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ASSOCIATIONS
• The U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Small Business Council has appointed Natalie Kaddas as its new chair. Kaddas is CEO of Kaddas Enterprises, a Salt Lake City-based thermoplastic manufacturing business serving energy, transportation and aerospace customers. Kaddas will help in creating strategies on legislative, regulatory and international initiatives to support small businesses around the country.
• Nu Skin, a Provo-based company offering personal care, nutrition and anti-aging products, has joined the EcoBeautyScore Consortium, a group developing an industrywide environmental impact assessment and scoring system for cosmetics products. Nu Skin joins more than 40 other cosmetics brands in the consortium.
BANKING
• TAB Bank, Ogden, has hired Bill Bahls as vice president and business development officer for the northeastern U.S. He will operate from Philadelphia and will be responsible for sourcing new business opportunities throughout the Northeast by providing asset-based and factoring working capital facilities to commercial businesses with annual revenues ranging from $2 million to $150 million. Bahls started his career in the equipment leasing industry and moved into the asset-based lending/factoring arena for small to mid-size businesses. Prior to joining TAB Bank, he held positions with Presidential Financial, Keltic Financial and Sterling National Bank.
CONSTRUCTION
• Big-D Construction’s Salt Lake office has added a multifamily division within its region. It will be led by project directors Richard Sones and Alma Marcum and will consist of about 30 people, including the company’s existing pre-construction team. Sones, a former developer with a construction background, built large multifamily projects where he managed the construction and design and worked with multiple cities for entitlement and permitting. Marcum has been instrumental in helping Big-D construction and preconstruction teams develop the skills and understanding required to successfully build in the multifamily world.
• Beecher Walker Architects, Holladay, has named four new partners at the firm: Anthony Lyman, Gary Gowers, Ryan Griffiths and Jill Howells Blayden. Lyman is a partner in architectural management. He has 22 years of industry experience, 21 of which have been with Beecher Walker, with experience in commercial office, multi-family, hospitality and retail projects. He earned a bachelor’s and master’s in architecture from University of Utah. Gowers, a partner in architectural management, has 29 years of industry experience and has been with Beecher Walker for 22 of those years. He is experience in commercial office, entertainment and industrial projects. He is a graduate of University of Utah with a bachelor of science in architecture. Griffiths, a partner in architectural management, has over 21 years of industry experience, 18 of which have been with Beecher Walker. His expertise is design and project management in assisted living/senior housing, hospitality and multifamily. He earned a BFA from Brigham Young University. Blayden, a partner in operations and human resource director, is responsible for day-to-day operations, management and human resources for the company. She has 25 years of experience in business management and human services, 17 years of which with Beecher Walker.
• HNTB, a Salt Lake City-based infrastructure solutions firm, has hired Kristi Shinall as an engineering project manager in Salt Lake City. An expert in program management, Shinall has more than two decades of experience and has worked with clients throughout Utah, including Utah Transit Authority. Prior to joining HNTB, she spent over 15 years combined with two leading engineering professional services firms, serving in a variety of engineering roles as a civil engineer, managing programs, implementing and coordinating projects, and handling technical design. Most recently, Shinall served as a program manager with a civil engineering company. Shinall’s education includes a bachelor of science in civil and environmental engineering from the University of Utah.
CONTESTS
• Applications are being accepted until June 30 for the MountainWest Capital Network 100 Awards. It has two award categories: Utah 100 Awards and the Emerging Elite Awards. The Utah 100 Awards are based on revenue growth from 2017 through 2021. Emerging Elite Awards are Utah businesses with great prospects for future growth and success, but which did not otherwise qualify for consideration in the Utah 100 fastest-growing-company category. Details are at https://www.mwcn.org/mwcn-100-awards/.
CORPORATE
• PolarityTE Inc., a Salt Lake City biotechnology company developing regenerative tissue products and biomaterials, recently effectuated a 1-for-25 reverse stock split of the company’s issued and outstanding common stock. Each 25 shares of issued and outstanding common stock and equivalents were converted into one share of common stock, and the common stock began trading on the Nasdaq Capital Market on a reverse-split basis beginning May 17. The reverse split reduced the number of shares of common stock outstanding on May 16 from approximately 100 million shares to approximately 4 million shares.
ECONOMIC INDICATORS
• Salt Lake City is ranked No. 36 on a global list of “Cities with the Best Work-Life Balance” in 2022, compiled by Kisi, a cloud-based access control system providing mobile-first security solutions. It used data to identify the best cities for work-life balance based on work intensity, society and institutions, and city livability. The study considered over 130 data points covering a range of indicators to highlight the most and least overworked cities around the world. Salt Lake City was ranked No. 24 in 2021. The top-ranked city is Oslo, Norway. Details are at https://www.getkisi.com/work-life-balance-2022.
• Salt Lake City is ranked No. 7 on a list of “Best U.S. Cities to Boost Your Credit Score,” compiled by Upgraded Points. It judged the 60 largest U.S. cities on a 50-point scale against eight credit-friendly ranking factors. Salt Lake City has the lowest cost of living index of the top 10 cities, it said. The top-ranked city is Boston. The bottom-ranked city is Houston. Details are at https://upgradedpoints.com/finance/best-cities-to-boost-credit-score/.
• Utah is ranked No. 9 on a list of “2022’s Best States for Teachers,” compiled by Scholaroo. Utah leads the nation in two work benefits categories: Social Security participation and portable retirement plan. Utah was No. 4 for both vesting period and retirement ratings, No. 9 for teacher tenure, No. 18 for teacher pension qualifications, No. 26 for teacher retirement contribution, and No. 46 for both average pension payment and employer retirement contribution. The top-ranked state overall is Washington. The bottom-ranked state is Arizona. Details are at https://scholaroo.com/best-states-for-teachers/.
• Utah County leads all Utah counties where residents are experiencing the most investment in their local economy, a ranking compiled by SmartAsset. It measured growth across three categories: gross domestic product, new businesses launched and new building permits. Utah County is followed, in order, by Washington, Tooele, Wasatch, Salt Lake, Kane, Cache, Juab, Morgan and Iron counties. Details are at https://smartasset.com/investing/investment-calculator#Utah/incomingInvestment-3.
• Sixty-four percent of Utahns who work from home have never met their colleagues in person, according to a survey by GreenBuildingElements.com. It surveyed people who started new jobs since the start of the COVID pandemic and are working predominantly from home. The highest figure was in Nebraska, at 89 percent. The lowest was in Kentucky and Montana, at 17 percent. Details are at https://greenbuildingelements.com/wfh-employee-survey/.
EDUCATION/TRAINING
• Twenty-nine students at the University of Utah completed the Lassonde+X program during the past year. Lassonde+X is a three-course program that allows any undergraduate student at the UofU to learn entrepreneurial skills and how to apply them to their majors and life goals. The program is offered by the Department of Entrepreneurship & Strategy, in partnership with the Lassonde Entrepreneur Institute, at the David Eccles School of Business.
• Utah Valley University, Orem, has appointed Christina Baum as vice president of digital transformation and chief information officer. She will be responsible for continuing and building the vision, strategy, policy, guidelines and oversight of the university’s digital transformation and its information technology. Baum most recently was serving as associate vice president of academic and student digital services at UVU. Prior to UVU, Baum served as the chief information officer for Ensign College (formerly known as LDS Business College). She also worked for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ IT department, information and communication services, and other technology and engineering companies. Baum’s education includes a bachelor’s degree from Brigham Young University.
• Fullstack Academy, a New York-based tech education provider, and Utah State University have launched a new product management bootcamp program designed to train professionals on the skills needed to fill the nearly 15,000 product management job postings in Utah in just 25 weeks. The USU Product Management Bootcamp caters to early career professionals, upskillers or those looking to pursue product management as a new career path. The program covers essential product management skills like user interface (UI)/user experience (UX), product design, marketing and more. The 25-week program consists of five courses: one 12-week essentials course and four three-week specialized courses, with one break week. The bootcamp begins in July. University enrollment is not required. Details are at https://techbootcamps.usu.edu/programs/product-management?utm_source=press&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=usu-pdm-launch.
• Craft Lake City has launched a youth artisan entrepreneur program in Salt Lake County. It is being offered this spring at two after-school sites. The Craft Lake City Youth Artisan Entrepreneur Program is made possible through funding provided by the Utah Afterschool Network and the Falbaum-Caillet Family Foundation. The program provides free, enriching after-school arts programming to elementary-aged youth, while preparing them to exhibit at Kid Row, the youth entrepreneur vendor section of the 14th Annual Craft Lake City DIY Festival, presented by Harmons, in August. For the inaugural year of the program, Craft Lake City is partnering with Promise South Salt Lake’s Hser Ner Moo Community Center and Backman Elementary School to provide a series of afterschool artisan and entrepreneurial workshops for 24 students. In addition to the art instruction, Craft Lake City staff will work with students on their entrepreneurial skills.
ENTERTAINMENT
• Angel Studios, a Provo-based company offering a streaming entertainment platform, recently announced more than $100 million in new original content at its “Illuminate ’22” live streaming event for investors. The company uses a crowdfunding model, in combination with funding from venture capital firms, to tell stories “that amplify light, providing a viable family-friendly alternative to Hollywood.” It plans to reach 1 billion viewers worldwide by 2025.
• Jump, a company offering simulations of BASE jumping, has opened a location at 14725 S. Porter Rockwell Blvd., Suite F, Bluffdale, its first location outside of Salt Lake City. The simulation includes a real wingsuit and a custom-built virtual reality helmet. The simulator is a blend of suspension and wind systems that enable people to experience the thrill of jumping off cliffs and skyscrapers without the danger.
HEALTHCARE
• Intermountain Healthcare has selected Tiffany Capeles as its first chief equity officer. She will lead Intermountain’s continuing efforts to expand health equity, diversity and inclusion for caregivers, patients, and communities it serves throughout its seven-state area. Capeles has a background in healthcare diversity, most recently serving as director of health equity, diversity and inclusion for Christus Health, an international health system based in Texas. Before joining Christus Health, she served in multiple roles at Children’s Health in Texas and at Adventist HealthCare in Maryland.
• Supplemental Health Care, a Salt Lake City-based healthcare staffing solutions provider, has hired Simon Curtis as chief digital officer. In the newly created position, Curtis will facilitate the ongoing evolution of SHC’s technology environment and will help the company continue to provide staffing solutions and service to the healthcare community. Simon’s experience includes staffing industry CIO roles at WP International and The Adecco Group, including CIO of the U.K. for Adecco and later the CIO role for The Adecco Group Americas.
• Upgrade Labs, a “human upgrade center,” has expanded by partnering with JD Hamilton, Niki Hamilton, Deb Hamilton, Thomas Jaeckel and Rachael Jaeckel to bring the concept to Salt Lake City. The brand helps members reach high levels of physical performance and restorative abilities. Rachael Jaeckel has a background in accounting in finance, while Thomas Jaeckel has sales and marketing expertise. Deb Hamilton has over two decades of franchise ownership experience after successfully operating a restoration service franchise. Upgrade Labs has a goal of awarding 100 licenses by the end of 2022.
INSURANCE
• PCF Insurance Services, a Lehi-based national consultant and insurance brokerage firm, has appointed Kirk Benson as vice president of operations benefits. He will be responsible for assisting PCF benefits partners in the development of growth objectives through platform expansion and resource coordination. Benson most recently served as vice president of corporate benefits, large group, for NFP (formerly FirstWest Benefit Solutions). Before that, Benson served as owner and vice president of operations for Entillect Strategies, a regional brokerage firm he co-founded, built and then sold to FirstWest in 2008.
INVESTMENTS
• Red Door Capital Partners LLC, a Salt Lake City-based independent private equity firm, has announced, with support from their network of high-net-worth individuals and family offices, an investment in the Series Seed Preferred Shares of Tourist Access LTD, doing business as accessibleGO. The amount was not disclosed. AccessibleGO is a travel platform for people with disabilities, offering bookings, reviews and community.
• TaxBit, a tax and accounting software provider, has announced that Katie Haun is a new investor. The amount was not disclosed. It is one of the first investments by Haun through her new venture capital fund, Haun Ventures. TaxBit has headquarters in Salt Lake City and Seattle.
LAW
• Dorsey & Whitney LLP has hired Matt Durham for its Labor & Employment practice as a partner in its Salt Lake City office. Durham defends employers in Utah and throughout the West in disputes involving employment discrimination, harassment, wrongful termination, wage and hour, drug testing, leave, noncompetition, workplace torts, benefits and labor/occupational safety issues. He also advises employers on developing and implementing personnel policies and complying with state and federal employment laws across a range of industries. Durham most recently was a partner and previous chair of the Labor & Employment Group with Stoel Rives.
NONPROFITS
• Visit Salt Lake, a private, nonprofit corporation promoting Salt Lake as a convention and travel destination, has named Tyler Gosnell as chief brand and marketing officer. He will help develop Salt Lake’s brand image and increase public perception through cohesive brand narratives and strategic marketing campaigns. Gosnell has led global brand and marketing programs for destination marketing organizations, including Visit California and San Francisco Travel and most recently was a member of the destination management and marketing team at the Royal Commission for AlUla in Saudi Arabia.
PARTNERSHIPS
• BD (Becton, Dickinson and Co.), a global medical technology company, has agreed to become the first to collaborate with Intermountain Healthcare on a new program that is designed to help create jobs in Salt Lake City by providing a living wage, retirement options, comprehensive health benefits and career development. As part of Intermountain’s “Impact Hire” program, BD has committed to recruitment efforts that target new hires from economically disadvantaged areas in the Salt Lake City area. BD has facilities in Sandy and Salt Lake City that employ a total of more than 1,500 people. BD in Sandy is the world’s largest producer of peripheral IV catheters, which are the medical devices that help deliver IV fluids and medications to patients. The Impact Hire program was developed by Intermountain Healthcare with support from the Healthcare Anchor Network, and through the program Intermountain has committed to working with their strategic suppliers to hire individuals from disadvantaged areas to create economic opportunity for all.
• PCF Insurance Services, a Lehi-based consultant and insurance brokerage firm, has completed a strategic partnership with Belter Insurance of Orland, California, supported by insurance mergers and acquisitions advisory firm Sica | Fletcher. PCF said the partnership will allow Belter Insurance to simplify its business functions with finance and accounting, human resources, information systems, carrier relations, communications and marketing, and growth operations. Belter is focused on custom insurance programs for boat dealers, marinas and recreational businesses across the U.S.
PHILANTHROPY
• Ken Garff Automotive Group, which operates 62 stores throughout Utah and eight other states, is partnering with Utah Refugee Connection to help refugees acclimate to their new lives in Utah. The company plans to support URC through essential service-based projects from Ken Garff employees throughout Utah every three months for the next two years. URC helps over 1,200 people monthly learn about refugees and provides over 40,000 hours of service to benefit local refugees annually, with 31,000 refugees being served by local donations.
RECOGNITIONS
• Clean Slate Utah has been named the recipient of the 2022 Emil Gumpert Award by the American College of Trial Lawyers. The award recognizes programs whose principal purpose is to maintain and improve the administration of justice. The nonprofit will receive a $100,000 grant to support its mission to help people clear their criminal records. Clean Slate Utah began its work in 2019. The grant will allow CSU to start its first official program to help eligible individuals expunge their records in Utah.
• Eleven Utah companies have been named to the Best Workplaces list, an annual list compiled by Inc. magazine. They are Awardco, Provo; BambooHR, Lindon; eFileCabinet, Lehi; Health Catalyst, South Jordan; Image Studios, Salt Lake City; Learn In, Bountiful; Motivosity, Lehi; MX, Lehi; Nav, Draper; Pura, Orem; and Searchbloom, Draper. It considered U.S. companies that have excelled in creating exceptional workplaces and company culture, whether operating in a physical or virtual facility. Inc. selected 475 honorees this year. Each company that was nominated took part in an employee survey, conducted by Quantum Workplace, which included topics such as management effectiveness, perks, fostering employee growth, and overall company culture. The organizations’ benefits were also audited to determine overall scores and rankings.
• BambooHR, a Lindon-based company offering cloud-hosted human resources software, has been named a 2022 HR Tech Awards winner in the “Best SMB-Focused Solution” category. The awards, are hosted by Lighthouse Research & Advisory.
RECREATION
• Ski Utah has announced that it will add fourth-grade students to the Ski Utah Passport starting with the 2022-23 season. For 24 years, it has helped fifth- and sixth-grade students get on snow at an affordable rate with the passport. Now, every fourth-, fifth- and sixth-grader will receive three lift tickets to all 15 Utah resorts for only $49.
RETAIL
• Jane.com, a Lehi-based curated boutique marketplace featuring the latest in fashion trends, accessories, home decor, children’s clothing and more, has hired David John Smith as chief technology officer. Smith joins Jane to help transform the business away from a three-day flash deal marketplace to an evergreen model where sellers can offer products indefinitely. Smith has nearly 20 years of leadership experience creating technology solutions and developing software engineering teams, most recently serving as CTO of Fashionphile. Prior to Fashionphile, Smith was vice president of technology at Nordstrom and led global teams at TechStyle Fashion Group.
• Awardco, a Provo-based employee recognition and rewards company, has hired John Richards as chief financial officer. Richards has 26 years of experience in finance, most recently spending nearly 11 years in leadership of Domo’s finance efforts. He previously led finance teams for Cisco and Google. Richards’ education includes earning a Master of Accountancy degree from Brigham Young University.
• Sportsman’s Warehouse Holdings, a West Jordan-based outdoor specialty retailer, has appointed Sruti Patnaik as chief information officer. She will be responsible for leading the company’s information technology efforts and further building out its omnichannel capabilities. Patnaik has more than 20 years of retail experience as a senior executive with Ross Stores Inc. Most recently, she was a senior vice president and IT executive over supply chain, stores, corporate applications and QA services. Prior to that, she was group vice president over store systems, corporate applications and PMO services. She also held positions as vice president over store systems, enterprise architecture and support. Patnaik is also the founder, president and board member of Twinkle Academy, a U.S. based nonprofit providing education for underserved children in remote villages of India, the Philippines and the U.S.
• Cotopaxi, a Salt Lake City-based outdoor gear brand, has named Marissa Magno as vice president of people and inclusion, a newly created position. She previously was at Anheuser-Busch, where she held multiple people management roles over six years. Her work there was in supporting over 1,200 employees in the craft business unit.
SALES
• Squeeze, a Salt Lake City-based sales experience provider, has appointed Patrick Murphy as chief financial officer, Murphy will oversee financial operations and analytics, improving profitability, and strategizing the company’s financial plan. Murphy has over 35 years of experience as an executive financial professional, most recently serving as a partner for B2B CFO. Prior to that, he was an advisor for Vistage Michigan, an executive leadership organization.
SERVICES
• 401GO, a Sandy-based company offering small businesses the opportunity to offer employees a 401(k) program, has named Saad Zariff as head of growth and appointed Ryan Avila as marketing manager. Zariff has over two decades of experience in financial services and fintech, most recently serving as vice president of North American operations at Wahed Invest. Avila has over 10 years of marketing experience, holding vice president and managerial positions across a variety of companies and industries.
• UBreakiFix by Asurion, a tech repair provider, has opened its newest franchise location at 101 N. 1200 E., Suite A-4, Lehi. The store offers repair services for smartphones, tablets, computers, game consoles, smart speaker, drones and more. UBreakiFix Lehi is owned by Scott and Stacey Wells, who also own three additional Utah stores in Provo, Sandy and South Jordan.
TECHNOLOGY
• Xevant, a Lehi-based provider of automated data analytics for pharmacy benefit organizations, has named Scott Sorensen as chief technology officer and Jeff Weber as chief people officer. Sorensen will oversee functions related to data, analytics, software development, security and compliance, and product management. He has extensive experience scaling technology organizations. His experience includes technology leadership roles at Cedar Health Payment Solutions; Human Longevity Inc.; and 16 years at Ancestry.com, where he served as chief technology officer. Weber has experience building positive organizational cultures that support high performance, transparency, learning and growth. Prior to Xevant, Weber was the executive vice president of people and places at Instructure. He also led the growth of the people function for Ancestry.com. Weber holds an MBA with an emphasis in organizational behavior from Brigham Young University.
• Clientbook, a Lehi-based company offering retail clienteling technology, has added Owen Fuller to its board of directors. Fuller is CEO of Lucidpress and has experience in entrepreneurship, marketing and corporate leadership. He previously was an executive at Lucid Software, Qzzr and Fit Marketing.