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ASSOCIATIONS
• The United States Hispanic Business Council (USHBC) has appointed Troy Rawlings to its board of directors as general counsel. Rawlings is district attorney of Davis County. Rawlings has over 27 years of experience in the legal arena. He has served as the elected district attorney in Davis County since 2007. Over the course of his career, he has served on a variety of boards and professional associations. Rawlins’ education includes earning Bachelor of Science degrees in both political science and speech communication from the University of Utah. The United States Hispanic Business Council is a nonprofit organization that focuses on improving access to contracting in the public and private sector; fair representation of Hispanics in business, media and politics; and ensuring Hispanics have a voice in the national dialogue.
CORPORATE
• RainFocus, a Lehi-based provider of an enterprise event marketing platform, has announced that its RainFocus Insight 2022 event, originally a hybrid program with in-person components Feb. 7-9, will now be offered as a fully virtual experience. The event includes live webinars, keynote sessions, track sessions, virtual access to the exhibitor catalog, peer-to-peer networking, on-demand session viewing and tech tours. A preparation event Jan. 25 will provide previews. An Insight Encore takes place Feb. 23.
ECONOMIC INDICATORS
• Salt Lake City is ranked No. 13 among U.S. destinations in the December 2021 Interim Convention Cities Index, compiled by Northstar Meetings Group, a B2B information and marketing solutions company. The index uses a weighted ranking system to determine which destinations in the U.S. and around the world are ideally suited to hosting large events. Salt Lake City moved up two positions from the June 2021 index. Atlanta is ranked No. 1 among U.S. destinations.
• Salt Lake City is ranked No. 9 on a list of top housing markets for Gen X, compiled by Knock. It evaluated the top housing market picks by generation based on affordability, the availability of housing stock and key attributes important at each stage of life. Among the advantages Salt Lake City has is a relatively low cost of living; good schools; close proximity to skiing, hiking and fishing; a large number of managerial positions; and a growing tech hub. Miami is the top-ranked city for Gen X. Austin, Texas, ranks No. 1 for millennials, while Pittsburgh tops the list for baby boomers.
EDUCATION/TRAINING
• Western Governors University, a Salt Lake City-based online university, has created a Utah Advisory Board that focus on empowering adult learners to complete degrees and fill workforce needs. The newly created, 10-member board will work directly with Ismar Vallecillos, WGU’s Northwest regional director. Ben McAdams will serve as the first board chair. He is a former congressman, Utah state senator and Salt Lake County mayor. Silvia Castro is the executive director of the Suazo Business Center, a Utah nonprofit focused on economic mobility for the minority community. She has more than 20 years of experience working with nonprofit, government and for-profit organizations. Castro completed her MBA with an emphasis in international business from the University of Utah and received her bachelor’s degree in international business from Westminster College. Carine Clark is a three-time president and CEO of high-growth tech companies. She recently joined Pelion Venture Partners as a general partner. Clark earned a bachelor’s degree in organizational communications and an MBA from Brigham Young University. Kristen Cox is a former executive director of the Governor’s Office of Management and Budget for Utah. She is currently the executive director of the new Initiative on Government Improvement as well as an instructor at the University of Utah’s Eccles School of Business. Lew Cramer is the CEO for Utah of commercial real estate company Colliers International. He has worked extensively in the global telecommunications and broadband sectors, taught international business at Georgetown University and real estate finance at the University of Southern California, and practiced corporate law at major law firms in the San Francisco Bay/Silicon Valley area and in Los Angeles. Cramer holds bachelor’s and juris doctor degrees from Brigham Young University. Richard E. Kendell has a 35-year professional career, highlighted by his time as the commissioner of the Utah System of Higher Education. He was an associate dean for two different schools at the University of Utah and the interim president for Southern Utah University. Kendell also was the deputy to former Governor Mike Leavitt for public education, higher education and economic development. He He earned a bachelor of science in English at Weber State University as well as a master’s degree and Ph.D. in leadership and policy at the University of Utah. James Jackson III serves as the supplier diversity program manager at Zions Bancorporation and has worked in various areas of the financial industry for almost 20 years. He serves on several boards of directors and is the founder of the Utah Black Chamber. Jacqueline (Jacque) S. Lee is the director of government vertical strategy at T-Mobile USA and has over 25 years of public sector experience at the company. Ryan L. Smith is the chief information officer and vice president at Intermountain Healthcare and has over 25 years of experience in information technology. He earned a bachelor’s degree in computer science from the University of Utah and later an MBA from Western Governors University. David Utrilla founded the U.S. Translation Company in 1995 and currently serves as its CEO. He is also the honorary consul of Peru in Utah and has held this position since being appointed by the president of Peru in 2009. He studied international business and economics in Peru and in the U.S.
• Fullstack Academy, a New York City-based tech education provider, has launched four tech bootcamps with Utah State University to meet demand across the state for qualified industry professionals. The USU Tech Bootcamps will equip graduates with a portfolio of work, industry certifications and refined technical skills. Offered in 12- and 26-week cohorts, the bootcamps will offer training in coding, “devops,” cybersecurity and data analytics. They require no previous tech background and no university enrollment. Details are at https://techbootcamps.usu.edu.
• Nightingale College, a Salt Lake City-based institution offering blended-learning programs for nursing education, has scheduled an interim candidacy evaluation and virtual site visit from the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities for April 11-13. The college’s application was granted candidacy status by NWCCU last February and set forth the college’s path toward regional accreditation with NWCCU. As part of the candidacy process, any public comments will be forwarded to the college and the evaluation committee prior to the visit. See https://nwccu.org/member-institutions/upcoming-evaluations/ for details.
GOVERNMENT
• The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has awarded Salt Lake County $2 million to protect children and families from home health hazards. It is part of nearly $104.7 million awarded to 60 nonprofit organizations and state and local government agencies in 29 states. HUD is providing the grants through its Healthy Homes Production Grant Program, which is designed to address multiple childhood diseases and injuries in the home by focusing on housing-related hazards in a coordinated fashion, rather than addressing a single hazard at a time.
HEALTHCARE
• Nexus Spine, a Salt Lake City-based developer of spinal implants, has appointed David Ivanko as vice president of quality engineering and manufacturing and Andrew Shepherd as vice president of marketing. Ivanko brings more than 25 years of quality and manufacturing engineering experience in the medical device industry, most recently serving as vice president of quality engineering for NuVasive Inc. Shepherd is a veteran of the spinal implant industry that includes a lengthy career with Titan Spine, where he served as vice president of marketing and was instrumental in establishing the surface technology segment in spine.
• Premier Family Medical, a physician group in Utah County, has announced a collaboration with evolvedMD and announced additional services in response to the increased need for behavioral health support in Utah and the launch of its integrated behavioral health program at its American Fork location. Premier Family Medical will now offer patients access to behavioral health services in the same location as their primary care provider starting with the American Fork location and expanding across its portfolio. Beginning in early 2022, evolvedMD will embed behavioral health specialists onsite within Premier Family Medical’s primary care sites. Premier Family Medical is the fourth major primary group in Utah to collaborate with evolvedMD.
• Sentrx, a Salt Lake City-based animal health company, has formed a U.S.-based Ophthalmology Scientific and Medical Advisory Board composed of veterinary and scientific leaders in ophthalmology and clinical trial design. The board will be chaired by Sara Atzet, chief scientific officer. Other board members are David Maggs, Patricia E. Mundy, David Wilkie, D.J Haeussler and Kate Myrna.
INSURANCE
• Branch, an Ohio-based home and auto insurance company, has announced its expansion into six new states, including Utah. Branch was launched in 2019.
INVESTMENTS
• PassiveLogic, a Salt Lake City-based company focused on an autonomous building controls platform, has secured $34 million in Series B funding, led by Addition and Keyframe. They were joined by commercial real estate companies, including RET Ventures, Brookfield Growth and Era Ventures from the U.S. and European proptech VC firm A/O PropTech. PassiveLogic was founded by Troy Harvey and Jeremy Fillingim in 2016.
• Consensus, a Lehi-based company offering a home sales demo automation platform, has raised $15 million in a Series B funding round to drive additional growth. The round was led by longtime Consensus investors Riverside Acceleration Capital and The Frazier Group, bringing its total funding to more than $20 million.
• Giddy, a Draper-based company offering a mobile app that enables mainstream DeFi adoption, has raised $8 million in seed funding. The round was led by Pelion Venture Partners and also included Blake Murray, Divvy founder and CEO; Derek White, Galileo CEO; Jeremy Andrus, Traeger CEO; Scott Paul, angel investor; Shaun Neff, entrepreneur, advisor, investor and the founder of Neff Headwear; and Brandon Fugal, real estate executive and owner of Skinwalker Ranch. Additional participants in the funding round included financier Eric Varvel, Canopy CEO Davis Bell, Scan founder Kirk Ouimet, Chamber Media founder Travis Chambers, Sepio Capital, Jeff Burningham of Peak Capital, Jared Hutchings of Peer VC, FiberFix founder Eric Child, and KT Tape founder Reed Quinn.
• Chess.com, a Draper-based company offering a platform for playing, learning and watching chess, has announced that General Atlantic, a global growth equity investor, has become a “significant” investor and partner. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Houlihan Lokey advised on the deal. Legal services were provided by Latham & Watkins; Paul, Weiss; Herzog Fox & Neeman; Shartsis Friese; and Poultan & Yordan.
LAW
• Parsons Behle & Latimer has added four attorneys at its Salt Lake City office. Kimberly M. Hansen is of counsel. She represents clients in consumer financial services, securities and commercial litigation matters. She has experience defending lenders and loan servicers in mortgage-related litigation arising from consumer protection laws. She received her J.D. from the S.J. Quinney College of Law at the University of Utah in 2004. Scott D. Hansen, shareholder, has more than 20 years’ experience representing clients in a range of litigation matters, from antitrust to regulatory inquiries, whistleblower and trade secret litigation to product liability and real estate issues. He also has experience in both creating and litigating commercial contracts. His education includes a B.A. in English from the University of Utah in 1995. Justin B. Palmer, shareholder, has more than 20 years of experience representing financial institutions and employers. He has experience managing high-volume litigation for mortgage servicers. He also has experience defending employers in a wide array of disputes as well as advising employers on compliance with employment regulations. He obtained his J.D. from the University of Utah College of Law in 2000 and a B.A. from the UofU in 1997. Kelsy Young, of counsel, is focused on divorce and family law. The firm also announced that Jason D. Steiert of its Salt Lake City office has been promoted to the rank of shareholder. Steiert is a member of the firm’s Environment Energy and Natural Resources Department. His practice is focused on the acquisition, sale and operation of natural resource property and projects. He earned his J.D. from the University of Utah’s S.J. Quinney College of Law in 2014.
• Holland & Hart LLP has elected Ian Clouse of its Salt Lake City office to the firm’s partnership. Clouse’s practice focuses on preparing and prosecuting patent applications within the electrical and mechanical arts. He brings specialized experience to support clients in telecommunications, electronics, semiconductors and other industries. Clouse’s education includes a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Brigham Young University in 2011.
MEDIA/MARKETING
• Pop Jots, a marketing company, has launched in Pleasant Grove. It offers writing, copywriting and advertising services. Pop Jots was founded last year by Jason R. Starr under the parent company of Pop Radish Communications LLC in Pleasant Grove. Starr previously spent over seven years working for SkyVibe LLC and Two Little Hands Productions in Salt Lake City. His education includes a bachelor’s in media arts from Brigham Young University in 2013.
MILESTONES
• Image Studios, a Salt Lake City-based franchise brand with a real estate model for the salon industry, has awarded its 150th location, opening 16 new markets and six new states. It awarded 66 locations in 2021 and this year will feature 40 additional locations. The company has more than 150 locations in development.
PHILANTHROPY
• Snowbird is continuing Play Forever Wednesdays, a give-back program, weekly through April 27. It will donate $5 of every ticket purchased online or at the ticket window for qualifying dates to participating nonprofit organizations, chosen based upon their commitment to increasing participation in the outdoors, protecting the environment or providing local relief. Last season, the resort donated nearly $14,000 through the program. Details are at https://www.snowbird.com/play-forever.
REAL ESTATE
• River Park Commons, a 40-unit townhome community at 4878 Murray Blvd., Murray, has been sold by Brighton Homes, based in North Salt Lake, to California-based Ideal Capital Group for an undisclosed amount. Completed in 2020, River Park Commons consists of two- and three-bedroom townhomes. The purchase is Ideal’s first investment in the Utah market. The sale announcement was made by the Salt Lake office of CBRE. Eli Mills and Patrick Bodnar of CBRE represented Brighton Homes.
RECOGNITIONS
• Five Utah companies have been named to the Inc. 2021 Best in Business list. Sector winners are Cotopaxi, Salt Lake City, in the consumer products category; Aptive Environment, Provo, consumer services; eLuma, Lehi, education; and HydroJug, Ogden, wellness products. Among Extra Large Companies (500-plus employees) is Conservice, River Heights, in the business services category. The list recognizes small- and medium-size privately held U.S. businesses that have had an outstanding influence on their communities, their industries, the environment, or society as a whole. About 2,700 entries were in the applicant pool.
• Scorpion, a Salt Lake City-based provider of technology and services for local businesses, has been named an Entrepreneur 2021 Top Franchise Supplier and has earned six eHealthcare Leadership Awards. The Entrepreneur award is a ranking of the top franchise suppliers based on a survey of over 750 franchisors. Scorpion is ranked No. 11 in the Marketing category, while Wheat Creative, a leading franchise marketing agency that was acquired by Scorpion earlier this year, ranked No. 9. The eHealthcare awards recognize the best websites, digital communications and business improvement initiatives across a wide range of healthcare organizations. Scorpion’s awards were for Best Internet Home Page (two silvers), Best Mobile Website (one gold and one silver), Best Overall Digital Patient Experience (one silver) and Best Overall Internet (one gold).
• Searchbloom, a Salt Lake City-based search engine marketing agency, has been awarded the 2021 Best Retail Search Marketing Initiative by Search Engine Land, a digital marketing, advertising technology and marketing technology publication. The awards program recognizes the work of exceptional agencies.
TECHNOLOGY
• Strider Technologies Inc., a Salt Lake City-based company offering technology and intelligence solutions to enable clients to identify, manage, and respond to nation-state-directed IP theft and supply chain vulnerabilities, has formed a new strategic advisory board. The founding members are H.R. McMaster and Charles Carmakal. Strider plans to add additional advisory board members in 2022. McMaster served as the U.S. national security advisor from 2017 to 2018. He retired from the military in 2018 after 34 years of service. Carmakal is senior vice president and chief technology officer at cybersecurity company Mandiant. Prior to Mandiant, he served in various leadership roles with PricewaterhouseCoopers in the United States and Australia.
• ReposiTrak, a Salt Lake City-based company offering risk and compliance software for retailers, suppliers and wholesalers, has hired Paul Damaren for its executive team. Damaren has 35 years of experience in the hospitality, service and retail agri-food sectors. He has worked with thousands of companies globally for their food safety, supply chain, health and wellness, brand protection, quality, environmental, health and safety, GMP/GDP, automotive, aerospace, medical and information technology requirements. Before working in the certification industry, Damaren was a professional chef and consultant for more than 20 years, working in hotel chains, restaurants, private golf courses and food service organizations such as Aramark.