OGDEN, UTAH – Ogden City and Grow Utah, a privately funded non-profit, announced today their new LIFT startup accelerator designed to elevate the success of Utah’s outdoor product innovators.
This city-based initiative is a program designed and managed by Grow Utah in partnership with Ogden City. Over an eight week period, selected entrepreneurs will be immersed in intensive mentoring and training provided by experts in the outdoor recreation industry.
Ogden City will provide selected participants in the program with a capital infusion of $15,000 to better enable innovators to develop their ideas. The program will conclude with a public release of the products, better positioning the participants to obtain follow- on funding from investors.
The LIFT Accelerator program is open to all Utah innovators and entrepreneurs who have products and services targeting the outdoor recreation and active lifestyle markets and who are at the early stage of development. Innovators can submit their applications for consideration through January 15, 2017. The program will begin February 2017.
The LIFT initiative is the latest in a long line of services and support available in Ogden for the outdoor recreation industry. “Ogden has become a nationally recognized hub for outdoor enthusiasts and businesses,” said Ogden City Mayor Mike Caldwell. “From attracting major outdoor product companies to hosting world-class events, outdoor recreation has catalyzed the revitalization of Ogden. Access to the outdoors as well as our community of enthusiasts makes Ogden a great environment for new product design and innovation.”
“Ogden has a long history of innovation,” Caldwell continued, “from Browning Arms in the early 1900s to the dozens of modern outdoor product companies who have set up shop in Ogden in the past decade. We want to build on that legacy and make Ogden not only the best place to play outdoors, but also the best place to successfully launch a startup business that caters to the outdoor products space.”
The LIFT Accelerator program reflects the combined vision of both the private and public sector. Tom Christopulos, Ogden City’s community and economic development director, said “Over the past eight years we have cultivated outdoor product startup companies through the Concept to Company Innovation Contest, in partnership with
Grow Utah. Now the new LIFT program provides additional services that will further root startups in Ogden and offer them the benefit of learning from successful businesses and innovators already located here.”
Focused primarily on early stage innovators, LIFT will immerse participants in an intensive eight-week program. “We will surround LIFT innovators with startup experts, prototyping and design specialists and industry mentors,” said T. Craig Bott President of Grow Utah. “All this will give these innovators what they need to be successful,” he added. “The end benefit will be new startups, located in Ogden that grow this exciting industry cluster in Utah. “
All interested parties can learn more about the program and apply for LIFT t the Grow Utah website of www.growutah.com. This application period will close on January 15, 2017
About Ogden City
In recent years, Ogden has experienced a major renaissance, with the revitalization of its downtown and the growth of many industries. Key industry clusters are outdoor recreation, aerospace and advanced manufacturing, and information technology and software. Ogden offers the benefit of strong industry clusters, unique innovation assets, a young, well-educated workforce, and high-quality, low-cost locations. As a result, many businesses and residents have decided to call Ogden home.
Ogden City’s community and economic development department makes the community stronger by creating and utilizing physical, financial, and social assets to generate improved and broadly shared economic well-being and quality of life.
About Grow Utah
Grow Utah, is a privately funded non-profit organization dedicated to accelerate the creation of innovative, entrepreneur-led, high-growth businesses that will strengthen and expand the future growth of Utah’s economy.
The vision of Grow Utah is to create a robust entrepreneurial ecosystem in Utah that fosters entrepreneurial talent, drives innovation to solve market needs, aligns community resources and support, and ensures funding for products, entrepreneurs and businesses of promise. Learn more at www.GrowUtah.com.
