September 25, 2025
Utah has grown into a hotspot for entrepreneurship thanks to its thriving business environment, supportive policies, and culture of innovation. These companies showcase the state’s dynamic startup community.
What began as a teenager’s frustration with tedious data entry has grown into a software company serving Chick-fil-A® restaurants nationwide. Founded by James Finlinson, OneClick streamlines the transfer of information between systems, helping franchise owners keep employees informed, accountable, and aligned.
“I knew there had to be a better way to keep everyone on the same page,” Finlinson said. Early versions simply moved data from one platform to another until he realized he could build a more expressive system for franchise owners to communicate with their employees.
Initially self-funded, the product gained traction with key partners who backed Finlinson while he was still in high school. Once he started college, the BYU Rollins Center for Entrepreneurship and Technology assisted in expanding his network of fellow entrepreneurs, which allowed him to balance college classes with running a startup.
Mentors advised on design, priorities, and business strategy, while his father and co-founder, offered steady guidance through the inevitable highs and lows. “My dad has been instrumental in my development,” Finlinson said. “He supported me through emotional surprises that nearly drove me to quit and encouraged me every step of the way.”
For aspiring founders, his advice is to “find the thing you love doing and keep doing that. We are all unique individuals with unique skills and insights. Success comes as a team.”
With the goal of helping restaurants stay safe, compliant, and sustainable, Purifry is transforming fryer maintenance and used-oil disposal into a cleaner, greener process.
The company specializes in fryer cleaning and filtration that extends oil life and improves food quality. By collecting used cooking oil directly from the fryer, Purifry eliminates the need for outdoor barrels that attract pests, create odors, and increase the risk of slips and burns. This oil is safely stored and later converted into biodiesel, giving restaurants an environmentally responsible way to handle waste.
In addition to fryers, Purifry’s crews deep-clean pizza ovens, flat grills, stoves, and convection ovens — doing so after hours, allowing kitchen staff to focus on serving customers.
Founder Stefano Gatto, who grew up in a family of entrepreneurs, says starting a business felt natural — even as an immigrant facing language and cultural hurdles. “Those obstacles pushed me to adapt, learn fast, and work even harder,” he said.
After leaving a secure corporate job, Gatto built custom tools and validated Purifry’s model with limited resources, relying on early funding from friends and close contacts. Now he’s preparing a micro-franchise model to attract investors and empower families through training, support, and client access.
“Entrepreneurship isn’t just about passion — it’s about solving real problems with urgency and consistency,” Gatto said. “Most people romanticize it, but it’s hard and demands everything. You need to sell, operate, lead, adapt, and learn all at once. If you’re not willing to bleed for what you believe, don’t even start.”
Thank you to OneClick and Purifry for being a part of Utah’s startup community. Do you own a small business in Utah? Visit the Startup State Initiative’s resource page to find more tools, programs, and communities to move your business forward, or learn how to start your business in Utah.
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.