226. Anil Singh — Unlocking Careers With AI Education
In this episode, Pete Codella, managing director of business services at the Governor's Office of Economic Opportunity, talks with Anil Singh, founder and president of Saras AI Institute. Singh shares his journey, from growing up in a small village in India to becoming a successful entrepreneur, highlighting how education transformed his life and inspired him to establish Saras AI Institute. The institute offers fully online AI education, including certificate, associate, and bachelor's degree programs, with a unique project-based learning approach that eliminates traditional exams. Singh discusses the Memorandum of Understanding signed by the Saras AI Institute and the Indian Institute of Technology to advance AI education in India. He emphasizes that AI is not here to replace humans but to augment them, creating millions of new jobs and solving humanity's greatest challenges. Singh encourages anyone interested in AI to embrace it as a tool and offers advice on how to get started, recommending readily available tools like ChatGPT. He also highlights Saras AI Institute's beginner-friendly "Powers of AI" course, designed to help individuals confidently enter the AI field, regardless of their background.
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225. Emily Ashby — Connecting Utahns To Local Agriculture and Food Industries
In this episode, Pete Codella, managing director of business services at the Governor's Office of Economic Opportunity, talks with Emily Ashby, program manager for Utah's Own. Ashby shares insights into her passion for local industries with Utah's Own, a state-branded program promoting Utah's agriculture and food business. She discusses the vital function of Utah's Own in bridging the gap between consumers and local producers, highlighting the program's efforts to support and uplift the state's food and farming sector. Utah's Own, which became membership-based five years ago, offers benefits like online directory presence, using Utah's Own logo for product differentiation, and promotional opportunities through social media and newsletters. Ashby emphasizes the economic impact of supporting local businesses, noting that increasing local spending by just 10% could retain an additional $1.3 billion annually within Utah's economy. Ashby also addresses challenges facing Utah's agriculture, such as land development, water issues, and the need for succession planning in family farms, while also noting the positive trend of agritourism as a way for farmers to diversify their income and keep their farms viable.
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224. Chris Baird — Providing Connectivity Solutions With OptConnect
In this episode, Pete Codella, managing director of business services at the Governor's Office of Economic Opportunity, talks with Chris Baird, CEO of OptConnect. Baird discusses his journey from sales and operations before becoming CEO of OptConnect. The company began by providing temporary cellular connectivity for ATMs at an outdoor festival and has since evolved into a full-service provider of managed wireless solutions for a wide range of unattended machines like kiosks and digital signage — meeting growing demand as major retailers began requiring vendors to bring their internet solutions. Baird explains that OptConnect’s solutions involve purpose-built hardware, extensive software development by 50 engineers, and redundant cellular connectivity across major carriers. The company has grown to nearly 200 direct employees, with additional contractors, and has expanded globally with offices in Europe and Latin America, serving over 1.1 million devices. Baird discusses OptConnect's consistent growth and recognition on lists like Utah Business's Fast 50 and Inc. 5000, attributing it to a relentless focus on customer satisfaction, which stems from prioritizing employee well-being and fostering a strong company culture, including a dedicated annual day of service for all employees.
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223. Stephanie Frohman — Utah's Proactive Approach to Environmental Challenges
In this episode, Pete Codella, managing director of business services at the Governor's Office of Economic Opportunity, talks with Stephanie Frohman, associate director of the Janet Quinney Lawson Institute for Land, Water, and Air at Utah State University. Frohman shares her career journey and the critical work the institute is doing in Utah. With 27 years of experience as an engineer in medical devices, she transitioned into economic development, spending two decades at the Economic Development Corporation of Utah. Her passion for mission-based work led her to focus on natural resources, leading her to her current role, where she is pursuing a master's degree in natural resources to better understand Utah's unique environmental challenges and opportunities. Frohman highlights the institute's mission to connect decision-makers with high-quality research, providing evidence-based support for environmental and economic solutions. It produces an annual report for the governor and Legislature, translating complex research into accessible insights and serving as a resource for policymakers on land, water, and air issues. Frohman highlights the institute's proactive and reactive approaches, including its work with the Great Salt Lake Strike Team to baseline scientific understanding and its Bear Lake needs assessment to prevent future problems. It also engages students, offering professional development opportunities and involving them in policy discussions.
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222. Thomas Laakso — Bringing Innovation and Sustainability to Utah's Slopes
In this episode, Pete Codella, managing director of business services at the Governor's Office of Economic Opportunity, talks with Thomas Laakso, senior vice president of DPS Skis. Laakso highlights Utah's unique advantage of outdoor access, which allows him to combine his career in skiing with living in the mountains. His material science and composite engineering background led him to work for brands like The North Face before joining Black Diamond and eventually co-founding an avalanche safety company. He oversees product and operations at DPS Skis, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary and is the largest ski producer in the United States. Laakso emphasizes DPS Skis' commitment to using 90% domestic materials, which proved beneficial during supply chain disruptions. He details the company's 18-month design, manufacturing, and testing process, highlighting the strategic advantage of its Salt Lake City location for rapid iteration and testing on nearby mountains. DPS Skis, known for its carbon fiber construction and focus on freeride, recently launched a new Pisteworks line for hard snow carving. Laakso also discusses its Revive program, which refurbishes and resells used skis, including those from other brands, promoting sustainability by extending product lifespan.
The Business Elevated podcast discusses what it’s like to live, work, and recreate in the great state of Utah from the perspective of the state's business, nonprofit, and government leaders. Since 2019, it has included the state's critical economic development topics, the day's pressing issues, and timely conversations with industry-leading guest experts. The Business Elevated podcast is a production of the Utah Governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity.
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