Startup State Entrepreneur Challenge
The governor’s Startup State Entrepreneur Challenge invites all Utah-based business competition winners from the previous calendar year to compete for a finalist position at the One Utah Summit. The top Utah-based companies are selected to present at the Entrepreneur Challenge.
Judges rank the pitches, and summit attendees choose a people’s choice winner. All semi-finalists and finalists receive cash prizes and tickets to the One Utah Summit, where their most valuable prize may be the connections they make with other attendees.
The Startup State Entrepreneur Challenge is a best-of-the-best competition drawing from last year’s Utah business pitch competitions.
The challenge is a free event open to the public to support Utah’s entrepreneur and startup community. At the challenge, you’ll meet and network with many of Utah’s up-and-coming brands and innovators.
All Utah entrepreneurs, including those at colleges, universities, and other entrepreneurial organizations, are invited to join and cast their vote in the 2024 Startup State Entrepreneur Challenge People’s Choice Award category.
The challenge also features an open speed pitch competition where entrepreneurs can volunteer for 30-second pitch slots to introduce their product or service at the event. Speed pitch participants compete for giveaways donated by Entrepreneur Challenge sponsors.
The challenge includes exhibits by the finalists and semi-finalists, light hor d’oeuvres, networking with other summit attendees, and valuable connections and mentoring opportunities for Utah entrepreneurs.
The Governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity Utah Innovation Center and Startup State Initiative present the annual Startup State Entrepreneur Challenge.
1st Place
$40,000
2nd Place
$25,000
3rd Place
$10,000
4th, 5th, and 6th Place
$3,000 each
Semi-Finalists
$1,200 each
People’s Choice
$10,000
Thanks to support from the Lassonde Entrepreneur Institute in the David Eccles School of Business at the University of Utah, prizes include $15k in University of Utah Master of Business Creation (MBC) scholarships, awarded as follows:
1st Place: $10,000 scholarship
2nd Place: $5,000 scholarship
Thanks to the One Utah Summit Diamond Partner, Symbol Arts, each Startup State Entrepreneur Challenge finalist will receive a commemorative challenge medallion.
If you’d like to sponsor or contribute to next year’s Startup State Entrepreneur Challenge, please contact us at business@utah.gov.
Lieutenant Governor
State of Utah
Managing Director
Utah Innovation Fund
Utah Director
U.S. Small Business Administration
Executive Vice President, Marketing & Communications
Zions First National Bank
The Startup State Entrepreneur Challenge committee selected 11 semi-finalists from the applications received. In March, the semi-finalists virtually pitched their company and answered the judge’s questions.
From the 11 semi-finalists, judges selected six finalists to present at the Entrepreneur Challenge on April 11. All semi-finalists and finalists were invited to exhibit at the April 11 Entrepreneur Challenge and participate in the April 12 One Utah Summit.
Semi-finalist judges include:
- Pete Codella, Managing Director, Governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity
- Jeremy Deamer, Branch Technology and Innovation Manager, America First Credit Union
- Caryl Eriksson, President, InterMountain Business Lending
