30 Women to Watch: they're innovative, confident and savvy. They own businesses, run vital divisions of large corporations and manage scores of employees. They serve their communities in various nonprofit and professional organizations. In short, they help define Utah's business landscape. Utah Business proudly recognizes the 2011 30 Women to Watch.

• Author: Stewart, Heather

Heather E. Bertotti

Living in seven states in 10 years taught Heather Bertotti many lessons, and so did growing up in the woods of Indiana, where her town of 200 offered no school, street light or post office. "Don't be afraid to take a risk and go to the unknown," she says. "Bloom where you are planted--you will grow from the experience." At 3M Health Information Systems, Bertotti has done just that, as she interacts with hospitals to help improve patient care, coordinates strategic projects such as increasing customer retention, and serves as the HealthCare Group Purchasing Organizations liaison, representing more than 2,500 hospitals and $200 million in annual billings.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

"The healthcare industry is in need of good women who are dedicated to determining how to solve the many issues that healthcare faces," Bertotti says. "Women should support and build each other up. We need diversity in leadership roles and having mentors who can teach you great skills is one step to get there."

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Megan Faulkner Brown

Though Megan Faulkner Brown's career started on Capitol Hill, where she served as a member of U.S. Representative Chris Cannon's staff, she found her real passion in the kitchen, baking delectable treats. In 2009, right in the middle of the financial crisis, Brown took a risk and opened the first The Sweet Tooth Fairy retail store--and it was a risk well worth taking. The Sweet Tooth Fairy has now grown to six stores, with five more in the works. The company has also raised approximately $1.6 million and has been featured on QVC.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Brown has big plans for the company's future, as she hopes to open more than 225 shops nationwide during the next five years. "I enjoy so many things, including being part of a business and an industry that is so meaningful to me, and being part of something way bigger than me and working with others to achieve a common goal--which is ultimately delivering happiness and making lasting memories."

Jacque Neilson Butler

Jacque Butler is a time-tested entrepreneur, having founded several companies. Her latest venture is MedQuest Solutions, a business focusing on various segments of the healthcare industry. "Our company is changing the way people age. I am so passionate about this. We are keeping people healthy as they age, and helping to eliminate the diseases of aging," she says.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

MedQuest, which consists of six subsidiaries ranging from manufacturing to lab and pharmaceutical services, is in the process of doubling its existing facility to 90,000 square feet. The company also recently launched a proprietary software system "that will revolutionize a physician's office," Butler says.

However, Butler is not ready to rest on her laurels. She envisions starting more businesses in the future, and says her many entrepreneurial experiences ''have all taught me many valuable experiences that I then can use in my next endeavor. I love to create new businesses, and that is where I succeed most."

Maura E. Carabello

Maura Carabello co-founded The Exoro Group in 2002 with the goal of making a measurable change in the state's community by providing strategic communications in public policy. "I aspire ... to be a problem solver and community builder. There is so much strength in the mainstream middle, and building consensus through the best ideas, not the loudest rhetoric," she says. "Whether I am the leadership voice or supporting those speaking, I want to be a part of making exceptional projects, companies and ideas come to life."

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Carabello has played an essential role in many public campaigns. Her successes range from transportation projects to the BodyWorlds exhibit to the passage of the Utah Museum of Natural History bond. "I enjoy the opportunity to make measurable change in our community," she says. "That has included helping people access nonprofits to support, as well as giving people the tools to participate in government at a local and national, level."

Gloria Cardenas Conn

The economic downturn provided an opportunity for Gloria Cardenas Conn to reevaluate her goals and desired lifestyle. She and her husband moved from California to Utah in 2008 and established Familia America, a law practice focused on immigration issues. "I had to reinvent myself and work extremely hard and smart to build an immigration practice," she says.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

"In less than a year, we have grown from one client to over 100 clients. We have been able to accomplish this by hiring excellent staff while actively participating in organizations that have given our law firm excellent exposure," says Cardenas Conn, who has become enmeshed in Utah's philanthropic and business communities. She serves as a board member of the Catholic Business Network of Utah and on the advisory committee for the Utah Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. She also thoroughly enjoys her weekly morning radio show on Juan 106.1 FM. "I am passionate about giving the immigration community straight talk about federal immigration laws," she says.

Stephanie A. Charter

While working as a children's attorney in Nevada, Stephanie Charter fought to have infants and toddlers moved from a large orphanage, congregate-care setting into foster homes. Her experience advocating for children gives Charter a unique perspective in her domestic and family law practice.

"I am in a position to make a real, positive difference for my clients who arc typically at a very difficult point in their lives. My goal is to help them sec the bigger picture, past the current situation, and to focus on what is going to be the best possible long-term outcome for them and their children," she says.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Charter provides volunteer instructional seminars at the Erin Kimball Memorial Foundation, an organization that helps inform domestic violence victims about their legal rights. She is also a board member for the Dove Center, a domestic violence shelter. As one of only three female attorneys in Jones Waldo's St. George office, Charter is also focused on attracting more women lawyers to the area. "Especially in the area of family law, that would be true progress and a real benefit for the entire legal community," she says.

Tracy Christman

Tracy Christman has been in the public accounting industry for nearly 20 years, serving companies such as EnergySolutions, Headwaters and Omniture. "I especially enjoy working with entrepreneurial companies with the challenges that high-growth companies face," she says. "I have been involved in a number of initial public offerings and other transactions with companies like these. It is very gratifying to be able to provide guidance and insights...