The power and limits of community.

In today’s email:

• Letter from Silicon Slopes CEO Clint Betts: What a community can change and what it can’t

• Silicon Slopes Summit: Tickets are now available!

• Join tomorrow’s X community town hall: Find details and register here.

🎙️ Recent interviews: Listen or watch our latest interviews with the following:

• Qualtrics President & COO Brian Stucki 

• Kiln CEO & Co-Founder Arian Lewis

• Cornerstone Technologies Founder & CEO Chad Fraughton

A Letter From Clint Betts

What can a community achieve if it comes together for something bigger than itself?

A few weeks ago, I learned something new. Knowledge is a pesky thing. It compels you to think and, at times, take action. I found out that Utah had $2.8 million in student lunch debt.

To make matters worse, I read a local news story about a Utah child of God rummaging through the trash to find something to eat. This awful scene compelled a cafeteria worker to cover this child's lunch expenses with her own money, even though the school district advised against it. They were concerned that it might create a precedent for other families to exploit the system.

I've repeatedly heard the same thing since we started raising money in partnership with the Utah Lunch Debt Relief Foundation. We aim to pay off all outstanding school lunch debt. They tell me, “Clint, you don’t understand — other families in need might take advantage of the situation.” To which I always reply, “And?”

No child should ever be stigmatized for not being able to pay for school lunch or told they have a negative balance that they need to go home and tell their parents about. Of course, no child should ever go without food at school (or anywhere else, for that matter). We live in the greatest state in the greatest country in the world. This shouldn’t be a problem.

So why is it a problem? When something like this is brought to your attention, you immediately start looking for someone or something to blame. Who’s fault is this? Let’s not waste time on such futile pursuits. In fact, let’s skip that part of the process altogether. No leader in the state wants children to go hungry or feel the stigma and pressure of having outstanding school lunch debt. Not one.

Let’s get right to the part where we take action. Yes, Silicon Slopes and Utah Lunch Debt Relief Foundation are raising money. We’ve even paid off the debt of a few schools. But is that the long-term solution? Do we need to create a perpetual fund of private donors to pay off all outstanding debt each year? I’m okay if that’s the answer, but that shouldn’t be our decision alone.

This is a Utah problem for Utahns to solve. Tomorrow, at 3:30 pm on X (Twitter), we’ll hold a town hall to discuss solutions. All Utahns are invited, and we particularly invite any community and political leaders focused on this issue.

It’s $2.8 million. We’ve got this.

FEATURED EVENT

Upcoming Events

Chapter Events

Finance Chapter | Advanced Tax Strategies for Founders | August 28th @ 11 AM

Marketing Chapter | Workshop: Cultivating a Holistic AI Mindset | August 29th @ 11:30 AM

Women in Leadership Chapter | Coffee Connection | September 13th @ 8:30 AM

St. George Women in Tech & Business | Get That Job! | September 19th @ 12 PM

Community Events

Utah Worksite Wellness Council | Financial Wellness In the Workplace | September 11th @ 11 AM

The Profitability Project | The Profitability Playbook Workshop Lesson 1: Clarity | September 12th @ 9:30 AM

University of Utah | STEM Internship & Career Fair | October 1st @ 9 AM