vSpring's Top 100 Venture Entrepreneurs
SALT LAKE CITY, UT--(Marketwire - March 31, 2009) - vSpring Capital announced today the 2009 class of the vSpring Capital Top 100 Venture Entrepreneurs, also known as the v100.
The v100 was created in 2004 by vSpring Capital as a tool to identify and recognize entrepreneurs who are most likely to experience successful venture returns with ties to the state of Utah. Members of the v100 become part of an ongoing community of entrepreneurs that fosters collaboration and provides advantages in building and growing companies.
Each year, vSpring asks members of the Utah business community to nominate individuals who are most likely to lead a successful startup venture in the next five to seven years in the IT (information technology) or biotech industries. These nominees are then asked to vote amongst themselves based on the same criteria. Those nominees who garner the most votes from their peers in this second step of the annual voting process are then elected into the v100 and become members of this ongoing community of entrepreneurial leaders.
"This year over 10,000 members of the Utah business community were solicited, creating the most complete list of nominees possible," said Dennis Wood, director of human capital at vSpring Capital.
"The v100 process is unique in that members are selected not by a committee or a panel of judges, but ultimately by their peers," said Professor Scott Schaefer from the University of Utah and member of the audit committee who oversees the v100 selection process. "This gives the results a unique and compelling validity, while helping ensure the integrity of the v100."
This year's v100 announcement comes during one of the most difficult economic downturns in decades. "We are pleased that in this down economy, this year's list supports the idea that entrepreneurial success can not only happen in spite of the economy, but sometimes because of the economy," Wood stated. "These designees demonstrate that companies are achieving results in this environment."
"Entrepreneurship is one of the key factors of production that will help strengthen the current financial environment through its ability to help generate economic development in the communities in which they are located," stated Jon Walker, an analyst at vSpring Capital. "I firmly believe we are just starting to tap the vast entrepreneurial potential and resources that this state and region have to offer."
Mr. David Checketts, Chairman of SCP Worldwide, will address the v100 community at an exclusive luncheon on May 7, 2009 at Rio Tinto Stadium.
"Mr. Checketts is the ideal keynote speaker," Walker stated. "We are glad to properly recognize the current and future accomplishments of the v100 inductees and current members at this event."
vSpring Capital is an early-stage venture capital firm that invests in information technology and life science companies. With offices in Utah and New Mexico, the firm has over $390 million under management.
Facts about the v100 Class of 2009
A complete list of members in the 2009 v100 is enclosed below. Be advised that positions/companies noted were current as of the date of the compilation of the 2009 v100 list of members. This year there was a tie in the voting, making a total of 106 members. For additional information about the v100 or vSpring Capital, please contact vSpring's Jon Walker at 801-942-8999(wk) or jon@vspring.com
Pete Abilla Schmula & Company, Founder, www.shmula.com
Jayson Ahlstrom, ClassTop, President/COO, www.classtop.com
Rick Alden, SkullCandy, Founder/CEO, www.skullcandy.com
Nate Alder, Klymit, Founder/CEO, www.klymit.com
Paul Allen, FamilyLink.com, CEO, http://corporate.familylink.com
Curt Allen, Agilix, President/CEO, www.agilix.com
Dallin Anderson, Code Genetics, President/CEO, www.codenutrition.com
Amy Rees Anderson, Mediconnect Global, CEO, www.mediconnect.net
Jeremy Andrus, SkullCandy, President, www.skullcandy.com
Coleman Barney, Infopia, President/CEO, www.infopia.com
Don Basille, FusionIO, www.fusionio.com
Jay Bean, OrangeSoda, CEO, www.orangesoda.com
Grant Beckmann, Logitech, VP Digital Video Business, www.logitech.com
Justin Bergener, Schooltipline, CEO, www.schooltipline.com
Brian Beutler, Alianza, CEO, www.alianza.com
Clay Blackham, SnappConner, PR Partner, www.snappconner.com
Brock Blake, Funding Universe, CEO, www.fundinguniverse.com
William Borghetti, Sendside Networks, CEO, www.sendside.com
David Boyce, Oracle, VP of Strategy of Retail Business Unit, www.oracle.com
David Bradford, FusionIO, CEO, www.fusionio.com
Jeff Brimhall, Credibli, CEO, www.credibli.com
Paul Brockbank, MarketSplash HP, CEO, www.marketsplash.com
Craig Burton
Gregory Butterfield, SageCreek Partners, Managing Partner, www.sagecreekpartners.com
Ryan Caldwell, Entice Labs, CEO, www.enticelabs.com
Scott Carman, BlueStar Home Heath, CoFounder/CEO, www.bluestarhomehealth.com
Don Cash, Omniture, VP Mid Market Sales, www.omniture.com
Nathaniel Checketts , Mangia Technologies, President/Founder, www.mangia.net
Josh Coates, Mozy, Founder, www.mozy.com
Tom Creighton. FamilySearch.org, Application Architect, www.familysearch.org
Brian Cummings, University of Utah TCO, Director
Ed Donakey, LDS Church/Family History Dept., Mgr. of Strategic Relationships
Adam Edmunds, Allegiance, President/CEO, www.allegiance.com
John Edwards, Move Networks, President/CEO, www.movenetworks.com
David Elkington, InsideSales.com, CEO, www.insidesales.com
James Endicott, Exact Wave, President/CEO, www.exactwave.com
Bjorn Espenes, Infopia, Chairman, www.infopia.com
Ildar Fazulyanov, Sterling CFOs, Managing Partner, www.sterlingcfos.com
Martin Frey, Powercode Systems, CEO, www.powercode.com
Stephen Fulling, Kynetx, Founder/CEO, www.kynetx.com
Jeremy Hanks, 9Aisle, CoFounder/CEO, www.9aisle.com
Nathan Hatch, C7 Data Centers, President/CEO, www.c7dc.com
Greg Heaps, Allegiance, COO, www.allegiance.com
Eliot Jacobsen, Lumiport, CoFounder/COO, www.lumiport.com
Josh James, Omniture, CoFounder/CEO, www.omniture.com
Steve Jones, Alianza, VP Bus. Dev., www.alianza.com
Dr. Greg Jones, University of Utah Scientific Computing & Imaging Institute, Associate Director
Stan Kanarowski, Park City Angels
Jeremy Kartchner, SnappConner PR, Partner, www.snappconner.com
Jeff Kearl, SkullCandy, Chairman of the Board, www.skullcandy.com
Maile Keone, Alianza, VP Marketing & Client Services, www.alianza.com
Kristen Knight, NuSkin Enterprises, Sr. Dir. of Global Product Marketing, www.nuskin.com
Chris Knudsen, Doba SMB/9Aisle, VP Sales & Marketing, www.smb.doba.com
Ken Krogue, Insidesales.com, President/CoFounder, www.insidesales.com
Bruce Law, Sprout Marketing, President, www.sproutmarketing.com
Darren Lee, NextPage, CEO, www.nextpage.com
Scott C. Lemon, HumanXtensions, CTO, www.humanxtensions.com
Dan Levine, SkullCandy, VP, www.skullcandy.com
Shawn Lindquist, Omniture, Chief Legal Officer, www.omniture.com
Lane Livingston, Fibernet, CFO, www.fiber.net
Kyle Love, Direct Controls, CEO, www.directcontrols.com
Drew Major, Cisco, Fellow, www.cisco.com
Ty D. Mattingly, Primary Colors, Managing Partner
Ned Maxfield, Utah Business Accelerator, CEO, www.utahbusinessaccelerator.com
Dave McGinn, Agilix, COO/CFO, www.agilix.com
Glen Mella, Control4, President/COO, www.control4.com
John F. Mellor, Omniture, Exec. VP of Bus Dev. & Corporate Strategy, www.omniture.com
Derek Miner, OrangeSoda.com, CoFounder, www.orangesoda.com
Clarke Miyasaki, SkullCandy, VP Bus. Dev., www. skullcandy.com
Ryan Money, Franchise Foundry, VP Bus. Dev., www.franchisefoundry.com
Mark Newman, HireVue, CEO, www.hirevue.com
Russell Page, Fifty Studio, COO, www.fiftystudio.com
Dr. Michael Paul, LineaGen, President/CEO, www.Lineagen.com
Ben Peterson, HumanServicesHQ.com, Co-Founder, www.humanserviceshq.com
Greg Peterson, Aptus Advisors, Managing Partner, www.aptusadvisors.com
David Politis, Politis Communications, President, www.politis.com
Michael Proper, CentralPointe, President/CEO
Brad Rencher, Omniture, www.omniture.com
Professor Gary K. Rhoads, Allegiance and BYU, CoFounder of Allegiance & Associate Director of Rollins Center of Entrepreneurship & Technology, www.allegiance.com
Kevin Santiago, Cymphonix, CEO, www.cymphonix.com
Todd Shepherd, Studeo, CEO, www.studeo.com
Allan Smart, Voonami, COO, www.voonami.com
Eric Smith, Control4, CTO, www.control4.com
Cheryl Snapp Conner, Snapp Conner PR, Managing Partner, www.snappconner.com
James Lee Sorenson, Sorenson Companies, Chairman, www.sorensoncompanies.com
Steve Spencer, Twelve Horses, President/CTO, www.twelvehorses.com
Tim Stay, Perfect Search Corporation, President/CEO, www.perfectsearchcorp.com
Joshua Steimle, MWI, CEO, www.mwi.com
Thomas Stockham
Joe Strom, Alpine Capital Investments, Owner
Jack W. Sunderlage, ContentWatch, President/CEO, www.contentwatch.com
Benoy Tamang, Sapha, Founder, www.sapha.com
Cydni Tetro, NextPage, CMO, www.nextpage.com
William Tew, Glycosan BioSystems, Founder/President/CEO, www.glycosan.com
Kent Thomas, CFO Solutions, Founder/Managing Member, www.utahcfo.com
Brent Thomson, Jive Communications, CEO, www.getjive.com
Nicole Toomey Davis, Governors Office of Economic Dev., Director www.goed.utah.gov
Brad Walters, EarlyRun Ventures, CEO, www.earlyrun.com
Russ Warner, Alianza, VP Sales, www.alianza.com
Will West, Control4, CEO, www.control4.com
Greg Whisenant, CrimeReports.com, Founder/CEO, www.crimereports.com
Tyler Whitaker, TM Ventures, CTO & Founder, www.tylerwhitaker.com
Hal Widlansky, Mangia Technologies, CEO, www.mangia.net
Dr. Phillip Windley, Kynetx, CTO, www.kynetx.com
Gary S. Winterton, OrangeSoda.com, President, www.orangesoda.com
Ralph Yarro III, ThinkAtomic, Founder/President/CEO, www.thinkatomic.com
