Buzzworthy - May 14, 2021

Filevine acquires Outlaw

On May 11, 2021, Filevine, a legal tech platform based in Salt Lake City, announced its acquisition of Outlaw, a Brooklyn-based maker of contract management software as part of a strategy to make it easier for corporate legal teams to manage all aspects of the legal process more easily and keep them in one place: contracts, databases, and documents.

"When we started to investigate the Contract Management space, it was obvious that Outlaw was the breakout product on the market," says Filevine CEO Ryan Anderson. "From their easy-to-use workflows and powerful customization for complex documents, they were simply a cut above. By bringing them under the Filevine umbrella, we will help all legal practitioners, whether in the corporate or private practice setting, focus on results rather than dealing with busywork."

"We started Outlaw to build a better way to do corporate contracting from the ground up," said Outlaw CEO Evan Schneyer. "When Filevine approached us, the synergies were apparent from the start. Integrating Outlaw's tech into Filevine will add substantial value for Filevine's entire user base of 25,000+ lawyers. Now, they will have best in class contract management, with Filevine's leading platform built around workflows, communications, and reporting. This union means a more complete solution, all customized, all for them."

Current Outlaw CEO, Evan Schneyer and Cofounder Dan Dalzotto will continue to lead Outlaw's product development reporting to Ryan Anderson. Outlaw will continue to operate but with additional engineering, customer success, and sales support from Filevine.

Breeze Airways announces Initial Flight Routes

On May 13, Breeze Airways, a Utah-based airline startup founded by David Neeleman, announced more details about its flight routes. Its 22 aircraft will initially fly 49 direct routes, serving 15 cities starting with Tampa to Charleston. Other cities it will serve include Nashville, New Orleans, and Pittsburgh. Breeze will focus on connecting cities in the Rust Belt to those in the Sun Belt. Breeze Airways is Neeleman's fifth airline. Previously Neeleman founded Morris Air, WestJet, JetBlue Airways, and Azul Brazilian Airlines. Neeleman is Brazilian-American and was raised in Utah.

Neeleman wants Breeze be “the world’s nicest airline," as reflected in its three seating options — Nice, Nicer, and Nicest. The “Nicest” option will be Breeze’s value-priced business class. Breeze’s one-way fares will expected to range between $59 and $89. Ticketing will be available soon. The airline will initially fly Embraer 190/195 aircraft. It will eventually fly Airbus A220s. On March 10th, Breeze received approval to operate from the United State Department of Transportation.

Roadmap to Recovery Coalition Dashboard May Numbers

On May 11, 2021, Salt Lake Chamber announced that the Roadmap to Recovery Coalition updated its Economic Dashboard for May to help business leaders know where Utah's economy is going. The tool tracks the state’s path to economic recovery from the pandemic recession and provides context for decision-makers.

“We have now rebounded with our job gains reaching a year-over growth threshold and unemployment flashing a signal that we are reaching peak employment. This envious position must not be taken for granted, nor forgotten on how we arrived here working together, said Derek Miller, president and CEO of the Salt Lake Chamber and Downtown Alliance. “The previous challenges of workforce development and securing top talent are returning with this accelerating economy. We must now double down on efforts to develop our employees, shore up the innovation gains during the pandemic, and ensure that all Utahns are included in this recovery.”

Three takeaways from the May dashboard include:

Utah’s unemployment rate drops below 3.0%. For the first time since the pandemic began, Utah’s unemployment rate dropped below 3.0%. Utah’s March unemployment rate of 2.9% is the lowest in the nation, tied with several other states. This marks the seventh consecutive month of decline.
Utah sees year-over job growth. Utah sees slight job growth of 0.9%. Moving forward, year-over job growth will be compared to early-pandemic months with large job losses. Job growth will likely be high as it is compared to these months with large losses.
Consumer confidence continues to rise. Utah’s March consumer confidence of 96.4 is the highest since the measure’s inception in October 2020. Utah’s consumer confidence exceeds the nation’s (84.9) by more than ten points.

The Dashboard tracks and shares 10 measures and pertinent indicators since the start of the pandemic.

“Utah’s job growth and low unemployment are key factors in moving our economy back to stable ground. Consumer and executive confidence are both cresting toward highs that show Utahns are ready to fully re-engage in commerce,” said Natalie Gochnour, director of the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute. “As our economy continues to recover, women in the workforce and hard-hit sectors will continue to require focus.”

The Roadmap to Recovery Coalition is a business-led coalition, supported by the Salt Lake Chamber, focused on implementing and promoting our economic recovery. The Coalition is co-chaired by Mikelle Moore, SVP and Chief Community Health Officer, Intermountain Healthcare, and Scott Parson, CEO, Staker Parson Materials & Construction. Investors of the Coalition include Mountain America Credit Union, WCF Insurance, Clark and Christine Ivory Foundation, Deseret Management Corporation, Intermountain Healthcare, Staker Parson Materials & Construction, and Rio Tinto Kennecott.

The Tuttle Twins Complete Crowd Funding of $2.7 Million

Angel Studios' "The Tuttle Twins" finished its crowdfunding of $2.7 million dollars and is now fully funded for the first season. Making it the biggest crowdfunding of a Children's cartoon series. The Tuttle Twins, based on the best-selling books, is the first cartoon series to entertain kids while instructing them about principles of freedom, economics, and government. The series is currently in development with a pilot episode to be released in the coming weeks.

Facebook Funds STEM Education with UVU, Provo and Alpine School Districts

On May 13, Facebook, Utah Valley University, Provo and Alpine School District announced a plan to bring a K-6 STEM curriculum to Utah elementary students, as reported by Broadband and Breakfast.

“STEM curriculum and hands-on educational opportunities are incredibly important for students of today to be career- and college-ready, and we’re proud to partner with Utah Valley University and the Alpine School District to support this new marquee technology,” said William Marks, community development regional manager at Facebook.

The program is called the SEEdPOD project. It comes from Utah’s Science and Engineering Education (SEEd) standards that combine principles of engineering with science subjects, lesson plans and materials are stored in trailers called “pods.” Teachers in the Provo and Alpine school districts review the lessons, with funding from UVU and Facebook. USU provides research support. SEEdPOD trailers are scheduled to be delivered to elementary schools in Blanding, Utah, as well. The SEEdPOD project intends to introduce technology and training to K-6 students.

Inc. Magazines Honors Ten Utah Companies

On May 12, 2021, Inc. magazine announced its list of honorees for its annual Best Workplaces List. Ten Utah companies made the list, which is the result of a wide-ranging and comprehensive measurement of American companies that have created exceptional workplaces and company culture whether teams are operating in-person or remotely.

The ten Utah honorees are listed below, including their sector and location:

Divvy, Financial Services, Draper
Health Catalyst, Health, Salt Lake City
Lendio, Financial Services, Lehi
Manly Bands, Retail, Vineyard
MX, Software, Lehi
Onset Financial, Software, Draper
Podium, Software, Lehi
Pura, Consumer, Orem
Telarus, Telecommunications, Sandy
Xyngular, Health, Lehi

Ryan Caldwell, Founder and CEO of one of the Utah honorees, MX was happy to receive this award again. "We are proud to once again be recognized by Inc. magazine for our people, our culture, and the workplace that we are building together. The secret to any exceptional workplace is exceptional people, and that is what we have at MX. While this past year has not been without its challenges, I have been inspired by the way our people have come together to support each other, our customers and partners, strengthening our company and culture in the process."

"The definition of a positive workplace has changed drastically over the past year," said Inc. magazine editor-in-chief Scott Omelianuk. "Stocked fridges and nap pods were no longer perks many companies could rely on once work went remote. So, this year's list is even more important as it reveals organizations that continue to enrich the lives of its employees amid a pandemic."

Collecting data from thousands of submissions, Inc. singled out 429 honorees this year. Participating companies took part in an employee survey, conducted by Quantum Workplace, on topics including management effectiveness, perks, and fostering employee growth. Company benefits were also audited to determine overall score and ranking.

Quantum Workplace, based in Omaha, Nebraska, is an HR technology company known for its employee-engagement surveys, action-planning tools, exit surveys, peer-to-peer recognition, performance evaluations, goal tracking, and leadership assessments.

April TechBuzz Longboard Winner Announced: Jalan Barrow

On May 5, 2021, Jalan Barrow, Technical Support Manager at Motivosity won April's TechBuzz longboard contest. Motivosity, covered by TechBuzz last year, is a Lehi-based employee recognition and feedback software platform used by companies like DuPont, Instructure, Hitachi Chemical, Western Governors University, Cotopaxi, and others to build company culture and makes people happy about their work.

Barrow was randomly drawn from a pool of TechBuzz newsletter subscribers, a campaign launched by TechBuzz in February, 2021. Barrow's prize was a custom longboard designed by Ghost Longboards of Pleasant Grove, covered by TechBuzz. These boards are known for their signature plexiglass board, quality wheels and trucks, and customizability. Barrow's board is a new design and includes the TechBuzz bee logo. Barrow, who works remotely in the Ogden area, was delighted to win the board.