Nearly 20 years after launching the Downtown Rising initiative in the heart of Salt Lake City, Utah’s business community has come together again to create a statewide economic vision. This vision – Utah Rising: A Free Enterprise Vision for Utah’s Economy – will be driven by proven principles while outlining opportunities for ongoing success and sustainable growth. In collaboration with the public and private sectors, Utah Rising will address critical issues with innovative and long term economic solutions for all who call Utah home.
Utah is experiencing demographic and economic shifts. We’ve gone from a small state to a midsized state, and our birth rate has slowed and we are seeing more growth from external migration. We’ve gone from a monocultural state in the 90s to a multicultural state today, our population as a whole is older with 20% of the population over 65, and we’ve transformed from a strong economy to an elite economy.
How did we get here? With planning, foresight and ingenuity in the private sector. When business gets involved, good things happen. We have the option to make thoughtful decisions and become visionary leaders with incredible results that maintain and enhance the quality of life we enjoy in Utah.
Our past has proven we can do it. Utah’s economic history and the power of strategic business investments and collaboration – including the Utah Jazz, the Salt Lake City International Airport, the Olympics, Downtown Rising and infrastructure improvements – demonstrate that initiatives, driven by a blend of visionary foresight and practical execution, lead to sustainable development and economic growth.
When a business makes a thoughtful decision to be visionary, we see incredible results. Utah Rising is a way to unify Utah’s diverse voices in a shared vision for statewide prosperity by aligning and accelerating a broad coalition of individuals and organizations.
Some of the guiding principles of Utah Rising include:
- Common ground and collaboration for a shared vision of sustainable growth and statewide prosperity.
- Bold vision and pragmatic action to harness market forces and achieve results that reimagine the possible.
- Quality of life and upward mobility that creates opportunity for all Utahns.
- Culture of service and community building that give Utah a distinct competitive advantage.
- Private sector innovation and public sector support to unleash the power of free enterprise.
The journey ahead is both exciting and essential. It calls for a leadership that is visionary yet pragmatic; ambitious yet grounded. Together, we can rise to the challenges and opportunities of our time, leading Utah into a new era of prosperity.
