Now these are persons of interest.
We’re talking 40 local pros who are low on years but tops on talent — forty business-changers who prove youth isn’t always wasted on the young.
BusinessQ did the county a favor and rounded up the overachievers. Scan through the lineups, find out what alias they’d put on their
“wanted posters,” and learn why these poster boys and girls warrant your attention.
Jake Lunt
A Plus Benefits, Inc.
ALIAS “The People Person”
WANTED FOR Directing and dazzling humans (and their resources)
Age 34
Company A Plus Benefits Inc., Lindon
Role COO
Priors MBA from BYU; has worked at A Plus Benefits (which has a co-employment base of 13,000 employees) since 2003 in both sales and client accounts; promoted to COO in 2010.
Career Wants “To feel challenged and engaged.”
Company Wants “I want our clients to believe that by being our clients it’s easier for them to focus on those things that make them successful.”
Utah Valley Wants “To lead in innovation, entrepreneurship and work-life balance.”
Childhood Dream Job “Pro football player … ha.”
First Job “A lube technician at a local oil change shop.”
Wanted Comrade “I’m consistently amazed by the quality of people here. Working with any of them would certainly enrich my life.”
Ben Peterson
BambooHR
ALIAS “The Kid Wrangler”
WANTED FOR Encouraging aspiring entrepreneurs to rock at life
Age 38
Company BambooHR, Provo
Role Founder
Priors Founder of MingleMatch, which sold to publicly held Spark Networks; co-founder of States Best; partner at Utah Angels Venture Group; currently serves on BYU’s Associate Entrepreneur Founders Organization and on the incubator board for CEDO.
Career Wants “That the fun of work never becomes greater than the joy of spending time with my wife and six kids.”
Company Wants “To build something that adds true value to small businesses.”
Utah Valley Wants “A continuation of what’s already occurring. The momentum can’t be stopped at this point.”
First Job “I stocked shelves at a gas station in Springville when I was 12. A guy named Neil paid me two bucks an hour. I thought I deserved at least $2.50.”
Ryan Napierski
Nu Skin
ALIAS “The Global Guru”
WANTED FOR Mastering business in every culture, domo very much
Age 38
Company Nu Skin, Provo
Role President of Nu Skin Japan Ltd.
Priors MBA from Duke University; MIB from Goethe Universitat Frankfurt; has worked at Nu Skin since 1996, primarily in foreign markets including Thailand, China and Europe.
Career Wants “To make a long-term impact on a company and industry by enabling sustainable growth of a business via continuous innovation.”
Company Wants “Expand our mission of improving lives to millions of people throughout the world.”
Utah Valley Wants “To further its global business acumen by developing world-class capable global business leaders.”
Childhood Dream Job “Football player. I was far too small and untalented.”
Wanted Comrade “Todd Pedersen of Vivint.”
Lindy Allen
Four Chairs
ALIAS “The Getaway Girl”
WANTED FOR Creating a furniture and design company people live for
Age 37
Company Four Chairs Furniture & Design, Lindon
Role Founder
Priors Started Four Chairs in 2003 with a little bit of furniture and even less sleep; designs for houses in the Parade of Homes.
Career Wants “I want to do what I love, work for fabulous clients, design perfect houses. I really want my work to be published … any national design magazine would do.”
Company Wants “To provide a unique experience.”
Utah Valley Wants “This valley is home to many great thinkers. And not just thinkers — doers! I love healthy competition. I love inventive people who stick their necks out to lead business in ideas.”
Childhood Dream Job “A mom. And I am — to five beautiful children.”
First Job “Chuck-a-Rama at 16. I loved it, but I quit when it interrupted a social event.”
Elspeth Young
Al Young Studios
ALIAS “Just Spell My Name Right”
WANTED FOR Artful employment
Age 28
Company Al Young Studios, Orem
Role Painter, Photographer, Editor
Priors Started painting from a young age; earned a BA in visual arts at BYU; has painted professionally for nine years; also works as a photographer/editor/contributor for the studio’s bimonthly magazine “The Storybook Home Journal,” which is in its 12th year.
Career Wants “Keep painting.”
Company Wants “Flood the world with beautiful images, beautiful words, beautiful living.”
Utah Valley Wants “The people who settled this valley wanted to make the world a better place. I hope this is still a place where good ideas and hard work have a chance.”
Childhood Dream Job “Artist and a mother.”
Business Pet Peeve “We seem to suffer from a famine of beauty and don’t realize it.”
Corinne Rickenbach
Persnickety Clothing
ALIAS “Forever Fashion”
WANTED FOR Stitching with a conscience
Age 36
Company Persnickety Clothing Company, American Fork
Role Founder
Priors Owned a home decor and accessory store; started sewing for her daughters and turned it into a clothing company; its products now sell through 300 retailers across 40 states and the company donates a portion of all sales to provide school uniforms for children in Nicaragua.
Career Wants “I’m an entrepreneur at heart and my brain never shuts off. I’d love to focus on what I can contribute most.”
Company Wants “I would love to be known as the best company to work for in Utah!”
Childhood Dream Job “I always wanted to do something action-packed, like fly to the moon or be a firefighter. It always changed. I have always been a big dreamer and felt nothing was impossible.”
Ryan Caldwell
MoneyDesktop
ALIAS “The Analogist”
WANTED FOR Eternal entrepreneurship
Age 36
Company MoneyDesktop, Provo
Role Founder
Priors Serial success story at companies like EnticeLabs, MadKey Internet Corporation, Zinch, AirWired and Deloitte; founded MoneyDesktop in 2010, and it has become one of the fastest growing FinTech companies in the U.S.
Career Wants “To build companies that make a difference, moving society forward.”
Company Wants “To take personal finance and online banking to the next level.”
Utah Valley Wants “A healthy startup ecosystem.”
Childhood Dream Job “I told my parents I wanted to build cities. I’d spend hours designing what they would be like and how they would operate better than what existed.”
Wanted Comrade “Even though he is only a visitor from time to time, Yukihiro Matsumoto (aka Matz).”
Noelle Cahow Bates
Needle
ALIAS “Smart Mouth”
WANTED FOR Being the market whisperer
Age 39
Company Needle, Bluffdale
Role VP of Communications
Priors Spent 15 years in high-tech PR in Utah and Silicon Valley; was VP of Communications for Logoworks (acquired by HP), OrangeSoda (acquired by Deluxe Corp.) and now Needle.
Career Wants “To look back on it and know I was involved with companies that changed the world (or at least the status quo).”
Company Wants “That we define a new space, dominate it, and turn both the distributed workforce model and the online shopping experience on its head.”
Utah Valley Wants “That it’s able to build stable hi-tech companies without losing its entrepreneurial spirit.”
Childhood Dream Job “Neurosurgeon. Until I discovered that meant sawing through someone’s skull.”
Mia Love
Love 4 Utah
ALIAS “Love Bomb”
WANTED FOR Politics not as usual
Age 36
Company Love 4 Utah, Saratoga Springs
Role Founder
Priors Served two terms on the city council of Saratoga Springs; took office as mayor in 2010; throughout both positions, she led the city through a period of 1,700 percent population growth in a decade; spoke at the Republican National Convention in August; is running for Utah’s newly formed 4th Congressional District; if elected, she would be the first black Republican woman ever to serve in Congress.
Michelle McCullough
Startup Princess
ALIAS “Sharp Speakin’ Startup Machine”
WANTED FOR Crowning entrepreneurship
Age 33
Company Startup Princess, Doodads Promotional Products; Provo
Role Partner
Priors Started Doodads Promotional Products at 19; has grown five companies while also working for advertising agencies, a television station and an underground newspaper in college; partner at Startup Princess; national speaker with presentations on PR and entrepreneurship.
Career Wants “I want to speak more. I feel the most in my element on a stage.”
Company Wants “More ways to connect and help women entrepreneurs fulfill their ‘Dreams in Development.’”
First Job “A salad girl at Magleby’s restaurant in Village Green for $4.25 an hour.”
Business Pet Peeve “Poor cell phone etiquette in meetings. And at times, I’m the worst offender!”
Wanted Comrade “It was Stephen Covey.”
Allison Thornton
The Dance Club
ALIAS “Pointy Toes”
WANTED FOR Moving an industry with rhythm and flair
Age 35
Company The Dance Club, RehearseWithMe.com; Orem & Highland
Role Partner
Priors Started dancing at (what is now The Dance Club) at 5 and began teaching and assisting at 16; danced professionally with Utah Contemporary Dance Theatre for 10 years while still teaching and managing The Dance Club; became a partner at The Dance Club in 2005; founded online software company RehearseWithMe.com.
Career Wants “Continue teaching and guiding young girls through dance.”
Company Wants “Increase local recognition of our studio and brand. I want to provide a positive view of dance.”
Utah Valley Wants “An increase in support of the arts from local businesses and leaders.”
Wanted Comrade “Derryl Yeager of Odyssey.”
James Mayfield
Convoyant
ALIAS “007”
WANTED FOR Elevating the inn-crowd with dreamy technology
Age 38
Company Convoyant, Salem
Role Founder
Priors Started as a computer software consultant; worked as a programmer for Netoria; became a partner in Alpine Consulting; founded Convoyant in 2004, which is the parent company of Reservation Nexus, Destination Nexus, Association Alliance and SuiteExchange.com; company has grown to an annual revenue approaching $2 million.
Career Wants “I don’t take anything for granted and hope to continue what our team has started and executed.”
Company Wants “Expand into other vertical markets in the next two years.”
Utah Valley Wants “My hope is that generation by generation, it only grows stronger.”
First Job “Paper route for $100 a month.”
Wanted Comrade “Jared Stewart, Corporate Alliance.”
Kaleb Crafts
Culinary Crafts
ALIAS “Bench Press King”
WANTED FOR Delicious business sense
Age 28
Company Culinary Crafts, Orem
Role Senior Corporate Sales Manager
Priors Has worked at Culinary Crafts (nine-time Best of State winner) since childhood; led the bakery/pastry team; became the corporate sales manager to focus on marketing/sales.
Career Wants “To continue to thrive at Culinary Crafts and help drive this company to its fullest potential.”
Company Wants “To see Culinary Crafts burst on to the restaurant scene, though this may be years down the road.”
Utah Valley Wants “To see the valley appreciate cuisine. This revolution has started, and I’d love to see it continue.”
First Job “Dish washing at Culinary Crafts — $5 an hour.”
Business Pet Peeve “Clients who want to change everything about their event less than 24 hours before it starts.”
Wanted Comrade “Tahitian Noni.”
Amy Dunkley
Bank of American Fork
ALIAS “Git-’er-done”
WANTED FOR Bankable leadership
Age 38
Company Bank of American Fork, American Fork
Role VP, Mortgage Department Manager
Priors Started as a loan officer in her 20s; was a top producer for Far West Bank and AmericanWest Bank before moving to Bank of American Fork and wowing in a tough economy.
Career Wants “To grow within Bank of AF, someday serving on the executive committee or board of directors.”
Company Wants “Continue with our core promise: to provide big-city banking with small-town service.”
Utah Valley Wants “Continue our strong economic growth and have opportunities for community involvement.”
Childhood Dream Job “Teacher.”
First Job “Tanks Car Wash – I wasn’t even 16 yet so the biggest perk was driving cars into the wash.”
Christopher R. Jensen
Namify
ALIAS “Bulletproof”
WANTED FOR Making a name for himself
Age 31
Company Namify, LLC, Springville
Role CEO
Priors Been with Namify since inception in 2001; from 2002 to 2005 he managed the sales force that grew the company by 750 percent; in 2007, he assisted founder Bryan Welton in acquiring 30-year-old Engraving Etc.; was promoted to CEO in 2011.
Career Wants “I want to mentor my kids as they grow up and be there for activities they participate in.”
Company Wants “I always want Namify to be a place our employees enjoy coming.”
Utah Valley Wants “An affordable place to live and do business … one that is competitive to keep our rising stars here to pursue their ambitions.”
Childhood Dream Job “Snowmobile test pilot.”
Business Pet Peeve “Tardiness. If you commit, be there!”
Wanted Comrade “Mayor Wilford W. Clyde.”
Jeremy Blickenstaff
Blickenstaff’s
ALIAS “Baby Face”
WANTED FOR Sweet (and law abiding) skills
Age 35
Company Blickenstaff’s, One Enterprises; Provo
Role Owner/Manager
Priors Earned a juris doctorate from South Texas College of Law in 2006; worked as an associate at Kesler and Rust; began managing One Enterprises, a Provo-based private equity fund, in 2010; owner of Blickenstaff’s, a toy and candy store in the Riverwoods.
Career Wants “To be better tomorrow than I was today.”
Company Wants “To adapt and thrive in our ever-changing business environment.”
Utah Valley Wants “Continue to gain recognition of its business-friendly reputation.”
Childhood Dream Job “Navy SEAL.”
First Job “Lifeguard — $4.25 an hour.”
Wanted Comrade “Josh James’ billboards crack me up. I don’t know what he’s selling, but I’m buying.”
Brian N. Bowers
Mity-Lite
ALIAS “Bring-It-Back Kid”
WANTED FOR A mighty career
Age 37
Company Mity-Lite, Orem
Role COO Priors Master’s of business administration and master’s of engineering from MIT; held key roles at Raytheon, Agilent, National Ignition Facility, Sorenson Capital Partners, Wild Springs Energy, Atlas Aerospace; currently COO at Mity-Lite, a manufacturer of tables and chairs.
Career Wants “To help build and lead companies and teams relevant to our times.”
Company Wants “To be the best source of durable lightweight furniture in every market we serve.”
Utah Valley Wants “To continue to build a highly entrepreneurial environment.”
First Job “Farm hand on the family farm — $3.35 an hour.”
Business Pet Peeve “When individuals fail to take ownership for their performance, blaming teammates, subordinates and external factors.”
Chad Magleby
Magleby Companies
ALIAS “The Builder”
WANTED FOR Constructing a legacy
Age 36
Company Magleby Companies, Lindon
Role President, CEO
Priors MBA from BYU; District VP at America’s Home Place from 2003 to 2005; VP of sales and marketing at Magleby Companies from 2005 to 2011; took over as president and CEO of the 35-year-old company when his father, Paul Magleby, retired in 2011.
Career Wants “To build homes, businesses and communities where individuals and families can connect and fulfill their hopes, passions and dreams.”
Company Wants “To continue to be the most sought after and respected construction company in the state of Utah.”
First Job “Cleaning job sites on the weekend for my dad. He would pay us a dollar or two for a half a day’s work.”
Wanted Comrade “Randy Garn, Prosper.”
Andrew Howlett
Rain
ALIAS “Sexy Toe”
WANTED FOR Digital dominance (also for a sane explanation of his alias)
Age 38
Company Rain, American Fork
Role Founder
Priors Worked in the finance industry for World Access and NACT; founded Howlett Industries; co-founded www.uClean.com; founded national-award-winning Rain; board member at Playground Sessions and Society of Digital Agencies.
Career Wants “I love brainstorming and focusing on the big digital marketing ideas.”
Company Wants “Rain is on a roll right now. We don’t want to be complacent.”
Utah Valley Wants “We have such an amazing business environment. Companies here can compete and beat the competition coming from the coasts and elsewhere.”
First Job “Gathering eggs at my aunt and uncle’s egg plant. I was paid by the egg.”
Wanted Comrade “Carine Clark, Symantec.”
Chad Carlson
Ensignal
ALIAS “Arkansas Dave Rudebaugh”
WANTED FOR Never phoning it in
Age 35
Company Ensignal, Two Brothers Communications, Parachute Phone Protection; Springville
Role Exec. VP of Sales
Priors Has spent the past 12 years in the wireless industry; founded Two Brothers Communications, which was acquired by Ensignal in 2012.
Career Wants “Stay in business as long as my dad …35-plus years.”
Company Wants “Create the best customer service in the wireless business.”
Utah Valley Wants “I would love Utah Valley to become the premier breeding ground for the best and brightest human resources in the world.”
Childhood Dream Job “Cowboy.”
First Job “Mowing lawns.”
Business Pet Peeve “Tardiness.”
Wanted Comrade “Danny Ainge.”
Diane Johnson
KSL
ALIAS “Radio Runner”
WANTED FOR Pumping up the dial
Age 33
Company KSL Broadcast Group
Role Account Executive
Priors Worked for United Concepts; worked at two different media companies over seven years; joined KSL in June 2011.
Career Wants “To continue to be on the forefront of innovation. Digital media is the present and the future.”
Company Wants “I hope we continue to innovate and set the market standard (which I know we will).”
Utah Valley Wants “I live in Utah Valley and love it. Business owners are savvy enough to see the value and potential here.”
Childhood Dream Job “Lawyer.”
First Job “Video store. If you had told me at 16 that video rental stores wouldn’t exist today, I would have thought you were crazy.”
Wanted Comrade “Everyone.”
Ben Zimmer
Property Solutions
ALIAS “Bull’s Eye”
WANTED FOR Creating a household company
Age 35
Company Property Solutions, Lehi
Role Co-founder
Priors Won Fortune’s business plan competition for Property Solutions alongside BFFs; revolutionized the industry and grew company to $7 billion processed payments a year.
Career Wants “Continue to set the bar for innovative marketing and powerful sales performance.”
Company Wants “Ring the bell with my partners for the IPO.”
Utah Valley Wants “Great talent continuing to make the trek from Silicon Valley.”
Childhood Dream Job “College professor. Still have that dream.”
First Job “Collecting eggs on an egg farm — Napoleon Dynamite style.”
Business Pet Peeve “1. Long e-mails. 2. Poorly written e-mails.”
Ty Bennett
Leadership Inc.
ALIAS “The Influencer”
WANTED FOR Talking the talk and helping others walk the walk
Age 30
Company Leadership Inc., Lehi
Role Founder
Priors Started a business in direct sales at 21, which turned into a multi-million dollar company; founded Leadership Inc. in 2009; published his first book, “The Power of Influence” in 2010; lectures around the world on leadership and influence to Fortune 500 companies and businesses across more than a dozen industries.
Career Wants “To write a New York Times Bestselling Book and be inducted into the Speakers Hall of Fame.”
Company Wants “Provide the kind of service that generates referrals.”
First Job “Paper route at 8 years old.”
Business Pet Peeve “Lack of follow through. If you say you’re going to do it — do it!”
Wanted Comrade “Stephen M. R. Covey.”
Mindy Gledhill
Blue Morph Music
ALIAS “Indie Mindy”
WANTED FOR Mesmerizing melodies and creative mastery of the music business
Age 31
Company Blue Morph Music, Provo
Role Artist
Priors Award-winning songwriter/indie recoding artist; her songs have been featured on multiple films, TV ads, major network shows (i.e. “Bones,” “Jane by Design” and “60 Minutes”); co-founder for Downtown Provo’s Rooftop Concert Series.
Career Wants “I’ve always dreamed of hearing my music in feature film soundtracks.”
Utah Valley Wants “There’s an amazing creative energy currently surging among the young and artsy entrepreneurs here, and I can’t wait to watch it spread like wildfire.”
Childhood Dream Job “As a kid I said ‘a mother.’ At 13 I started to say ‘a singer.’ I became both.”
First Job “Making smoothies when I was 16. My parents couldn’t pay for voice lessons, so I set out to make my own money to foot the bill.”
Brian Chandler
MultiLing
ALIAS “Break Dancing Clown”
WANTED FOR Getting companies found in translation
Age 39
Company MultiLing, Provo
Role Executive VP of corporate development
Priors Worked as a software developer on WordPerfect and IBM software packages; joined MultiLing and worked multiple hats of software development/sales/marketing; currently assists the company in corporate strategy with key Fortune 100 clients.
Career Wants “I love challenges.”
Company Wants “To assist other companies in achieving their potential in the international market through quality translation and localization.”
Utah Valley Wants “I would love to help Utah Valley companies understand how international growth can really boost their business.”
Wanted Comrade “It would certainly be a thrill to work directly with Blake Roney or Josh James.”
Brigham Tomco
Zylun
ALIAS “The Executor”
WANTED FOR Teaching AND doing
Age 33
Company Zylun, Lehi
Role Founder
Priors Entrepreneur, investor and outsourcing expert; was a partner at Canyon View Partners; worked in New York City and helped manage an $800 million portfolio; is an adjunct professor at BYU Marriott School; member of the Presidents Advancement Council at BYU-Idaho; director of Oxzen Media.
Career Wants “To create jobs, wealth and opportunities for as many people as I can.”
Company Wants “To build our development and Internet marketing team to more than 1,000 employees and become the preferred outsourcing partner for small- to medium-sized businesses.”
Childhood Dream Job “Pro football player for the Chicago Bears.”
First Job “Dog walker for a dog kennel. I got paid 75 cents per dog.”
Megan Faulkner Brown
Sweet Tooth Fairy
ALIAS “The Frostaholic”
WANTED FOR Cakebites. (We’ll hunt you down, Brown.)
Age 32
Company Sweet Tooth Fairy, American Fork
Role Founder
Priors Self-taught baker; opened first location in Provo and has since grown it to 10 locations; winner of Food Network’s “Cupcake Wars”; appeared on the “Rachael Ray Show,” with her signature Cakebites.
Company Wants “Create a household name.”
Utah Valley Wants “For it to continue to be a successful launch pad for entrepreneurs from all industries.”
First Job “I moved to Mount Vernon, Wash., during the summers and lived in an Air Stream trailer parked on a berry farm. I picked berries and wore overalls, straw hats — the whole nine yards.”
Business Pet Peeve “Those who don’t take ownership of their actions.”
Wanted Comrade “Mary Crafts, Culinary Crafts.”
Josh Boshard
The Four Foods Group
ALIAS “The Leatherman”
WANTED FOR Multiplying and replenishing Kneaders
Age 32
Company The Four Foods Group, American Fork
Role VP of Operations
Priors Experience in various industries: insurance, real estate, home builder operation, restaurant management; worked at AxisPointe in managing process implementation, contract negotiation and insurance risk management; transitioned to Four Foods Group, which has opened 10-plus Kneaders stores in three years and did $12 million in sales in 2011.
Career Wants “In 20 years I’d love to be doing what I’m doing today … building a brand.”
Company Wants “I realistically expect our company to be a household name throughout the Western U.S.”
Childhood Dream Job “Pilot.”
First Job “Gas station attendant at Edgemont Service in North Provo — $4.25 an hour.”
Business Pet Peeve “A negative attitude.”
Bill Brady
Eli Kirk
ALIAS “The Brandmaster”
WANTED FOR Marketing like there’s no tomorrow
Age 37
Company Eli Kirk, Provo
Role President
Priors Experience in all things branding — architecture, targeting, positioning, messaging; founded M2 Results and ran it for 11 years before being acquired by Eli Kirk.
Career Wants “I work with the greatest people I’ve ever known, so I haven’t thought of my career beyond Eli Kirk.”
Company Wants “Eli Kirk will never become an impersonal, faceless agency, but we’ll definitely continue to grow.”
Utah Valley Wants “Our success in tech will continue to build on itself, and we can use that escalating growth to revitalize downtown businesses throughout the valley.”
First Job “Sold shoes. I earned lots of commissions because I had a knack for charming the old ladies.”
Childhood Dream Job “Prime Minister of Canada.”
Jacob Hoehne
Issimo
ALIAS “Scruffy Looking Nerf Herder”
WANTED FOR Moving pictures
Age 36
Company Issimo, Pleasant Grove
Role Founder
Priors Studied film at BYU and a joint program from the MBA and communications schools at Syracuse University; founded Issimo in 2006, which has clients like Real Salt Lake, Big O and Little Giant Ladders.
Career Wants “To help people feel understood and valued.”
Company Wants “We are on a mission to replace the old paradigm of marketing (manipulating people).”
Utah Valley Wants “To see more Utah Valley businesses proud to be here. No one would’ve heard of Bentonville, Ark., if Sam Walton had moved his business to the big city.”
Childhood Dream Job “Dad.”
Business Pet Peeve “Disregard for what a client really needs vs. what you want to sell them.”
Wanted Comrade “Josh James.”
Tamu Smith
Inter’Actions Salon
ALIAS “The Mane Therapist”
WANTED FOR Strands of wisdom
Age 39
Company Inter’Actions Salon, Sistas in Zion; Provo
Role Owner
Priors Has done hair in Utah County for more than 15 years, specializing in highly textured (curly) hair; teaches parents how to style their children’s extremely curly hair; started Sistas in Zion, a media entity.
Career Wants “To leave a legacy of beauty (physically, mentally, spiritually).”
Company Wants “To be a place where women can come together and have meaningful conversations.”
Utah Valley Wants “I hope people will no longer see Inter’Actions as a ‘black’ salon that only does ‘black’ people’s hair. The stylists who work here all went to school in Utah — we actually had to take specialty classes to learn how to do the hair most similar to the hair on our own heads.”
Childhood Dream Job “Write slogans for commercials or be a singer. Only I can’t sing!”
Jordan Erickson
Infuse Med
ALIAS “The Ever Optimist”
WANTED FOR Giving the medical device world street cred — stat!
Age 38
Company Infuse Med, Lehi
Role Co-founder
Priors Worked in marketing at Viewpoint Digital; worked in sales/consultative marketing with medical device manufacturers; founded Infuse Med in 2007, which had landed multiple times on the UV50 as a Startup to Watch and Fastest-Growing Company.
Career Wants “Influence the quality of care provided by clinicians.”
Company Wants “I want Infuse Medical to be to medical device manufacturers what blood is to the Red Cross.”
Utah Valley Wants “To be a place that encourages innovation and welcomes the world.”
First Job “Beverage distributor. We bolted a pop machine to our garage. My summer business boomed with under-age pedestrians.”
Business Pet Peeve “Lack of passion.”
Jared Morgan
Downtown Provo Inc.
ALIAS “Downtown Jared Brown”
WANTED FOR Being down with towns
Age 28
Company Downtown Provo, Inc., Provo
Role Executive Director
Priors Degree in international business; broker at Global Government Contracting; worked in business development at the Salt Lake Chamber; co-founded Simple Solution Green.
Career Wants “To become an expert in downtown revitalization projects.”
Company Wants “I want Downtown Provo, Inc., to be known as the top downtown association in the U.S.”
Utah Valley Wants “I’d love to see more incentives for bio chemical and manufacturing institutions to establish a presence here.”
Childhood Dream Job “Garbage man. Mr. Contrerez was my idol. Best garbage man in all of Fresno, Calif.”
Business Pet Peeve “Seeing businesses fail as a result of marketing strategies.”
Leigh Bennett
Amara Day Spa
ALIAS “The Brazilian Queen”
WANTED FOR Pretty practices
Age 32
Company Amara Day Spa Salon & Boutique, Orem
Role Founder
Priors Started as an esthetician 13 years ago; worked and managed a salon for six years; opened Amara in 2004, which now has more than 70 employees.
Career Wants “To find people who have the same passion I do.”
Company Wants “To continue to find ways to make our guest experience even better than it is now.”
Utah Valley Wants “I like to see people taking risks, working hard and opening quaint little restaurants, shops and other places in Utah County.”
Childhood Dream Job “World traveler.”
First Job “Kenny Rogers Roasters restaurant.”
Business Pet Peeve “People not seeing their own potential — and not willing to work hard for it.”
Nick Miller
Weed Man of Orem
ALIAS “The Weed Man”
WANTED FOR Getting to the root of the problem
Age 28
Company Weed Man of Orem
Role Owner
Priors Been in the landscaping industry for eight years; is president of M&M Landscaping; opened his Weed Man franchise in February 2012.
Career Wants “To have several reliable crews and trucks on the roads, allowing my focus to be on business development.”
Company Wants “Become a household name in Utah Valley.”
Utah Valley Wants “I’ve been extremely happy with the business scene. My hope is to continue to be successful here.”
Childhood Dream Job “Firefighter.”
First Job “Cinemark 16.”
Business Pet Peeve “When someone leaves a voicemail asking me to call them back — without telling me the reason for the call.”
David Elkington
InsideSales.com
ALIAS “The Driver”
WANTED FOR Selling what we’re buying
Age 38
Company InsideSales.com, Provo
Role CEO, Co-founder
Priors Background in tech, venture capital and corporate development; co-founded Integr8ted Technology Solutions and Everfill, Inc.; co-author of the Lead Response Management industry survey; co-authored articles mentioned in Harvard Business Review and Forbes.
Career Wants “I love building, innovating, fixing, learning and mentoring.”
Company Wants “We sincerely believe we can be one of the few companies in Utah to top the billion mark.”
Childhood Dream Job “Own an island. I somehow equated island ownership with success.”
First Job “Shoveling snow for neighbors at 25 cents per sidewalk.”
Business Pet Peeve “Cooking microwave popcorn in the office. It may get you fired.”
Dave Decker
CMS
ALIAS “Diet Dew”
WANTED FOR ePaying it forward
Age 38
Company Complete Merchant Solutions, Orem
Role Founder
Priors Sold high-end logistical software; worked at an advertising firm back East; entered the electronic payments industry in 2005 and then in 2007 started CMS, which just ranked #19 on the Inc. 500.
Career Wants “To build CMS to a valuation of $100 million.”
Company Wants “To expand the company footprint and increase our brand awareness throughout the U.S. We’d like to represent Utah Valley well and create as many jobs for the community as we can.”
Childhood Dream Job “Middle infielder for the Orioles.”
First Job “Ball boy for the Washington Redskins. My dad still has my first paycheck.”
Business Pet Peeve “Pushy sales people who are transactional in their approach rather than relationship focused.”
Ryan Westwood
PcCareSupport
ALIAS “The Executioner”
WANTED FOR Keying up entrepreneurship
Age 29
Company PcCareSupport, Provo
Role Founder
Priors Sold his first business at 25; ran sales for DirectPointe (Inc. 5000 company) and AtTask (Inc. 500 company); started PcCareSupport, which has grown more than 1,000 percent year over year.
Career Wants “To be an author, investor, speaker and social entrepreneur.”
Company Wants “To provide fast, inexpensive and U.S.-based technical support globally.”
Utah Valley Wants “To help Utah Valley become a leader in job creation and a hotbed for entrepreneurs to start companies.”
First Job “A yard boy for Wilford Clyde, CEO of Clyde Companies. I made $7 an hour.”
Business Pet Peeve “When someone comes to a meeting unprepared.”
Veronica Chapman
Pro Digital Photos
ALIAS “A Thousand Words”
WANTED FOR Snapping to it
Age 31
Company Pro Digital Photos, Pleasant Grove
Role Founder
Priors Background in retail; education in business management; opened Pro Digital Photos in 2009; has worked to help revitalize the business scene in downtown Pleasant Grove.
Career Wants “My idea list is never ending.”
Company Wants “To continue our upward growth but with a faster pace. And a water fountain in our front office would be nice, too.”
Utah Valley Wants “To see local companies hire local employees. This helps make our products and services more authentic to who we are.”
Childhood Dream Job “Undercover cop.”
First Job “Paper route — I made 5 cents a paper.”
Business Pet Peeve “When people make promises they can’t keep.”
Logan Wilkes
Corporate Alliance
ALIAS “The Closer”
WANTED FOR Being knowable, likeable and trustable
Age 28
Company Corporate Alliance, Provo
Role President
Priors Earned a degree in PR from BYU; started as a temp receptionist at Corporate Alliance in 2010 and worked his way up to president/managing partner of the Utah County Hub.
Career Wants “I wouldn’t be surprised if Corporate Alliance is the only job I ever have. I’m surrounded by great people, and we have a system that improves businesses and lives. What else could I ask for?”
Company Wants “Corporate Alliance to have a hub in every major city across the world.”
Childhood Dream Job “I went through phases — pro baseball player, Broadway performer, president of the United States.”
Business Pet Peeve “Entitlement. It bugs me when people think they deserve things without doing the work.”