Featured speakers include Carly Fiorina, Max Boot, Stephen Moore, and David Neeleman.

Registration is required. Contact your Zions Bank banker, or visit http://www.zionsbank.com/conference

Here is the flyer:

TaleSpring.com is a local book app publisher that has an online software platform that makes it relatively easy and inexpensive to create a book app and publish to the App Store on iTunes.

I was speaking with Jason Izatt almost two years ago when he started the TaleSpring business and told him of my excitement for the platform because I have several books that I want to publish. I had long been looking for a publisher for my material, but was getting frustrated; you see, finding a publisher in the children’s book market is not quite as rare as stepping foot on the moon, but probably comes in as a close ‘second’.

As Jason described his new publishing platform, my eyes grew wide and what can only be described as ‘the Fourth of July’ was going off in my brain. I stood there, holding my iPad and felt both embarrassed that I hadn’t thought of this before, and exhilarated that I was suddenly making plans to publish my own material to the App Store for the iPad.

With plans to publish within a month of our discussion, I soon became painfully aware that publishing my books in the iPad environment would take more effort that a weekend or two could contain.

I searched the world over for an illustrator and finally partnered with Zach Clough, who caught my eye with a previous pirate drawing and really grabbed me with an exciting and vibrant color palette that I thought would be perfect for a children’s pirate adventure book. Zach and I got to work. I created an extensive-but-crude layout of the book complete with square block drawings of each page, and Zach set to work giving my (very) rough vision life with a crew of characters that literally developed their own personalities as we continued creating each successive scene.

One and a half years later, and just over 300 hours of combined time, we finished our book and published with TaleSpring to the App Store.

That was last Monday. Our book app went live in the App Store Monday evening and we watched as it started to gain popularity. I began checking off tasks in my marketing plan and jumped on a few opportunities earlier than expected based on some early interest. Our first couple of days were a little more exciting than we anticipated and we seemed to jet out of the gate. That was before Friday morning…

Friday morning I received a text message at about 7:30 a.m. from Jason at TaleSpring. His message simple asked ‘are you seeing this?’ I was fully engaged in making breakfast for my children, so I naively replied ‘No, what?’ His response had me (almost) doing cartwheels in the kitchen; he told me we had reached #23 on the iPad Book list. I couldn’t believe it.

I rushed the kids through breakfast and even drove them to school before getting to my office to check in. By the time I had arrived to check my iTunes, my book had reached #12. I hadn’t felt like that since seeing Rocky in 1976. Well, including marriage and four children, that isn’t entirely true, but it certainly ranked as one of the most exciting moments of my life.

Imagine how I felt when we hit #8 later that morning. It was a mind-blower, to be sure.

The book has been hovering in and out of the top ten since, and has held positions above 12 for most of the weekend. It has been a lot of fun and is certainly a thrill to have a book on the market. Publishing is an exciting adventure, and I am glad TaleSpring was able to make it such a possibility for me.

We’ll see how the book progresses. I have already started four others based on stories I wrote for my children several years ago. The iPad environment is a perfect place to tell my stories and a wonderful way to bring them to life with sounds, actions and animations.

If you have a moment to check it out, look up The Day I Became A Pirate in the App Store. Read it to your kids and let me know how it goes.

—Cary Snowden, …Author (!)

The themed car is a product of the “Wolverine iQ Scholarship Competition,” a first-of-its-kind design contest among UVU students to design a school-themed car wrap for a 2012 Scion iQ. Students competed for a $1,000 textbook scholarship, and the chance for their design to be displayed at UVU events, Brent Brown Toyota, and around the valley.

Brent Brown, owner of Brent Brown Toyota Scion, will present the winning car alongside Kevin Bryan, a 27-year-old graphic design major from Provo, who designed the winning wrap.

The iQ Taxi by UVU studen Kevin Bryan

Bryan dubbed his design the “The iQ Taxi.”

“UVU is in the business of driving students’ IQ’s,” Bryan said in his acceptance speech at Brent Brown Toyota. “Like a taxi, this gives UVU a chance to show that they take people’s IQ’s further.”

Bryan said he will use the $1,000 scholarship for costly software needed for his graphic design classes. He typically spends $1,500 a semester just on software upgrades, books and fees. He is married with a 4-year-old son.

Brent Brown Toyota and UVU Athletics launched the competition at the last home Men’s Basketball game on February 25. The public voted on the finalists, and the winner was announced April 12 at the dealership.

“The competition has been a great spirit-boost for the athletics program and UVU as a whole,” said Micah Howard, Director of Corporate Partnerships for UVU Athletics. “We were excited to get the students involved, and look forward to using the ‘iQ Taxi’ at many events in the coming year. Brent Brown Toyota Scion went out of the box with this concept and came away with a superbly executed event. We can’t wait to unveil the iQ Taxi next week at Brent Brown Ballpark when we host BYU.”

The iQ Taxi will be housed at the dealership, and available for any UVU events in the next year. The public may photograph the car around the valley for a chance to win prizes on the Brent Brown Toyota Facebook page.

Brent Brown Toyota Scion has been an active supporter of Utah Valley University as part of its broader efforts to improve childhood education. In 2007, Brent Brown made a 10-year $1 million donation to then-UVSC in exchange for naming rights to the ballpark.

About Brent Brown Toyota Scion

As a leading Utah car dealership, Brent Brown Toyota Scion sets the standard in providing excellent and reliable vehicles at the best possible prices. With models like the Camry, Corolla, Matrix, Tundra and Venza, they have something for every taste and need. In addition to their wide selection of new cars, Brent Brown Toyota Scion carries an extensive inventory of pre-owned vehicles and the very best fully-inspected vehicles in the state, many of which are factory- certified models backed with a comprehensive warranty. Learn more at http://www.BrentBrownToyota.com.

About Utah Valley University

Utah Valley University is located in Orem, Utah, and is home to more than 33,000 students. UVU began as a vocational school during World War II, and in the seven decades since has evolved into a technical school, community college, state college and, finally, a comprehensive regional teaching university. UVU is one of Utah’s largest institutions of higher learning and offers programs ranging from career training to high-demand master degrees, with emphasis on undergraduate education. UVU athletics is an NCAA Division I program with 15 sports and competes primarily in the Great West Conference.

Media Contact

Andon Carling
PilmerPR
(801) 805-6755
acarling@pilmerpr.com

This particular ramp was installed in the home of a boy in Provo, UT. The boy has muscular dystrophy, and within the last year lost his ability to walk.  The previous ramp in his home was too narrow, poorly built and dangerous (no railing). He recently received a different wheelchair that was too wide for the ramp, forcing him to change wheelchairs every time he left the house. Big-D contributed all of the materials and labor for the new ramp, which is much safer and accommodating to his needs.

Big-D Construction believes in promoting values and contributing services that enrich the lives of their customers, consultants, employees and community as a whole.

About Big-D Construction

Big-D Construction Corporation has more than 44 years of experience in providing Design-Build, General Contracting and Construction Management services to customers from a wide variety of industries. As one of the largest construction companies in the country, Big-D employs more than 800 associates throughout the western United States.  Regional offices are located in Salt Lake City, Ogden and Lindon, Utah; Pleasanton, California; Phoenix, Arizona; and Jackson Hole, Wyoming.  For more information, please visit www.big-d.com.

Additional Resources:

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Big-D-Construction/273622216001

Twitter: @ThinkBigD

Nominate Your Company for the UVEF Top 25 Under 5

Top 25 Under Five spotlights outstanding Utah entrepreneurs and emerging companies from across the state. Award recipients will be recognized at ceremonies on July 12^th.

“UVEF Top 25 Under Five provides a launch pad for rising Utah startup successes,” stated Matt Bowman, UVEF Chair. “Last year’s winners added more than 800 jobs in Utah. We look forward to celebrating job creation and revenue generation by this year’s winners.”

—You are invited to nominate your company, or any another company.
—In order to qualify, the company must have no revenues prior to January 1, 2007.
—All information that is submitted will be treated confidentially.
—Nomination Deadline: Monday, June 18, 2012

Recipients will be announced at the annual UVEF Top 25 Under 5 Awards Ceremony, to be held this year on Thursday, July 12, 2012. Mark your calendar.

UVEF’s Top 25 Under Five Awards have recognized the development of more than 200 individuals and companies, including Skull Candy, Imagine Learning, Agel Enterprises, Lendio (Funding Universe), Simply Mac, Entice Labs, Kynetx, ZAGG, and InterbankFX among many others. Companies five years old or younger throughout Utah are invited to apply at www.UVEF.net . Applicants are judged based on revenue and job creation.

The Utah Valley Entrepreneurial Forum (UVEF) is a volunteer non-profit support group linking entrepreneurs to Money, Markets, and Mentors. Celebrating 23 years of new business success, UVEF empowers current and future business leaders to thrive in today’s competitive market. UVEF provides real-world, practical education and valuable resources on how to access needed capital, attract new customers and tap into industry experts. For information on upcoming meetings, speakers and exclusive membership benefits visit www.UVEF.net.

Linkedin: http://www.linkedin.com/groups?mostPopular=&gid=97343

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=39397279826

Twitter: @UVEF

Press Contact:

John Pilmer

PilmerPR

(801) 369-7535

jpilmer@pilmerpr.com

It’s a ways away, but watch for more information regarding this event in the next month.  Contact your local SERVPRO rep if you have any questions.

Join the Utah Valley Entrepreneurial Forum for an April luncheon featuring an insider’s look into the burgeoning entrepreneur community at the UVU Business Resource Center with special guest student entrepreneurs from Kisstixx and The PowerPot.

You may have recently seen Kisstixx  on The Shark Tank. They won a deal. They’ll be on hand to tell us about it.

This April 12th UVEF will hear briefly about UVU’s business development strategies from Steve Roy, VP of Economic Development at UVU.

Also on hand will be Roger Andrus, UVU’s Director of the new Business Resource Center speaking on the BRC’s role in developing Utah Valley business, and from Shauna Theobald, Director of the Entrepreneurship Institute, on cultivating the entrepreneurial mindset on and off campus.

Special guest student entrepreneurs include Dallas Robinson & Mike Buonomo of Kisstixx, who will share their Shark Tank experience, and Caleb Light, who launched The PowerPot, a remarkable new energy technology.

Join UVEF for a first-hand experience with UVU and a few of their superstar entrepreneurs for an exciting look at how UVU is helping to lead Utah Valley’s entrepreneurial success and gaining national attention for our local talent and innovative spirit.

Questions? Contact Michelle@cedo.org or 801.226.1521 ext.101
No cost for this event to current UVEF members. $25 for visitors.

About UVEF

The Utah Valley Entrepreneurial Forum (UVEF) is a volunteer non-profit support group linking entrepreneurs to Money, Markets and Mentors. Celebrating 20 years of new business success, UVEF empowers current and future business leaders to thrive in today’s competitive market.

UVEF provides real-world, practical education and valuable resources on how to access needed capital, attract new customers and tap into industry experts.

Tickets are on sale now. Visit the RSVP page for more information and to purchase your tickets.

The event will be held at UVU at 800 W University Parkway, Orem, UT 84058.

Here is the flyer:

Thursday, March 8 at Novell Building A (Provo), starting at 11:45 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Tony has been working as CEO of mediaFORGE since 2006. He is passionate about display media technology and the potential it has to shape the future of the advertising/marketing industry. With 20 years of entrepreneurial experience, Tony believes the key to building a successful business is developing a strategic partnership with clients, allowing their needs and interests to guide the company’s direction.

Prior to mediaFORGE, Tony worked as CEO of start-up tech companies ezADit.com and Precision Data Link, which were both acquired.

We hope to see you there for this special event.

Questions? Contact Michelle@cedo.org or 801.226.1521 ext.101
No cost for this event to current UVEF members. $25 for visitors.

About UVEF

The Utah Valley Entrepreneurial Forum (UVEF) is a volunteer non-profit support group linking entrepreneurs to Money, Markets and Mentors. Celebrating 20 years of new business success, UVEF empowers current and future business leaders to thrive in today’s competitive market.

We provide real-world, practical education and valuable resources on how to access needed capital, attract new customers and tap into industry experts.

New Management, Facilities, Markets, and Humanitarian Outreach Continue Momentum For 2012

Aribex, Inc., worldwide leader in handheld x-ray technologies and manufacturer of the NOMAD^® Pro handheld x-ray system, today announced 2011 achievements, as well as its plans for continued corporate and market expansion in 2012.

“We feel fortunate that Aribex has been a recession-proof business with double-digit annual revenue growth almost since inception,” said Ken Kaufman, President and Chief Financial Officer of Aribex. “In 2011, revenue grew in excess of 30 percent and the company became debt-free.”

The Aribex Board of Directors appointed Kaufman to his current leadership role as well as a position on the Board in September of 2011. He partners with D. Clark Turner, PhD, Chairman and CEO, to continue the development and growth of Aribex.

Turner, founder of Aribex, was awarded the Utah Governor’s Medal for Science and Technology in January of last year. The award recognized Turner’s development of the company’s flagship product, the Aribex NOMAD handheld x-ray system. Last year, the internationally-known Edison Best New Product Awards^™ also honored Aribex with the Silver Award for the company’s NOMAD device.

Even in a challenged economy, Kaufman attributes strong growth to the company’s innovative quality products and the Aribex team that has worked so hard to make it all happen. With an emphasis on improving safety, access to care, and the patient/clinician experience, many regulators have realized that the time for handheld x-ray has arrived. Aribex is leading the charge with superior design, engineering and manufacturing.

“As they should be, radiological devices are subject to significant regulation and concern for safety,” said Kaufman. “Safety is our number one priority, and we’re proud that more than 30 independent studies and evaluations have validated our position by attesting to the safety and efficacy of our products. While these evaluations have made it possible for us to gain additional regulatory approvals worldwide, we call on reluctant regulators to consider the overwhelming evidence that our handheld x-ray is safe.”

Unlike the bulky wall-mount and portable systems in use, the NOMAD x-ray system is lightweight, rechargeable, and can go anywhere. In October of last year, the company shipped its 8,000^th NOMAD device. Aribex looks forward to celebrating its 10,000^th unit in service in 2012 along with the launch of several new initiatives.

“We’ll add new accessories to our current products while we continue to make steady progress on new technologies for future products,” said Kaufman. “We’re in the process of expanding our office space, and we’ve also begun the early planning stages of a new building in Utah County that will integrate technology and functionality to strengthen our systems and operations, enhance our capabilities, and facilitate our growth.”

“Aribex was built on innovation, courage, hard work and humanitarian service,” said Kaufman. “These founding ideals will power our growth in existing markets and expansion into new international markets in 2012.”

About Aribex

Aribex is the worldwide leader in portable and handheld x-ray products. Aribex NOMAD x-ray systems are now in use in clinical, remote and mobile facilities throughout the world, from the finest professional offices to humanitarian missions reaching underserved populations who desperately seek care. The NOMAD significantly decreases costs and provides hundreds of safe, high-quality images for dental and veterinary applications on a single battery charge. For more information, visit www.aribex.com.