Band of Brothers: Buttons mean business for these kidtrepreneurs
August, Nolan and Jonah Sheen are the boys and the brains behind Sheen Boys’ Buttons. Their business began when their mother Amelia told them how she made pinback buttons in her middle school art class. They wanted to try it for themselves. After designing the buttons on the computer, they printed them, cut with a […]
2018 UV50 Winners: Mind Your Business
By Briana Stewart + Jeanette Bennett Prepare to have your mind blown, because we think the world of these 50 Utah Valley companies. They’re speedy. They’re strong. They’re self-starters. But the best part? Great minds don’t all think alike. These genius companies have all achieved success by thinking outside their own dang box. Ready to […]
Roundtable: Are we having funds yet?
Are we having funds yet? Five Utah County entrepreneurs, lenders, investors and lawyers put their mouths where their money is by sharing what options are out there for funding. Jeanette Bennett, BusinessQ: What does the funding environment in Utah County look like, and how much has it changed in the past couple of years? Case […]
UV50 Fastest-Growing Companies: No. 14 Intermountain Nutrition
Nutrition facts never looked so good. Since 2013, Intermountain Nutrition has become the premier manufacturer for nutrition and dietary supplements. Led by founder Ryan Gledhill, the company has moved five times in five years, did $18 million in revenue in 2017, and has brought integrity and transparency to the manufacturing industry. They also package 150,000 […]
UV50 Fastest-Growing Companies: No. 1 Blue Raven Solar
Ryan Lee’s career had a case of the seven-year itch. From pest control to alarm companies, he built thriving businesses that impressively powered their markets. But after running the companies for seven years each, he sold them in search for bluer pastures. In 2014, he founded Blue Raven Solar, which has grown to be one […]
UV50 Fastest-Growing Companies: No. 4 Taft Clothing
Kory Stevens hates being barefoot. “I even sleep in my socks,” he says. It’s this very quirk that led Stevens to dip his (well covered) toe into the world of men’s footwear. Ready to walk a mile-a-minute in his shoes? He and his wife, Mallory, started a business that went from no-show socks, to designing […]
UV50 Startups to Watch: No. 1 Divvy
Walking through Divvy headquarters was akin to a game of musical chairs. Desks lined the walls, conference rooms, and open spaces — with multiple people to one desk and no seats to spare. The 114-person company was moving to a bigger office the following week, but the growth and energy will no doubt keep them […]
42 Utah Valley companies make 2018 Inc. 5000 list
Inc. 5000 released its annual list of the fastest-growing private companies in America on Wednesday, which included 42 companies from Utah Valley. While the the No. 1 spot went to Wisconsin-based SwanLeap — which has had a 75,661 percent growth over the past three years — Utah’s top ranking company on the list was Podium, […]
Q Awards: Naming Utah Valley’s top movers and makers in 2018
By Briana Stewart and Jeanette Bennett Photography by Dave Blackhurst New year, new leaders. Utah Valley BusinessQ presents our 2018 movers and makers.
Local tech pros help us crack the girl code — and ban the words ‘balance’ and ‘bossy’
For our Spring 2018 issue of Utah Valley BusinessQ, we invited the women to sit at the table — more specifically, we invited women in tech. These local tech pros have cracked the code on how to work in a male-dominated industry. Jeanette Bennett, BusinessQ: How has your gender affected your career? Carine Clark, Banyan: […]
Q cards: 5 hints for cyber security
Ready to feel insecure? When a business gets hacked, it costs them $4 million dollars on average. Sixty-three percent of all businesses that are hacked go out of business. And there are 100 million daily “hack attacks” in Utah. “It’s the kiss of death,” says Jeffrey Lush, founder of BAP, a company with offices in […]
Utah Valley kidtrepreneur: The upper hand
Kids are natural entrepreneurs — they aren’t afraid to fail and they’re naturally curious and creative. Case in point: Pleasant Grove’s Allie Robins, the creator of Hero Glove, which is a glove worn in the kitchen that protects little fingers from getting cut. Read about her entrepreneurial adventure below, and let’s give Allie a hand. […]
2018 Entrepreneur of the Year: Andrew Smith, Four Foods Group
Ten years ago, Andrew Smith had a plate of experience running and selling tech companies and was looking for his next menu of experiences. “I went through the dot-com bubble and the recession, and those cycles suck,” Smith says. “I was searching for an industry where there were inefficiencies I could solve. And I found […]
2018 Company of the Year: Pluralsight
Pluralsight CEO Aaron Skonnard has 20/20 foresight for his tech company. Currently being grown in Farmington, Pluralsight announced a replanting of its headquarters just a few yards outside of Utah County. Skonnard was looking for 40 open acres for an HQ to match the IQ of his team, currently split between South Jordan and Farmington. […]
2018 Executive of the Year: Case Lawrence, CircusTrix
So white men can jump. Case Lawrence has reached new heights with the ascent of Provo-based CircusTrix — the largest developer, operator and franchisor of trampoline parks in the world. It has more than 300 facilities around the globe, more than 3,000 employees, and did $58.3 million in sales in 2016. But before he soared with […]
2018 Contributor of the Year: Cydni Tetro, Women Tech Council
Girls just wanna have opportunities. And role models. And tech careers. And inspiration. And representation. And lucky for Utah girls, they have Cydni Tetro. As co-founder of the Women Tech Council and organizer of SheTech, a STEM activation and engagement platform for girls, Tetro has been instrumental in elevating our state’s conversation about women in […]
2018 Marketer of the Year: Rachel Parcell, Rachel Parcell Collection
Rachel Parcell is a name Brand entrepreneur. Not only did she help create, define and elevate the world of blogging as a thriving business model, but two years ago she launched her own clothing line, the Rachel Parcell Collection. She is an Instagram icon (at press, she was nearing a staggering 1 million followers), a […]
2018 Headliner of the Year: Silicon Slopes
In the beginning, Silicon Slopes was a phrase that rolled off Josh James’ tongue in a meeting with the state of Utah. Then it became a lively wall poster, showing a caricatured landscape map of tech companies along the Wasatch Front that was sent to venture capitalists around the country and hung in offices along […]
No brand’s land: 8 branding wrongs made right
Branding is hard. Because it isn’t just one thing. It’s alllllllll the things. Together. Forever. And then ever and ever. Feeling lost with your brand in no brand’s land? Then take a literal page out of our magazine and flip the heck out of these branding myths. Knowing what’s wrong just feels so right. 1. […]
Q cards: 5 hints for app development
If you’re appy and you know it, now what? After seeing a hole in the market for a fantasy sports game without gambling, avid sports fan Natalyn Lewis set out to create a homerun of an app. She started developing FireFan in Orem in January 2016, and today, the company has offices in American Fork and […]
10 coolest entrepreneurs: Travis Hansen
Tesani: Travis Hansen, 39 Travis Hansen learned leadership during nearly two decades on the basketball court for UVU, BYU and the NBA. Now he’s fast breaking on the wave of entrepreneurism. “Surfers paddle 90 percent of the time, and 10 percent of the time they get to ride the wave,” Hansen says. “We call those […]
10 coolest entrepreneurs: Pete Tidwell
The Mighty Baker: Pete Tidwell, 35 Oh, how the mighty has risen. After years working as a marketing maven in New York City, Pete Tidwell turned up the heat. He made his cake hobby and bake shop dreams into a reality, and then made his way to reality TV to win Food Network’s “Cake Wars” not […]
10 coolest entrepreneurs: Alison Faulkner
The Alison Show: Alison Faulkner, 34 Alison Faulkner has found her calling. And as she always tells her 108,000 followers on Instagram, “If you feel called to do it, freaking do it!” Faulkner started her shiny career as a blogger, influencer, and dance party diva. But in 2017, her expertise and offerings found their ultimate groove. […]
10 coolest entrepreneurs: Marcus Liassides
Sorenson Media: Marcus Liassides, 39 Marcus Liassides is your typical entrepreneur who went from small town London to big city American Fork. OK, so that’s based on a true story. But in our defense, the British entrepreneur is no stranger to a little drama. Liassides has worked in television, video, and digital advertising for most […]
10 coolest entrepreneurs: Kristy Sevy
FuzePlay: Kristy Sevy, 34 Kristy Sevy is so fly. (And purple hair is just the beginning.) It’s been almost two years since she started FuzePlay, an edTech company that helps kids “build, hack, play.” Their premier product, the ZUBI Flyer, will officially soar off shelves this December. But Sevy’s mission to disrupt the industry and […]
UV50 Economic Engines: No. 7 Ancestry
City Lehi Founded 1983 Employees 1,400 (1,000 in Utah) Industry Technology/family history Website Ancestry.com CEO Tim Sullivan, 54 The Company The world’s largest online resource for family history and consumer genetics. BLOWING US ALL AWAY: LET US COUNT THE WAYS 1. Ancestry is in more than 30 international markets. 2. It hosts the world’s largest online collection of family history records — […]
UV50 Economic Engines: No. 8 Utah Valley University
City Orem Founded 1941Employees 3,436 Industry Education Website UVU.edu President Matthew S. Holland, 50 The Company An open-admission regional teaching institution. BLOWING US ALL AWAY: LET US COUNT THE WAYS 1. UVU is the largest public university in the state. 2. It has more than 36,000 students. 3. It offers certificate programs, 63 associate’s degrees, 75 bachelor’s degrees, 8 master’s […]
UV50 Economic Engines: No. 9 Jive
City Lindon Founded 2006 Employees 600 Industry Technology Website Jive.com Founders John Pope, 39; Matthew Peterson, 40; Michael Sharp, 36; Andrew Skeen, 35; Stephen Todd, 34; Brent Thomson, 41 The Company A provider of unified communications products. BLOWING US ALL AWAY: LET US COUNT THE WAYS 1. Jive is the largest, privately-owned, unified communications system in the world. 2. It has […]
UV50 Startups to Watch: No. 2 Purple
Founded 2015 City Alpine Employees 700 Industry Manufacturing/Retail Website OnPurple.com CEO Sam Bernards, 40 The Company A creator and manufacturer of hyper-elastic polymer mattresses, pillows, sheets and seat cushions. YOUNG + HUNGRY Color us impressed. With nearly $200 million in sales, 700 employees, 11,000-plus 5-star customer reviews, 57 granted and pending patents, and 500 million video views that just […]
UV50 Startups to Watch: No. 3 Skipio
City American Fork Founded 2016 Employees 40 Industry Customer engagement Website Skipio.com Founders Nick Greer, 40; Randy Garn, 42. The Company A sales communication platform that connects companies and customers through next-gen business texting technology. YOUNG + HUNGRY Skipio is skipping along nicely. The texting technology company is led by Nick Greer, founder of another former UV50 company, One on […]