WBC: BWF February Luncheon: Sweet Success

How did they do it?

Ever wondered how a person just like you became a business owner? Maybe you've had an idea and thought about one day starting your own business.

The Business Women's Forum will be hosting a panel of successful business owners who are clients of the Women's Business Center. Hear their stories and learn how they came to own and run a success business.

Lunch catered by Gourmet Fusion.

Moderated By Julianna Christie with Gray Matter Consulting, LLC


About our panelists:

Ashley Cintas, Kosha:

Five years ago, founder Ashley Cintas wanted a breathable fabric that could have performance features, but still have a luxury aesthetic touch and feel. She knew the fabric has to posses 5 distinct properties: eco-friendly, antimicrobial, odor resistant, stain resistant, and washer and dryer safe. After months of searching, she realized there was no such fabric with those characteristics. Kosha became a reality when Cintas decided to create the fabric herself.

It took 4 years of research and development, testing a variety of fabric combinations, weights, and fiber contents, until she finally found the right blend. Once the fabric exceeded her performance desires, she spent the next 6 months designing the fabric to have trendy aesthetics features that did not compromise it's performance. Cintas wanted a fabric that would be comfortable to the touch. She created a signature stitch for the fabric to make it further stand out from other fabrics. After numerous companies showed interest in licensing the material, she knew she had revolutionized the textile industry.

Cintas also realized the most difficult step in creating a product is development. In 2014, because of this realization, she decided to create an innovation based company using the material and her 5 year experience. Kosha Innovation is commited to innovating the industry by providing comfortable, lightweight, and durable performance fabrics.

Kosha is the first fabric to possess all five of the top performance fabric features:
Antimicrobial, water resistant, eco friendly, odor resistant, stain resistant, and machine laundering safe.

The combination of Kosha fabric's composition and weaving, beacked by a patented polymer coating, enables the fabric to be used as a covering or the product itself. Kosha fabric has been used for a diverse set of applications such as: medical apparel, auto interiors, fitness accessories, baby bags, and home and bath accessories.

Cindy Johnson, Hair Love Wigs:

Hair Love, created by Cindy Johnson, is a full-service salon and wig supply company with experienced stylists who offer creative hair replacement solution. No matter the hair issue, whether it be thinning hair, bad perm, or even hair loss due to a medical issue like Alopecia or Cancer, Hair Love gives clients the hair of their dreams.

Cindy has been in the wig business for over 15 years and established Hair Love in April 2014. She is a strong community supporter of Cancer Survivors. In June 2014 Hair Love created an event that provided 5 local cancer patients with free wigs and makeovers at an event called "A Day Without Cancer".  

Hasen Cone & Teri Rosquist, Sweet Lakes Limeade:

Hasen Cone graduated from Utah State University with degrees in History and Spanish. He worked at restaurants to pay his way through school and even owned some shaved ice shacks. After graduating he moved to Salt Lake City where he got a job in the creative department at Backcountry.com. After a couple of years cooped up in a tiny cubicle, he snapped, poured hot coffee all over his computer keyboard, put a metal fork in the break room microwave, and burnt the entire office building to the ground, miraculously harming no one. He then started his own small business selling fresh, hand-made drinks to eager customers at farmers markets and other outdoor events. Seven much happier years later, Hasen and his wife Teri are taking their fancy drink business to the next level by opening a full menu restaurant called Sweet Lake Biscuits and Limeade.

Teri Rosquist graduated from the U of U with a double major in Finance and Entrepreneurship. After gaining extensive experience in marketing, accounting, and even stock trading, she decided to follow in her family's long tradition of branching out on their own. Having grown up spending summers with her aunt in Mexico, Teri designed a desert recipe based on the street food she loved and opened a food cart at the farmers market. That's where she crossed paths with Hasen for the first time and a year later the two were married. She brought order to Hasen's creative chaos and the two quickly realized that they had the perfect combined skill set to turn their small limeade business into a full fledged operation.

Jay Starks, Platinum Venture Group:

Jay Starks is a Partner, CEO of Platinum Venture Group with the responsibility of Business Development and Management. Platinum Venture Group is a medical supply, medical equipment and surgical supply company which distributes essential products to health care providers across the United States and soon Internationally. Our target markets are the Federal Government, States, Cities, Counties, Hospitals, Medical Clinics, Tribal Health Systems and Pharmacies. 

Jay has over 20 years of diverse background which includes organizational development, project management and product development, sales training, strategic planning and varies managerial positions along with military experience. In his role at Platinum Venture Group, Jay has offered a new and effective approach to marketing for his own companies’ products and services, and consulting for their customers and clients. Jay enjoys working in an industry that provides products and services that help improve lives, and has enjoyed Platinum Venture Group commitment to giving back to its customers, employees, and community.  Platinum Venture Group has also been active in helping the community through organizations such as the American Diabetes Association.

Jay holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from University of Pheonix. He is also a veteran of the United States Air Force as a Distinguish Graduate in Non Commission Office.

About the moderator:

Julianna Christie, Gray Matter Consulting, LLC

Julianna Christie has been working as a consultant for over twenty years.  Her titles include research moderator, facilitator, trainer and leadership development coach.  She works with individuals and groups – leading them to discover insights, develop creativity, and work more productively.  She works both independently and as a subcontractor for companies around the globe.

Julianna is based here in Salt Lake City and her company is called Gray Matter Consulting.