Founder Influence.VC City Draper
Bubba is an angel — angel investor, that is — with the startup experience to back his syndicate ventures. His career started as a student entrepreneur, and led to business highs and lows while building LaunchLeads in 2009 (which he sold in 2020) and Outro in 2014. He joined his wife, Jordan Page, to help grow ThePageCompany.com, an influencer-driven business, until 2023 when he felt compelled to work on his current venture, Influence.VC, where this Inc. 5000 entrepreneur combines his previous experience of growing and scaling companies with angel investing.
GAINING SPEED + CATCHING AIR
My career gained speed because of networking and continual learning. I have focused on networking and building relationships since the beginning of my career, and it has created a powerful relationship-based network of support, mentorship and growth.
FIRST SNOWFALL MAGIC
I was invited to be a mentor at a Google startup weekend event in 2014. I went hoping I could network and help entrepreneurs. In the end, they said anyone present could pitch an idea. I thought, “What the heck.” I pitched QuotaDeck, which became my venture-backed startup Outro. From that pitch, we went on to win the whole event and compete at a national level with Google startup weekenders from all over the country. It led me to get accepted as the very first Utah company to ever enter the Techstars Boulder Accelerator program, and to raise venture capital and introduce me into the world which I now love and live in with Influence.VC. All of it happened like magic.
SUMMITS
Some of my highlights include mentoring college student entrepreneurs through BYU Founders group and Entrepreneurs Association. I was in Utah 40 Under 40. MountainWest Capital Network Top 100 (multiple years). (Plus so many more!) LaunchLeads was awarded Inc. 5000 across three different years and ThePageCompany.com reached Inc. 500 and Inc. 5000 in two different years while I was there. In 2009, I received the Emerging Executive of the Year award from Utah Technology Council.
CRASH + BURN
One of the hardest moments of my career was having to shut down Outro. Having put our blood, sweat and tears into that business for almost three years, it took a huge toll on me. You definitely learn more from failures than you do successes. It’s a big reason I got involved with investing as an angel — to be there and help other entrepreneurs navigate tough challenges … and even if they fail, to make sure they feel loved and supported.
THAT’S COOL
At Influence.VC, we are includers: We want all to be invited, to be involved, to be a part of it. We collaborate, co-invest and partner with others to create the optimal result for the company and syndicate investors.
HATS OFF
I’m a lucky husband and a father to our eight kids ages 3-13. I’m on the board of Junior Achievement, I mentor student entrepreneurs all over Utah, and I’m a speaker and podcast guest on topics like entrepreneurship. I coach some of my kids’ sports teams, and I manage our lodge’s Instagram @aspenhilllodgeco (which is for sale).
NOT-SO-CHILL HABITS
CrossFit! I love mountain biking, snowboarding and volleyball. Audiobooks all the way — either business, self-help or religious. I love networking events.
COOL DOWN
Play the guitar. Sleep. Get a massage. Hug my wife. Kitchen dance parties with the kids.
GEAR UP
Snowboard and puffy coat.
LET’S GO
My ideal getaway is our cabin, Aspen Hill Lodge in Huntsville. Seventy-five acres of snowmobile magic. Zip lines, hot chocolate, fireplaces, good food, friends and family make it magical.
LEARNING CHILLS
“How Will You Measure Your Life?” by Clayton Christensen. “The Beautiful Outlaw” by John Eldredge.
MEET THE COOL KIDS
Silicon Slopes Summit. I got to meet Tony Robbins backstage this year — he is someone I look up to and respect.