This story appears in the April 2026 issue of Utah Business. Subscribe.
Not many executive directors hold their work meetings in a treehouse. But for Quinn Peterson at Downtown Provo, it is the perfect way to set the precedent for the authenticity he exudes in his business practice.
“Everything I do is because of the positive relationships I have with the business community, the events community and the government,” Peterson says. “Whether it’s about vintage clothing, treehouses, car mechanics, old Swiss watches, turquoise jewelry, audiobooks and all of these different things, it resonates with someone either at the city or in the business community so that outside of our business needs, we have these other bridges that connect us.”
For Peterson, his method of conducting business perfectly pairs with how he‘s directed Downtown Provo to be the vibrant, booming area it’s grown into, with its refreshingly eclectic shops, a fusion of flavorful restaurants and hand-painted art murals on every block. Here are just a few of the tools Peterson uses to help grow Provo and its people.
A treehouse built by Peterson and his wife
“We run a very effective but very scrappy program. We don’t have a big budget, and so it was during COVID-19 that we cut the office expense because we weren’t going into the office. We haven’t really brought it back because we don’t have enough budget, and we learned that we didn’t really need it. Living just four blocks away from the city offices, it’s easy to just meet with people here [at the treehouse] when we need to have meetings.”
Dune buggy
“I work with the county’s tourism and marketing team and I will drive [tourists] in my dune buggy around town. It’s a fun experience, and they get to see this cool culture of the downtown area. The funny thing about the treehouse that we’re in right now and all the goofy cars that I build is that these quirky character traits kind of make me this downtown mascot of a sort. I’m a tall guy with a red beard and I drive funny cars.”
Splice Video Editor & Maker
“I really like using Splice to edit videos. When I first started to edit, I was just looking for something that could speed a video up, and all the other apps could only double or triple the speed, whereas Splice could go 10 times, and the same to slow things down. Now, I’ve become so comfortable and familiar with it. I do a lot on YouTube, and I edit all of it on my phone with Splice. It can handle longer videos as well as short ones.”
“Instagram is an enormous tool for us. Part of what we’re trying to do is to educate people about downtown Provo. As we’ve done surveys and gathered data, the most impactful way for people to get that sort of information is Instagram. We have such a large population in Provo who are transplants and don’t know a lot about the city yet. Instagram is often a place where they’re learning about opportunities, events, activities, new shops, etc.”
Audible
“I’ll use Audible all day. Sci-fi or fantasy is really fun because it’s entertaining and it’s another universe that I get to put my head in while I’m working. If I have an audiobook running, part of my mind is occupied and it allows me to stay more focused on what I’m doing.”
5-hour ENERGY Extra Strength
“For my day job, for everything, I’m very routine-based because it’s all about convenience; time is so critical for me. It’s Taco Bell or Wendy’s breakfast every day, and then a 5-hour ENERGY Extra Strength immediately after, and then my audiobook in my ears. That is my ritual because that is what is required for me to suddenly start being productive and getting things done. I do 5-hour ENERGY Extra Strength twice a day; I buy it at Sam’s Club because I do so much of it.”
Chain Stitch Machine
“Velour just celebrated 20 years in January and the owner, Corey, and I really care about true, authentic, vintage workwear, like Levi’s. We’ve had that relationship for a while. I run a chain stitch machine, so I told Corey, ‘Hey, now that you’re celebrating 20 years, I want to make you a custom chain-stitch jacket.’ He gave me one of these big, denim Levi jackets and I chain-stitched his logo on the back of it.“I didn’t charge him anything for that, and he’s not giving me anything for it. Things like that are such unique, awesome opportunities to build these relationships where it’s not really part of my job to do that, but it is something that builds that relationship, and that’s part of the value for why people continue to help support our program. It’s what allows us to continue to have an impact.”
