This story appears in the November 2025 issue of Utah Business. Subscribe.
Veterans don’t just serve their country — they build it. Across Utah, military veterans are launching companies, creating jobs and redefining what it means to be an entrepreneur. And they’re not doing it alone. Thanks to organizations like Utah’s Veteran Business Resource Center (the only one of its kind in the country), Utahns who are veterans, active-duty service members, and military spouses have access to a full ecosystem of free support to help them pursue entrepreneurship. Businesses built by veterans reflect the grit, clarity and mission-driven mindset forged through their service.
Five Utah veterans share how their military backgrounds have shaped their entrepreneurial journeys and how they’re paying it forward in the private sector.
“I spent more than half my life as an airman, and the Air Force’s core values — integrity first, service before self and excellence in all we do — are part of who I am. Those values are at the heart of Domination Thru Automation. Our mission is grounded in service through empathy and we see excellence as a journey, not a destination.
What the military gave me was vision and resilience. You learn to think long-term and execute in small steps. Our goal is to change the world through better systems, and we map our milestones like a mission plan.
Business isn’t like the military — you’ve got to learn it in parallel. We spent a year and a half just building our application before we really learned how to run a company. But resilience isn’t just about hanging on — it’s about showing up every day, moving forward and staying true to the mission.”
— Frank Unpingo
Co-Founder, Domination Thru Automation
“Our business is built on integrity. We won’t show clients the reports they want to see — we show them what they need to see. That level of honesty can be brutal, but it’s non-negotiable.
One of the hardest lessons was learning that building a business isn’t like building a tool. We focused so much on the application that we didn’t think about the go-to-market strategy or pricing. Veterans bring grit and structure, but you still need to learn business.
That said, the mindset we brought from the military has been everything. We break goals into milestones, hold each other accountable, and support one another like a unit. We joke like a family, but we don’t let things slide. That’s how we operated in uniform — and that’s how we lead now.”
Co-Founder & COO, Domination Thru Automation
“I stopped at college and in the workforce before starting my company, and being a veteran definitely gives you a leg up. Most of us have some kind of disability rating, which creates a bit of a safety net. It gives us freedom to try things.
We’ve seen good leadership and bad leadership. I’ve learned that disappointment comes from mismatched expectations. Just be honest: Say, ‘we’re going to have a tough month, but we’ll be OK.’ That’s better than pretending everything’s fine.
We live by ‘under-promise, over-deliver.’ We try to be on time, and if we’re not, communication is key. The military taught me that — even if you’re not leading a team, you lead yourself with integrity.”
Owner, Measure Once Cut Once
“The biggest thing I tell other vets: Don’t do it alone. Get honest people around you: mentors, advisors, a network. Your spouse has to be 100 percent on board or it won’t work. My wife’s been my biggest support through it all.
Business is riskier than the military. In the military, your pay is guaranteed; you have protections. As an entrepreneur, you’re exposed. You can get sued for nothing. It’s on you to survive.
What’s helped me is my tolerance for rejection. I get rejected five to ten times a day — but I’ve also closed million-dollar deals. You learn not to take feedback personally. That grit is what separates veteran entrepreneurs. We don’t quit because someone said no. We keep pushing.”
President, Hinterland Institute
“You get used to the beatings of life in the military — and in entrepreneurship, it’s a lot of the same. It’s emotional, not physical. The military builds resilience and trains you to find solutions under pressure.
When mortars are falling and you have to think clearly, that prepares your mind for stress. Now, in business, I remind myself: Bombs aren’t falling. My life’s not in danger. That gives me perspective and control.
The military also taught me how to enroll people in a common mission, even if they come from different backgrounds. In combat, I worked with interpreters and Iraqi police. You learn to align with people who don’t think like you. That makes it easier to lead teams in business.
Entrepreneurship can give you purpose. It’s a mission. If you take the same energy and focus from service and apply it to your own vision, you’ll find meaning beyond the military — and growth you didn’t expect.”
Founder & CEO, From The Farm