Category: 2023 Coolest Entrepreneurs

Founder + CEO RevRoad City Provo

Meet 2023’s International Businesswoman of the Year, Melissa Sevy. The World Trade Association of Utah rightfully honored her with this title due to her outstanding impact through Ethik. Nearly 15 years ago, Melissa was working in a small community in Uganda and her eyes were opened when she realized that many of the people she was teaching about disease prevention could not even afford hand soap. “People didn’t need our classes — they needed jobs,” Melissa says. Ethik started as a nonprofit to solve that problem and employ Ugandan women in jewelry-making. Since then, it has evolved into a business working with 3,000+ artisans in 20 countries to bring their beautiful handcrafted pieces to the global market through corporate gifting and other packages. With each product, Melissa and her artisans are flooding the world with #EthikalSwag.

FIRST SNOWFALL MAGIC
I was visiting our artisan partners in Uganda and we were giving the women artisans a ride home. Over the years I had spent time in many of their homes, which often consisted of dirt floors and little or no access to running water and electricity. When we pulled up to Cathy’s home, it was not the one I remembered her living in. I asked if she had moved. The women all began cheering and laughing, and when I asked why, they said “She now has a flushing toilet!” — a fact she was very proud of. Seeing our artisan partners have the dignity of providing better lives for their children has been one of the greatest joys of my career. 

SUMMITS
We track how many hours go into the making of all of our handcrafted items so we can ensure that our artisans receive a fair and livable wage. We have just closed some deals that will put us on track to have provided 1 million fair-pay work hours by the end of this year to our 3,000 artisan partners around the world since our inception!

CRASH + BURN
Our first year in business (2020), we generated $1 million in revenue. We were running so fast that, probably typical to a startup, our accounting was lagging. We were stoked about our growth until we did our end-of-year accounting and realized we were actually in the hole due to Covid-related factors that sky-rocketed our projected expenses in global shipping logistics and increased labor costs with lock downs. We were still so grateful to have survived the wild factors on every side that year!

PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT
Skills I’ve gained along the way:
First, the ability to rely on team members to run with things without my involvement in every detail. Second, learning to trust my own intuition, which at times may be different from what advisors or conventional wisdom may be saying. 

THAT’S COOL!
Our U.S. team is 100 percent women, half of whom are working moms. This correlates with the artisans we work with around the world: The majority of these hand-crafters are women working to break generational cycles of poverty for their families. 

HATS OFF
I am mom to the coolest almost-2-year-old daughter and am looking forward to meeting my little dude due on Leap Day 2024.Birthing and growing babies and a business at the same time is no joke, but I feel so lucky to have such a team-player of a husband who makes it all possible. 

NOT-SO-CHILL HABITS
Starting earlier this year I began getting up around 5 a.m. to get a solid two to three hours before my kid wakes up. I sip my herbal tea, do some religious reading and then tackle some of the more complex business problems on my list. This has proven to be the most focused, productive time of my day. I now really relish those dark, quiet hours.

GIVES ME CHILLS
I’m a sucker for the podcast “How I Built This” with Guy Raz. Favorite business book is “The Hard Things About Hard Things” by Ben Horowitz.

STAY COOL
Ice climbing is my favorite winter activity! It is one of the most magical sensations to climb into ice cracks that are only accessed this way, and typically alone (with someone belaying below) which makes it feel a little sacred. We’ve got world-class natural ice right in our own backyard at Bridal Veil Falls. 

COOL ADVICE
Just remember that this is a marathon, not a sprint, and even if you miss out on a short term opportunity, focusing on building systems and people will lead to stable long-term growth. 

Founder + CEO RevRoad City Provo

As Derrin Hill’s friend Tony Allen says, “If you want to start a revolution, start a company.” Welcome to the RevRoad revolution. Derrin and the other RevRoad masterminds all experienced the joys and the traumatic experiences that accompany starting a business. They quickly realized that the entrepreneurial ecosystem could and should be better. With a dismal statistic stating that nine out of 10 funded companies fail within seven years, Derrin says, “We look at that and see a problem to be solved, not a law of nature.” As Derrin and his team began research across the county, they concluded that companies weren’t failing because they were running out of money. “They were failing because they didn’t have the right network, resources or know-how at the right time,” Derrin says. RevRoad slid on a jersey and jumped into the game. RevRoad is a sweat equity partner set on aligning with the entrepreneurs’ journeys and providing them with winning tools and teammates. It’s not a two-month boot camp, but a two-year opportunity to work “shoulder-to-shoulder with business experts.” At RevRoad, the startup failure statistic is inverted: With 80 companies they’ve brought on between RevRoad Venture Group and RevRoad Capital since 2017, only 15 companies have failed. RevRoad is changing the game. 

FIRST SNOWFALL MAGIC
About 18 months into our business, our greatest source of applicants became referrals, and it has been that way ever since.

SUMMITS
Something we’re proud of is that we train our teams explicitly on identifying bias, and more than 40 percent of our companies are led by women and minorities — and we do that without any affirmative action. It’s all based on merit. We have this massive outreach that Amy Caldwell leads. We have proactive relationships with the Black Chamber of Commerce, Latinas in Tech, and over a dozen women entrepreneur and business groups. Our focus is purposeful outreach that involves people who aren’t usually invited to participate at the table.

CRASH + BURN
Probably one of the biggest face plants in my career came in a previous company with five co-founders called Imagine Learning. I’m pretty sure none of us had started a company before, and we were terrible partners with each other at the start. We would get into arguments over things we never should have gotten into arguments over. As a group, we got to that point where we saw each other’s brilliance and respected each other, but I wish I had been able to do that faster. I’m confident that at the end of all of our careers and lives, the things that will matter are people and the relationships we build with each other.

THAT’S COOL!
For most of the last century, people focused on IQ. I think toward the beginning of this century, people have focused a lot more on EQ, emotional quotient. As we elevate to the next level, it becomes LQ — love quotient. Do we genuinely love our colleagues, employees, board, investors, customers and even our competitors? We have found that if we can get people who genuinely have that level of care, all the important things work out. At RevRoad, we’ve built this community of people full of LQ — from our investors to our entrepreneurs — who genuinely want to care about each other.

PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT
A skill I’ve gained along the way is for sure LQ. I was a highly competitive salesperson, driving for the win every time. I remember sitting in church one weekend and listening to someone talk about what it means to love your neighbor and your enemy. The next conference I went to, I invited my biggest competitor to lunch. We ended up doing projects together and became close personal friends. He ended up accepting a job to join my team as a sales rep (beforehand, he was working as the senior VP of sales for a large company and only saw his family on the weekends). I couldn’t give him the same job title, but I could give him something that he really wanted, which was more time with his family. 
About six months later, they found a brain tumor right behind his ear. He ended up living six more months, so he got about an extra year with his family. We had a lot of talks before he died about how grateful we were that we both decided to love our enemy.

NOT-SO-CHILL HABITS
I watch the morning sunrise while counting three blessings every day.

GIVES ME CHILLS
“Multipliers” by Liz Wiseman.

COOL ADVICE
Grant sincerity to everyone involved. Everyone is genuinely doing their best. Take the time to see the world through each other’s lens.

CEO + Co-founder SOLS Shoes City American Fork

It all started with an entrepreneurship class in college, and Liz Reyes never looked back. After graduation, she started a small marketing firm with a friend, then worked in software sales. SaaS led to SOLS Shoes in 2017, which started as a side project. Liz’s intention with SOLS was to help the artisan families she knew, and after two years of pursuing the side project, she slipped on the shoes full time. As a first-generation immigrant born in Mexico, Liz has a passion for supporting each of the more than 65 artisans who handcraft these huaraches with tradition and technique. “Sol” means “sun” in Spanish. With each pair of SOLS, Liz says, “We want our brand to portray that warm feeling when the sun hits your skin.” Liz’s brand has purpose, from the soles to the souls. 

GAINING SPEED + CATCHING AIR
We first started selling to friends and family and started an Instagram account. Then, we started to partner with influencers, and our own customers asked if they could hand out business cards for us! It definitely took some time for us to grow; it was not a quick ascension.

FIRST SNOWFALL MAGIC
Getting our first warehouse felt like magic. We operated out of my sister’s house for the first year. Her whole kitchen and dining room were full of bins of shoes for months! Then, we moved into our own first space, and it felt like the first time you go to college and get your first apartment as a “grown up.”

SUMMITS
What I’m most proud of is the amount of families and shoe craftsmen and artisans we have been able to hire. We started with one family of six, and we now employ over 65 artisans. 

CRASH + BURN
We are currently in the middle of a big face plant moment. I recently got a part-time place in Boston to hang out during spring and summer, and some of our warehouse team announced they were moving out-of-state. So we decided to go with a 3PL to make things easier while I was gone during the summer. Unfortunately, the 3PL doesn’t know our product like we do, and we were so busy that we failed to communicate some key operational moments with them. Ultimately, we decided to take our fulfillment back to our own warehouse this month and are literally moving inventory the week of Black Friday and Cyber Monday. My poor team is exhausted, but everyone is so supportive and a team player!

PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT
Networking is a skill I’ve learned that didn’t come naturally at first. Since going into business, I have been lucky enough to find amazing mentors and other women who will take me to networking events and talk about me when it’s needed. Now, I know that once I get myself to an event, I will thrive and love it! 

THAT’S COOL!
I asked my right-hand marketing girl what she thinks is the coolest part of our company and her answer was, “The fact that you’re able to intertwine your passion for supporting women, your love for shoes and your own culture into one business is incredible. And not only that, but you’re doing it sustainably. And as a woman. And as a first-gen.” 

HATS OFF
Friend, auntie, adventure buddy and class clown for sure! I think I’m funnier than I really am.

NOT-SO-CHILL HABITS
Working out! I can physically feel myself getting more irritable at work or not being able to think clearly when I haven’t worked out. I also love turning on an audiobook as I cook dinner at night.

COOL DOWN
I love a good Netflix binge. I also love getting outside. There is just something about being out in nature that reminds you how small your problems really are. 

LET’S GO
Iceland or Norway! But if we’re talking stateside, I would say any Airbnb with a hot tub in the mountains!

GIVES ME CHILLS
A classic is “How to Win Friends and Influence People.” I was a salesperson before this, and I just love the creativity of marketing and sales, and the complexity of humans.

MEETING THE COOL KIDS
McKenzie Bauer from Thread has been the most impactful entrepreneur I have ever met. She understands that for someone with my background, it’s harder to break into these groups and networks, so she is constantly inviting me to be a part of events. 

COOL ADVICE
Don’t be afraid to believe in yourself even if no one else believes you. Remember why you started. You picked what you are doing for a reason. Let that be your fuel.

Founder + CEO JOJO’s Chocolate City Draper

JoJo was the queen of chocolate. Her son, Sterling Jones, continues her legacy through dark chocolate goodness. When JoJo was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2012, she had no intention of starting a company. “She was battling cancer and trying to cut out sugar, so she created a delicious dark chocolate treat for herself,” Sterling says. JoJo’s love for trail mix, pistachios and cranberries came together to make the perfect chocolate bark. From there, Sterling hopped in and started collaborating with her on other recipes. The first sale was made at a CrossFit competition in Nov. 2013, and this article doubles as a 10-year celebration to that magical moment. In May 2014, JOJO’s Chocolate became official. In 2015 when Sterling graduated, his dad asked, “You’re getting a job … right?” Sterling’s response was a hesitant, “Uh … no.” What is now a $25 million chocolate company (and homage to the sweet mother with a sweet tooth) began with Sterling traveling to San Francisco to sell to yoga studios while sleeping in his car. JoJo passed away in 2019, but her legacy is held in the hearts of all who knew her, and in the bags of treats purchased by customers all across the country. (Happy Valley loves this stuff — JOJO’s top two selling Costcos are Orem and American Fork!) Someday, Sterling plans to build from the chocolate up and turn the company into JOJO’s Kitchen. JoJo, this one’s for you.

GAINING SPEED + CATCHING AIR
Things really took off for us in 2018 when we got into Costco, Sprouts and Whole Foods. That’s where the explosion of growth has come from. We import chocolate from Germany, and my partner there recently asked me, “What do you think for volume next year?” I said, “Probably a million pounds.” That is wild. My mom literally started with two ounces of chocolate.

FIRST SNOWFALL MAGIC
My wife and I moved away for two months to live in Seattle, and while I was living there I emailed the Sprouts Farmers Market buyer that we would love to do something with them. He was like, “Yeah, come tomorrow!” I booked a flight right then, and I went and presented our two flavors. He tried it and he’s like, “Yeah that’s really good.” He brings in the other buyer who said, “Mmm, that’s good,” and then that second buyer left. The first buyer said, “That is glowing praise from that guy … Can we put you in all stores?” We went from zero to 350 Sprouts. 

CRASH + BURN
While we were waiting for the 350-store order with Sprouts, I got us into the four local Whole Foods. I dropped off the bars in the back and had them check the order in, and then I went in the front door to buy it. As I went to checkout, I realized the barcode was tiny. The lady says, “Why won’t this scan?” *turns the bar around* “Oh my gosh, look at this barcode!” I was like, “Yeah, who would do that? I can’t believe that!” Meanwhile, I’m tripping. We were about to send out thousands of bars to Sprouts that wouldn’t scan at the register. I rushed and made new packaging before we shipped to Sprouts. It was wild.

PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT
I knew nothing about selling a product to retail, or refrigerated trucks, or creating Facebook ads — all those skill sets are things I had to Google and YouTube along the way. When I went to raise the first round of money, they said, “What’s your background? What did you do before this?” I was like “… high school basketball?” You have to have an insane amount of tenacity to never give up. I think I did have that, and now it’s gotten stronger. 

THAT’S COOL!
I get chills when people email or call us and say, “Your mom’s story inspired me.” That is the greatest part of this. I watched my mom battle cancer with love, optimism and faith. I thought, if more people knew my mom, they would feel more love and know how to make good things out of bad things. To see that happening is the greatest thing about JOJO’s. She is the heart and soul behind the product.

HATS OFF
Dad (three kids with one on the way), husband, church leader, brother, high school 3-point shooting champ.

COOL DOWN
How do I de-stress? *Silence* I should do that. *Laughs* 
It’s simple — literally breathing. I’ve also done some cold plunges and made a few visits to counselors. 

GEAR UP
Gotta have a seat warmer, right? 

NOT-SO-CHILL HABITS
Waking up early. Starting the day with meditation and a workout. Goal setting and planning.

GIVES ME CHILLS
“Mindset” by Carol Dweck. 

COOL ADVICE
Try to not take yourself too seriously. Realize that everything is about learning. You never get today back, so enjoy the journey.

CEO + Founder Just Ingredients City Orem

Karalynne created a worldwide community clamoring for clean products and protein powder, but it started with a simple personal commitment to live a healthy lifestyle and eradicate toxins from her daily use. She made this shift after struggling with suicidal depression, where she was ignoring warning signs from her body that were telling her to make changes. “Making this commitment truly saved my life and transformed my family’s future, and I felt a calling to help others do the same,” Karalynne says. The magic began. Karalynne struggled to find health products with high-standard ingredients she was willing to use, so in true entrepreneurial style, she formulated her own line: Just Ingredients. In fall 2019, she launched clean deodorant and face serum, followed by her best-selling protein powder, tooth powder, supplement drinks and more. “As a company, we believe nature provides the necessary ingredients for people to live healthy, happy lives full of energy. It’s our mission to share that with the world.”

GAINING SPEED + CATCHING AIR
After starting my own healing journey, I developed a passion for educating people about healthier swaps. There were accounts that listed things to stay away from, but nothing that shined a light on what products you should be using. When I started sharing product swaps on Instagram, I was blown away by how deeply my content resonated with people. I hit 10,000 followers in December 2018 and it’s snow-balled since! (Now, she has 1 million followers!)

FIRST SNOWFALL MAGIC
Over the years, I’ve tried dozens of protein powders and always ended up disappointed. So, being someone who is always up for a challenge and thinking I couldn’t be the only one facing this struggle, I decided to make my own protein powder — one with multiple sources of protein, nothing artificial added in, and with organic ingredients that nourish the body. After months of hearing it couldn’t be done, after countless taste tests — we finally did it. The very first time we launched our protein powder, it felt like magic. 

SUMMITS
In September, Just Ingredients became the official protein powder of the Utah Jazz. Also, Just Ingredients was recognized as No. 8 in Utah’s Fast 50 growing companies. Both these high-profile accomplishments are so exciting and a testament to the incredible Just Ingredients team! Other great moments include  Bryce Harper holding our protein during a photo op for the Phillies,  and when we moved into our very own warehouse!

PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT
As a child, I was so afraid of talking to people and never wanted to be on camera. Pretty ironic now considering I spend so much of my time in front of the camera and talking to others! I like to think of it as proof that sometimes our biggest fears can become our biggest strengths. 

THAT’S COOL!
Our core values: 1) Family first. 2) We practice complete transparency when it comes to the testing of our products and ingredients, and we hold ourselves to that same high standard of honesty. 3) Education. We try to teach in every interaction with our customers and are open to learning from one another. 4) Kindness is an overarching value of ours we strive to embody in every interaction. 5) Our team’s commitment to communication helps us hurdle obstacles together.

HATS OFF
’m a mom, wife, sister, aunt, daughter, friend, podcast host, social media influencer, CEO, leader, content creator, blogger, chef, baker — the list goes on!

NOT-SO-CHILL HABITS
Hit the gym, pray, get my kids off to school, enjoy a nutritious breakfast with a Just Ingredients protein shake, then get to work. 

COOL DOWN
I love spending time with my family! I’m so grateful for our game nights and family dinners. They’re so special to me and allow me to be in the moment.

GEAR UP
Helmet! I love to ski, and I can’t stress enough how important it is to always protect your head.

MEETING THE COOL KIDS
My favorite networking event is hands-down Natural Products Expo West! It’s a massive trade show in California that showcases natural, organic and healthy products. I’m always so pleasantly surprised when I see how many companies are working hard to provide better choices for people. It continues to inspire me! 

COOL ADVICE
Problems will always arise — it’s inevitable. But in these moments when stress is high, learning how to manage your stress can make all the difference. That’s going to look different for everyone, but a simple way to help is to breathe properly. Your body will thank you!

Chief Creative Officer Creatably City Orem

Founder/Partner | PillowCube, StairSlide, Bolder Play, Cold Case Ice Cream

“Jokes to create stokes?” Damian Dayton is your guy. Clad in white glasses with a mind full of wildly inventive ideas, he leads as the chief creative officer of Creatably. His imaginative influence also spreads into PillowCube, StairSlide, Bolder Play and Cold Case Ice Cream, where he is a founder and partner alongside Jay Davis (featured in our fall 2023 issue where PillowCube was awarded as UV50’s No. 2 Fastest-Growing Company). Damian was ironically applying to medical schools and working at the Huntsman Cancer Institute when he realized he “was neither very good, nor very passionate” about that path. He closed the curtains on diagnoses and entered scene with a production company. Act I: Producing Emmy-nominated children’s television, feature-length documentaries and the odd corporate video.“I sold my interest to my first partner in 2015, tried it on my own, and eventually joined Jay Davis at Creatably in 2018. We had similar visions, but completely different skill sets.” Those complementary skill sets are giving bold, unforgettable voices to brands across the valley. Quiet on the set — this entrepreneur is giving video marketing a new identity.

GAINING SPEED + CATCHING AIR
There are a lot of great innovators in Utah when it comes to video marketing. Early on, Jay Davis was wise enough to push us to sacrifice profit for quality. We made a name for ourselves (among a field of talented people) for delivering high-value performance. 

FIRST SNOWFALL MAGIC
Watching the first comments flood in when we launched PillowCube, it was like, “Our silly videos work!” But it’s the work that’s fulfilling. Every once in a while, filming on a boat in Puerto Rico, convincing a client that they need a trained monkey, or sitting around with friends telling jokes, and looking over at your friends/co-workers and saying, “Can you believe we get paid to do this?”

SUMMITS
PillowCube’s videos reaching over a billion views was neat. I recently realized I am doing something I absolutely love, and I am surrounded by people doing different things that they love, and we are making magic together. I have always wanted to be on a winning team, and since I am a horrible athlete, this may be the closest I ever come.

CRASH + BURN
We like to say that our brainstorming room is “a safe place for dangerous ideas” — sometimes bad ideas need just a little love to become great ideas. But we signed this one client, and in our enthusiastic fervor, we were spitting out ideas in volume, and we had one idea that was so very, very bad that we got fired the next day. I don’t want to talk about it. But now I do some filtering, but only a little bit, before sharing an idea. 

PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT
I’m not naturally a manager. I want to make everything myself and I want to make everyone happy. Finding people better than me and letting go has been the key to creating greater work. 

NOT-SO-CHILL HABITS
Naps. I am not a “conquer-the-day” sort of guy, but I find that good ideas often spring up in the fertile earth of the waking mind. Wandering is also important. Staying on task gets things done, but wandering makes good ideas great. 

COOL DOWN
At the office there is a company-wide D&D campaign, and nothing is less-cool than D&D, but we have so much fun. I also love to draw; it develops a new way of imagining that I think is very important. My family and faith are also hugely important in helping me find peace regularly. 

GEAR UP
Comfort is one of my core values. My winter gear must-have is a fireplace; there is also this small Utah company — Fjellmark — that makes beautiful smokeless tablehearths. I also have a lovely scarf that a friend knitted for me when my mother passed away, and it makes me feel warm and loved. 

LEARNING CHILLS
In general, I think business books are too myopic. I’d rather read fiction. But Daniel Staker just wrote a book called “To Market: How to Give a Damn & Take Things to the Next Level,” and I love that he covers the importance of passion in marketing.  

STAY WINTRY COOL
Last year I was asked to dress up as Santa and hop on a firetruck as it drove through the neighborhood. I lost my voice by the end, but I can’t wait to do it again. 

COOL ADVICE
It’s the people who matter most. Your company is a baby that will never love you back, but invest in the people and they will return sevenfold. And take a nap. Either you’ll wake up with a solution or the same problem, but you’ll be rested.

Founder + Owner PROLOOK City Orem

Dusty Rhodes has developed a pro perspective through his venture with PROLOOK. As a biology major at SUU in the ‘90s, he made countless trips to the Philippines to learn and improve manufacturing of custom team apparel with his Filipino partner. Then, with a plan to pursue med school at the University of Utah, Dusty set that aside to learn to sell the product. They built their first factory in 2003 and have since added three more unique factories to their stable. PROLOOK had immediate traction, hitting No. 199 on the 2004 Inc. 500. Go team! Dusty’s business acumen has led PROLOOK to an impressive feat: “Today, we manufacture about 2 million custom team units for our own brand and others annually that outfit tens of thousands of teams around the world,” he says. With a mission to challenge the industry’s status quo and a winner’s attitude to match, Dusty and PROLOOK are playing in (and dressing) the big leagues.

GAINING SPEED + CATCHING AIR
We had moved up to Salt Lake City in the summer of 1998 for me to go to med school at the University of Utah. My wife and I dropped that dream during that summer and started to learn to sell our product. I quit my sales job a year later, borrowed $35,000 from my wife’s uncle and went for it.  PROLOOK was the first to offer custom sewn-on numbering and lettering on jerseys to high schools and colleges. We had immediate traction.

FIRST SNOWFALL MAGIC
Early on, I was excited to go prove the concept by visiting high schools around Nevada (where I’m from). I scheduled 20 visits to basketball coaches over three days. At the end of the three days, 19 had purchased.

SUMMITS
I open bottles of valuable whiskey as different goals are met. We’ve fortunately opened quite a few. The biggest summit lately is this year, having been ranked by the National Sporting Goods Association as the custom team apparel brand with the highest quality, best tech platform and best overall brand in our industry (just ahead of Under Armour).

THAT’S COOL!
Definitely the team — our team is so cool, so good. We all love being around each other and working together. Nepotism has actually worked well for us; there are so many friends and family of family working with us. Everyone works their tails off. It’s an inspiring atmosphere. Our vendors and customers are also awesome. We have these amazingly powerful relationships on all sides of our business! My wife and I flew out to Virginia Beach for a wedding of a customer’s daughter. He used to coach at Norfolk State University. We’ve always stayed friends, even after.  We use the PRO in PROLOOK to remind us to up our game in all manners … we are definitely PRO-PEOPLE!

NOT-SO-CHILL HABITS
Definitely a morning workout. My dad always said to get a good sweat going every single day. I love that idea. Right now my wife and I love Orange Theory Fitness. It’s the 7:15 a.m. class if you are interested in joining. *winks*

COOL DOWN 
I like to go to dinner with my wife, Jane, who is also our chief brand officer — she is always so damn good at laying it all out and seeing through a problem to the solution.

GEAR UP
I’m an Uggs guy. I have a pair of slippers I wear at home and I have to take them everywhere with me in the winter.

GIVES ME CHILLS
I love Rich Roll … so good! (The Rich Roll Podcast and author of multiple books.) Adam Grant, Tim Ferriss or Malcom Gladwell books are always inspiring and thoughtful.

MEETING THE COOL KIDS
I have a surf group with about 10 other business leaders that Ryan Napierski (president and CEO of NuSkin) and I put together. We go surfing twice a year to be with each other and help think through different business issues we are each having.

STAY WINTRY COOL
A favorite winter activity is definitely skiing. I was a ski instructor at SUU to help pay for school. We will make an ice skating rink in our front yard once in a while if the winter is cold enough. That’s really fun!

COOL ADVICE
Figure it out. Approach it like a battle. I love the Ulysses S. Grant quote, “The art of war is simple enough. Find out where your enemy is. Get at him as soon as you can. Strike him as hard as you can, and keep moving on.” The problem is the enemy.

Founder Simple Ending City Pleasant Grove + Sandy

Co-founder + Managing Partner, Moxie Law Group | Founder + Managing Partner, CoilLaw

Jill Coil always planned to be a lawyer, but never imagined that decision would lead her to an entrepreneurial journey as well. In 2014, when she was pregnant and working for one of the largest law firms in the state, she realized a flaw in the system — the firm had no maternity leave policy. “I decided I wanted to be able to blaze my own trail and create something that would give other women a place to shine as well,” she says. Attorney acumen, determined resolve, and a focused passion proved to be the perfect recipe for starting CoilLaw, which has become one of the largest family law firms in the state. Her passion for championing women — plus a dash of exasperation at men-centric law billboards — led to Moxie Law Group, the first female-founded personal injury law firm in Utah. Her current venture is Simple Ending, a digital platform for divorce documents. She’s also the author of “No One Dies from Divorce: How to Survive and Thrive When Your Marriage Ends.” No business school? No problem. Jill creates the changes she wishes to see — and that’s a ruling we won’t overturn. 

FIRST SNOWFALL MAGIC
We got to be a part of the WeROC Conference at the University of Utah in September. There were around 30 women pitching amazing companies, and I was one of the three women who got voted best pitch. It showed that people appreciate what we’re doing, and they recognize I’m not just doing it to make money, but I’m doing it because it’s needed.

SUMMITS
At CoilLaw, we have 13 attorneys. We’ve got several women who work for us, and we have created a space where they can be successful in their career in any way they want to do that. We have women who work half-time, and we have women who work full-time and manage, and their husbands are stay-at-home dads! I’m so proud of what we’ve been able to create for these women. The women get full paid maternity leave at my firm. The men who work for us get paid paternity leave. We wanted to create a place that allows people to shine, and I think we’re doing a really great job of that. As well, Moxie Law was recognized as one of the top 100 Utah Companies Championing Women in 2023. 

CRASH + BURN
When I decided to start Simple Ending, we said, “Let’s hire an engineer and just try to create a product.” I will write a book one day about what not to do (*laughs*), because I should have mapped out how we were going to build it. I should have sought expertise in the field of legal tech to see where to start. I just didn’t do that. It took our product way longer than it needed to get to MVP because we didn’t have an architect or a road map.

PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT
I’m a very emotional person by trade and I’m very good at communication — but I was good at that through being a lawyer. I realized I can’t be a lawyer to my employees; I have to be pragmatic. 

THAT’S COOL!
We have created a really special space. We have had some amazing people who have continually supported this journey and are committed to building our companies. We don’t have to advertise much anymore for employees because we have people coming to us saying they want to work at CoilLaw or Moxie Law.

HATS OFF
I’m a mom of four. My husband and I have a charity where we find causes to donate to. I put the hat of executive producer on this year and I executive-produced a musical (@KalynaTheMusical). We’re hoping to get money to bring the musical to Broadway.

COOL DOWN
I always have to have a vacation coming up, because that’s a time I can turn my phone off and just be present.

GEAR UP
Hoodies. I’m a sweatshirt girl.

LET’S GO
Every December for our anniversary, my husband and I go to Disneyland with our best friends and no kids. It’s magical!

GIVES ME CHILLS
“Crucial Conversations.” Also, anything by Brené Brown.

MEETING THE COOL KIDS
I got invited to the VIP event for Utah Business when they named their 30 Women to Watch. I love Utah. We have some of the best women and it’s been so fun getting to know them. As a lawyer going into this entrepreneur world, I didn’t know anybody because most legal people aren’t entrepreneurs. Now, I’m meeting so many people who are so supportive.

COOL ADVICE
There will be low points where entrepreneurs feel like giving up. The ones who are successful are the ones who recognize they have something special, and they keep going.

Founder + CEO Shine Cosmetics City Lindon

The coolest part about Darcey Wilde and Shine Cosmetics? “We get to help women feel beautiful every day! It doesn’t get any better than that!” Darcey grew up with a full-time working mother, so she envisioned herself as “the stay-at-home mom who had fresh baked cookies on the counter” when her kids got home. After years of trying to fit that mold, she realized she would shine brightest — and be able to give more to others — when she was doing something for herself. In 2014, as a mom, volunteer and all things good, she decided to enter the corporate world again as a social media manager. In a few short years, she became the first female in the history of that 20-year-old company to be made a member of the executive team. While she still worked there, her friends invited her to Zupas for lunch, and an idea over soup and salad turned into Shine Cosmetics. As three women spent two and a half years brainstorming at their kitchen tables late at night, something beautiful was born that echoed the message, “We are good enough as we are.” Shine Cosmetics launched in 2019 and has been helping women shine as their truest selves ever since.

GAINING SPEED + CATCHING AIR
My career gained traction when others believed in me and gave me a chance — a stay-at-home mom with little work experience — and then really took off when I started to believe in myself, too.
Also, we made a big shift toward affiliate marketing. Once we got the program introduced to a few influential women, our business really took off. 

FIRST SNOWFALL MAGIC
It felt like magic on the morning that an order came in where none of us had a personal connection to her. We realized, we can do this! I still like to imagine what the lives of the women who order from us are like and take a second to send a prayer up for them.

SUMMITS
First female promoted to the executive team at a 20-year-old software company. Named one of Utah’s 40 over 40 Women in 2023. Shine Cosmetics is known as a leader in affiliate marketing.

CRASH + BURN
In the summer of 2021, we released a new product: LipVelvet, a matte lip gloss. Our launch was a huge success. But after about a week, we heard from a customer that one of the shades didn’t feel the same as the others. We realized the formula wasn’t exactly right, and it had already been sent out to thousands of women. We quickly made the color in the correct formula and sent it out to every woman who ordered, for free, with our apologies. The investment in doing the right thing always pays off, even if it hurts a little at first.

PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT
1) I’ve had to trust that there was a reason I was at that table, that I do have valuable insight and it is my responsibility to share it, even if my voice shakes. 2) Making mistakes is part of the game. I had the opportunity to be in a meeting with Ed Catmull of Pixar, and he said, “If you aren’t experiencing failure, then you are making a far worse mistake: You are being driven by the desire to avoid it.” 3) Comparison is the thief of joy — it is also the thief of creativity and innovation. 

HATS OFF
I’m a wife, mom and Mimi (I have 3 grandchildren). I spent years as a Lone Peak High School Football and Wrestling Booster. BYU Female Athlete Mentorship Program Co-founder. I actively serve in my community and church.

NOT-SO-CHILL HABITS
1. Listening to something uplifting while I get ready.
2. A good cup of Perk Energy every morning.
3. Doing something everyday that tomorrow Darcey will be grateful for. 

COOL DOWN
A cold Diet Coke with fresh lime and a good Netflix series or book helps. Adding a beach doesn’t hurt. I also love football! 

GEAR UP
A cozy blanket inside a warm house. If I am forced to go out into the cold, my current favorite is the Iglu — a wearable sleeping bag!

GIVES ME CHILLS
My all-time favorite is probably “Shoe Dog” by Phil Knight. 

MEETING THE COOL KIDS
The most impactful event I have attended is a retreat with a small group of women business owners and influencers where we go away for three days to brainstorm, energize, connect and learn. There is magic when we cheer each other on. There is enough success out there for everyone!

COOL ADVICE
My grandmother always said, “This too shall pass” — the good and the bad. Just breathe and know that you’ve got this!

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.