Mark Cuban built Cost Plus Drugs to blow up pharmaceutical pricing. Chris Klomp runs the $1 trillion agency, the largest incumbent in American healthcare.

One is the loudest insurgent in the industry.

The other operates the biggest lever in the federal government.

Different sides of the aisle, different places in the market, same mission: fix a system that costs $5 trillion and still leaves millions behind. This is the conversation that actually matters.

The session will be moderated by Tyler Jennings, GOEO Director of Entrepreneurship and Ecosystem Development.

We’ve saved a seat for you!

https://summit.ing/

Join the Silicon Slopes Community Hub and get TWO FREE TICKETS to SUMMIT 2026.

No catch. No complicated entry process. Just join the Hub (which is also free to join!), and get your tickets.

If you’re already a member of the community hub, you’ll receive a direct message to claim your two SUMMIT tickets.

Why join? 

When you join the Hub, you get access to:

Discussions that matter. Connect with people who are actually in the trenches right now. Ask questions. Share what you're learning. Get feedback from people who've been there.

A directory of Utah tech. Find mentors, advisors, potential hires, co-founders, and collaborators. Search by company, role, expertise, or location.

Early access and exclusive content. Hub members get first dibs on event registration, job postings, and resources before they go public.

Local chapter connections. Whether you're in Salt Lake, Utah County, Park City, or St. George, find and engage with the tech community in your area.

A place that's actually built for you. We're not trying to be everything to everyone. This is built specifically for Utah's tech community. That focus makes all the difference.

On this episode of Mental Health Momentum, host Dr. David Morgan, licensed psychologist and Director of Mental Health Awareness at Silicon Slopes, sits down with Shawn Finnegan—serial entrepreneur, investor, founder of The X Room, and community builder—to talk about the mental toll of entrepreneurship that rarely gets discussed. 

Shawn launched a 500+ employee customer support center at AOL Time Warner, co-founded a live events company that scaled to over $100M in annual revenue, and invested alongside Kevin O’Leary at TaxHive. But behind the titles, capital raises, and LinkedIn wins is a very different story.

AI has moved faster than the government. 

Utah decided not to wait.

In this Silicon Slopes interview, host Clint Betts sits down with Zachary Boyd, Director of Utah’s Office of AI Policy, to explain how Utah became the first state in the nation to launch a dedicated AI policy office and what that means for startups, regulators, and consumers alike. 

Get an inside look at how Utah is experimenting with AI regulation without slowing innovation, including regulatory exceptions that allow companies to move forward while policymakers learn in real time.

The M&A Bridge Series is a monthly gathering designed to bring together Utah’s M&A community for networking, learning, and real world deal conversations.

February M&A Bridge Topic: Journey to Billion Dollar Exits

This Private Event features a panel of experienced operators:

Ben Miller is Co-Founder and CEO of SimpleNexus, an nCino Company. He co-founded the business and led it through significant growth, culminating in its acquisition by nCino.

Dave Moody - MBA, CEPA®, MBA, CEPA®, former VP of Sizzling Platter, LLC with experience leading a billion dollar exit. Dave also previously served as the divisional CFO at BD Medical.

​What to Expect

​• Networking lunch with buyers, sellers, investors, and advisors
• A 30-45 minute presentation, panel, or fireside discussion led by experienced M & A professionals or business leaders
• Live Q & A focused on real deals, market dynamics, and practical takeaways
• Open networking designed to foster authentic, long-term relationships

​Who Should Attend

​• M&A professionals, investors, and deal advisors
• Accountants, attorneys, bankers, and lenders.
• Business owners considering growth, acquisition, recapitalization, or exit opportunities
• Individuals interested in M&A who are thinking about buying or selling a business
• Professionals who want to learn, connect, and become more involved in Utah’s M&A ecosystem

​Why Attend

​• Learn directly from experienced M&A professionals and operators
• Gain practical insights from real transactions and real outcomes
• Build relationships that lead to partnerships, opportunities, and deals
• Connect with a high-quality, engaged M&A community in Utah

​Event Format

​11:30 AM – 12:00 PM Networking lunch
12:00 PM – 12:45 PM M&A Expert Panel Discussion and Q & A
12:45 PM onward Open networking

​The goal of The M&A Bridge Series is simple: to educate, connect, and build meaningful relationships that help move more high quality deals forward across Utah.

This is a private event.

See details here: https://luma.com/hq96h1g4

AI Engineer is the #1 Fastest-Growing Job on LinkedIn with salaries typically ranging from $180,000 to $350,000.

 Silicon Slopes has partnered with Saras AI Institute to help members seize this opportunity — offering a 20% exclusive scholarship toward the Master of Science in AI Engineering or AI Development Certificate, available to the first 50 eligible applicants or companies who want to upskill their engineers in AI.

 Master of Science in AI Engineering

Co-designed with AI leaders from Microsoft (Eduardo Kassner, Chief Data & AI Officer) and Google (Tomas Pfister, Head of AI Research @ Google Cloud)

12 months | $499/month | 100% online | No exams

Built for working software engineers ready to land AI Engineer positions:

 Build a GitHub portfolio of 8 AI projects

 Bring Your Own Projects or Ideas (BYOP)

 Live weekly AI masterclasses

Developers from Microsoft, Apple, AWS, and TJ Maxx have already joined the program.

 By graduation, you’ll have the skills, confidence, and credentials to lead AI initiatives. To command top-tier salaries. To shape what comes next.

Learn more & enroll: www.SarasAI.org/MasterAI

Start date is Feb 2.

Right now, Dinner Club conversations are happening, Feb 18, in Salt Lake City, Park City, Lehi, and Provo.

Four tables where Utah's builders come together to share what's working, what's hard, and what's next. Each city brings its own flavor, but the spirit stays the same: real people, real talk, and the kind of connections that last beyond dessert.

Whether you're in the heart of downtown, up in the mountains, along the Silicon Slopes corridor, or in Utah Valley's startup scene, there's a seat at the table. And if your city isn't listed yet? We're always looking to grow where founders are ready to gather.

We've saved a seat for you on Feb. 18th.

USBCI, a program run from the governor's office, is preparing for their 3rd and final tranche of $20 million dollars to lend to Utah business. We are looking to line up borrowers to secure funds. Funds should be ready early 2026. The program is looking to help businesses expand and bring jobs to Utah by providing lower interest rates. 

 USBCI Qualifications 

• Small business <750 looking to expand and create jobs that can’t get full funding

 in the traditional setting. 

• Positive equity even just one penny

• Positive Cash flow to debt service a ratio 1:1

• If purchasing real estate it must be 100% owner occupied

• The business can’t access capital on reasonable terms. 

• The funds have no federal or government funds incorporated into the loan. 

• Amortization can’t exceed 20 years 

• Provide funds up to 50% of loan requests in partnership with bank or loan fund.

• Must be collateralized 100%

• Each natural person with a 20% or more ownership interest in the operating company

 OR passive company must guarantee the loan. 

• The lender will do an appraisal of their standards for collateral 

• Loan can't exceed NCUA’s guidelines for interest ceiling 

• Fees can’t exceed 3%

Interest rates:

• 0-35 months - .5%

• 36-59 months - 1%

• 60-83 months - 1.5%

• 84-119 months - 2%

• 120-179 months - 2.5%

• 180-240 months - 3%
  

The state requires that an Economic Development Organization helps facilitate loans and the state's money.  Alex Leonardi at Davis County is the best contact for this and can work with approved banks to help facilitate loans.

Reach out to Alex at 801-698-4863 or [email protected]. 

Shape the Future of Silicon Slopes!