President & CEO John Knotwell’s Annual Members Meeting Remarks

By |2018-04-26T11:10:05-06:00April 26th, 2018|

President & CEO John Knotwell’s Annual Members Meeting Remarks

2017 was a year of transition for UTC, yet we still gathered the community together for more than 50 professional development and networking events, put on an enviable and record breaking Hall of Fame Event where we were pleased to hear from global tech giant Microsoft’s CEO Satya Nadella.

Our public policy team achieved 12 out of 12 objectives at this year’s legislative general session – with initiatives targeted at strengthening our workforce, expanding the talent ready grant program, and paving the way for strategic funding for SheTech, Silicon Slopes Tech Summit, and First Robotics.

Throughout the last 7 months, we’ve forged new partnerships with community leaders and rekindled and dedicated ourselves to partnerships that have languished.

As we enter our 27th year, we reflect and refocus. We stand on the shoulders of great men and women who had a vision that Utah could be a nationally recognized tech hub. Utah is stronger than ever having topped the list of fastest growing innovation communities in the country. We’re not punching above our weight class anymore, we are a heavy weight.

When I was in business school, one professor drilled into our heads that the job of a leader is to establish a mission and relentlessly repeat it until everyone knew what it was. Our mission is to build the strongest, most inclusive, most connected innovation community in the country. To achieve that mission, we need all of you and so many more.

Utah has always been a place of community. A place of WE and US, not a place of US and THEM. We support our community builders who are hear with us today. Consider this community an effort of WE.

UTC’s theme this year is Build. Building people, building companies, building community and building Utah. We are here to help you innovate, collaborate and inspire. So, when you’re done with your lunch, grab some of those legos on your table and be creative. And, please, take them with you when you leave!

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