Utah Governor's Office of Economic Opportunity

??Founder Feature: Joe Zia Meet Joe, whose lifelong passion for health and wellness led him and his wife Esther to start an essential oil business seven years ago. ZIA ZENSATIONS' mission is to bring something fresh to Utah’s essential oil market. The Zia story proves that even in a big market, you can make a meaningful impact. Get started on your own business idea at startup.utah.gov. Learn more about their story here: https://lnkd.in/gb4-NWz3

GOEO’s executive director, Ryan Starks, joined the Salt Lake Chamber and other partners to unveil “Utah Rising,” a forward-thinking vision for Utah’s ongoing success and sustainable growth. This initiative addresses critical challenges while advancing long-term economic solutions that will benefit all Utahns. Learn more about this initiative at utahrising.com

?? Celebrating Excellence in Diplomacy! ????? The Utah Consular Corps is proud to recognize our very own Honorary Consul of Austria, Franz Kolb, for receiving the Decoration of Honor in Gold for Services to the Republic of Austria. This prestigious award highlights his unwavering dedication and impactful contributions to fostering strong ties between Utah and Austria. The honor was personally presented by Her Excellency DDr. Petra Schneebauer, Ambassador of the Republic of Austria to the United States, during a distinguished ceremony. Join us in congratulating Consul Kolb on this well-deserved recognition! ????

Recently, GOEO's Utah Innovation Center sponsored BioUtah's Life Sciences Summit 2024 — Utah's premier gathering for the life sciences community. Innovators, researchers, and industry leaders came together to learn, foster connections, and celebrate Utah's thriving life sciences ecosystem. #UtahLifeSciences #Innovation #GOEO

Thrilled to further our partnership with the Netherlands and foster more collaboration between Utah's thriving tech startup scene and Dutch innovation. ???? ????

The Utah APEX Accelerator is a government procurement assistance program within GOEO. Its counselors provide free services to help Utah entrepreneurs identify, apply for, and win government contracts for products and services. Read some of the program's success stories in the Business In Utah magazine. https://lnkd.in/gzjkk62i

?? Get ready, Utah! Next year, we’re launching the Get Started: Business Idea Challenge, a game-changing monthly opportunity to bring your early-stage business ideas to life. In partnership with the Lassonde Entrepreneur Institute at the University of Utah, this challenge is designed to help entrepreneurs take their first big leap by presenting their concept and competing for non-equity funding. ?? Stay tuned — more information coming soon. Tag an entrepreneur who should join us ??

This week, GOEO and the Utah System of Higher Education (USHE)'s Talent Ready Utah signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Republic of Austria. This MOU formalizes collaboration between Utah and Austria to strengthen the state’s youth apprenticeship model. https://lnkd.in/gx3VEaCM

I'm honored to sign a Memorandum of Understanding with the Republic of Austria, formalizing a partnership around apprenticeship programs. This signifies our commitment to fostering economic development and investing in our workforce by learning and sharing best practices with Austria's world-renowned apprenticeship model. I'm excited for the opportunities this collaboration will bring to the people of Utah! ???????? I also want to congratulate Franz Kolb for his exceptional service as Austria's honorary consul. He's a cornerstone of Utah's international relations, and we're so grateful for his dedication.

National Business Capital ranked Utah the second-best state for starting a business in 2025. The report measured growth, support, challenges, regional trends, and more. https://lnkd.in/g_c4NUND