Silicon Slopes | The Entrepreneur Capital of the World

CEO of Motherly, Jill Koziol, joins Clint for this episode of the Silicon Slopes Podcast for a conversation about establishing her business here in Utah. She dives into making the move to Park City and compares Silicon Valley to Silicon Slopes, and what makes both so distinguishable as innovation hubs. In her industry credibility is extremely important, especially when it comes to parenting, and she finds that empathy is often missing in tech. Involving stories in your work is a great way to build empathy within your brand because they not only display your voice, but also help to build a community based on sharing, acknowledgement, and unity. Jill explains how data is a key player in understanding her audience and she uses it to create a safe space for mothers to connect and be empowered. "We use storytelling also as a way to expand people's perspectives and see a different point of view. And when you humanize it through storytelling, I think people are more open to it."

Blake Modersitzki joins Clint on this episode of the Silicon Slopes Podcast for a conversation about VC, tech, and all things Utah business. Blake shares his story of launching Utah Ventures and what the VC environment was like in Utah during the early 2000s. He talks about writing his first venture checks and what a journey it is to help tech startups flourish. They discuss the slippery slope that is deciding who can and can't make decisions at a company and why it's important to stay diligent in this industry. Utah's VC scene is booming and in the future, Blake hopes that collaboration will be everyone's focus as we celebrate entrepreneurship together. "I think that we are primed to be a leader in AI. We're seeing some amazing, early-stage AI companies right now."

Robbie Tripp joins Clint for this thrilling episode of the Silicon Slopes Podcast to talk about all things rap, self-expression, and building the life that you want for yourself. Having grown up in Utah, Robbie always understood that he was meant for more, like playing basketball professionally or focusing on his musical craft. He talks about using social media to launch his brand and how one post in particular exploded online, garnering him a lot of attention and traction for his career. Robbie's faced a lot of negativity online for following his dreams and he shares how he stays focused on his vision without letting critics get in the way. In a world where we're so focused on what other people might think of us, it's important to stand out simply by being our true selves, Robbie's story of hope will inspire many to be authentically creative as often as possible. "I realized I can create up there with the best of 'em. And I've always known it, so let's get it. I'm starting my journey."

Scott Anderson joins Clint on this episode of the Silicon Slopes Podcast for a conversation about all things leadership, Utah, community, and banking. They chat about what a rollercoaster the industry is and how things can change drastically overnight. As an integral part of Utah's history, Zions Bank focuses greatly on cultivating community and has done so since its founding in 1873. Scott is an inspiring leader who strives to help people become the best, most inspired versions of themselves, which can be achieved through community. It's no secret that Utah is growing rapidly and Scott shares some fun insights as to why Utah's business economy is so creative and future forward. "From the very beginning, the idea was that we were here to create value. Value, honestly for our clients, but value for our communities and that means giving back where we can."

Join us for a fun conversation with Steve Daly who is the CEO of Instructure. With a history in tech and engineering, Steve talks about working with private equity firms and going through that process over the course of 15 years in the software space. He shares his strategy in vetting companies for acquisition and speaks on his experience having acquired 26 companies in his career. They talk about mixing local politics with business and figuring out an effective pace for collaboration between the communities, which is essential for the future of Utah's booming business sphere. Steve's on a mission to elevate student learning everywhere with the help of generative AI. "You've got to be really disciplined in how you manage your pipeline, the visibility you have, because sales is part science, but it's a lot of art. There's a lot of things you can't control in the selling process. So I look for a leader that kind of gets that and then is able to kind of see around corners using some of the analytics, in addition to, is an inspirational leader."

Cydni Tetro joins Clint on this episode of the Silicon Slopes Podcast for a conversation about leadership, meeting consumer needs, and being a pioneer in the tech space. They discuss her fun background working at Disney Research Imagineering and being responsible for product innovation, which was the opportunity of a lifetime. An important aspect of being a leader is staying future-focused and putting your energy into delivering value, ensuring your customers feel taken care of. Cydni talks about starting the Women Tech Council, looking at the economic impact of women in tech and finding opportunities to bring men and women together to change the industry. The impact of Cydni's work on the community is undeniable and as Utah grows, she is a beacon of innovation. "The problems we're solving every day that feel so heavy, we forget sometimes to step back and say, 'Well if we were here in 5 years, what would that have done for our business?'"

Join us for a conversation with Thomas Wright, one of Utah's esteemed politicians, on this exciting episode of the Silicon Slopes Podcast. They talk about the war in Ukraine and the importance of implementing policies that protect human life and dignity, and Thomas shares insights to Utah's political scene. He's heavily involved in the local real estate market and is focused on redefining the residential industry by showing that you can experience luxury at any price point. Additionally, the immense growth Utah has experienced over the past few years presents new challenges for the state and Thomas talks about adapting and staying solution-oriented in government. Looking to the future, he hopes to see more Utah leaders who focus on finding common ground and solving those issues with a community-focused mindset. Tune in to learn more! "When you have huge problems like we have and challenges, there's so much common ground if you can articulate it and find it."

On this episode of the Silicon Slopes Show, Clint meets with John Pestana who is currently the Co-Founder and CEO of ObservePoint and prior to that, he co-founded Omniture. They discuss John's background as an entrepreneur and how he built everything from scratch in the early days of his business ventures, whereas entrepreneurs today have access to a multitude of pre-built tools at their disposal. John talks about being one of the first big internet-age business acquisitions and how that transition impacted his life and business. They go through ObservePoint's origin story and John talks about his involvement in Utah politics and education. If you're an entrepreneur or simply want to learn more about Utah's tech and political arena, this episode is for you! "Just start. Just go. Stop talking about it, just do it. And then, have integrity and grit. Follow up on your commitments."

On this episode of the Silicon Slopes Podcast, Clint meets with Mike Peregrina who is the Co-Founder and CEO of Homie, the platform making home buying easier than ever. Mike's vision is to focus on what really matters in the market, that being consumer needs and customer voices. They discuss the challenges of expansion across states, being in the business of trust, and helping their clients buy and sell a home as simply as possible. It takes discipline to "focus on less" in the real estate as a service industry, especially with expansion opportunities around every corner. Tune in to learn more about Utah's ever-expanding community of business leaders and the entrepreneurial spirit found in this great state. "At Homie, we are super mission driven. I mean, to a core, maybe even to a fault, we'll always choose to do the right thing by our mission and our vision."

Sterling Snow joins us on this episode of the Silicon Slopes Podcast. He's a Venture Partner at Pelion, helping entrepreneurs and innovators bring their vision to life. He shares his journey as an entrepreneur in Utah, including thriving in an environment where he was allowed to make mistakes, and how he avoided the cardinal sin of Utah's tech scene: thinking too small. Sterling talks about selling businesses and making strategic moves to win in the market against his competitors. With Utah being a unique leader in the startup world, Sterling hopes to see a future that relies on collaboration over competition and values working together over all. "It doesn't mean that you have to agree on everything or that you're not going to compete, but know that we can all win together."