Utah Business Forward | November 17, 2025 @ Hyatt Regency Salt Lake City

Where Utah’s top business achievers share strategies that help fuel the No. 1 economy in the nation.

The third-annual Utah Business Forward conference will assemble dozens of the best business minds in Utah who are eager to share their knowledge to keep our economy strong for years to come.

At this one-day conference you’ll have access to leaders in various industries, from product development and manufacturing to finance and entrepreneurship.
You’ll learn about the innovation, resilience, strategy, and relationships it takes to propel your business and career to the next level.

The Utah Business Forward conference will be held on Monday, November 17, 2025 at Hyatt Regency Salt Lake City. Sign up today!

View Agenda

Countdown

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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

8:30 - 8:45 AM

WELCOME

Burke Olsen
publisher, utah business

8:45 - 9:15 AM

Opening Keynote: Q&A with Sheri Dew

Sheri Dew, EVP, Deseret Management Corporation and Doug Wilks, Executive Editor, Deseret News

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

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

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

4:30 - 6:00 PM

VIP Afterparty
(Pre-registration required)

Special musical guest, singer and songwriter Ashley Hess

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

10:20 - 11:00 AM

Kindness is a Power Move: Driving Results Without Losing Yourself

Shauna Smith
CEO & Co-Founder, Savory Fund

11:00 - 11:10 AM

Break

11:10 - 11:50 AM

Alpinism & Entrepreneurship

Peter Metcalf
Founder, Black Diamond Equipment

11:50 - 12:00 PM

Break

12:00 - 12:45 PM

Lunch

1:15 - 1:55 PM

Be So Trustworthy They Give You the Mic (and the Money)

Mohan Sudabattula
founder & CEO, Project Embrace

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

10:20 - 11:00 AM

Leadership Under Pressure: Turning Uncertainty Into Opportunity

Brock Blake
CEO and co-founder, Lendio

11:00 - 11:10 AM

Break

11:10 - 11:50 AM

Nurturing the talent around you

Charmelle Green
Deputy Athletics Director, University of Utah

11:50 - 12:00 PM

Break

12:00 - 12:45 PM

Lunch

1:15 - 1:55 PM

Earned, Proven, Ready: What Every Leader Should Know About Untapped Talent

Melanie Jones
CEO, Women's Leadership Institute

1:55 - 2:05 PM

Break

2:05 - 2:45 PM

Building and Leading with Trust

Kurt Dirks
Dean, David Eccles School of Business

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

10:20 - 11:00 AM

Stop saying “we have a labor shortage”! – discover proven methods to revolutionize your talent pipeline

Edson Barton
CEO, YouScience

11:00 - 11:10 AM

Break

11:10 - 11:50 AM

Building a strong, core values-based culture

Leslie Snavely
CEO, CHG Healthcare

11:50 - 12:00 PM

Break

12:00 - 12:45 PM

Lunch

1:15 - 1:55 PM

Benefits To Attract Multiple Generations of Workers

Latonya Howell
Founder, CoachHER Life

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, 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, John LeBaron, and Jared Anderson

1:55 - 2:05 PM

Break

2:05 - 2:45 PM

Rapid Transformation, Part 1

Dr. Chelsea Shields
founder and CEO, Brandthropologie Agency

2:45 - 3:00 PM

Break

3:00 - 3:40 PM

Rapid Transformation, Part 2

Dr. Chelsea Shields
founder and CEO, Brandthropologie Agency

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

11:10 - 11:50 AM

Breaking Growth Barriers: Strategies Behind Sustainable Scale

Matthew Bowman
EVP, Advanced Call Center Technologies

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

Speakers

Filter

All Breakfast With An Expert Entrepreneurship General Sessions Leadership People & Culture Rapid Exchange Strategy

Gov. Spencer Cox

Governor @ State of Utah

Sheri Dew

Executive Vice President & Chief Content Officer @ Deseret Management Corporation

Catherine Raney Norman

VP of Development and Athlete Relations @ Salt Lake City-Utah 2034 Olympics

Taylor Randall

President @ University of Utah

C. Shane Reese

President @ Brigham Young University

Kent Richeson

Founder & host @ Sh*tPitch

Jared Anderson

Sr. Director of Global Business Services @ World Trade Center Utah

Chris Baird

CEO @ OptConnect

Edson Barton

CEO @ YouScience

Sylvia Castro Bennett

President & CEO @ Suazo Business Center

Catherine Bennett

Executive Editor @ Utah Business

Brock Blake

CEO & Co-Founder @ Lendio

Matthew Bowman

Global Growth Strategist & Board Advisor @ Matthew Bowman Growth Advisory Services

DJ Bracken

Founder @ Utah Lunch Debt Relief Foundation

Tunisha Brown

Founder & Editor-in-Chief @ IMPACT Magazine

Riley Demps

Emerging Technologies Manager @ Utah Jazz

Kurt Dirks

Dean @ David Eccles School of Business

Christena Huntsman Durham

Director, Executive Vice President, & Vice Chair @ Huntsman Family Foundation

Jessica Elwell

Co-Founder and COO @ OxEon Energy

Aaron Frost

Founder @ HeroDevs

Brian Garofalow

CEO @ Skullcandy

Charmelle Green

Deputy Athletics Director & Chief Operating Officer @ University of Utah Athletics

Latonya Howell

Founder @ CoachHER Life

Allyse Jackson

Founder & CEO @ Beehive Meals

Melanie Jones

CEO @ Women's Leadership Institute

Erynn Kerrigan

Founder @ XL PR

John LeBaron

Chief Revenue Officer @ Pattern

Lavanya Mahate

Founder @ Saffron Valley Restaurants

Trent Mano

Co-Founder and General Partner @ Convoi Ventures

Emily Bell McCormick

Founder & President @ The Policy Project

Peter Metcalf

Founder @ Black Diamond Equipment

Derek Miller

President & CEO @ The Salt Lake Chamber and Downtown Alliance

Burke Olsen

Publisher @ Utah Business & Deseret News

John Pestana

CEO and co-founder @ ObservePoint

Christian Ross

VP of Product & Technology @ Deseret News

Al Salomon

Fractional Retention Leader @ Marketing by Al

Dr. Chelsea Shields

Founder & CEO @ Brandthropologie Agency

Shauna Smith

CEO & Co-Founder @ Savory Fund

Leslie Snavely

CEO and President @ CHG Healthcare

Mohan Sudabattula

Founder & CEO @ Project Embrace

Cydni Tetro

Founder & CEO @ Women Tech Council

Tiffany Vail

COO @ Silicon Slopes

Ali Vallarta

Host @ City Cast Salt Lake

Nate Walkingshaw

Founder & CEO @ Torus

Sharlene Wells

SVP, Public Relations & Organizational Communications @ Mountain America Credit Union

Jenna White

Owner @ Empire Body Waxing SLC

Venue

Hyatt Regency Salt Lake City

170 S W Temple St

Salt Lake City, UT 84101

Explore The Venue

Event Photos

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Business Forward Neeleman Keynote

Hannah and Daniel Neeleman, co-founders of Ballerina Farm, share a laugh as they speak during Utah Business Forward 2024 held at The Grand America Hotel in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024.

Business Forward Neeleman Keynote

An attendeene listen as Hannah and Daniel Neeleman, co-founders of Ballerina Farm, speak during Utah Business Forward 2024 held at The Grand America Hotel in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024.

Business Forward Neeleman Keynote

Hannah Neeleman speaks as she’s joined by her husband, Daniel, both co-founders of Ballerina Farm, during Utah Business Forward 2024 held at The Grand America Hotel in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024.

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Utah Business Artificial Intelligence

People attend the Artificial Intelligence track at the Utah Business Forward event at The Grand America Hotel in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024.