SALT LAKE CITY — Twenty-one founders graduated from the Master of Business Creation (MBC) at the University of Utah’s David Eccles School of Business following the spring 2025 semester. This is the latest group to graduate from this unique and award-winning program designed specifically for entrepreneurs.

The group includes 18 people who graduated from the MBC’s in-person option and another 3 who graduated from the online option. The graduating MBC founders lead 19 startups in a broad variety of industries. Some startups had more than one founder in the program.

Find a complete listing of the graduates and their startups below.

The MBC program is an academic offering provided by the Department of Entrepreneurship & Strategy in partnership with the Lassonde Entrepreneur Institute. Both are part of the Eccles School, which is ranked among the top 10 schools nationally for entrepreneurship by U.S. News & World Report and the Princeton Review.

“The founders who graduated this spring are growing remarkable companies in many different fields and industries, and we look forward to seeing what they will accomplish with the lessons and connections they gained from the program,” said Paul Brown, the director of the MBC U.S. program and a faculty member in the Department of Entrepreneurship & Strategy. “We invite anyone with a startup company to explore what the MBC program offers and how it can help them develop and scale their business.”

Founders in the MBC program receive mentorship and resources to grow and scale their companies. All benefit from Eccles School courses, applied curriculum workshops, practicum labs, networking opportunities, one-on-one mentoring, and the intense learn-by-doing that occurs when lessons are applied to their own businesses.

The MBC program is one of the latest additions to the Eccles School, which celebrates entrepreneurship as a core value and fosters it throughout its undergraduate and graduate programs. The MBC program was recognized by the Global Consortium of Entrepreneurship Centers for “Excellence in Entrepreneurship Teaching and Pedagogical Innovation,” and the program won first place in the professional-services category in the Utah Innovation Awards managed by Utah Business and Foley & Lardner.

Established in 2019, the MBC program was created to blend the best attributes of a business curriculum with a startup accelerator. The founders develop their startups while taking classes from leading experts and receiving extensive resources and mentorship to help them address their immediate business needs.

JoLynn Spruance is one of the new graduates from the MBC program. She is the co-founder of UT Match, which offers professional matchmaking services tailored for Church of Jesus Christ Latter-day Saints single professionals ages 26-35.

“The MBC program has been invaluable in teaching us how to run and scale our business,” Spruance said. “It’s helped us formalize our business model, and now we’re ready to bring it to life.”

Jared Snow also graduated from the MBC program this spring. He is the founder of Inca Trek, a trek and tour operator in Cusco, Peru, featuring Machu Picchu, the Inca Trail, the Salkantay Trek, and Rainbow Mountain.

“The MBC has … revolutionized my approach to business,” Snow said. “I’m much more organized, methodical and strategic about business decisions. It gives you real tools to make your business better and pushes you to take action.”

Learn more about the Master of Business Creation and apply at eccles.utah.edu/mbc.

MBC In-Person Graduates for Spring 2025

Here are the MBC In-Person startups and the founders that graduated for this period (in alphabetical order by company):

  • Addon Games (Jordan Charlesworth) – Creates math games so fun and engaging that kids don’t realize they’re learning. Their games are for parents and teachers in the K-6 who want to take math teaching from a tedious task into an engaging learning experience.
  • Blokspyder (Sebastiaan Van Thiel) –Developing trading strategies based on observable trading patterns of traders with winning records.
  • Deep Dark Drinking Chocolate (Emily Nichols) – Thick, velvety smooth, European-style drinking chocolate made with a high concentration of ethically sourced dark chocolate, ground to a perfect melting consistency.
  • Grind Athletics (Tyler Hollist) – A sports technology company dedicated to transforming athlete recruitment through a digital platform that connects athletes with coaches by showcasing their skills, stats and schedules.
  • Inca Trek (Jared Snow) – A trek and tour operator in Cusco, Peru, featuring Machu Picchu, the Inca Trail, the Salkantay Trek and Rainbow Mountain.
  • Kusi (Diana Simens) – A luxury brand specializing in high-quality alpaca wool products, including college and Utah-logo neckties that blend tradition, sustainability and school pride.
  • MedicalMatch (Ali Phillips) – A virtual healthcare marketplace that allows healthcare professionals to work as independent contractors, qualify, negotiate pay, match and fill one-time shifts with healthcare organizations with just a few clicks.
  • Monere (Mou Nandi) – A digital health and wellness company dedicated to elevating women’s health through NiADA, a non-invasive, easy-to-use, and integrated anemia screening and monitoring solution.
  • Of The Gods (Ryan Sallee) – Founded by Ph.D. scientists of biochemistry and immunology, Of The Gods helps active, health-conscious professionals achieve superhuman results with their premium mushroom supplements.
  • Pivvt (John Dodson) – Helps hotels turn guest communication into insights that drive satisfaction, loyalty and rave reviews.
  • RedHead Trailer & Boat (Brandon King) – Makes family adventures outdoors and on the water doable.
  • Shop Taby (Taby Davila-Amenero) – Shop Taby is a size-inclusive, women-led, Latino and Dreamer-owned fashion brand that celebrates diversity and empowers women of all sizes with fun, vibrant and colorful designs.
  • Startup Stack (Jonathan Engle) – Empowers founders with deeply discounted access to the software, services and perks that help them grow faster and operate smarter.
  • Tetrimuse (James King) – Helps musicians with their branding so they can build a loyal following of “true fans” around their art.
  • Tonicc (Shaelee Satterthwaite) – A wellness brand focused on making daily wellbeing effortless and attainable through innovative supplements with functional benefits.
  • UT Match (Nicole Miller and JoLynn Spruance) – Offers professional matchmaking services tailored for Church of Jesus Christ Latter-day Saints single professionals ages 26-35. The company created a novel, dating gift registry and provides exclusive dating planning services for all single and married couples.
  • Utah House Hacks (Joel Jones) – Makes homeownership affordable by helping homebuyers find, buy and manage a home they can live in that generates rental income.

MBC Online Graduates for Spring 2025

Here are the MBC Online startups and the founders that graduated for this period (in alphabetical order by company):

  • Cosmic Education Management (Leith Stratchen) – An enrollment application, explicitly designed for Montessori schools. The business automates the process from application to enrollment, billing and waitlist management.
  • McClain Youth Foundation (Munir McClain and Shanrika McClain) – A youth athletic foundation.

About the David Eccles School of Business

At the Eccles School, students do more than earn a degree or learn business – they live the experience with hands-on immersive learning. This empowers students to graduate not only with a degree, but the real-world experience, the mindset, skills and confidence to succeed. Founded in 1917 and educating more than 6,000 students annually, the David Eccles School of Business at the University of Utah offers nine undergraduate majors, four MBA programs, eight specialized master’s programs, five Ph.D. academic tracks and an executive education program. The Eccles School is also home to more than 16 institutes, centers and initiatives, which create societal impact through academic research, applied knowledge, leadership and innovation. Learn more at eccles.utah.edu.

About the Lassonde Entrepreneur Institute

The Lassonde Entrepreneur Institute is a nationally ranked hub for student entrepreneurship and innovation at the University of Utah and an interdisciplinary division of the David Eccles School of Business. The first programs were offered in 2001, through the vision and support of Pierre Lassonde, an alumnus of the Eccles School and successful mining entrepreneur. The institute now provides opportunities for thousands of students to learn about entrepreneurship and innovation. Programs include workshops, networking events, business-plan competitions, startup support, innovation programs, graduate seminars, scholarships, community outreach and more. All programs are open to students from any academic major or background. The Lassonde Entrepreneur Institute also manages Lassonde Studios, a five-story innovation space and housing facility for all students. Learn more at lassonde.utah.edu.