This story appears in the July 2026 issue of Utah Business. Subscribe.
Utah is one of the best places in America to live, work and raise a family. The proof is everywhere: record-low unemployment, solid job growth, surging entrepreneurship, a reputation as the best state for business and the 2034 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games on the horizon. None of Utah’s past success happened by accident, and none of it will sustain itself without the same intentional work that built it.
That is the purpose of Utah Rising. Launched by the Utah Chamber in collaboration with chambers of commerce across the state, the initiative is a private-sector-led economic vision built on a simple premise: The next decade will define the next generation. With the 2034 Winter Games as both a deadline and an opportunity, Utah has eight years to make decisions that will shape the eighty that follow.
Utah Rising organizes around six focus areas that are essential to Utah’s long-term prosperity and require sustained partnership between business and government.
First: workforce and education. Behind every economic milestone are the Utahns who make it possible. From early literacy to post-secondary completion, we are working to ensure that Utah students enter the labor force prepared, credentialed and ready to contribute.
That includes expanding industry-recognized credentials, strengthening child care access for working families and supporting legal immigration pathways that help employers fill critical workforce needs.
Second: transportation. Utah’s continued investment in roads, transit and digital infrastructure is what keeps communities connected and the economy moving. Utah Rising supports projects that will define the next decade of mobility, including double-tracking and extending the FrontRunner, expanding rail and bus rapid transit, and advancing the Unified Transportation Plan.
Third: Utah’s business environment. The state’s reputation as a top state for business has been earned through stable tax policy, predictable regulation and a culture that respects the people who take risks to create jobs. Protecting that reputation means maintaining property tax fairness and aligning state policy with pro-growth federal reforms.
Fourth: Housing. When teachers, nurses and young professionals cannot afford to live where they work, communities weaken and economic growth slows. Utah Rising supports infrastructure investments, land use reforms and starter-home opportunities that bring attainable housing within reach.
Fifth: Livability. Utah’s quality of life is the air we breathe, the trails we hike and the communities where families build their futures. Sustaining that quality of life means investing in mental and behavioral health, addressing homelessness with both compassion and accountability, and ensuring our public spaces remain safe and welcoming.
Sixth: Natural resources. Utah Rising recognizes that natural resources and economic success are inseparable. The Great Salt Lake, water supply and energy mix are foundational to Utah’s future. The Great Salt Lake 2034 Charter demonstrates what is possible when state, federal and business leaders commit to long-term stewardship together.
Across all six areas, the through-line is partnership. Utah Rising is not a wish list submitted by or to the government. It is a shared agenda built by employers, advanced with policymakers and accountable to the communities we serve.
So what can business leaders do? The most important step is the simplest: Get informed and stay engaged. Understand how these focus areas connect to your workforce, customers and industry, and look for the places where your company can contribute directly. The strength of a business-led vision depends on businesses that are willing to help lead it.
Utah’s story has always been written by builders. Utah Rising is the next chapter, and it is being written right now.
