April 30, 2025
Utah has become a growing hotspot for entrepreneurship thanks to its thriving business environment, supportive policies, and culture of innovation. These Utah companies showcase the state’s dynamic entrepreneurial community.
To share his passion for geology and Utah’s stunning landscapes, Tom Lowe created Open The Earth, a location-based app that highlights the state’s natural wonders through interactive narration.
In “Explore Mode,” users driving Utah’s roadways receive alerts when approaching notable formations, unlocking fun facts and insights. “At Home Mode” allows users to explore more than 100 sites from anywhere, with narration available for download and offline use.
Lowe saw a gap in the market and turned his idea into a business to inspire curiosity and adventure in others. “Utah is the most amazing state from a geological perspective,” he says, crediting the state’s scenery for fueling his longtime entrepreneurial vision.
Verónica Xolalpa founded National Credit Repair to empower individuals to understand and manage their credit. She treats credit reports as stories, using a proven system that’s more efficient and cost-effective than traditional services. Her work blends compassion with technical precision, offering clients personalized strategies to improve their credit.
To help fine-tune her service, Xolalpa regularly attends 1 Million Cups, a weekly event held in both Orem and Salt Lake that allows the founders of local businesses to network and present in front of an audience to garner feedback. Attending the gathering has given her “the courage to make a better version of myself and pass it on to others.”
Not all matchmaking apps are about dating. Matt Hill’s company UPSELL connects small business owners with sales and marketing professionals through virtual speed-networking events. A self-described “idea man,” Hill launched the concept after returning to school to pursue entrepreneurship.
Being around mentors and the startup community allowed him to realize the necessity of focusing on one business and putting forward the effort to make it grow.
Like Xolalpa, Hill took advantage of talking to like-minded individuals and garnering positive feedback. Resources such as iHub, the Lassonde Entrepreneur Institute, and SCORE have allowed him to build a strong network. Through these connections, Hill aims to create a team with skills that can help bridge the gaps in his own.
For Hill, it’s all about the small wins. “Just get started with the smallest experiments you can today,” he says, which is made easy by Utah’s “safe and welcoming community that does a good job of supporting startups.”
Do you own a small business in Utah? Share your story with us for the chance to have your company featured, or learn how to start your business here.
The information in this article is current as of the publishing date and is intended for informational purposes only. This article does not, and is not intended to, constitute legal, tax, or business advice. Any resources and organizations mentioned, unless an entity of or a partner of the state of Utah, are not formally endorsed by the Startup State Initiative or state of Utah.