Silicon Slopes has announced the three newest inductees into the Silicon Slopes Hall of Fame: Jeanette Bennett, John Pestana and Jonathan Johnson.
The three “have had a tremendous positive influence on Utah’s business community and beyond,” it said. They will be honored at the Silicon Slopes Hall of Fame & Awards Gala, set for Feb. 4 at the Grand America Hotel in Salt Lake City.
Bennett has been telling the stories of Utah and Silicon Slopes since she founded Utah Valley Magazine in 2000 and BusinessQ Magazine in 2003. CEO of Bennett Communications, she leads a team that produces more than 25 magazines annually, including Parade of Homes, Prosper Magazine and Utah Valley Bride.
Bennett earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in journalism from Brigham Young University and was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Business from Utah Valley University. She was named the Top Woman Entrepreneur in Media in 2018 at a luncheon in New York City, alongside Martha Stewart.
Bennett’s community involvement spans two decades and includes being on the Board of Trustees at UVU, as well as four years as chair of Utah Philanthropy Day.
She was named the Outstanding Business Leader in Utah Valley, Small Business of the Year, and she is currently chair-elect of United Way of Utah County. She has served on boards for the Chamber of Commerce, Thanksgiving Point, UVU Foundation, Roots of Humanity, and the Cook Center for Human Connection.
Bennett also hosts her own events each year, including the UV50, where she names the top 50 businesses in Utah County, as well as awarding a Lifetime Achievement Award to notables including Gail Miller, Fraser Bullock, Warren Osborn, Josh James, Andrew Smith and Blake Roney.
Bennett has presented twice at the Commission on the Status of Women at the United Nations in New York City and has continued to be active in promoting family, entrepreneurism, faith and education. She is a cancer survivor, former state senate candidate, mother and perpetual cheerleader for the state of Utah.
Pestana has been an entrepreneur and innovator in the Internet and software-as-a-service industries for decades. He co-founded software provider Omniture, which went public in 2006 and sold to Adobe in 2009 for $1.8 billion.
Pestana in 2010 co-founded ObservePoint, where he is currently the CEO.
His honors include Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year and the Entrepreneur of the Decade by the BYU Marriott School Center for Entrepreneurship & Technology.
Pestana continues to support local technology education and software startups by investing in many companies throughout Utah Valley, serving on the board of Domo Inc., and also mentoring local student entrepreneurs.
In addition to his business accomplishments, he serves as chairman of the board for the Libertas Institute, with a focus on helping pass legislation aimed at improving freedom for the citizens of Utah and helping create opportunities for small and growing businesses, as well as providing support for budding entrepreneurs with the Children’s Entrepreneur Market.
Johnson is the CEO of Overstock, an online furniture and home furnishings retailer and technology-focused innovator. He is a member of Overstock’s board of directors and helped oversee the company’s growth from a startup to a publicly traded company with over $2.5 billion in sales and nearly 1,200 employees. Overstock is now the fourth-largest U.S. online home furnishings brand and was recognized as a top employer and one of the best-led companies of 2021.
From 2016-21, Johnson served as president of Medici Ventures, a former Overstock subsidiary that invested in blockchain technology and fintech businesses, including tZERO, Bitt, Medici Land Governance, GrainChain, PeerNova and Voatz. He also spent hours educating the public and policymakers around the world about the potential of blockchain. In early 2021, Medici’s assets were transferred to a venture fund overseen by Pelion Venture Partners.
As an industry thought leader and resource, Johnson has been in the news media, including CNBC, Cheddar TV, Bloomberg, Fox Business and other outlets.