Founder of the Lassonde Entrepreneur Institute at the University of Utah, Pierre Lassonde will keynote and headline at the 10th anniversary of the Utah Economic Summit. The event will be held on April 15 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Grand America Hotel in Salt Lake City. It is presented by Zion’s Bank and the Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED).
Mr. Lassonde, founder and chair of Franco-Nevada Corporation, will discuss the story of his own humble beginnings and powerful insight on strategic entrepreneurship. Lassonde Studios, a one-of-a-kind housing and creating facility, will open for students in the fall.
“The Lassonde Entrepreneur Institute fosters the human ingenuity of our researchers and the creativity of our entrepreneurs,” Mr. Lassonde said. “As leaders statewide come together to encourage that culture, they will create the jobs of the future for the state of Utah.”
Pierre Lassonde, founder of the Lassonde Institute.
This year’s theme, Innovate Utah! pays tribute to innovation as one of the keys to Utah’s prevailing economic success. Utah has been ranked Forbes’ No. 1 Best State for Business and Careers five out of the last six years and has been Pollina Corporate’s No. 1 Pro-Business State four years running. More than 1,200 business and community leaders, small business owners, entrepreneurs and students will attend to discover best-kept secrets that keep the Beehive State on top.
“Innovation drives our winning economy,” said Gov. Gary R. Herbert, who will address attendees in the afternoon session of the all-day gathering. “New ideas and a strong entrepreneurial spirit help Utah’s economy stand out, but it’s collaboration that helps it truly succeed. The summit provides an opportunity both for learning and creating connections and partnerships across industries and interests.”
Following Mr. Lassonde’s keynote will be multiple breakout sessions based on the following themes: “Investment,” “It’s About People, Innovation,” “Strategic Management” and “Cool Tech.” The sessions are designed to cater not only to C-level executives — there are many workshop-style presentations aimed at entrepreneurs and small business owners. Breakouts include:
- “M&A in Today’s Market: How to Prepare Your Company to Be Acquired” — representatives from UBS Bank, EMC, Lazard, Goldman Sachs
- “Building the Right Team” — Carine Clark, MaritzCX
- “Secrets to a Successful Crowdfunding Campaign” — featuring local Utah companies
- “Workplace Culture: Create a High-Performing Team” —HR representatives from Domo, Vivint, InsideSales and Instructure
- “Moving from the $1 Million Deal to the $100 Million Deal” — Robert Clarkson, Paypal
- “An Automated Life: The Internet of Things” — representatives from Jabil Circuit, Inc.
Gov. Gary Herbert at the Utah Economic Summit.
New this year is the “Innovation Hall,” which will showcase business incubators, investors, schools, law firms and more. This feature is designed to enhance networking opportunities for sponsors and attendees alike.
From top investment and technology executives, to interactive digital media experiences and panels of Utah’s own “Shark Tank” winners, this year’s exciting agenda covers information valuable to anyone involved with business at any stage.
“It’s fitting that we apply a philosophy of innovation to the structure and offerings of the summit every year,” said Val Hale, executive director of GOED. “I genuinely believe our 10th anniversary Utah Economic Summit will be unlike anything we’ve done before. It is always our goal for it to be a highly inclusive, collaborative and engaging experience for attendees.”
The 10th Annual Utah Economic Summit, hosted by Gov. Herbert, will celebrate and advance innovation across every Utah industry. Business and community leaders, as well as government officials, students, and educators are encouraged to attend.
Register today at UtahEconomicSummit.com.
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