To help you to get to know the companies presenting at LaunchUp #13 we asked each to respond to a few questions…

The following Q&A segment is with Readeo:

Q: What does your company do?
A: We make it possible for families to share storytime together whether they’re in the same room or thousands of miles apart.

Q: Why does that matter and how do you make the world a better place?
A: With families living farther apart than ever, we think technology has a great ability to bring them closer together. Readeo helps grandparents and grandchildren, long-distance parents and their kids, military families and more to build relationships despite the distance that sometimes separates them. Why does it matter? How does it make the world a better place? If we all took time to read a children’s book or spend a few minuted with a child once a week or so, I think we’d all have a lot healthier view of the world and our relationships.

Q: Why is your company cool?
A: We’re not necessarily cool, but what we’re trying to do it. We’re super small (and quick as a result), our customers love us, and we’re already making a big difference in people’s lives. Oh- and angel investors and big publishers have faith in us, so that might not make us cool either, but it’s pretty fun to work when those sorts of people are behind what you’re doing.

Q: What 3 lessons/observations would you tell other entrepreneurs?
A: 1. Dream big, but figure out how to do it small. 2. Find the right people fast. 3. Never stop trying new things

Q: Pick 5 people for your entrepreneur dream team (assuming you and your team were riding the bench)
A: Richard Branson, Tony Hsieh

Q: Which one pursuit? Golf, Basketball, Skiing/Snowboarding, Knitting, Mountaineering/Climbing, Bowling, Watching Grass Grow
A: Skiing

Q: Why are you an entrepreneur in Utah?
A: Honestly, because that’s where I live and I believe you can do just about anything from anywhere these days. Our CEO is from Utah but lives in Chicago right now because that’s where he got his MBA and hooked up with our largest investors. I live in Utah because its a great place to live, and so far as we know, a good place to do business.

We look forward to LaunchUp #13 and hearing more from Readeo!

Help us spread the word! And RSVP on our Facebook Page event page for LaunchUp #13.

To help you to get to know the companies presenting at LaunchUp #13 we asked each to respond to a few questions…

The following Q&A segment is with Qbillion:

Q: What does your company do?
A: Qbillion is the Web’s only open investment analysis platform. Visual. Contextual. Collaborative.

Q: Why does that matter and how do you make the world a better place?
A: Understanding companies and making good investment decisions is far to difficult. The Web has revolutionized stock trading. But it has barely made a dent in company analysis. We think technology–social media web technology in particular–is ready to address that. Qbillion’s community will make investors more profitable and markets more efficient.

Q: Why is your company cool?
A: Investment insight is too important to leave to Wall Street. Applying the open spirit of Linux and Wikipedia to investment insight, we have a Web social media path for bringing better data and tools than Wall Street now enjoys to everyone.

Q: What 3 lessons/observations would you tell other entrepreneurs?
A: 1. Work from you passion. 2. Start really simple. 3. Listen. Especially to your gut, your heart, and your customers.

Q: Pick 5 people for your entrepreneur dream team (assuming you and your team were riding the bench)
A: Abraham Lincoln (conviction, wisdom, humility . . . what better attributes could an entrepreneur have?); Charles Hoffman (‘founder’ of XBRL, the most important semantic web standard out there); Andy Grove (the semiconductor industry yields great managers and Grove was phenomenal); Eric Schmidt (no explanation needed); Marty Neumeier (brand genius)

Q: Which one pursuit? Golf, Basketball, Skiing/Snowboarding, Knitting, Mountaineering/Climbing, Bowling, Watching Grass Grow
A: Climbing

Q: Why are you an entrepreneur in Utah?
A: Actually I’m in Colorado until my house sells. But we’re leaning strong towards Utah (where Qbillion’s the development team is) based on the work force and entrepreneurial support community you have there . . . nowhere better exemplified than at LaunchUp I must add!

We look forward to LaunchUp #13 and hearing more from Qbillion!

Help us spread the word! And RSVP on our Facebook Page event page for LaunchUp #13.

To help you to get to know the companies presenting at LaunchUp #12 we asked each to respond to a few questions…

The following Q&A segment is with QR Code City:

Q: What does your company do?
A: QR Code City allows users to create, manage, share, and track custom QR codes through web and mobile apps.

Q: Why does that matter and how do you make the world a better place?
A: QR Codes are the link between the physical and digital worlds.

Q: Why is your company cool?
A: Our robust tools empower users to use QR codes in ways we could have never imagined.

Q: What 3 lessons/observations would you tell other entrepreneurs?
A: 1. Style/Design matters. 2. Be healthy. 3. Create value.

Q: Pick 5 people for your entrepreneur dream team (assuming you and your team were riding the bench)
A: Pharrell Williams, Matt Smith, Cameron Moll, Jack Dorsey, and the new MacBook Air.

Q: Which one pursuit? Golf, Basketball, Skiing/Snowboarding, Knitting, Mountaineering/Climbing, Bowling, Watching Grass Grow
A: BYU Soccer

Q: Why are you an entrepreneur in Utah?
A: This is the Place.

We look forward to LaunchUp #12 and hearing more from QR Code City!

Help us spread the word! And RSVP on our Facebook Page event page for LaunchUp #12.

To help you to get to know the companies presenting at LaunchUp #12 we asked each to respond to a few questions…

The following Q&A segment is with KarmaKey:

Q: What does your company do?
A: We provide virtual loyalty programs for restaurants.

Q: Why does that matter and how do you make the world a better place?
A: Loyalty cards suck. Nobody likes carrying them. We make getting recognition for your purchases simple.

Q: Why is your company cool?
A: The partners. They’re great people to work with. None one takes themselves too seriously. No one’s stuck on themselves. Each of them are inspiring in their own way.

Q: What 3 lessons/observations would you tell other entrepreneurs?
A: 1. Get a bigger horizon than just regionally. Travel…travel to silicon valley, travel to NYC, travel to Boston. Pitch the hell out of your business. 2. Persistence is powerful. You probably won’t nail it on your first pitch/product/client, etc. but just keep iterating, keep getting up, keep moving forward. 3. There are five powers in your business life, and your business–intelligence, time, connections, influence, and money–in that order. Build on those every day…

Q: Pick 5 people for your entrepreneur dream team (assuming you and your team were riding the bench)
A: Steve Wozniak, Dean Kamen and Bill Joy all running our Technical Operations Division, and Genghis Khan and Alexander the Great running our Marketing and Sales division. Oh, and a sixth…Bill Lumbergh…

Q: Which one pursuit? Golf, Basketball, Skiing/Snowboarding, Knitting, Mountaineering/Climbing, Bowling, Watching Grass Grow
A: Skiing/Snowboarding — last year I had a torn rotator cuff, three broken ribs, a cracked sternum and a concussion…and I plan on doing it again this year. Let’s you know you’re alive..

Q: Why are you an entrepreneur in Utah?
A: There’s a good mix of tech and adventure around. Where else could you go do outdoor activities–hiking, snowboarding, climbing, have the majority of the workforce not show up to work with a hangover, and have a great pool of technical talent from the other startups. It’s a good adventure environment with people still keeping a pioneering, DIY mentality.

We look forward to LaunchUp #12 and hearing more from KarmaKey!

Help us spread the word! And RSVP on our Facebook Page event page for LaunchUp #12.

To help you to get to know the companies presenting at LaunchUp #12 we asked each to respond to a few questions…

The following Q&A segment is with ClickLock:

Q: What does your company do?
A: Provides a secure B2C communication platform on top of user’s existing email.

The longer version: We allow you (whether an individual or a corporation) to encrypt messages and send them to a user’s existing email address. When the user receives the message, they install a simple browser extension and are immediately reading the message with no account creation process or other headaches.

While we are starting with email, our technology scales to other communications platforms, from chat to Facebook.

Q: Why does that matter and how do you make the world a better place?
A: Email is a mess. Whether it is somebody trying to phish for your account information, a company trying to send an important, pertinent piece of information, or a less-than-knowledgable individual scanning and emailing a mortgage application that gets sent in the clear, there are a ton of problems due to email’s lack of security.

Rebuilding the email system isn’t really an option, so we need ways to fix it it that can be applied on top of the current SMTP system. That’s where ClickLock comes in.

Q: Why is your company cool?
A: If we do this right, we have the potential to positively impact millions of people. Whether that impact is a simple “”one less place to remember my login for”" or “”you just saved me from $100,000 worth of fraud”", we can make that impact.

We focus on the customer first. We aren’t building a cool technology and hoping somebody will buy. We’ve talked to a lot of people and know where they pain is and who will buy to alleviate that pain.

Finally, we aren’t afraid of technology. The best startups to work at are willing to experiment with technology to get the right things done, whether it is Clojure, Python, Ruby, or Erlang.

Q: What 3 lessons/observations would you tell other entrepreneurs?
A: 1. Figure out your market. You may think you have a cool idea, but until you’ve bounced it off of real potential buyers, you know jack. 2. The smaller the company, the more important the networking. There are times when that is what will keep your sanity. 3. If you don’t really believe in what you are doing, do something different. It is supposed to be fun!

Q: Pick 5 people for your entrepreneur dream team (assuming you and your team were riding the bench)
A: 1. Alexis Ohanian
2. Eric Ries
3. Steve Yeggie
4. Randall Munroe
5. I don’t know the name of the 5th, but somewhere out there the software user experience designer equivalent to Jonathan Ive.

Q: Which one pursuit? Golf, Basketball, Skiing/Snowboarding, Knitting, Mountaineering/Climbing, Bowling, Watching Grass Grow
A: Canyon carving on 1000cc’s of adrenaline.

Q: Why are you an entrepreneur in Utah?
A: It’s a pretty, great state. Utah has a lot of amazing things going for it: a well-trained workforce, an incredible work ethic, strong interpersonal relationships, and great opportunities to blow off steam.

We look forward to LaunchUp #12 and hearing more from ClickLock!

Help us spread the word! And RSVP on our Facebook Page event page for LaunchUp #12.

To help you to get to know the companies presenting at LaunchUp #11 we asked each to respond to a few questions…

The following Q&A segment is with Piick:

Q: What does your company do?
A: Let people shop online with their friends.

Q: Why does that matter and how do you make the world a better place?
A: People like to shop together and getting friends’ opinions makes buying online easier.

Q: Why is your company cool?
A: We’re solving eCommerce’s biggest problem using a cool mix of real-time technology and social networks.

Q: What 3 lessons/observations would you tell other entrepreneurs?
A: 1. Better to try something and learn than to wait until you think it’s done.
2. There’s a ton of great ideas. Choose one, focus, and tweak until it’s right.
3. Writing helps you refine and deeply understand your own ideas. Learn to do it well for your sake and others.

Q: Pick 5 people for your entrepreneur dream team (assuming you and your team were riding the bench)
A: Steve Jobs, Sun Tzu, Thomas Edison, Bill Gates, and Peter Norvig

Q: Which one pursuit? Golf, Basketball, Skiing/Snowboarding, Knitting, Mountaineering/Climbing, Bowling, Watching Grass Grow
A: Hacking

Q: Why are you an entrepreneur in Utah?
A: The skiing — definitely the skiing. Or, maybe Zion’s NP.

We look forward to LaunchUp #11 and hearing more from Piick!

Help us spread the word! And RSVP on our Facebook Page event page for LaunchUp #11.

To help you to get to know the companies presenting at LaunchUp #11 we asked each to respond to a few questions…

The following Q&A segment is with MealDrop:

Q: What does your company do?
A: Web-based food ordering for campus venues.

Q: Why does that matter and how do you make the world a better place?
A: We save students between 15 and 60 minutes per order. With that time, we enable them to develop more talents, study harder, network more, and get ready to go out and make a difference themselves.

Q: Why is your company cool?
A: We are taking a proven and successful paradigm to a new industry.

Q: What 3 lessons/observations would you tell other entrepreneurs?
A: 1. Be cheap, but know when to “go big.”
2. Work passionately.
3. Pray

Q: Pick 5 people for your entrepreneur dream team (assuming you and your team were riding the bench)
A: Josh James – after all the crazy startup stories we’ve heard about him, we think he’d fit in quite nicely
Chip and Dan Heath – Sticky marketing anyone?
Karen Zaro – The patient glue that holds everything together!
Stephen Colbert – Best comedic relief EVER

Q: Which one pursuit? Golf, Basketball, Skiing/Snowboarding, Knitting, Mountaineering/Climbing, Bowling, Watching Grass Grow
A: Michael: Basketball.
Bryan: Hiking or lying on cold grass in morning watching sunrise with clouds (and parachutes) blowing overhead.

Q: Why are you an entrepreneur in Utah?
A: Resources galore. Competitions, universities, entrepreneurial spirit, good values.

We look forward to LaunchUp #11 and hearing more from MealDrop!

Help us spread the word! And RSVP on our Facebook Page event page for LaunchUp #11.

To help you to get to know the companies presenting at LaunchUp #11 we asked each to respond to a few questions…

The following Q&A segment is with GroSocial:

Q: What does your company do?
A: Make social media marketing easier for SMBs. We have created two applications that help business owners generate leads/referrals from existing customers and from other businesses.

Q: Why does that matter and how do you make the world a better place?
A: Referrals from trusted sources positively influence buying behavior. GroSocial provides inexpensive tools that help businesses make more money.

Q: Why is your company cool?
A: It’s unique in a crowded space. Social media marketing is all the rage these days. Most companies are rehashing the same concepts and strategies. Our strategy is truly unique–and more importantly, it works!

Q: What 3 lessons/observations would you tell other entrepreneurs?
A: 1. Learn to love Ramen noodles and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches
2. Sleep is overrated
3. Sell, design, build

Q: Pick 5 people for your entrepreneur dream team (assuming you and your team were riding the bench)
A: Eric Schmidt, Dave McClure, Steve Jobs, Matt Rutledge, Justin Beiber’s Marketing Team – can’t stand that kid but his marketing crew is phenomenal. No reason why some white kid should be doing songs w/legit rappers and hosting SNL.

Q: Which one pursuit? Golf, Basketball, Skiing/Snowboarding, Knitting, Mountaineering/Climbing, Bowling, Watching Grass Grow
A: Mountaineering/Climbing, hands down.

Q: Why are you an entrepreneur in Utah?
A: I’m a Utahan, born and raised and plan to grow GroSocial into a stellar business, create jobs, and contribute to the Utah economy.

We look forward to LaunchUp #11 and hearing more from GroSocial!

Help us spread the word! And RSVP on our Facebook Page event page for LaunchUp #11.

To help you to get to know the companies presenting at LaunchUp #10 we asked each to respond to a few questions…

The following Q&A segment is with icount:

Q: What does your company do?
A: Icount provides a way for you to impact politics through social networking. Icount keeps you informed on political issues, current events, legislation, campaign platforms, voting histories and the positions of your elected officials helping to formulate and strengthen your opinions. Icount provides an easy, user-friendly website to engage in meaningful ways with your social networks, with candidates and with your elected officials. Users can see the impact of these engagements as bills are written, impractical laws are challenged, elections are determined, positions are debated and your voice is heard. Icount provides a one-stop-shop for everyone to be involved in the political process.

Q: Why does that matter and how do you make the world a better place?
A: Over the past few years I have become increasingly frustrated with politics and the callousness of our politicians. It seems that they are more concerned with their own careers and backdoor deals then they are about what is good for the country or what their constituents want. About a year ago I read a quote by Edmund Burke that jumped out at me, “the only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing”. I knew I needed to get involved politically — I just didn’t know how to make an impact. Protest marches, phone calls and letters to my politicians don’t seem to make a difference. After discussing my frustrations with others, I quickly became aware that I was not the only one feeling this way and I decided to create icount to provide a simple, effective method to make our voices heard and impact politics.

Q: Why is your company cool?
A: We give purpose to social networking by replacing Farmville, Mafia Wars and FunSpace with creating legislation, repealing laws, impacting elections and exercising your freedom of speech and virtual assembly. We’ve also been accepted as a company in the BoomStartup program which is pretty darn cool!

Q: What 3 lessons/observations would you tell other entrepreneurs?
A: 1. Make sure you marry the right person.
2. Learn from your failures, because you will fail.
3. If you failed to marry the right person, don’t be an entrepreneur.

Q: Pick 5 people for your entrepreneur dream team (assuming you and your team were riding the bench)
A: 1. Warren Buffet
2. Oprah Winfrey
3. George Washington
4. John Huntsman
5. Michael Jordan

Q: Which one pursuit? Golf, Basketball, Skiing/Snowboarding, Knitting, Mountaineering/Climbing, Bowling, Watching Grass Grow
A: icount!!!

Q: Why are you an entrepreneur in Utah?
A: Because I am an entrepreneur and I live in Utah. I would be an entrepreneur in another state if I lived in another state, but most likely with less support and infrastructure. Utah is setting a high mark for encouraging and supporting entrepreneurial activities.

We look forward to LaunchUp #10 and hearing more from icount!

Help us spread the word! And RSVP on our Facebook Page event page for LaunchUp #10.

To help you to get to know the companies presenting at LaunchUp #10 we asked each to respond to a few questions…

The following Q&A segment is with BekoZone:

Q: What does your company do?
A: BekoZone.com is an online platform that generates matches for people to trade what they have for what they want. Example, you have an iPhone and want a camera, Beko connects you to the person that has a camera and wants an iPhone.

Q: Why does that matter and how do you make the world a better place?
A: Tight economy means tight cash. Trade/Barter is a market saver. We hope we can help small businesses keep their doors open as well as boosts people’s confidence when they don’t feel valued. Now they can use their skills and get things they want and need.

Q: Why is your company cool?
A: Trading is exciting and super addictive. It’s also fun reviving the cool system from Kindergarten days that has somehow been fogged over by money. Trading usually produces an exchange whose value can’t be met by a monetary system.

Q: What 3 lessons/observations would you tell other entrepreneurs?
A: 1) Find a way to do what you love. You’ll always be wealthier.
2) Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. Learn from them and move on. No Regrets.
3) There will be haters when you make it, and there will be haters when you don’t. So stop caring about what others think, and do what you want to do.

Q: Pick 5 people for your entrepreneur dream team (assuming you and your team were riding the bench)
A: To me, entrepreneurship is all about self-improvement and experiences more than simply financial success. So I’m not sure if I’d want to be riding the bench to success, or if I’d rather be on a suckier team actually playing the game. Don’t get me wrong, I’d love to be mentored by superstars, but there is only so much you can learn by just studying the game. Sometimes you just gotta get in there and play.

Q: Which one pursuit? Golf, Basketball, Skiing/Snowboarding, Knitting, Mountaineering/Climbing, Bowling, Watching Grass Grow
A: Playing Basketball

Q: Why are you an entrepreneur in Utah?
A: Sounds a lot better than being unemployed in Utah.

We look forward to LaunchUp #10 and hearing more from BekoZone!

Help us spread the word! And RSVP on our Facebook Page event page for LaunchUp #10.