Business Elevated

Season 6 Episode 32: In this episode, Pete Codella, managing director of business services at the Governor's Office of Economic Opportunity, talks with Liam Brown, president of STEMheads, and Josh Brown, co-founder of STEMheads. Liam co-founded the nonprofit STEMheads with his parents when he was 10 years old. They emphasize the importance of STEM education and their mission to inspire young peopl...

Season 6 Episode 31: In this episode, Pete Codella, managing director of business services at the Governor's Office of Economic Opportunity, talks with Matthew Young, national sales manager for the corporate sales team at SymbolArts. Young discusses his career progression from technical writing to marketing and sales. He shares insights into SymbolArts' growth, particularly in creating high-qualit...

Season 6 Episode 30: In this episode, Pete Codella, managing director of business services at the Governor's Office of Economic Opportunity, talks with Natalie Randall, managing director of the Utah Office of Tourism and Film. Randall discusses her journey from growing up in northern Virginia to building her career focused on outdoor recreation and tourism in Utah. She highlights her experiences i...

Season 6 Episode 29: In this episode, Pete Codella, managing director of business services at the Governor's Office of Economic Opportunity, talks with Justin Helms, St. George branch manager of Utah Disaster Kleenup (UDK) . Helms, a second-generation restoration professional, shares his love for St. George. He highlights the operations of UDK, emphasizing the company's broad service range across...

Season 6 Episode 28: In this episode, Pete Codella, managing director of business services at the Governor's Office of Economic Opportunity, talks with McKenzie Bauer, co-founder of Thread Wallets. A Utah native, Bauer studied international cultural studies and peacebuilding at BYU-Hawaii, an experience that shaped her marketing and storytelling approach. In 2014, she and her husband co-founded Th...

Season 6 Episode 27: In this episode, Pete Codella, managing director of business services at the Governor's Office of Economic Opportunity (GOEO), talks with Josh Chavez, founder of RAH Energy .  Chavez discusses his background as an entrepreneur, highlighting his early career ventures and the development of his newest business, RAH Energy, an energy drink company distinguished by its use of simp...

Season 6 Episode 26: In this episode, Pete Codella, managing director of business services at the Governor's Office of Economic Opportunity, talks with Paul Jolley, the new director of the Utah Small Business Credit Initiative (USBCI), and David Ramos, senior community affairs advisor at the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC). Jolley discusses his long-standing connection to Utah and his...

Season 6 Episode 25: In this episode, Pete Codella, managing director of business services at the Governor's Office of Economic Opportunity, talks with Tessa Arneson, founder of the Maven District.  Arneson reflects on her upbringing in Ogden and her eventual return to Utah after living in various big cities. She describes how her love for Utah's outdoor lifestyle and the supportive, tight-knit co...

Season 6 Episode 24: In this episode, Pete Codella, managing director of business services at the Governor's Office of Economic Opportunity, talks with Salvatore Buscemi, co-founder and managing partner of Brahmin Partners. Buscemi shares his connections to Utah and experiences with the entrepreneurial spirit of its residents. Inspired by an internship and an influential mentor, he details his edu...

Season 6 Episode 23: In this episode, Pete Codella, managing director of business services at the Governor's Office of Economic Opportunity, talks with Neight Casperson, owner and CEO of N8 Elite Skiwear.   Casperson shares his deep connection to Utah, having been born and raised in Ogden. He recounts his time away during a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Vienna, Aus...

Season 6 Episode 22: In this episode, Pete Codella, managing director of business services at the Governor's Office of Economic Opportunity, talks with Karrie Ketchum, executive director of Utah Dispute Resolution. Ketchum discusses her professional journey and the significance of conflict resolution in various sectors. She recounts her experience growing up in Utah and her varied career path, whi...

Season 6 Episode 21: In this episode, Pete Codella, managing director of business services at the Governor's Office of Economic Opportunity (GOEO), talks with Jefferson Moss, state representative and associate commissioner of innovation at the Utah System of Higher Education, and Ryan Starks, executive director of GOEO.  The discussion highlights Utah's transformation into a recognized leader in i...

Season 6 Episode 20: In this episode, Pete Codella, managing director of business services at the Governor's Office of Economic Opportunity, talks with Alan Matheson, executive director of Point of the Mountain State Land Authority, and Brandon Fugal, chairman of Colliers International.  Matheson and Fugal discuss the vision for The Point, a 600-acre state-owned land previously occupied by the Uta...

Season 6 Episode 19: In this episode, Pete Codella, managing director of business services at the Governor's Office of Economic Opportunity, interviews Vance Checketts, CEO of auticon. Checketts discusses his career in technology, culminating in his current role at auticon, a company with a unique mission to integrate neurodivergent individuals, especially those with autism, into the tech workforc...

Season 6 Episode 18: In this episode, Pete Codella, managing director of business services at the Governor's Office of Economic Opportunity, interviews Trena Anderson, president of Deseret First Charitable Foundation. Anderson shares her journey, beginning with her move to Utah 38 years ago, her career spanning over three decades at Deseret First Credit Union, and her varied roles in human resourc...

Season 6 Episode 17: In this episode, Pete Codella, managing director of business services at the Governor's Office of Economic Opportunity, talks with Mori Paulsen, president of Bank of America Utah. Paulsen discusses his extensive career and deep-rooted connection to the state. He shares his journey from being born in Salt Lake City to graduating from the University of Utah and starting his care...

Season 6 Episode 16: In this episode, Pete Codella, managing director of business services at the Governor's Office of Economic Opportunity, talks with Mike Hawker, vice president of operations at CoDev.  Hawker shares his professional journey, from his initial ambitions in sports public relations to his unexpected entry into the tech world. After working for 11 years at a California-based softwar...

Season 6 Episode 15: In this episode, Pete Codella, managing director of business services at the Governor's Office of Economic Opportunity, talks with David Bates, partner at Taylor Wessing, and Simon Gleeson, partner at Blick Rothenberg. The duo discusses their ties to Utah, professional endeavors, and Utah's entrepreneurial opportunities. The conversation delves into their collaboration in prof...

Season 6 Episode 14: In this episode, Pete Codella, managing director of business services at the Governor's Office of Economic Opportunity, talks with Felecia Maxfield-Barrett, president and CEO of Utah Global Diplomacy. She discusses her deep roots in Utah and her journey through various roles that ultimately led to her current position. Born and raised in American Fork, Utah, Maxfield-Barrett s...

Season 6 Episode 13: In this episode, Pete Codella, managing director of business services at the Governor's Office of Economic Opportunity, talks with Lavanya Mahate, founder of Saffron Valley restaurants and the RISE Culinary Institute. Mahate shares her story of moving to Utah from India in 2001. She details her journey in pursuing additional education at the University of Utah, which led to a...

Season 6 Episode 12: In this episode, Pete Codella, managing director of Business Services at the Governor's Office of Economic Opportunity, talks with Steve Brosvik, president and CEO of the Utah Symphony | Utah Opera (USUO).  Brosvik shares his recent move to Utah and details his journey from the vice president and general manager of the Houston Symphony in Texas and chief operating officer of t...

Season 6 Episode 11: In this episode, Pete Codella, managing director of business services at the Governor's Office of Economic Opportunity, talks with Ally Isom, chief strategy and marketing officer at Clyde Companies. Isom shares her extensive background and deep connection to Utah, highlighting her journey from diverse professional experiences to her current role. The duo discuss several topics...

Season 6 Episode 10: In this episode, Pete Codella, managing director of business services at the Governor's Office of Economic Opportunity, talks with Jaron Erickson, founder and CEO of Sales Dojo.  Erickson shares his journey from growing up in Farmington, Utah, to becoming an entrepreneur in the tech industry, where he found his passion. Inspired by his experiences and the potential he saw in t...

Season 6 Episode 9: In this episode, Pete Codella, managing director of business services at the Governor's Office of Economic Opportunity, talks with Madeline Miller, the program manager for INROADS College Links in Salt Lake City.  Miller shares her journey of fostering opportunities for diverse youth. She discusses her passion for public health, which led her to advocate for marginalized commun...

Season 6 Episode 8: In this episode, Pete Codella, managing director of business services at the Governor's Office of Economic Opportunity, talks with Rob Gardner, principal of Savory Fund. Gardner shares his journey from his Utah roots to his diverse professional experiences, including his time in public accounting and private equity. He reflects on various aspects of the restaurant industry, its...