Start School Sessions

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 insightsFor 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.

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 youLearn more about Start School and Silicon Slopes at siliconslopes.com.

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 TechnologyLearn more about Start School and Silicon Slopes at siliconslopes.com.

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 PromotionWhether 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.

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 PartnersWhether 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.