40 UNDER 40.

• Author: Malan, Mekenna
• Position: AWARDS

Each year, we celebrate 40 professionals--all under 40 years of age--who are working to evolve the state of Utah's business landscape. Join us in a round of applause for these accomplished individuals and the ways they're elevating the future of business throughout the state.

TYLER BABB, 36

FOUNDER AND CEO | SMARTSHYP

in /IN/TYLERDBABB

What is your go-to business strategy? Keep it simple and own it. SmartShyp is one of the few SAAS companies that has been primarily bootstrapped. That's not always good or bad. In our case, building slowly and steadily allowed us to hear and build to our customer's needs and become a leader in e-commerce.

LINDEN BAKER, 29 (NOT PICTURED)

FOUNDER AND CEO | FAIRKIND

in /IN/LINDEN-BAKER-9756B761

Who inspires you most? Why? The artisan partners I work with inspire me on a daily basis. They are true masters of their craft, and I'm blown away by the time and detail they put into every single product. They fuel my creativity and inspire me to be thoughtful and dedicated in my work.

CHRIS BERNAL, 36

GLOBAL HEAD OF TOTAL REWARDS | QUALTRICS

in /IN/CHRISBERNAL

What advice do you have for your younger self? To plan but always be flexible and open to new challenges and opportunities. At different points in my life, I'd thought I'd be anything from a pilot to an MLB general manager. At a different stage, I thought certain schools or companies were the only surefire ways to success. Now I understand that "success" itself means different things in different seasons--the path is anything but linear.

MIKEL BLAKE, 37

CO-FOUNDER AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR | TECH-MOMS

in /IN/MIKELBLAKE

What advice do you have for your younger self?

* You're allowed to make mistakes--practice bravery, not perfection (thanks, Reshma Saujani).

* Get into some good trouble--it gives you stories and makes you more interesting.

* Keep reading--I still don't regret a single minute spent curled up with a book.

* Don't rush into adulting--youth is precious, life is long.

* Skills matter--knowledge carries little premium in a Google world.

* Find and try boba tea--I wasted many good years without it.

* Buy Bitcoin--well explain it later.

BEN BOLTE, 38

FOUNDER AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR | GREENBIKE, UTAH'S NON-PROFIT BIKE SHARE

in /IN/BEN-BOLTE-35506326

What are you looking forward to accomplishing most in 2022? 2022 is going to be one of the most exciting and thrilling years at GREENbike and in my life personally. We're going to launch an Ogden system that will make us the largest bike share in the country connected by heavy rail. We're going to continue to expand our SLC system with more stations and more e-bikes. And while all of the for-profit transportation modes keep getting more expensive, GREENbike will be lowering fares, offering more ride time, and adding more products.

JACOB BOWMAN, 35

EXECUTIVE VP | AMERICAN UNITED CREDIT UNION

in /IN/JHIBOWMAN

What is the most rewarding thing about your job/industry? Why? There are myriad financial institutions with various purposes, but credit unions are unique in their ability to serve underbanked and underserved populations. American United's mission is to "Help When Others Won't"--I am honored to represent an organization so deeply committed to providing financial services to those with limited resources and/or income, those who are historically excluded from banking and lending, and those who are preyed upon by other lenders with exorbitant interest rates.

BRITTNEY BOYLE, 39

DIRECTOR, MARKETING | PENTALON CONSTRUCTION

in /IN/BRITTNEYBOYLE

What advice do you have for your younger self? To believe in yourself and recognize that you know what you're doing. You're going to suffer from "imposter syndrome," but you will overcome it. Learning to take care of yourself and choosing to be happy is not a bad thing. You are allowed to put yourself first, and you need to learn to put less value on the opinions of others. The confident woman who walks into every room with her 6-inch heels and head held high needs to be the same person you see in the mirror every day--because she is the real you! Buy the shoes, eat the cake, go on that vacation, and enjoy it!

BRANDON BUSSEY, 38

VP, REVENUE STRATEGY AND OPERATIONS | LUCID SOFTWARE

in /IN/BRAN DON BUSSEY

What's after 40? What do you see in your future? I've been incredibly lucky up to this point in my life to have benefitted from amazing mentors who took the time to help guide me in my career. I look forward to doing the same and helping others, especially those from underrepresented backgrounds, break into the Utah tech community.

CLARK CAHOON, 38

TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION ADVISOR | SALT LAKE CITY DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

in /IN/CLARKCAHOON

What is your go-to business strategy? Be curious and involve others to solve big problems. In economic development, it takes collaborating with...