2019 Startups To Watch

FOUNDED 2015 CITY Lehi EMPLOYEES 85 INDUSTRY E-commerce WEBSITE EnsoRings.com FOUNDERS Brighton Jones; Aaron Dalley, 36 THE COMPANY A modern alternative to metal rings.

HAPPY GO LUCKY Here’s the ring around: This silicone superstar has sold more than 2 million rings in 110 countries. They have 100k+ glowing reviews. They have 150k followers on Instagram. They’ve disrupted the wedding ring industry. And they’re a multi-million dollar company with their finger on the pulse of a new generation.  

#GOALS 1. “Wholesale opportunities. The demand is truly global.” 2. “Expand the catalog.” 3. “In our Rings for a Reason program, we have an exclusive partnership with Global Citizen where we’re trying to eradicate extreme poverty by 2030. It’s projects and causes like this that motivate us to work even harder.”

ALL THE FEELS

TOP 3 EMOTIONS“Gratitude. Excitement. Motivation.”

BUSINESS HAPPINESS“Our Rings for a Reason program. It’s just the best thing we do.”

BUSINESS FRUSTRATION“In these early stages of business, wearing all 13 business hats is tough. We have made a conscious effort to do what we do best as founders — and then to hire great people and let them do what they do best. This minimizes most, if not all, frustrations.”

EMOTIONAL SUPPORT“We get to work on something greater than ourselves and share it with the world. What could be better than that?” 

FOUNDED 2018 CITY Lehi/Salt Lake City  EMPLOYEES 20 INDUSTRY Real Estate/Technology WEBSITE KilnSpace.com FOUNDERS Arian Lewis, 40; Leigh Radford;  Andrew Redpath THE COMPANY A co-working community space focused on helping seed to series B tech companies.

HAPPY GO LUCKY
Kiln is on fire. The coworking queen currently serves over 1,000 paying members in Utah, with more than 200+ companies holding memberships. They have outperformed industry standards in both revenue generation, gross margin, and build and operation standards, and have two Utah locations in Lehi and Salt Lake. Kiln is developing sites out of state and expanding in Utah, and in the coming year they will double in size. But most importantly, Kiln has been a strong contributor to the startup ecosystem and has hosted 150+ events that have fostered collaboration and welcomed more than 10,000 external participants to Kiln. #hotcommodity

#GOALS 1. “Double the size of the company in the next 10 months with sites under development in 3 to 4 states.”  2. “Improve performance/growth metrics for our member companies and individuals.” 

ALL THE FEELS
TOP 3 EMOTIONS“Urgency. Curiosity. Exhaustion.”

BUSINESS HAPPINESS“Helping members succeed.”

EMOTIONAL SUPPORT“Incorporating fun into work is important to store up credits for those difficult days. We celebrate by having fun and going on adventures together.”

FOUNDED 2019 CITY Lehi EMPLOYEES 65  INDUSTRY Technology/Consumer Application WEBSITE Route.com FOUNDER Evan Walker, 39 THE COMPANY An app that allows customers to visually track packages from anywhere, all in one place.

HAPPY GO LUCKY Well, it’s a Route time! Founder Evan Walker ordered some rare antiques when he was traveling through Italy, but he quickly became concerned with having no way to visually track his shipments home. Enter Route. This app is revolutionizing the way packages are tracked and delivered, and even offers package protection when items are purchased from one of their thousands of brand partner sites. Route is backed by Lloyd’s of London, has an additional office in LA, and will have 100 employees by the end of the year. Route of sight, peace of mind. 

#GOALS 1. “Launch a mobile app that changes the way e-commerce works.” 2. “Create an app that shapes Route into a ubiquitous brand.” 3. “We’ll save the rest for later.”

ALL THE FEELS

TOP 3 EMOTIONS“Celebration. Lucky. Purpose.”

BUSINESS HAPPINESS “Getting to the next level is addicting while growing a company. That doesn’t mean headcount, but progress and transition. It’s milestone driven.”

EMOTIONAL SUPPORT “Navigating is so much easier because of the people on my team. They have experience and are still so hungry to change the world. It makes the ride a hell of a lot easier.”

FOUNDED 2015 CITY Orem EMPLOYEES 55 INDUSTRY Technology WEBSITE BlipBillboards.com FOUNDERS Brent Thomson, 42; James Munnerlyn, 37 THE COMPANY A company that sells advertising space on digital billboards in single 8-second units.

HAPPY GO LUCKY
Blip Billboards is redefining the rectangle. Their digital billboards — which they sell by 8-second increments — have leveled the playing field and made it so that businesses small and large can access billboard advertising. They have more than 1,000 digital billboards spread across nearly every U.S. state and a rating of 4.8 stars. Not just a Blip on the radar — this startup is the shape of things to come. 

#GOALS 1. “Stay lean.” 2. “Build a global brand.”  3. “Create a generation of superstars.”

ALL THE FEELS

TOP 3 EMOTIONS“Huh? Hmmm… Aha! (Usually all together and in that order.)”

BUSINESS HAPPINESS“I love when we figure something out that has broad-reaching implications.”

BUSINESS SADNESS“When I’ve made a hiring mistake.”

BUSINESS FRUSTRATION “When commitments aren’t taken seriously.”

EMOTIONAL SUPPORT“I have a very even temperament. Victories, defeats and challenges tend to feel minor, even when they’re objectively a big deal. It might sound strange, but I’ve asked people around me to take note of our victories and make sure we celebrate.”

FOUNDED 2016 CITY Lehi EMPLOYEES 18 INDUSTRY E-commerce WEBSITE SmartShyp.com FOUNDERS Tyler Babb, 33; Chris Wright, 44 THE COMPANY A company that helps businesses ship, track and protect online orders.

HAPPY GO LUCKY
SmartShyp is setting sail for e-commerce paradise. Automation rules. Bulk editing. Batch processing. Low rates. This game-changing platform for retailers connects to all the giants — Amazon.com, Jane, eBay, Shopify — and has already shipped more than $150 million in consumer products for its customers. Plus, SmartShyp’s rapid growth will undoubtedly have it landing on our Fastest-Growing Companies list next year. (We shyp it.)

#GOALS 1. “Be the obvious choice for shipping software.” 2. “Deliver an adaptable shipping solution that drives speed and simplicity.” 3. “Elevate our users’ customer experience.”

ALL THE FEELS

TOP 3 EMOTIONS“Optimism. Gratitude. Stress.”

BUSINESS HAPPINESS“I love seeing the entrepreneurial spirit thrive within our team and fuel our growth.”

BUSINESS SADNESS“It makes me sad to think about our competitors losing their market share to SmartShyp. But that usually only lasts a few seconds, then I’m happy again.”

EMOTIONAL SUPPORT“Never dwell on the small things you don’t control. Just move forward. Michael Jordan said, ‘Nothing of value comes without being earned.’ I’m constantly looking for wins each day, regardless of how small, and am constantly celebrating them.”

FOUNDED 2016 CITY Lehi EMPLOYEES 10 INDUSTRY Photography/Technology WEBSITE Parachut.co FOUNDERS Philip Niu, 38; Melissa Niu, 39 THE COMPANY A camera equipment service with a monthly subscription.

HAPPY GO LUCKY
Oh, snap! Parachut is redefining the way photographers use equipment — and inspiring a new wave of consumerism while they’re at it. The husband-wife duo leads a team of 10, has raised seed capital with GreerCo. (led by local entrepreneur Nick Greer), and is dedicated to bettering the world through their business and their deeds. #lifesaver

#GOALS 1. “Lead the way for responsible consumerism.”  2. “Continue to develop and perfect our software so that it can crossover to other industries.” 3. “Use our business influence to be better humans and improve the lives of people around us.”

ALL THE FEELS
TOP 3 EMOTIONS“Gratitude. Hope. Faith.”  

BUSINESS HAPPINESS“Working with my spouse. We’re  off to the gym together at 5 a.m. and are with each other on and off the entire day. Whatever we create, we create together.” 

BUSINESS SADNESS“A wasteful economy.”

EMOTIONAL SUPPORT“We are partners in business and partners in life. We’ve got each other.”

FOUNDED 2015 CITY Alpine/Bluffdale EMPLOYEES 20 INDUSTRY Retail/Fashion WEBSITE RachelParcell.com FOUNDER Rachel Parcell, 28 THE COMPANY Designer of a clothing line sold exclusively at Nordstrom.

HAPPY GO LUCKY
Over the past decade, Rachel Parcell has become an influencer icon. After she turned her blog into a thriving business, she used that money to become her own investor and launch the Rachel Parcell Collection in 2016 — a clothing line of feminine dresses. After a couple years of selling out her clothing in hours (sometimes minutes) on launch days, Parcell partnered with Nordstrom in 2019 and now her clothing line is sold exclusively at the coveted department store. 

#GOALS 1. “Continue to add new categories.” 2. “Connect with our customers.” 3. “Provide an offering that adds value and brings joy to our customers’ lives.”

ALL THE FEELS
TOP 3 EMOTIONS“Passion. Excitement. Anxiety.”

BUSINESS HAPPINESS“When we receive our first round of samples for each new collection it’s like Christmas morning. Editorial photoshoots, right before a collection is about to launch, are also so much fun. The hard work comes full circle at those shoots.”

BUSINESS FRUSTRATION“Miscommunications, or if a sketch doesn’t execute in sample staging.”

EMOTIONAL SUPPORT “You have grit. You just keep going. If a door closes, look for an open window.”

FOUNDED 2019 CITY American Fork EMPLOYEES 11 INDUSTRY Healthcare/Technology WEBSITE GlassFrogg.com FOUNDERS Lucien Morin, 48; Jake Fackrell, 47; Bob Spencer, 47 THE COMPANY A patent-pending technology to crowdsource medical bills.

HAPPY GO LUCKY The medical bills will see you now. glassFROGG has a revolutionary take on a famously unpredictable industry. With medical prices all over the map, the app enables users to upload medical bills (with privacy) and offers “data” to the community at large. The goal? Drive down the prices of healthcare with transparency. Having launched just this year, glassFROGG already has 1,500+ registered users, 1,700 bills submitted, and an executive team of seasoned entrepreneurs. How’s that for insurance? 

#GOALS 1. “10,000 users in Utah by Dec. 31, 2019.” 2. “20,000 bills uploaded by Dec. 31, 2019.” 3. “Expand nationally by Dec. 31, 2020.”

ALL THE FEELS

TOP 3 EMOTIONS “Passion. Excitement. Hope.”

BUSINESS HAPPINESS “Creating opportunity and economic stability for those who work for me.”

BUSINESS SADNESS “Emails ruin my life! Stop emailing me!”  

EMOTIONAL SUPPORT “I keep my eye on a target 2-3 years out. You can’t let highs and lows each week distract from where you can realistically end up in a few short years.”

FOUNDED 2017 CITY Springville EMPLOYEES 7, plus 20 contractors  INDUSTRY Training/Software WEBSITE Tyfoom.com FOUNDER Mark Nelson, 48 THE COMPANY A
mobile productivity, training and communication platform.

HAPPY GO LUCKY
Companies are jumping on the Tyfoom train, thanks to its offerings of consistent, engaging training programs (read: not mind-numbingly boring) and enhanced productivity for employees. And from crucial safety trainings to statistics to accountability metrics to helpful alerts, Tyfoom has grown 300% in paid user growth this year. 

#GOALS 1. “Transform the way companies train and communicate.” 2. “Attract the brightest and best individuals to be part of the Tyfoom team.” 3. “Help and inspire millions of talented people who make things happen!”

ALL THE FEELS

TOP 3 EMOTIONS“Exhilaration. Anxiety. Hope.”

BUSINESS HAPPINESS“Helping team members and client partners do more, become more and be more successful.”

BUSINESS FRUSTRATION“People and companies being ‘too busy’ to do simple things that will make them more successful.”

EMOTIONAL SUPPORT“Great business partners and team – and an amazing wife and family. I love the ‘hunt’ of creating something that will make a difference in the world.”

FOUNDED 2016 CITY Lehi EMPLOYEES 13 INDUSTRY Technology WEBSITE Localfluence.com FOUNDER Scott Linford, 39; Becca Gonzalez Tomkinson, 31; Devin Despain, 31; Mike Wille, 34; Joe Turner, 44 THE COMPANY A platform that gives brands the ability to increase their word of mouth through locals with influence.

HAPPY GO LUCKY
Word of mouth, meet 2019. Localfluence is bringing the influencer world of marketing to the masses — and it’s a win for both companies and customers. The easy-to-use platform helps businesses grow their brands through authentic reviews and social posts (while customers get delicious perks). Companies like R&R Barbeque, Kneaders, Scheels, Kid-to-Kid and Goodwin Media are fans of the socially outgoing app, which expanded into three new markets and has grown by 50 percent in user redemptions over the last 12 months.

#GOALS 1. “Bring an effective and affordable way of advertising to local businesses.” 2. “Grow to 1 million user base.” 3. “Be in 10 new markets by the end of 2020.”

ALL THE FEELS
TOP 3 EMOTIONS
“Pressure. Fulfillment. Pride.”

BUSINESS HAPPINESS “Those brief periods of time when all our moving parts are flowing without interruption.”

BUSINESS SADNESS “Unsuccessful product launches.”

EMOTIONAL SUPPORT
“I try to pull out of the negative headspace. If I find myself focused on a negative situation or continually complaining, I have a little talk with myself.”