Pretend is building a platform designed to help teams keep up with the demands of content creation without relying on the slow, complex structure of traditional creative work. Michael Potter, a filmmaker and creative entrepreneur, brings years of experience in film production and client work to Pretend. Potter joined the University of Utah’s Master of […]
Category: Startups
Learn about some of the amazing student startup companies at the University of Utah. Students from all departments are inventing new products and starting businesses.
Juah Apparel: Luxury Athletic Wear with Social Impact
When Princess Bombyck was 9 years old, a civil war forced her family from their home in Liberia. In the chaos, a young American public health student showed up to help. She provided basic health care to families who had nothing, and though she may never know the impact of that one act, it changed […]
Gilded: Where Art, Home, and Meaning Meet
As the founder of Gilded, Annika Stacey didn’t set out to make just another coffee table book. She set out to create something that mattered. After moving into a new home, she placed a handcrafted oak table, built by her father-in-law, at the center of her space. As she searched for a book to place […]
Summit Cafe: Student-Powered Coffee
James Larkin and Luca Schneider, both first year students at the University of Utah, have a vision for making the average coffee trip high quality, convenient, affordable and time efficient. They have been pursuing this goal through their business Summit Cafe. Both entrepreneurs come from a background in catering which is where they had the […]
Leone’s Barbershop: On-Campus Mobile Haircuts
University of Utah entrepreneurship student Aiden Leone launched Leone’s Barbershop, a mobile business serving the campus community, with a simple question: “What if I got good at this?” Leone first became interested in barbering during high school after his barber moved away from California. Left without a barber, he started seeing his mom’s hairstylist. She […]
Visibylity: A Creative Marketing Partner Built for Small Business Owners
As a kid growing up in Salt Lake City, Garrett Petersen was always building something. In addition to his creativity, Petersen has always had a drive to help others. Over the past decade, Petersen has translated these passions into video and photo production, and now into Visibylity, a creative marketing partner for small- to medium-sized […]
Aldrich Dynamics: Bringing Safe Products to High-Risk Environments
When former Navy rescue swimmer Ryan Siner found himself depending on unreliable equipment during high-risk missions, he set out to fix the system that failed him. Years later, his experiences drove the creation of Aldrich Dynamics, a company dedicated to ensuring government agencies, hospitals, and essential workers will always have access to dependable equipment. “We […]
Rural Farmers Hub: AI Soil Testing
Growing up in a farming household in Nigeria, Gabriel Eze saw how the livelihood of Nigerian farmers has decreased over time as food prices have skyrocketed. Determined to help farmers maximize the potential of their soil and better support themselves, Eze created Rural Farmers Hub: Decision-Ready Data and Insights for Farmers. In developing a solution to […]
Fave Bhite Foods: Reimagining Nigerian Snacks Through Tradition and Health
As a participant in the University of Utah’s Master of Business Creation (MBC) Global program, Oluwatobiloba Akinrimisi is using her background and personal experiences to build Fave Bhite Foods, a healthy local snack brand rooted in Nigerian tradition. Growing up, sweets and processed foods surrounded Akinrimisi, but her grandmother often warned her about the dangers of […]
Kobiro Safaris: A Tour From the Heart
After a disastrous tour experience left her team sleeping in a van, Sheila Too decided she could do better. At the time, Too was working as a banker in Nairobi. She and her colleagues had booked a trip through a newly established tour consultant who lacked experience. The company overbooked the hotel, and the entire […]
