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ARTS/ENTERTAINMENT
• The Governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity (Go Utah) board, at its August meeting, approved incentives for three film productions in Utah. Gonzo Girl Productions Inc. was approved for a tax credit of up to $250,000 for the feature drama “Gonzo Girl.” It is expected to spend $3 million in Utah and employ 17 cast, 63 crew and 100 extras. Principal photography took place July 18-Aug. 15 in Summit and Salt Lake counties. The film stars Sean Penn and Willem Defoe and tells the story of an ambitious, young writer who takes a job as an assistant to literary icon Hunter S. Thompson and helps him finish his long-awaited novel. The director is Patricia Arquette. Producers are Frank Hall Green and Tom Heller. 5002 Inc. was approved for an incentive of up to $250,000 for “Wardriver,” a feature thriller. It is expected to spend $4.8 million in the state and employ 20 cast, 67 crew, 300 extras. Principal photography is set for Oct. 1-Nov. 1 in Salt Lake County. The story focuses on a tech-savvy person who commits robberies from his laptop. “Wardriver” stars Sophie Turner (“Game of Thrones”). The director is Daniel Casey. The producers are David Wulf and Allan Mandelbaum. The Ali’l King LLC was approved for a rebate of up to $22,448 for its production of the family short “The Ali’l King.” It is expected to spend $112,241 in the state and employ 14 cast and 30 crew. Principal photography is scheduled for Aug. 25-28 in Salt Lake and Utah counties. The film tells the story of a 10-year-old girl who discovers that the road to "the happiest place on Earth” comes with painful realizations. The director is Christine Kunewa Walker. The producer is Hannah Walker.
E-COMMERCE
• Jane, Lehi, is transforming from a deals platform to a boutique marketplace, and has hired Laura Ravo as chief operating officer and Krista Kochivar as chief financial officer. Ravo has nearly 30 years of retail and operations experience, most recently serving as COO of Strand Bookstore. Previously, she also held the positions of vice president and head of retail at The Body Shops and vice president and head of store operations at Oakley, and also worked for Macy’s, L Brands and LensCrafters. Kochivar joined Jane.com as CFO in August with over 20 years of public company accounting, finance and M&A experience. Most recently, she served as the CFO of Global Traffic Technologies. Before that, she held investor relations roles and led corporate finance and M&A teams at Fortive, Weyerhaeuser and PricewaterhouseCoopers.
ECONOMIC INDICATORS
• Salt Lake City is ranked No. 80 on a list of “2022’s Best Cities for Thrifting,” compiled by Lawn Love. It looked at the 200 biggest U.S. cities, considering the number of thrift stores, consignment shops, flea markets, Goodwill boutiques, outlets and other specialty thrift shops. It also considered Google search interest in thrifting-related keywords over the past year. The top-ranked city is New York City. The No. 200 city is Spring Valley, Nevada. Details are at https://lawnlove.com/blog/best-cities-for-thrifting/.
• Morgan County leads Utah counties as the most generous, according to a study by SmartAsset. It measured how much money people in each county donate as a percentage of their net income, as well as the proportion of people in those counties who make charitable donations. Morgan County was followed, in order, by Utah, Wasatch, Davis, Summit, Washington, Cache, Salt Lake, Rich and Juab counties. Details are at https://smartasset.com/retirement/financial-advisor#Utah/mostGenerousPlaces-2.
• Salt Lake City is ranked No. 93 on a list of “2022’s Best Cities to Own a Vacation Rental,” compiled by LawnStarter. It compared nearly 190 of the biggest U.S. cities based on revenue potential, initial investment costs and average expenses. It also factored in entertainment options for guests, public safety and climate. The top-ranked city is Miami. The No. 189 city is Fremont, California. Details are at https://www.lawnstarter.com/blog/studies/best-cities-to-own-vacation-home/.
• Utahns’ interest in remote jobs increased 27.5 percent from before COVID and after COVID, according to a study by business software website TodayTesting. It worked with a data science consulting firm to analyze and compare changes in interest in remote work across all 50 states and many major metropolitan areas across the U.S., looking at Google search trends and publicly available data. The “2022’s States & Cities Most Interested in Remote Work” study showed the largest increase in interest was in North Carolina, at 51.6 percent. The smallest was in Montana, at 22.6 percent. Details are at https://todaytesting.com/remote-work-map/.
• Utah workers reached peak burnout 173 days into the year, or June 22, according to a study by biotechnical products distribution company MyBioSource.com. Using a survey, its “burnout barometer” study identified the exact date in which each state’s employees experience burnout. The national average is 191 days into the year. The smallest amount was in Vermont, at 127 days. The largest was in Rhode Island, 260. Details are at https://www.mybiosource.com/learn/burnout-barometer/.
HEALTHCARE
• Health Catalyst Inc., a Salt Lake City-based provider of data and analytics technology and services to healthcare organizations, has hired Dr. Melissa Welch as chief medical officer and Dr. Edward Sheen as chief population health officer and senior vice president. The company said Welch will be the physician voice supporting new and current client growth, driving data-informed healthcare improvements across all areas of the business. Welch is a primary care trained internist with a background in public health epidemiology and more than 20 years of experience in the private sector. She founded Perspectives of Differences Diversity Training and Consultation for Health Professionals and will bring her experience as a diversity and cultural competence trainer to the position as well. Sheen will lead all value-based care initiatives and help Health Catalyst clients to advance their population health management journeys. As a practicing physician, educator and medical school professor with a background in public policy, business and public health, Sheen has worked with healthcare systems and payers in 25 states. He has held leadership roles across private, government, nonprofit and academic organizations to improve healthcare systems for patients and providers.
• Intermountain Healthcare has named Craig Richardville as chief digital and information officer and senior vice president, following the recent merger announcement of Intermountain Healthcare with SLC Health. His responsibilities include leading all aspects of the health system’s information technology strategy and operations, including enterprise systems and applications, information security, core infrastructure and leading the system’s digital transformation and information automation. Richardville previously was senior vice president and chief information and digital officer for SLC Health since February 2019. Prior to that, he was owner and president of Richardville Consulting LLC and senior vice president and chief information and analytics officer at Carolinas HealthCare System (Atrium Health) for more than 20 years.
• Nomi Health, an Orem-based direct healthcare company, has expanded its COVID vaccine services with the addition of the Novavax vaccine, now available at the West Valley Nomi Health location at 5405 W. 3100 S. In addition to Novavax, the location distributes Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines. All vaccines distributed by Nomi Health are free; insurance information is not required but will be requested upon service.
INVESTMENTS
• Bridge Investment Group Holdings Inc., a Sandy-based real estate investment manager, has launched its newest strategy, Bridge Ventures, and hired Jeremy Ford as chief investment officer of Bridge Ventures. The strategy will focus on both early- and later-stage proptech companies and expects to pursue investments in industry-leading proptech funds. Ford joins Bridge Investment Group from REEF Technology, where he was head of property strategy. Before that, he held roles at BLG Capital Limited and The Carlyle Group.
• Elan Growth Partners LLC, Park City, has closed its sale of Custom Power LLC, based in California, to Solid State PLC, an electronics distributor and OEM supplying commercial, industrial and military markets with electronic components and assemblies. Financial terms were not disclosed. Mel Weis, CEO of Custom Power, will lead Custom Power under its new ownership. Elan’s investment in Custom Power was supported by California-based CVF Capital Partners, an equity co-investment partner and subordinated debt provider. Custom Power designs and develops battery systems. Solid State, through its five principal trading companies in the United Kingdom, specializes in industrial and ruggedized computing, displays, battery power solutions, communications, imaging technologies, and electrical and electronic components.
MANUFACTURING
• Qnergy Inc., an Ogden-based methane abatement solutions provider and manufacturer of electric power generators, has appointed Michael Taylor as chief operating officer. Taylor most recently worked as director of global logistics at Skullcandy and was managing partner of Valenta. Prior to that, he was regional director of operations at Amazon and U.S. operations general manager for FMC Technologies’ Surface Integrated Services business unit.
MEDIA
• BYUradio, Provo, has named Sam Payne as director of audio content and general manager. Payne is host of the “Apple Seed” storytelling show. Payne succeeds former general manager Don Shelline, who retired in December. His hire coincides with BYUradio’s shift to a "podcast first" network, and Payne’s central focus will be developing content for on-demand audiences across the country. Payne has hosted “The Apple Seed” since 2019 and serves as the Weber State University storytelling fellow. He is also a Peabody nominee for his work on BYUradio’s “Treasure Island 2020” and has authored numerous periodical publications, books and stage pieces.
OUTDOOR RECREATION
• Snowbird has appointed Jerad Giottonini as communications manager. He will oversee Snowbird’s internal and external communications, media/public relations, social media and more. For the past six years, Giottonini has worked across the U.S. as an on-air television news reporter. Most recently, he spent the past 2 1/2 years as the morning reporter for the ABC affiliate in Salt Lake City.
NONPROFITS
• VELA Education Fund, a nonprofit, has launched a $750,000 fund in partnership with the Daniels Fund to provide support for education entrepreneurs in Utah, Colorado, New Mexico and Wyoming. It is designed to reach everyday education entrepreneurs, including students, parents, teachers, and community leaders, who are envisioning new approaches and meeting the unique needs of learners and families. Micro-grant applications for funding up to $10,000 are available for programs based in any of these four states where the Daniels Fund prioritizes its grantmaking. The awards are intended to support nontraditional educational opportunities, such as homeschool co-ops, microschools and more. VELA has awarded more than 1,600 grants nationwide since launching publicly in August 2020. The grants total more than $16.5 million and support entrepreneurs in all 50 states and three U.S. territories. Details are at velaedfund.org/apply.
PHILANTHROPY
• Smart Rain, an Centerville-based company focused on water conservation through equipment and technology, has announced it is donating $213 million in irrigation equipment nationwide to help school districts save money on irrigation. The new program is called “Smart Rain for Smart Kids” and it launched at the Ogden School District in July. Each campus receiving a donation will save up to $7,500 annually in water costs, the company said.
• Ken Garff employees recently helped more than 500 refugee families get help at a back-to-school resource night at Granite Park Junior High School in South Salt Lake. It was the first time for the event in two years because of pandemic restrictions. Volunteer organizations helped parents, families and others with backpacks of school supplies for all the students. All items were donated by the community.
• Richard Lackey, the founder of Global Food Exchange and the World Food Bank, is providing assistance to the hardest-hit regions in the wake of the flooding in Kentucky. Godfrey Trucking offered to ship 80,000 food supplies from the WFB food storage facility in Spanish Fork to Whitesburg, Kentucky, as a show of support. Send Relief, a partner of WFB, will use the supplies once they get to Kentucky to make nourishing meals. They use 20- and 40-foot mobile kitchens to make food in parking lots and churches before bringing it to remote locations. The Global Food Exchange and World Food Bank are working to combat global food insecurity. Their dried food products are kept in stock at strategic locations around the globe and can be purchased when and where food is required.
PARTNERSHIPS
• PassiveLogic, a Salt Lake City-based company focused on generalized autonomy and machine learning research for high-performance, industrial-grade applications, and Pacific Northwest National Laboratories have announced a partnership that aims to advance innovative research that enables building autonomy and energy efficiency. Funded by the U.S. Department of Energy to support its mandate to improve the energy efficiency of 4 million buildings by 2030, the 24-month research collaboration will focus on Superlearners, a foundational machine learning technology that enables autonomy for all building applications.
REAL ESTATE
• The Flagship Cos., Woodbury Corp. and Vineyard’s Regional Development Board have announced plans for Vineyard Station, an 800-acre master-planned mixed-use, walkable community in downtown Vineyard around the new FrontRunner station. Work on Vineyard Station will begin this fall. The FrontRunner station is the 15th station on FrontRunner’s 83-mile service between Ogden and Provo. Vineyard FrontRunner Station is designed by Jeff Speck and DPZ.
• Bureau Real Estate has opened its doors with an office in Salt Lake City. Founded by Shane Herbert, CEO of Bureau Real Estate’s parent company, Bureau One, and Mat Stouffer, Bureau One chief operating officer, Bureau Real Estate focuses on broker-managed customer care. Herbert and Stouffer selected Leanne Burk Parry to serve as president of Bureau Real Estate. Parry has 20 years of experience, most recently working at Sotheby’s International.
RECOGNITIONS
• Podium, based in Lehi, is ranked No. 42 and Lucid, based in South Jordan, is No. 58 on the Forbes 2022 Cloud 100, a list of the top 100 private cloud companies in the world. It is published by Forbes in partnership with Bessemer Venture Partners and Salesforce Ventures. Podium also was on the list in 2018, 2020 and 2021. This is the third consecutive year for Lucid to make the list.
• England Logistics, a Salt Lake City-based freight brokerage firm, has been named to Selling Power’s 22nd annual “50 Best Companies to Sell For” list. Companies were evaluated in company overview, compensation and benefits, hiring, sales training and enablement, and diversity and inclusion.
• The Institute of Real Estate Management has named Colby Banner to its “30 Under 30” list, which recognizes the next generation of real estate management leaders. Banner is asset manager at NAI Excel in St. George. His background also includes public accounting. His education includes studying marketing at Snow College, where he graduated with associate’s degree in arts, and graduating from the Huntsman School of Business at Utah State University with a bachelor of accounting degree.
TECHNOLOGY
• Entrata, a Lehi-based company offering an operating system for multifamily communities, has hired Laura Butler as chief people officer. Butler’s experience includes building human resources and diversity, equity and inclusion programs. She most recently was chief human resources officer at Talkdesk and chief people officer at Adobe Workfront. She also has held senior positions including chief diversity officer for PG&E.
• HitPiece, a Provo-based company offering software that enables rights holders to sell and mint music artist NFTs, has launched its platform out of beta and announced a partnership with Audible Magic, which focuses on identifying music rights that enable music use by social media platforms, NFT marketplaces, metaverses and gaming applications. HitPiece said the new integration with Audible Magic marks the first-of-its-kind music NFT and Web 3.0 partnership incorporating automated identification services to determine ownership and related rights. HitPiece will use Audible Magic’s identification technology to help verify ownership of new music prior to minting of an NFT, thus ensuring only legitimate content is distributed.
TRANSPORTATION
• GreenBike, a nonprofit bicycle-sharing system, is expanding and adding stations and bikes to Ogden. It is working on adding six stations and 60 bicycles for the residents and visitors of Ogden in August. The Ogden expansion is GreenBike’s first outside of Salt Lake City.