Meet the 2023 Mountain West honorees

Hunter Sebresos is the CEO of Bacon Inc.

The Bacon workforce marketplace helps businesses find qualified workers to fill shifts on demand. Bacon makes temp work professional and reliable by allowing businesses to view worker ratings, reviews, and skills to select workers that best fit their shift requirements. Using Bacon, workers have more flexibility and choice of where and when to work while leveling up and earning rewards.

Now operating in 20 markets across the U.S., Bacon serves the warehouse, manufacturing, events, and catering industries. Workers can find a variety of opportunities on the platform from serving concessions at an NBA game to filling orders in a warehouse or helping on a manufacturing line.  

Bacon uses technology to make the staffing process easy for companies and even allows them to offer gig workers full-time employment, without any fees or requirements. Bacon also provides a worker impact program to help individuals gain skills and greater opportunities as they work on the platform. 

Erika Peterson is the Chief Executive Officer and JJ Peterson is the Chief Innovation Officer of Clean Simple Eats.

Frustrated by bland and boring diets, we started experimenting with recipes, substituting more healthful ingredients and before we knew it, Clean Simple Eats® was born! But we didn’t stop there; we created seasonal 7-week macro-balanced Meal Plans filled with hundreds of delicious, family-friendly recipes with just the right amount of protein, fat and carbs to keep your body fueled and satisfied. That’s right, no more counting macros! Aside from our recipes, we’ve also created our own line of clean and tasty protein powders, supplements, and mixed nut butters (aka OffBeat Butters, so yummy you’ll want to eat them #bythespoonful). Our goal was (and is still) to create the best-tasting, highest quality products on the market, and we believe we did just that! Each small-batch flavor combo is unique, crave-worthy, and sure to leave you asking for more!

We believe that healthy habits + consistency over time yield the very best results, which means a sustainable diet is key. We also believe in the importance of a community that supports you. Here at CSE, we have a strong community called the CSE Squad! Our #CSESquad are strong and loyal rock stars who are willing to embrace a challenge—the #CSEChallenge.

Kevin Koch, Ph.D. is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Edgewise Therapeutics.

We are a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of innovative treatments for severe, rare muscle disorders for which there is significant unmet medical need. Guided by our holistic drug discovery approach to targeting the muscle as an organ, we have combined our foundational expertise in muscle biology and small molecule engineering to build our proprietary, muscle focused drug discovery platform. Our platform utilizes custom-built high throughput and translatable systems that measure integrated muscle function in whole organ extracts to identify small molecule precision medicines regulating key proteins in muscle tissue, initially focused on addressing rare neuromuscular and cardiac diseases. Our lead product candidate, EDG-5506, is an orally administered allosteric, selective, fast myofiber (type II) myosin small molecule inhibitor designed to address the root cause of dystrophinopathies including Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) and Becker muscular dystrophy (BMD).

Jimmy Eberhard is the CEO and Founder of Fluid Truck.

Fluid Truck helps businesses and individuals rent commercial vehicles at the tap of a button. Fluid Truck offers a wide array of trucks, vans, electric vehicles, and more through its mobile app and website 24/7, 365 days a year. Launched in 2016, Fluid Truck is used nationally by businesses of all sizes to flexibly and affordably build their fleet, manage employee scheduling on-the-go, and activate zero-emission last-mile delivery services, free from the hassles of ownership. Fluid Truck serves more than 100k users, supporting customers ranging from local florists and moving companies to national retailers. It operates in 400 cities across the U.S. from Seattle to Miami with customers.

Monte Deere, Jr. is the CEO of HandsFree Labs, Inc. (Kizik).

No one likes the hassle of putting on their shoes. Bending, tying, heel-crushing, and finger-smashing have been the name of the put-on-your-shoes game since shoes were invented. Kizik is out to inspire greater joy for life by making the everyday easier. We've changed the way people put on their shoes—and the way they take them off (all it takes is a nudge). And that can make all the difference, whether Kiziks serve as a life hack or actually facilitate someone who struggles finally being able to put on their shoes with ease. Kizik has built a relatable brand, and customers think of their Kiziks as an everyday, go-to shoe. Our parent company, HandsFree Labs®, created a whole new category with its original hands-free technology. It’s revolutionizing the footwear industry.

Scott Roth is the Chief Executive Officer of Legitscript.

LegitScript is trusted by the world’s largest search engines, e-commerce platforms, payment companies, and regulatory agencies in 80 countries and more than 15 languages around the world. We help companies of all sizes keep their services legal and safe for consumers. To do this, we combine technology, big data, and the world’s leading team of experts skilled in highly regulated and complex sectors, including transaction laundering detection, pharmaceuticals, online gambling, and more. Our multidimensional view across the entire compliance ecosystem provides unique insights from all industries and angles, empowering businesses and governments to stay at the forefront of emerging high-risk trends.

Greg Bullington is the Co-Founder and CEO of Magnolia Medical Technologies.

Magnolia Medical Technologies develops, manufactures and markets innovative blood collection and diagnostic technologies.

Magnolia’s mission is to eliminate the misdiagnosis of sepsis. Sepsis is the #1 leading cause of death, costs and readmissions in hospitals nationwide.

Diagnosis of sepsis is plagued by false-positive results. On average, 20% to over 50% of positive tests are wrong. This preventable error puts over 2 million Americans at risk and burdens the US healthcare system with $10+ billion in fully avoidable costs each year.

Magnolia’s flagship product, Steripath®, is the only FDA-cleared device on the market indicated to significantly reduce false-positive sepsis test results. Clinically proven in over 20 large-scale studies, Steripath has reduced false-positive sepsis test results by 75% to 100% delivering rates as low as 0.0% across large patient populations (n >10,000).

Clinically adopted by nearly 400 hospitals nationwide to date, Steripath has successfully reduced the risk of false-positive results across nearly 4 million patient sepsis tests.

Magnolia's novel platform is protected by a broad intellectual property portfolio consisting of more than 140 issued patents and 50+ pending patents.

Clark T. Bell is the CEO and Co-Founder of Nano-Yield.

Nano Yield's purpose is to serve the growers of the world with our nano-liquid technology. Our goal is to improve crop performance by reducing the amount of fertilizer and chemicals that need to go on in crops. Our Technology is superior due to its yield enhancement and waste reduction. The Company headquartered in Sandy, Utah and has operations in nine countries, and has 43 employees. The company is committed to feeding the global population with less agricultural inputs (fertilizers, pesticides etc.) and yearly save farmers millions of gallons of water. The benefits of the technology include improving the bottom line for the farmer, caring for and increasing soil health for the earth, providing first-of-its-kind agricultural technology to feed an ever-growing worldwide population, and creating a meaningful business model for generations to come.

Hemanshu Parwani "HP" is the CEO and Owner of Olson Kundig Inc.

Now in its sixth decade of practice, Olson Kundig is a collaborative design practice whose work includes private and multi-family residential, commercial and mixed-use design (including wineries and sports facilities), cultural and museum projects, exhibition design, hospitality projects, places of worship, interior design, product design and landscape design. With offices in Seattle and New York City, the firm and its team of over 250 work with clients around the world.

Jake Bolling is the CEO and Founder of Skupos Inc.

Skupos drives revenue growth across all segments of the convenience retail industry through technology that connects both retailers and brands to their shoppers. 

With a focus on independent stores and small chains which make up nearly 80% of the market, the Skupos platform enables both retailers and brands to compete through better understanding and serving their customers. 

Founded in 2016, a growing network of 15,000+ customers across all 50 states rely on Skupos to boost sales volume and increase their customer base.

Kate Harris is the President, CEO, and Chair of Stanley Consultants, Inc.

Stanley Consultants is an employee-owned consulting engineering firm known for providing innovative solutions to complex problems ranging from energy and transportation to water and industry. Founded in 1913, the multi-disciplinary firm has provided planning, design, engineering, construction oversight, program management and advisory services to clients in all 50 states and more than 120 countries.

Ranked among the largest engineering firms in the world, Stanley Consultants has nearly 900 employees in more than two dozen offices worldwide. The firm is admired for its customer service excellence, thought leadership, technical acumen, and practical solving skills.

Our commitment to improving lives, putting people first and employee-ownership has been the foundation of the company’s efforts to create a connected, sustainable, and enriched world for over 100 years. We connect with our clients and communities in economically, environmentally, and socially responsible ways. Through our relationships, programs, operations and charitable foundation, our employees hold themselves personally responsible for client success, community outreach and the progress and performance of the firm.

Andy Heily is the President and CEO of The Krusteaz Company.

A 90-Year Old Company with the Spirit of a Startup.

What started 90 years ago in Seattle by an entrepreneurial woman named Rose Charters is today one of the most beloved baking mix brands in America, Krusteaz®. Family-owned and operated, we believe in prioritizing people, dreaming big, and always doing the right thing – for our customers and our team members. These are the values that have helped us earn a reputation as a people-first community of makers and innovators, known for integrity, purpose, and a 90-year history of inspiring joyful connections.

The Krusteaz Company headquarters is located in Tukwila, WA, just outside of Seattle, and products are sold through retail, foodservice, and club store channels throughout the United States.

The Krusteaz Company employs 800+ employees, and is committed to addressing food insecurity in partnership with Boys & Girls Clubs of America through the “Feeding Great Futures” initiative, as well as work with Food Lifeline, Feeding America and other local non-profit organizations. 

Steve Nelligan is the Owner and CEO of US Transport, Inc.

US Transport, Inc. is the leading provider of dry and liquid bulk transportation and logistics services across the western US, offering a full suite of transportation, storage, rail transloading, on-site facility and inventory management services under long-term, exclusive contracts. UST’s highly experienced management team, depth and breadth of service capabilities, comprehensive regional footprint and strategic terminal and rail transload locations differentiate UST from its competitors and create high barriers to entry. UST has long-term relationships with its customers, cultivated through high levels of service and an industry-leading safety program. UST handles a broad range of over 40 commodities, such as cement, lime, fly ash, pumice and liquid chemicals, for a diverse customer base and set of end markets that includes international cement producers, mining companies, public utilities, government infrastructure, highway construction and power plant recycling. UST has executed and integrated 15+ strategic acquisitions over and represents an established platform that is primed for future growth through continued consolidation and integration of a highly fragmented market as well as greenfield geographic expansion.