“If you love what you do, it never feels like work.” Jason Algaze grew up surrounded by creativity. His mother was an interior decorator, and his grandfather, a civil engineer, built apartment buildings in Brooklyn and Queens. From a young age, Jason was drawn to both the artistry and structure of making things. “I was definitely a very creative kid,” he recalls. “I did a lot of art, but I was also always in that extra class during lunch building bridges or robots. I was obsessed with Legos.” Years later, that creative foundation would lead him - together with his business partner, Daniel Rudofsky - to form Abstract Group, the development company behind One Burton, a stunning new apartment building in South Salt Lake.

“We want the people who come in here to feel like family.” Todd Holsten grew up on the east side of Salt Lake City, spending much of his childhood in the mountains. Skiing, biking, climbing - if it was outdoors, he was in his element. After high school, he worked a string of odd jobs before finding his career home at Delta Air Lines in 1996. Nearly thirty years later, he is still there, now part of the aircraft movement team, enjoying the job’s stability and the flight benefits that have allowed him, his wife, and their family to travel the world. Together with his wife, Aranya, he now owns Aranya Thai Kitchen, a warmly inviting spot known for fresh, meticulously prepared Thai dishes that reflect her passion for getting everything just right.

“I have spent most of my life in and out of jail, and now I get to run a donut shop. I wake up and get to make people happy. I never thought that would be my life.” Nicholas Smith, General Manager of The Other Side Donuts, was born in San Diego, California, but moved to Vernal, Utah, before his second birthday. The second youngest of six boys, Nicholas grew up in a deeply troubled home. His father, a towering Polynesian man from Fiji, was abusive toward Nicholas’s mother. Nicholas still remembers hiding behind couches, calling 911, and watching the chaos unfold around him.

“I like to say, ‘One mission, two locations.’” Tim Brown smiled as he spoke, the phrase capturing both the scope and the spirit of the organization he leads as President /CEO - Tracy Aviary in Liberty Park and the Nature Center at Pia Okwai along the Jordan River.

“Housing alone will never solve homelessness, but community can,” shared Camilla “Winnie,” Vice President of The Other Side Village. From the moment she voiced that conviction, everything began to align. Inspired by what she had witnessed at Community First Village in Austin, Texas, she returned to Utah with a vision - not just for housing, but for healing. “It’s the whole person, first. Housing comes last.”

“Why am I working for somebody else’s dream and not my own?” That was the question Ryan Miller, owner of SaltFire Brewing Co. kept asking himself as he crisscrossed the country doing software support in the early 2010s. A self-described punk rock rebel raised by scientists in Idaho Falls - his father a nuclear physicist, his mother a paleontologist - Ryan had taken a far different path.

“I didn’t just want to open a studio. I wanted to change the way people feel about moving their bodies, and about themselves.” Tessa Arneson opened Maven STRONG with more than just fitness in mind. The sleek, light-filled Pilates studio was the first brick in what would become the Maven DISTRICT - a hub of women-owned, health-focused businesses in Salt Lake City’s Central City neighborhood. But in the beginning, it was simply about creating a space for strength and self-trust, built from Tessa’s own personal transformation.

“We need to accept dogs for the creatures they are - different from us but equally deserving of respect and understanding.” Ashley Wolf speaks with the kind of clarity that comes from lived experience. Her journey into dog training was a winding path that began in Santa Cruz, California. It wove through rebellious teenage years, university classrooms, and a series of other careers. Eventually, it led Ashley - alongside her husband, Ryan Heidt - to co-found Bark & Biscuit, a business dedicated to helping dogs and their owners understand one another.

“I think what truly makes it special are the people who work here - their passion, their appreciation of beauty, and their love of helping others find the perfect piece to mark a moment in time.” Dominique Anderson was speaking from the heart, seated in one of Salt Lake City’s most elegant and storied spaces: the historic O.C. Tanner Jewelers flagship store.

“It is all about what you have in your own backyard.” And that backyard for James Fowler is Salt Lake City where he has run Sugar House Distillery since 2013.

“I come in every day and still cannot believe this place is ours,” Tammy Barrow said. “I’ve never seen anything like it. It’s the most fascinating place I’ve ever been.” Nestled in a nondescript building, Got Old Wood is anything but ordinary. Step inside and you are instantly transported into history, into craft, into heart. The mother-daughter team of Tammy and Julie Adler-Birch brings reclaimed barnwood back to life, one story and one board at a time.

“I don’t think coffee has to be complicated but it does have to be excellent.” That simple belief sits at the heart of Three Pines Coffee, Nick Price’s first café, tucked into a narrow storefront on South Main Street in Salt Lake City. Opened in 2015, it is a quiet, focused space - no trendy gimmicks, no bells and whistles. Just really good coffee, done right.

“He just can’t die. He’s too needed. I thought he would be with me forever because we’ve been together forever,” said Patsy Savas, reflecting on the sudden loss of her husband, Jim. The Grove Market & Deli - built by Jim’s father, Pete Savas, in 1947 - has been a fixture in the Salt Lake City community for generations.

“This was always the goal, owning our own place,” said Andrew Fuller. “I just had to be patient enough to wait for the right moment.” For Andrew Fuller and his wife, Angelena, that moment arrived in February 2019 with the opening of Oquirrh, a refined yet welcoming American restaurant nestled in downtown Salt Lake City. At once personal and quietly romantic, Oquirrh reflects their shared story: a love for good food, deep respect for craft, and an unshakable partnership that spans both life and work.

“We didn’t start with a business plan or a brand. We started with trust and respect,” said Jorge Rojas. “And a shared belief that artists need each other.” That quiet foundation is what makes Material feel so different. Tucked into a modest building in Salt Lake City, the artist-run space opened with a clear and deliberate mission: to support, exhibit, and elevate other people’s work.

“Underneath it all, it’s about community. That’s what drove me to take the risk of opening a small business, because thriving cities depend on thriving local businesses. And that doesn’t happen without people willing to give everything they have.” Kate Risser did not set out to become the founder of Botanika. The path that led her to this bright, airy, minimalist shop in Salt Lake City was anything but straight-forward. It is a story of reinvention and a deep desire to create something meaningful - not just for herself, but for those around her.

“We’re much better at making beer than marketing. At the end of the day, we just want people to feel like they’re hanging out in our living room, enjoying something we love to create.” Tim Chappell’s path to owning his eponymous Chappell Brewing, one of the smallest breweries in Salt Lake Valley, was anything but linear.

"For us, coffee is an important daily practice, it is our holy water. Honestly, it is a religion to us."  Erin Butler and Nick Price wanted a name that made people laugh but also made them curious. The name ‘Holy Water’ just kind of stuck. That irreverent charm runs through everything at Holy Water, the coffee shop co-founded by the two in June 2023. The name hints at something sacred, but also playful - exactly the kind of balance they set out to strike.

“I turned to Byron and said, ‘Can we be a donut shop?’ And boom, here we are.” Kandy and Byron Tesen never set out to open a bakery. In fact, when they first met in the Army over two decades ago, they could not have imagined that one day, they would be creating rosemary chocolate chip cookies, lavender and earl grey mini loaves, and glazed habanero peach donuts in their own sun-filled café. But after years of service and sacrifice, the couple opened Eats - a vegan bakery that is equal parts community hub and creative playground.

“Finally, something I actually enjoy drinking.” That was the reaction of Jennifer Carleton when she first tried hard cider in a pub outside Galway.” Jennifer is the founder of Mountain West Hard Cider along with her husband Jeff. Jennifer had always loved mulled cider - the warm, spiced, non-alcoholic kind served during the holidays. But it was not until a 2008 work trip to Ireland that she discovered its boozy cousin: crisp, refreshing, and poured like a pint of beer.