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.
