Tickets are on sale now. Visit the RSVP page for more information and to purchase your tickets.

The event will be held at UVU at 800 W University Parkway, Orem, UT 84058.

Here is the flyer:

Thursday, February 9 at Novell Building A (Provo), starting at 11:45 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Winners will present an overview of their winning strategies and take questions from the audience about their experience.

Winners include:

•  AutoBid
• SocialMed
• XoomPark
• ActiveAlarm

Over 85 percent of new businesses fail within a few years, often because they try to plan their way to success. Surprisingly, research suggests that writing a business plan has NO CORRELATION WITH SUCCESS. Go ahead; read that again.

The Business Model Competition represents a radical departure from the standard methodologies of entrepreneurship; the BMC is not a business plan competition. It’s a competition to see who can refine the most successful model.

Participants aren’t rewarded for doing lots of library research, drawing fancy graphs, or crafting the perfect sales pitch to venture capitalists.

Instead the BMC rewards students for 1) breaking down their idea into the key business model hypotheses, 2) getting outside the building and testing their assumptions with customers, 3) applying Customer Development / Lean Startup principles to make sure they nail the solution, and 4) learning to pivot (or change) until they have a customer-validated business model.

Sound interesting? Please join us on Thursday, February 9th at noon in the Novell Education Center (Provo, Bldg A) to hear what the winners had to show and to ask them questions about their experience.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Friday, February 3 at the Megaplex Theaters in Sandy
(Jordan Commons – 9400 S. State Street, Sandy, UT).

RSVP and purchase your tickets before they sell out.

Use the link above to get there directly. However, If you start at the megaplextheatres.com Home Page, you need to:

1. Go to http://megaplextheatres.com
2. Under ‘Showtimes & Tickets’ select ‘Sandy at Jordan Commons’
3. Choose date: ‘Friday, February 3′
4. Choose ‘Lean Startup All-Star Networking Lunch’
5. Order your tickets

Here is the flyer on the event:

Thursday, January 12 at Novell from 11:45 to 1:30 p.m.

In a never-before-seen crowd-forum format, the following entrepreneurs will introduce their businesses, describe three lessons they’ve learned while starting and growing their ventures, and then take questions, comments, and feedback from the crowd.

To top it off, all attendees will get a chance to vote for the entrepreneur they think imparts the most valuable insights and lessons learned.

UVEF will award the winner a $500 cash prize and 2 extra UVEF membership seats for their company, and give away an iPad2 to a random audience participant*.

Our participants for the January Crowd Forum include:

• CampusBookRentals.com: Alan Martin, CEO
• mediaFORGE: Rhett Frandsen, VP Sales and Network Development
• KT Tape: Reed Quinn, Founder
• The Sweet Tooth Fairy: Megan Brown, CEO
• iApplicants: Ryan Kohler, CEO

Register for this event today, space is limited

 Questions? Contact Michelle@cedo.org or 801.226.1521 ext.101
No cost for this event to current UVEF members. $25 for visitors.

*Yes, you read that correctly; we are giving away an iPad to some lucky audience member in a random drawing. It could be you, but only if you are there.

Best Kept Entrepreneurial Secret

We regularly hear a compelling story about a company that seems to come out of nowhere to grab headlines and inspire entrepreneurs, making us think, ‘now why haven’t we noticed them before?’

 This year we learned of a local company on a path to success when ‘disaster’ struck; a majority investor pulled out, leaving the company in a sudden bind. Not willing to be sold or to risk being disbanded, the company worked to secure an enterprise loan, which took nearly six months to close and at the ‘zero hour’ came through for $500,000 less than the company needed to close. The company’s own executive team stepped up; pulled out checkbooks and credit cards; and took voluntary pay cuts. Together they closed the gap, finalizing the loan and full company buyback in May of this year.

 With new funding, the employee-owned company continued its record growth and accumulated enough revenue to pay the loan off in full on the date of the first payment. Employees and their families are planning a group march to Zions Bank to deliver the payment in person later this month.

 For their remarkable turnaround and expansion story and continued success, we recognize Fishbowl Inventory as Utah Valley’s Best Kept Entrepreneurial Secret.

Most Innovative Product

With so many innovations coming from our Utah Valley Entrepreneurial Community, it is often hard to determine which to recognize as our ‘most’ innovative. This year the decision was equally tough with several nominees taking our breath away as we pondered their ground-breaking work.

 One, however, shines through as a remarkable breakthrough that has the potential to literally change the world for everyone in it.

 RiverRock Bioscience has the Exclusive, worldwide rights to what is arguably the most transformative technology ever developed by Brigham Young University. This broadly patented, game-changing technology mimics the innate immune system of plants, animals, insects and humans, and possesses remarkable antimicrobial, wound healing and other properties.

 Whereas typical antimicrobial and wound healing agents are oftentimes toxic, ineffective against bacteria in a biofilm structure, and rapidly lead to bacterial resistance known as ‘superbugs’, the CSA technology has been shown to be just the opposite, and more effective.

 Among the many industries being pursued by RiverRock that can clearly benefit from this technology are: animal healthcare; commercial disinfection; consumer personal care products and cosmetics; food safety; and household and hospital sanitation. The first of these opportunities, animal healthcare, has already resulted in a significant financial partnership and will soon be commercialized by RiverRock.

For this remarkable innovation, we recognize RiverRock Bioscience for their commercialization of this year’s Most Innovative Product.

Ron King Social Entrepreneur of the Year

The UVEF Ron King Social Entrepreneur of the Year is awarded to an entrepreneurial company that demonstrates outstanding success in a socially beneficial market. We look for companies who have built a sustainable and profitable business in an area that demonstrates an overarching benefit to the greater human community.

This year’s recipient collects food waste, which would otherwise be thrown away, and through a completely organic process turns it into a high quality soil conditioner. Through a proprietary process they are able to reduce landfill waste and methane emissions while producing a viable product that they literally can’t keep on the shelves.

The resulting soil conditioner provides the same nutrient values as chemical based soil amendments yet is completely organic. Their products are composed of ingredients selected and combined in scientifically determined proportions to produce ideal nutrient and organic content to the soil, all while helping to reduce waste and better the environment.

Please congratulate EcoScraps, our 2011 Ron King Social Entrepreneur of the Year.

Greatest Contribution to Entrepreneurs

With a remarkable number of outstanding individuals in this category, we find it hard to select just one individual who has given more of their time and talent to mentor, support or grow the Utah Entrepreneurial Community. From this year’s field of outstanding candidates, one individual stood out through his consistent dedication and innovation.

With a passion for sharing his own entrepreneurial experience and a talent for adding excitement and enthusiasm, Jeremy Hanks has assembled an active and thriving community around LaunchUp, his virtual business barn-raising forum. Under Jeremy’s direction, LaunchUp has become an entertaining and informative must-attend meetup for young entrepreneurs looking to learn from others who are forging their own path.

Jeremy Hanks relentlessly shares his time and talent, and has earned the respect of entrepreneurs with an honest and practical approach to mentoring. For his remarkable work in building LaunchUp, and for his continued service to the Entrepreneurial community, The Utah Valley Entrepreneurial Forum recognizes Jeremy Hanks.

Please join us in congratulating Jeremy Hanks for his Greatest Contribution to Entrepreneurs this year.

Entrepreneur of the Year:

Each year we accept nominations for the most outstanding entrepreneur of the year. We seek that one individual who has achieved the highest degree of success, measured both in the success of the company, and the contribution to the local economy through employment and opportunity.

For leading his company to remarkable growth, outstanding innovation and worldwide recognition as a leader in their category, The Utah Valley Entrepreneurial Forum is proud to announce Brad Caldwell as our Entrepreneur of the Year Recipient for 2011.

Brad Caldwell is chief executive officer and founder of SecurityMetrics, Inc. Under Caldwell’s leadership, SecurityMetrics has grown from a small security company specializing in vulnerability assessment scans to a global leader in providing PCI compliance, data security, and organizational security solutions. Spanning it’s 11 years in operation, SecurityMetrics has helped more than 1 million organizations, from Fortune 500 businesses to small retailers.

With a broad portfolio of products, services and expertise, SecurityMetrics has become the leader in helping acquiring banks and their merchants secure and manage their information assets. Brad Caldwell has worked successfully to grow Security Metrics from a cramped townhouse office to a towering new 5-story building, already expanding into areas originally designated for sub-leasing. He has assembled a 400-person world class team of local talent and established SecurityMetrics as a foundational standard in digital data security.

Please congratulate Brad Caldwell of SecurityMetrics, our 2011 Entrepreneur of the Year!

 Congratulations to all our award recipients this year!

Other mentions:

The Provo Daily Herald ran a story on the event.

Here is the story on the Utah Business Wire

“Utah continues to chart the nation’s course to better times through its entrepreneurs,” said UVEF chairman Cary Snowden. “UVEF Award winners are on the leading edge of this prolific success .”

Award recipients will be named in the following categories:

• Most Innovative Product: RiverRock Bioscience
• Ron King Social Entrepreneur of the Year: Ecoscraps
• Greatest Contribution to Entrepreneurs: Jeremy Hanks, LaunchUp
• Utah Valley’s Best Kept Entrepreneurial Secret: Fishbowl Inventory
• Entrepreneur of the Year: Brad Caldwell, Security Metrics

YouTube Video: What makes Utah a Hotbed for Entrepreneurs.

Biographies on winners may be viewed at www.uvef.net .

UVEF is a volunteer non-profit support group linking entrepreneurs to Money, Markets, and Mentors. Celebrating 20 years of new business success, UVEF empowers current and future business leaders to thrive in today’s competitive market. We provide real-world, practical education and valuable resources on how to access needed capital, attract new customers and tap into industry experts. For information on upcoming meetings, speakers and exclusive membership benefits visit www.uvef.net. Linkedin  Facebook

Press Contact:

John Pilmer, APR

PilmerPR

801-369-7535

jpilmer@pilmerpr.com

www.pilmerpr.com

Utah is again recognized (for the second time!) this year as Forbes Best State for Business and Careers with Forbes stating that “No state can match the consistent performance of Utah.” Now there’s something to be proud of!

According to Forbes:

“Utah highlights include energy costs 31% below the national average and employment growth that has averaged 0.6% the past five years. Compare that to the U.S. as a whole where job growth has averaged negative 0.6% since 2005. Utah’s 5% corporate tax rate is well below western neighbors Arizona, Idaho and New Mexico. Utah ranks sixth in a new Tax Foundation study that looks at the tax burden on business in each state across different industries. As part of the ranking, we included the study which will be released to the public in the coming months.

Businesses are getting the message on Utah. Procter & Gamble, ITT, Home Depot and Boeing all announced expansions in Utah this year. The Goldman Sachs office in Salt Lake City is its second biggest in the Americas with more 1,000 employees and significant expansion expected over the next four years.”

Check out the complete Forbes article titled: The Best States For Business.

Browse these other local articles on the news:

• KSL reports that Utah Ranked #1 For Business Again
• Utah Valley Business Blog posted Utah Repeats This Year As Forbes Best State For Business And Careers

December 8, 11:45 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Novell Building A.

The Utah Valley Entrepreneurial Forum invites you to its 2011 Annual UVEF Awards event. The annual event recognizes Utah companies and leaders for innovation, business growth and contributions to the entrepreneurial community.

This year’s honorees represent those most influential in driving Utah’s entrepreneurial community, and bringing significant positive change to our local Utah economy.

Award recipients will be named in the following categories:

• Most Innovative Product
• Ron King Social Entrepreneur of the Year
• Greatest Contribution to Entrepreneurs
• Utah Valley’s Best Kept Entrepreneurial Secret
• Entrepreneur of the Year

Register for this event today, space is limited:

Questions? Contact Michelle@cedo.org or 801.226.1521 ext.101
No cost for this event to current UVEF members. $25 for visitors.

About UVEF

The Utah Valley Entrepreneurial Forum (UVEF) is a volunteer non-profit support group linking entrepreneurs to Money, Markets and Mentors. Celebrating 20 years of new business success, UVEF empowers current and future business leaders to thrive in today’s competitive market.

We provide real-world, practical education and valuable resources on how to access needed capital, attract new customers and tap into industry experts.

We welcome new members.

Meet Our Sponsors

The Eyring Research Institute (ERI) was founded in 1972 by Carlyle Harmon with Dr. Ronald G. Hansen as President. The Institute did consulting work in various areas of contract research in cooperation with Brigham Young University. ERI spawned many high-tech spin-offs, including WordPerfect, Novell, and Dynix, as well as advancements in the military and communication arenas that have benefited the world. These breakthroughs created a whirlwind of innovation and entrepreneurial activity in Utah Valley affecting Utah for decades.

Dr. Ronald G. Hansen and Cleo Larene Harmon will attend tonight’s ceremony to receive the award on behalf of The Eyring Research Institute, with an introduction by Richard McDermott, the former VP of Finance for Eyring.

“Few organizations have done more than the Eyring Research Institute to bolster entrepreneurism and economic growth in the state,” said UVEF chairman Cary Snowden. “Millions of people have benefited, and billions of dollars in commerce are evidence of the Institute’s impact.”

Past UVEF Hall of Fame honorees include WordPerfect, Novell, Dr. Bill Pope, BYU Center for Entrepreneurship, Stephen R. Covey, and Harold R. Wing.

About UVEF

The Utah Valley Entrepreneurial Forum (UVEF) is a volunteer non-profit support group linking entrepreneurs to Money, Markets, and Mentors. Celebrating 21 years of new business success, UVEF empowers current and future business leaders to thrive in today’s competitive market. We provide real-world, practical education and valuable resources on how to access needed capital, attract new customers and tap into industry experts. For information on upcoming meetings, speakers and exclusive membership benefits visit www.uvef.net.

Press Contact:

Andon Carling
PilmerPR
801-805-6755
acarling@pilmerpr.com
www.pilmerpr.com