The Utah Governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity (Go Utah) announced today the award recipients for the 2022 One Utah Summit hosted by Gov. Spencer J. Cox.
At the May 10 summit, Gov. Cox will recognize individuals and companies that have made long-time significant contributions to Utah’s economic development, local communities, and industries. Recipients of the governor’s summit awards live and work full-time in Utah and have supported the local economy for five years or more.
“We’re beyond excited to announce this year’s award recipients for the 2022 One Utah Summit,” said Gov. Cox. “These awards are going to companies and individuals who are making a lasting impact in our state. On behalf of the state of Utah, I want to congratulate all of the award recipients and wish them the best as they continue to help make Utah a better place.”
Utah Businessperson of the Year — Davis Smith
Smith dedicates his life to helping those in need. He’s a passionate social entrepreneur and adventurer. Smith is the founder and CEO of Cotopaxi – an outdoor gear and active lifestyle brand – with a social mission at its core.
Utah Business of the Year — HealthEquity
Headquartered in Draper, Utah, Dr. Stephen Neeleman founded HealthEquity in 2002 with a vision to repair the fractured relationship between patients and their physicians and to help more people obtain quality health insurance by re-introducing consumerism to the industry. HealthEquity has a robust business operation in Utah and sets an example in moving jobs off the Wasatch Front into rural communities to provide more economic opportunities to Utahns.
Utah International Business of the Year — Walker Edison
We present the International Business of the Year award with World Trade Center Utah. Brad and Scott Bonham co-founded Walker Edison in 2006 with a vision to break the mold and help people Live Outside the Box™. The company has built an innovative e-commerce based manufacturing model that provides the highest quality of stylish, ready-to-assemble home furnishings shipped straight to consumers’ doors around the world.
Cameron Russell Williams Rising Impact Award — Gladymir Philippe
This is the inaugural year for the Cameron Russell Williams Rising Impact Award. It’s presented by the Cameron Russell Williams Foundation and Gov. Cox to honor Cameron’s lasting impact and legacy characterized by his rally cry of “Dream big. Then bigger than that.” The award honors a black business and technology entrepreneur who’s poised to have an impact on bringing together diverse people and providing opportunities that create prosperity for Utahns.
Gladymir Philippe is the founder and CEO of Kado, Inc. He started Kado because he recognized a need to help college students find gainful employment. He identified key areas where students have difficulty finding work after graduating from college and turned it into an opportunity for success. Kado is a marketplace that democratizes access to a college student’s first job. Gladymir was selected for this award because he embodies the spirit of entrepreneurship and innovation that Cameron Russell Williams exhibited during his life.
Utah Energy Pioneer Award: Individual — Craig Wagstaff
Craig Wagstaff has been instrumental in the natural gas industry throughout his career, first with Questar and then with Dominion Energy when the two merged. He ushered Utah through the merger, ensuring that the unique Utah way of doing business remained a keystone of the organization. He recently retired as Dominion Energy’s senior vice president and general manager of the Western Division. His stable leadership led to lasting industry partnerships, including between Dominion and Smithfield Foods, to develop the nation’s largest renewable natural gas project through a network of hog farms.
Utah Energy Pioneer Award: Business — Rio Tinto Kennecott
Rio Tinto Kennecott (RTK) is a world-class, fully integrated mining operation in the Salt Lake Valley. The Bingham Canyon mine has key minerals, such as copper and tellurium, that are critical for energy production. Companies like RTK extract resources to produce the energy and technologies needed to enable our modern lives. RTK leads the way in environmentally responsible, advanced mining to ensure we have access to the minerals we need.
Utah Energy Pioneer Award: Community — Emery County Commission
Dedicated to those it represents, the Emery County Commission has a vision for stabilizing Emery County’s energy economy. One of the commission’s noteworthy projects is the San Rafael Energy Research Center. Because of the commission’s hard work and commitment, the center’s on track to be a national leader in medical isotope production, molten salt technology, and nuclear energy.
Governor’s Medal for Science and Technology: K-12 Education — Kelli Booth
Under the direction of Kelli Booth, NUAMES has earned a respected reputation as a premier STEM high school in Utah. During her tenure as executive director, science offerings have increased, providing more concurrent enrollment, AP courses, and greater health occupation opportunities, and the students’ test scores have improved. Faculty, staff, parents, and students all respect her abilities. She’s mindful of economic driving forces and the skills students need to succeed.
Governor’s Medal for Science and Technology: Academia/Research — Bruce Gale
Dr. Bruce Kent Gale is a professor and chair of mechanical engineering and adjunct professor in bioengineering, electrical and computer engineering, and materials science and engineering at the University of Utah. He has graduated 28 Ph.D. and 23 MS students and supervised 11 post-docs. Dr. Gale and his students have published 150 journal articles, five book chapters, and roughly 300 conference papers. He and his associates have 26 patents, with seven pending in biomechanics, microfluidics, and medical devices. Dr. Gale and his students have spun off six companies based on these patents.
Governor’s Medal for Science and Technology: Industry — Christopher Gibson
Dr. Christopher Gibson is a brilliant scientist and natural leader who has dedicated himself to building and sustaining Utah’s life science ecosystem. As a graduate student at the University of Utah in 2013, Dr. Gibson uncovered an opportunity to apply machine learning to cell images, which became the foundation for Recursion – a Salt Lake City-based company with the audacious mission to decode biology and industrialize drug discovery. As Recursion’s co-founder and CEO, Gibson has led the company through exponential growth, including raising more than $1 billion in private and public capital, delivering four clinical-stage programs and more than 50 pre-clinical and discovery programs, and hiring over 400 highly skilled employees spread across life sciences, technology and operations.
Please join Gov. Cox in recognizing and celebrating these individuals and companies for their contributions to Utah’s economy. To learn more or register for this year’s summit, visit oneutahsummit.com. Tickets are available now, but we expect the event to sell out soon.
To view former governor’s award recipients, visit business.utah.gov/summit.