Start School Sessions

Silicon Slopes
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Start School Sessions is the podcast from Start School, the free entrepreneurship program Silicon Slopes runs with Mountain America Credit Union. Each episode is one from a live session.

  1. Oct 2

    Start School Session: Vivint Co-Founder Keith Nellesen

    What does it actually take to survive long enough to build a great company? Silicon Slopes CEO Clint Betts sits down with Vivint co-founder and McColee Partners CEO Keith Nellesen for a Start School session about entrepreneurship, leadership, investing, resilience, and the lessons that come from decades of building businesses. Keith shares the unlikely story behind Vivint, from leaving a promising career at Deloitte to join his high school friend Todd Pedersen, nearly going under in the early years, pivoting from pest control into home security, and eventually helping build one of Utah’s most successful companies. He opens up about maxed-out credit cards, missed mortgage payments, expensive financing, constant uncertainty, and the unrelenting desire to survive that kept the company moving forward. The conversation also explores what Keith looks for when investing in founders today, why solving a real customer need matters more than having a great idea, and how some of his biggest mistakes shaped the way he thinks about business. Keith shares lessons from his experience with Nuvi, why he believes being an investor and CEO at the same time can create problems, and why profitability and cash still matter. Keith also reflects on leadership, family, leaving Vivint, and how his life changed when he finally had the time to be more present with his children. His approach to leadership is simple: work hard, tell the truth, treat people the way you want to be treated, and do what you said you would do. Timestamps:00:00 - Introduction00:50 - The accidental start of Vivint04:00 - Early financial struggles and pivotal moments10:00 - Technological innovations and industry challenges13:21 - Exiting Vivint and life after17:34 - Current ventures with Macaulay Partners22:00 - Audience Q&A: Guiding principles and founder criteria34:00 - Lessons from Nuvi and leadership insights For entrepreneurs navigating uncertainty, deciding when to pivot, raising capital, or simply trying to survive another month, this Start School session is a candid look at what building a company really requires. Learn more about Start School and Silicon Slopes at siliconslopes.com.

    Start School Session: Vivint Co-Founder Keith Nellesen

  2. Sep 15

    Start School Session: Kickstart Founder & General Partner Gavin Christensen

    What does it take to build a company worth betting on?Silicon Slopes CEO Clint Betts sits down with Kickstart Founder and General Partner Gavin Christensen for a Start School session about venture capital, entrepreneurship, AI, leadership, and the next generation of Utah’s tech ecosystem. Gavin shares the story of launching Kickstart when seed-stage investing in Utah was still a non-consensus idea, growing it from an initial $4 million fund into one of the most influential venture firms in the region, and watching Utah transform into a thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem. They discuss how AI is reshaping the startup landscape, why Gavin believes “the economy is up for grabs,” and where he sees opportunities for Utah entrepreneurs in the next wave of technology.  Gavin also breaks down what Kickstart looks for in founders, why only a small percentage of businesses should pursue venture capital, what it actually takes to generate venture-scale returns, and the question every founder seeking funding should be able to answer: Why can we not say no to you? The conversation also goes beyond fundraising. Gavin shares what decades of investing in entrepreneurs have taught him about leadership, grit, curiosity, competition, and the importance of building a successful company without sacrificing everything else that matters. For founders trying to understand venture capital, navigate the AI era, or build something truly exceptional, this Start School session offers lessons from one of Utah’s most experienced investors. Timestamps:00:00 - Introduction00:47 - Gavin Christensen's journey into venture capital02:03 - The early days of Kickstart and the Great Recession03:09 - The growth of Utah's funding ecosystem04:06 - Why Utah is a strong tech hub06:28 - The future of SaaS and AI10:12 - Current investment trends in Utah13:35 - Private vs. public valuations17:05 - The impact of AI on the tech industry20:20 - The backlash against tech and AI22:11 - Audience Q&A: The American dream and innovation24:04 - The gap between having a solid project and getting venture capital26:43 - How Kickstart finds the best entrepreneurs in Utah29:05 - The importance of leadership and self-management37:37 - Balancing entrepreneurship with personal life44:27 - Closing thoughts and thank you Learn more about Start School and Silicon Slopes at siliconslopes.com.

    Start School Session: Kickstart Founder & General Partner Gavin Christensen

  3. Sep 2

    Start School Session: Torus Founder & CEO Nate Walkingshaw

    What does it take to build a company capable of transforming the way we produce, store, and distribute energy? Silicon Slopes CEO Clint Betts sits down with Torus CEO Nate Walkingshaw for a Start School session about entrepreneurship, leadership, energy infrastructure, and the future of one of Utah’s most ambitious companies. Nate shares his unconventional journey from working as an EMT to inventing medical devices, building and selling companies, helping scale Pluralsight, and ultimately founding Torus. He opens up about the mistakes he made as a young founder, the weight entrepreneurs carry, overcoming imposter syndrome, and how his approach to leadership has evolved over more than 25 years of building companies. They also dive into the massive energy challenge created by AI and GPU development, why the existing electrical grid was not designed for what is coming, and how Torus is building energy storage technology that could help create a more intelligent, flexible, and decentralized power grid. Nate also explains why some of his biggest breakthroughs came from listening instead of fighting, how Torus went from challenging traditional utilities to partnering with them, and why he believes Utah has an opportunity to build a company unlike anything the state has produced before. For entrepreneurs, Nate leaves the room with a simple description of what it takes to keep building through uncertainty: a high pain tolerance and a short memory. Timestamps00:00:00 - Introduction and Guest Background00:01:58 - Nate's Early Career and Innovations00:04:48 - Transition to Strava and Health Journey00:08:58 - The Weight of Responsibility in Entrepreneurship00:13:09 - Leadership Evolution and Cultural Shifts00:16:09 - The Role of Energy in the AI Revolution00:19:04 - Vulnerabilities in the Power Grid00:23:00 - The Impact of GPUs on Energy Demand00:27:57 - Data Centers and Decentralization00:31:40 - Taurus's Role in Energy Storage and Grid Support00:37:40 - Working with Utility Companies00:45:37 - Audience Q&A: Choosing Flywheel Technology Learn more about Start School and Silicon Slopes at siliconslopes.com.

    Start School Session: Torus Founder & CEO Nate Walkingshaw

  4. Aug 31

    Start School Session: Disruptive Advertising Founder & CEO Jacob Baadsgaard

    What does it take to build a marketing strategy that actually drives growth? In this Start School session, Silicon Slopes CEO Clint Betts sits down with Jacob Baadsgaard, founder and CEO of Disruptive Advertising, to talk about building a business, understanding your customers, and creating marketing that delivers measurable results. Jacob shares how he grew Disruptive Advertising from a side gig into one of the country’s top digital marketing agencies, why founders need to “nail it before they scale it,” and the biggest mistakes he sees CEOs and marketers make when trying to grow a company. They also discuss how to determine the right marketing budget, customer acquisition costs, the role of AI in marketing, finding your target customer, when paid advertising makes sense, and why founders should often figure out their sales and marketing process before handing it off to someone else. Jacob also opens up about some of the failures behind his success, including going through five marketers at his own company before finally figuring out what was missing, and how building a successful business impacted his marriage and family. Timestamps:00:00:05 - Introduction and Jake's Running Habit00:00:16 - Jake's Background and High School Connection00:01:07 - Starting Disruptive Advertising00:01:22 - Early Career at Omniture00:01:54 - Founding Disruptive Advertising and Name Change00:03:15 - Evolution of Disruptive Advertising00:05:26 - Current Projects: Book and YouTube Channel00:06:48 - Marketing Budget and AI's Role00:09:03 - Marketing Strategies for Startups00:11:16 - Addressing Specific Marketing Challenges00:15:26 - Push vs. Pull Marketing Tactics00:19:46 - Marketing Strategy Questions00:21:27 - Nonprofit Marketing Challenges00:26:16 - Practical Marketing Advice for Startups00:30:39 - Transitioning from Founder-Based Sales00:31:27 - Choosing Marketing Channels00:35:56 - Learning from Failures and Successes00:39:16 - Closing Remarks and YouTube Channel Promotion Whether you’re building a startup, leading a growing company, or trying to make your marketing more effective, this conversation is packed with practical lessons you can put to work.

    Start School Session: Disruptive Advertising Founder & CEO Jacob Baadsgaard

  5. Aug 20

    Start School Session: Stance Socks Chief Growth Officer Clarke Miyasaki

    Clarke Miyasaki has built a career around turning ordinary products into extraordinary brands. In this Start School session, Silicon Slopes CEO Clint Betts sits down with Clarke, Chief Growth Officer at Stance, to talk about his journey from venture capital to Skullcandy, Stance, and beyond. Clarke shares the lessons he learned building some of the biggest partnerships in consumer marketing, including deals with the NBA, Rihanna, Snoop Dogg, Jay-Z, Metallica, and more. He also tells the story of how Stance went from selling socks to becoming the first brand ever to have its logo visible on an NBA uniform. They also dive into some of Clarke's biggest lessons from decades in business, including why you should look forward instead of behind, how to build relationships that can change your career, why quickly building trust is a superpower, and what it really takes to build an aspirational brand. 00:00:00 - Introduction and Guest Welcome00:00:37 - Clarke Miyasaki's Start at vSpring00:01:07 - Learning Experiences at vSpring00:01:31 - Transition from vSpring to LogoWorks00:02:10 - Building LogoWorks and Partnership with HP00:03:34 - Joining Skullcandy00:03:57 - Early Days at Skullcandy00:04:44 - Major Partnerships at Skullcandy00:05:54 - Influencer Marketing and NBA Crew00:07:09 - Missed Opportunity with Beats by Dre00:08:56 - Skullcandy's IPO and Marketing Campaigns00:10:14 - Transition to Kickstart Seed Fund00:11:08 - Founding Kickstart and Early Challenges00:12:00 - Joining Stance and Initial Partnerships00:13:19 - Building Stance's Brand and Partnerships00:14:55 - Securing NBA Partnership for Stance00:16:58 - Becoming the Official NBA Sock00:20:01 - Impact of NBA Partnership00:22:00 - Stance's MLB Partnership00:23:02 - Leaving Stance and Joining Vivint00:24:19 - Vivint's Success Post-Acquisition00:25:32 - Q&A: VC Backing for Consumer Products00:26:32 - Q&A: Transitioning to Consumer Products00:28:44 - Q&A: Creating Aspirational Brands00:31:39 - Q&A: Self-Leadership and Overcoming Struggles00:35:20 - Q&A: Engaging with the Spanish-Speaking Community00:38:17 - Q&A: AI Search and Apparel Companies00:40:29 - Q&A: Starting Over in Brand Partnerships00:41:50 - Q&A: Evaluating Potential Partners Whether you're building a consumer brand, looking for partnerships, or simply trying to become a better entrepreneur, this conversation is packed with lessons you can put into practice.

    Start School Session: Stance Socks Chief Growth Officer Clarke Miyasaki

  6. Aug 14

    Start School Session: Chatbooks Co-Founder & CEO Nate Quigley

    In this Start School Session, Clint Betts sits down with Nate Quigley, co-founder and CEO of Chatbooks, to talk about entrepreneurship, product-market fit, leadership, family, and what it really takes to build a company that lasts. Nate shares the story behind Chatbooks, from spending years in the wilderness trying to build a family memory system to the moment his wife Vanessa told him to “just print my Instagram.” He explains how that simple insight helped Chatbooks find product-market fit and grow into a company that now prints millions of photo books every year. The conversation also explores why simplicity matters, how Chatbooks has stayed focused on its core mission, why being a physical product company has become an advantage in the age of AI, and how Nate thinks about fundraising, profitability, marketing, company culture, and sustainable growth. Nate also shares lessons on self-leadership, working with your spouse, building a family business, and why entrepreneurship is more like a mountain climb than a sprint. 00:00:00 - Nate Quigley's Entrepreneurial Journey00:00:16 - Moving from Connecticut to Florida00:00:27 - Opportunity with JetBlue Subsidiary00:01:09 - Founding Chatbooks00:01:20 - The Birth of Folk Story00:01:50 - Early Struggles and Failures00:02:54 - Vanessa's Critical Intervention00:04:07 - Moving to Utah for Better Opportunities00:05:14 - Finding Community in Utah00:06:11 - Technical Challenges with Instagram API00:08:51 - Transition from Instagram to Photo Albums00:10:54 - Simplifying the Product00:12:34 - Staying Focused on Core Products00:15:20 - Fundraising and Profitability00:16:14 - Building a Moat with Physical Products00:17:37 - Market Expansion and TAM00:18:47 - Working with Your Spouse00:20:22 - Work-Life Integration00:22:30 - Consumer Education vs. Product Ease00:24:52 - Marketing Strategies and Growth00:27:58 - Self-Leadership and Wellness00:30:36 - Data-Driven Decision Making00:33:11 - Future of Chatbooks and Potential Exit00:34:47 - Rule of 40 Explained00:36:59 - Handling Non-Digitized Photos00:38:41 - Managing Family Business Dynamics00:39:51 - Typical Day and Company Culture00:42:07 - Evolution of Silicon Slopes Community00:44:06 - Leadership Style and Lessons Whether you are an aspiring entrepreneur, startup founder, or established business leader, this conversation is packed with practical lessons on building a company, finding product-market fit, and staying in the game for the long haul. Subscribe to Silicon Slopes for more Start School Sessions and conversations with Utah’s top entrepreneurs and business leaders.

    Start School Session: Chatbooks Co-Founder & CEO Nate Quigley

  7. Aug 4

    Start School Session: First Colony Mortgage CEO Carine Clark

    Carine Clark never planned to follow a conventional career.She started as a librarian, joined Novell during the early days of Utah's tech industry, helped build iconic technology companies, served on the boards of some of Utah's most influential organizations, and eventually became CEO of First Colony Mortgage, where she helped grow the company from roughly $1 billion to more than $7 billion in annual loan volume in just two years. But the defining moment of her life had nothing to do with business.A rare cancer diagnosis forced her to rethink everything about leadership, purpose, resilience, and how she wanted to spend the time she had left. In this Start School conversation, First Colony Mortgage CEO Carine Clark joins Silicon Slopes CEO Clint Betts to share the leadership lessons she's learned from decades in Utah tech, overcoming cancer, leading through change, and building organizations that outlast the people who create them. They discuss:• How Carine helped shape Utah's technology ecosystem from the Novell era to today• The leadership lessons she learned from Ray Noorda, Eric Schmidt, and other legendary executives• Why operating is about finding straight lines and removing friction• The rare cancer diagnosis that permanently changed her perspective on life and leadership• How First Colony Mortgage grew from roughly $1 billion to more than $7 billion in annual production• Why great leaders choose courage over comfort• The importance of letting employees solve hard problems instead of solving everything for them• Building resilient teams that adapt, improvise, and overcome• How Utah can improve housing affordability and expand homeownership• Why your time is your most valuable asset and how to spend it wisely 00:00 Introduction01:10 From librarian to Utah tech pioneer08:20 Lessons from Ray Noorda, Steve Jobs, and Eric Schmidt18:00 Why Carine became CEO of First Colony Mortgage23:20 The cancer diagnosis that changed everything35:30 Building a life around purpose instead of fear40:00 Helping Ryan Caldwell's family and the power of the Silicon Slopes community44:15 Choosing courage over comfort and solving impossible problems49:00 Operating a $7 billion company by removing friction52:00 Housing affordability, leadership, and serving others54:21 Closing remarks and outro Whether you're leading a company, building your career, or facing challenges that seem impossible to overcome, Carine shares timeless lessons on leadership, resilience, service, and living with purpose.

    Start School Session: First Colony Mortgage CEO Carine Clark

  8. Jul 29

    Start School Session: Neighbor Founder & CEO Joseph Woodbury

    Joseph Woodbury didn't set out to build another software company. He set out to solve a problem his co-founder experienced firsthand after struggling to find affordable storage. That simple idea grew into Neighbor, the largest self storage marketplace in the United States, connecting people with unused space in their homes, businesses, and storage facilities. In this Start School conversation, Neighbor Founder and CEO Joseph Woodbury joins Silicon Slopes CEO Clint Betts to share what it really takes to build a marketplace business, raise venture capital, navigate changing markets, and create a company with lasting network effects in the age of AI. They discuss:• How the idea for Neighbor came from a personal frustration• Why marketplaces only succeed in massive industries• Lessons from raising capital through different market cycles• Building network effects that AI cannot easily replace• Why distribution has become the new competitive moat• How Neighbor uses AI to move faster without forcing it into every product• Creating trust between strangers in a peer to peer marketplace• The fundraising story that led to Andreessen Horowitz leading Neighbor's Series A• Why founders should build technology only after validating customer demand• The importance of solving problems that genuinely change people's lives 00:00 Introduction01:10 The story behind Neighbor and the marketplace opportunity05:20 Going all in after college and raising the seed round10:15 Why every fundraising round is different15:05 AI, network effects, and why distribution is the new moat22:00 Using AI to build more with a smaller team26:00 Building trust in a peer to peer marketplace33:45 Scaling from homeowners to enterprise real estate partners39:20 The Andreessen Horowitz fundraising story and lessons on perseverance45:00 Speed of execution, founder mode, and leading in the AI era48:10 Regulatory challenges and validating marketplace ideas50:05 Final advice for founders: Build something that changes people's lives50:43 End  Whether you're building a marketplace, launching your first startup, or trying to understand how AI is changing software businesses, Joseph shares practical lessons on product market fit, fundraising, execution, and building a durable company. Subscribe for more conversations with the founders, CEOs, and innovators shaping the future of business.

    Start School Session: Neighbor Founder & CEO Joseph Woodbury
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About

Start School Sessions is the podcast from Start School, the free entrepreneurship program Silicon Slopes runs with Mountain America Credit Union. Each episode is one from a live session.

Information

  • Creator
    Silicon Slopes
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    28
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Silicon Slopes
  • Show Website
    Start School Sessions