Vivint founder Todd Pedersen named Entrepreneur of the Year
Todd Pedersen, CEO of Vivint, speaks to the Utah Valley Entrepreneurial Forum after being named Entrepreneur of the Year at a luncheon at the Vivint headquarters in Provo on Thursday, Dec. 13, 2012. SPENSER HEAPS/Daily Herald
Todd Pedersen, CEO of Vivint, second from right, stands with Emmanual Margetic, Ken Kaufman, and Keith McCord after being named Entrepreneur of the Year by the Utah Valley Entrepreneurial Forum at a luncheon at the Vivint headquarters in Provo on Thursday, Dec. 13, 2012. SPENSER HEAPS/Daily Herald
Caleb Light and David Toledo of the company Power Practical accept an award for most innovative product for their power pot at a luncheon at the Vivint headquarters in Provo for the Utah Valley Entrepreneurial Forum on Thursday, Dec. 13, 2012. SPENSER HEAPS/Daily Herald
Logan Harris of Spotter RF shows off one of his company's portable radar devices after accepting an award for "best kept secret" at a luncheon at the Vivint headquarters in Provo for the Utah Valley Entrepreneurial Forum on Thursday, Dec. 13, 2012. SPENSER HEAPS/Daily Herald
Shauna Theobald of the UVU Entrepreneurship Institute accepts an award for "greatest contribution to entrepreneurs" at a luncheon at the Vivint headquarters in Provo for the Utah Valley Entrepreneurial Forum on Thursday, Dec. 13, 2012. SPENSER HEAPS/Daily Herald
Glory and Logan Harris of Spotter RF accept the "best kept secret" award at a luncheon at the Vivint headquarters in Provo for the Utah Valley Entrepreneurial Forum on Thursday, Dec. 13, 2012. SPENSER HEAPS/Daily Herald
Caleb Light of Power Practical holds up his company's power pot after accepting an award for most innovative product at a luncheon at the Vivint headquarters in Provo for the Utah Valley Entrepreneurial Forum on Thursday, Dec. 13, 2012. SPENSER HEAPS/Daily Herald
The Utah Valley Entrepreneurial Forum named Vivint president Todd Pedersen as the Entrepreneur of the Year at its 2012 annual awards banquet Thursday.
A self-proclaimed college dropout, Pedersen acknowledged he is having fun doing what he is doing. However, he cautioned entrepreneurs that they only have a few runs at business success in a lifetime and they need to choose wisely.
“I’m 44. I don’t have that much of a run left,” he said.
His current run was more than he was expecting. Earlier this year, Vivint was acquired by The Blackstone Group for a Utah tech record-setting $2 billion.
Pedersen co-founded Vivint, Inc., one of the largest home automation companies in North America, in 1999 as APX Alarm. In 2006 and 2009, Pedersen took his entrepreneurial philosophy further and facilitated large credit agreements with Goldman Sachs, enabling Vivint to pursue new market opportunities. Pedersen was named the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year in 2010.
UVEF’s annual awards event gives Utah companies and their leaders the opportunity to share their entrepreneurial vision and winning combinations for business growth and contributions.
In a press release UVEF chairman Ken Kaufman said, “Utah entrepreneurs continue to put the state at the top of the economic heap nationally. UVEF award winners inspire others to work hard, work smart, and persevere through rough waters.”
Other winners, all based in Utah County, received kudos at the annual ceremony.
• Most Innovative Product — Power Pot by Power Practical: Innovator Caleb Light’s product provides power by charging the pot with either water or fire. Following a demonstration of the Power Pot, Light was excited to tell the audience of his newest product — folding personal solar panels. Power Practical products are helping bring communities into the 21st century with power. It is finding success with Power Pot in places like Uganda.
“We are happy and thankful for the award,” Light said.
• Ron King Social Entrepreneur of the Year — Robert Workman: After three decades as owner of Provo Craft and Novelty, Workman decided to focus his life on things that would profoundly change people’s lives around the world. Workman created TIFIE Humanitarian in 2007. TIFIE, which stands for Teaching Individuals and Families Independence through Enterprise, is a Utah-based international organization pioneering a new approach to charitable efforts in Africa and the South Pacific. TIFIE has established thriving agricultural development farms, medical initiatives, business entities and successful distribution, transportation and construction services in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Western Samoa.
“No person ever does anything alone,” Workman said. He added that you cannot do good and not get good.
• Greatest Contribution to Entrepreneurs — Shauna Theobald: As a member of the UVEF board, Theobald said she was not expecting this recognition. However, her colleagues believe she is highly deserving of the praise. She served as director of the Utah Valley University Entrepreneurship Institute in the Woodbury School of Business. She was the director for the Novell Technology Center between 2007 and 2011. The tech venture accelerator has facilitated the growth of approximately 35 software-based startups, and created more than 375 jobs.
Theobald was the regional director of the Small Business Development Center, located on the UVU campus, from 1999-2006. She runs the Entrepreneurship Lecture series at UVU.
• Utah Valley’s Best Kept Entrepreneurial Secret — SpotterRF: There is an irony in SpotterRF getting the Best Kept secret award since the company provides the world’s most advanced compact surveillance radar system at an affordable price. It is known as radar for the elite. The surveillance system is made in the United States and engineered for extreme conditions. Spotter technology is the most compact, lightweight, energy efficient and cost-effective ground radar for critical infrastructure and elite fighter requirements.
A privately held company, SpotterRF has garnered attention nationally and internationally with the world’s most compact surveillance system.
Vivint founder Todd Pedersen named Entrepreneur of the Year
Todd Pedersen, CEO of Vivint, speaks to the Utah Valley Entrepreneurial Forum after being named Entrepreneur of the Year at a luncheon at the Vivint headquarters in Provo on Thursday, Dec. 13, 2012. SPENSER HEAPS/Daily Herald
Todd Pedersen, CEO of Vivint, second from right, stands with Emmanual Margetic, Ken Kaufman, and Keith McCord after being named Entrepreneur of the Year by the Utah Valley Entrepreneurial Forum at a luncheon at the Vivint headquarters in Provo on Thursday, Dec. 13, 2012. SPENSER HEAPS/Daily Herald
Caleb Light and David Toledo of the company Power Practical accept an award for most innovative product for their power pot at a luncheon at the Vivint headquarters in Provo for the Utah Valley Entrepreneurial Forum on Thursday, Dec. 13, 2012. SPENSER HEAPS/Daily Herald
Logan Harris of Spotter RF shows off one of his company's portable radar devices after accepting an award for "best kept secret" at a luncheon at the Vivint headquarters in Provo for the Utah Valley Entrepreneurial Forum on Thursday, Dec. 13, 2012. SPENSER HEAPS/Daily Herald
Shauna Theobald of the UVU Entrepreneurship Institute accepts an award for "greatest contribution to entrepreneurs" at a luncheon at the Vivint headquarters in Provo for the Utah Valley Entrepreneurial Forum on Thursday, Dec. 13, 2012. SPENSER HEAPS/Daily Herald
Glory and Logan Harris of Spotter RF accept the "best kept secret" award at a luncheon at the Vivint headquarters in Provo for the Utah Valley Entrepreneurial Forum on Thursday, Dec. 13, 2012. SPENSER HEAPS/Daily Herald
Caleb Light of Power Practical holds up his company's power pot after accepting an award for most innovative product at a luncheon at the Vivint headquarters in Provo for the Utah Valley Entrepreneurial Forum on Thursday, Dec. 13, 2012. SPENSER HEAPS/Daily Herald
The Utah Valley Entrepreneurial Forum named Vivint president Todd Pedersen as the Entrepreneur of the Year at its 2012 annual awards banquet Thursday.
A self-proclaimed college dropout, Pedersen acknowledged he is having fun doing what he is doing. However, he cautioned entrepreneurs that they only have a few runs at business success in a lifetime and they need to choose wisely.
“I’m 44. I don’t have that much of a run left,” he said.
His current run was more than he was expecting. Earlier this year, Vivint was acquired by The Blackstone Group for a Utah tech record-setting $2 billion.
Pedersen co-founded Vivint, Inc., one of the largest home automation companies in North America, in 1999 as APX Alarm. In 2006 and 2009, Pedersen took his entrepreneurial philosophy further and facilitated large credit agreements with Goldman Sachs, enabling Vivint to pursue new market opportunities. Pedersen was named the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year in 2010.
UVEF’s annual awards event gives Utah companies and their leaders the opportunity to share their entrepreneurial vision and winning combinations for business growth and contributions.
In a press release UVEF chairman Ken Kaufman said, “Utah entrepreneurs continue to put the state at the top of the economic heap nationally. UVEF award winners inspire others to work hard, work smart, and persevere through rough waters.”
Other winners, all based in Utah County, received kudos at the annual ceremony.
• Most Innovative Product — Power Pot by Power Practical: Innovator Caleb Light’s product provides power by charging the pot with either water or fire. Following a demonstration of the Power Pot, Light was excited to tell the audience of his newest product — folding personal solar panels. Power Practical products are helping bring communities into the 21st century with power. It is finding success with Power Pot in places like Uganda.
“We are happy and thankful for the award,” Light said.
• Ron King Social Entrepreneur of the Year — Robert Workman: After three decades as owner of Provo Craft and Novelty, Workman decided to focus his life on things that would profoundly change people’s lives around the world. Workman created TIFIE Humanitarian in 2007. TIFIE, which stands for Teaching Individuals and Families Independence through Enterprise, is a Utah-based international organization pioneering a new approach to charitable efforts in Africa and the South Pacific. TIFIE has established thriving agricultural development farms, medical initiatives, business entities and successful distribution, transportation and construction services in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Western Samoa.
“No person ever does anything alone,” Workman said. He added that you cannot do good and not get good.
• Greatest Contribution to Entrepreneurs — Shauna Theobald: As a member of the UVEF board, Theobald said she was not expecting this recognition. However, her colleagues believe she is highly deserving of the praise. She served as director of the Utah Valley University Entrepreneurship Institute in the Woodbury School of Business. She was the director for the Novell Technology Center between 2007 and 2011. The tech venture accelerator has facilitated the growth of approximately 35 software-based startups, and created more than 375 jobs.
Theobald was the regional director of the Small Business Development Center, located on the UVU campus, from 1999-2006. She runs the Entrepreneurship Lecture series at UVU.
• Utah Valley’s Best Kept Entrepreneurial Secret — SpotterRF: There is an irony in SpotterRF getting the Best Kept secret award since the company provides the world’s most advanced compact surveillance radar system at an affordable price. It is known as radar for the elite. The surveillance system is made in the United States and engineered for extreme conditions. Spotter technology is the most compact, lightweight, energy efficient and cost-effective ground radar for critical infrastructure and elite fighter requirements.
A privately held company, SpotterRF has garnered attention nationally and internationally with the world’s most compact surveillance system.