpeg\")
Jenny Berens presents during a Nov. 11 pitch session, promoting the Hen Hub technology with husband Dan. The Sheridan couple\u2019s device aspires to automate the care and feeding of backyard chickens. (Energy Capital Start-Up Challenge)Design Background<\/strong><\/p>\n![\"Jenny](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Chicken-coop-CAP2_Dan-and-Jenny-Berens-1.4.26.jpeg\")
Jenny and Dan Berens presents during a Nov. 11 pitch session, promoting the Hen Hub technology with husband Dan. The Sheridan couple\u2019s device aspires to automate the care and feeding of backyard chickens. (Energy Capital Start-Up Challenge)Front Door<\/strong><\/p>\n