The Agenda
The third-annual Utah Business Forward conference will assemble dozens of the best and brightest business minds eager to share their knowledge with local professionals to keep the economy strong for years to come. At this one-day conference you will have access to leaders in various industries, from product development and manufacturing to finance and entrepreneurship. These leaders are eager to pass on what they've learned about innovation, resilience, strategy, relationships – and so much more – to you. Utah's willingness to work together makes it a uniquely inspiring place to do business. The Utah Business Forward conference is living proof that global stage-worthy expertise is found right here, rooted in our community's spirit of generosity and shared success.
- General Sessions
- Entrepreneurship Track
- Leadership Track
- People & Culture Track
- Rapid Exchange Track
- Strategy Track
Time
Topic
Speaker
7:00 - 7:30 AM
Check in for breakfast with an expert (Pre-registration required)
Ali Vallarta, Christena Huntsman Durham, Cydni Tetro, Darrell Bracken, Derek Miller, Emily Bell McCormick, Lavanya Mahate, Nate Walkingshaw, Sharlene Wells, Trent Mano
7:30 - 8:30 AM
General Registration & Breakfast
8:45 - 9:15 AM
Opening Keynote: Q&A with Sheri Dew
9:15 - 9:50 AM
Mainstage Panel: TURNING RIVALRY INTO THE RIGHT RESULTS
Gov. Spencer Cox, University of Utah President Taylor Randall,
and Brigham Young University President C. Shane Reese
9:50 - 10:20 AM
Break
10:20 - 11:00 AM
Breakout Session 1
See other tabs
11:00 - 11:10 AM
Break
11:10 - 11:50 AM
Breakout Session 2
See other tabs
11:50 - 12:00 PM
Break
12:00 - 12:45 PM
Lunch
12:45 - 1:15 PM
Mainstage Keynote: Why the Next Unicorn Will Start as a Joke
Kent Richeson & Friends, Founder & Host of Sh*t Pitch
1:15 - 1:55 PM
Breakout session 3
See other tabs
1:55 - 2:05 PM
Break
1:55 - 2:05 PM
Break
2:05 - 2:45 PM
Breakout session 4
See other tabs
2:45 - 3:00 PM
Break
3:00 - 3:40 PM
Q&A Panels
4:30 - 6:00 PM
VIP Afterparty
(Pre-registration required)
Special Musical Guest, Singer and Songwriter Ashley Hess
3:40 - 3:50 PM
Break
3:50 - 4:20 PM
Closing Keynote: The Olympic Opportunity
Catherine Raney Norman, VP of Development and Athlete Relations,
Salt Lake City-Utah 2034 Olympics
4:20 - 4:30 PM
Closing Remarks & Drawing
Catherine Bennett
Executive Editor, Utah Business
The Entrepreneurship track is designed to guide aspiring and early-stage entrepreneurs in building successful ventures, covering ideation, validation, funding, scaling, and navigating the challenges of starting and growing a business in today’s competitive market.
Time
Topic
Speaker
11:00 - 11:10 AM
Break
11:50 - 12:00 PM
Break
12:00 - 12:45 PM
Lunch
1:55 - 2:05 PM
Break
2:05 - 2:45 PM
Creating Enduring Value Through Innovation and Problem-Solving
Tiffany Vail
COO, Silicon Slopes
2:45 - 3:00 PM
Break
3:00 - 3:40 PM
Entrepreneurship Panel
Track Speakers
The Leadership track equips forward-thinking executives with practical strategies and innovative approaches to navigate complex business challenges while fostering organizational growth and team development in today’s rapidly evolving marketplace.
Time
Topic
Speaker
11:00 - 11:10 AM
Break
11:50 - 12:00 PM
Break
12:00 - 12:45 PM
Lunch
1:55 - 2:05 PM
Break
2:45 - 3:00 PM
Break
3:00 - 3:40 PM
Leadership Panel
Track Speakers
The People & Culture track focuses on the critical role of human capital in driving organizational success, providing insights on building and nurturing a strong, inclusive company culture, attracting and retaining top talent, developing effective leadership skills, and fostering employee engagement and well-being.
Time
Topic
Speaker
11:00 - 11:10 AM
Break
11:50 - 12:00 PM
Break
12:00 - 12:45 PM
Lunch
1:55 - 2:05 PM
Break
2:05 - 2:45 PM
Radical Safety: How Using Safety at Work Creates Teams That Want to Grow
Aaron Frost
Founder, HeroDevs
2:45 - 3:00 PM
Break
3:00 - 3:40 PM
People & Culture Panel
Track Speakers
Time
Topic
Speaker
10:20 - 11:00 AM
Rapid Connections
Speed Networking
11:00 - 11:10 AM
Break
11:10 - 11:50 AM
Rapid Insights: The Pivot
Tunisha Brown, John Pestana, Silvia Castro Bennett, Allyse Jackson, and Chris Baird
11:50 - 12:00 PM
Break
12:00 - 12:45 PM
Lunch
1:15 - 1:55 PM
Rapid Advice
Alejandra Salomon, Chris Mann, Christian Ross, Erynn Kerrigan, Jenna White, Jared Anderson, and Tryg Jensen
1:55 - 2:05 PM
Break
2:05 - 2:45 PM
Rapid Transformation, Part 1
2:45 - 3:00 PM
Break
3:00 - 3:40 PM
Rapid Transformation, Part 2
The Strategy track delivers actionable frameworks and industry intelligence to help business leaders develop robust roadmaps for sustainable growth, competitive advantage, and successful market positioning in Utah’s dynamic business environment.
Time
Topic
Speaker
10:20 - 11:00 AM
Strategic Planning for Consumer Goods Brands
Brian Garofalow
CEO, Skullcandy
11:00 - 11:10 AM
Break
11:50 - 12:00 PM
Break
12:00 - 12:45 PM
Lunch
1:15 - 1:55 PM
Loyalty, Data and Disruption: Building the Modern Customer Journey
Riley Demps
Emerging Technologies Manager, Utah Jazz
1:55 - 2:05 PM
Break
2:05 - 2:45 PM
Blueprints to Breakthroughs: Turning Strategies into Action
Jessica Elwell
Co-Founder and COO, OxEon Energy
2:45 - 3:00 PM
Break
3:00 - 3:40 PM
Strategy Panel
Track speakers