MountainWest Capital Network
Share
The MountainWest Capital Network (formerly the MountainWest Venture Group) is Utah's first and largest business networking organization.
Who We Are
A Utah Business Network Pioneer
The MountainWest Capital Network enjoys a unique position as the original, independent business networking group in Utah. For more than two-and-a-half decades, we have supported entrepreneurs, investors and allied professional services firms with real-time information about capital creation and distribution through sponsored events that inspire, stimulate and reward successful business performance as they build relationships. The Deal
Capital flow is our mission; rewarding business performance is our passion. Through our core events, MWCN members share their knowledge and donate their talents to serve the economic self-interests of themselves and fellow members. These events require an enormous amount of energy, time, skill and teamwork to organize and implement, and are performed by our members without compensation. Our Focus for the Future
Today's environment for business growth has changed radically since the MountainWest Capital Network (originally the MountainWest Venture Group) was founded in 1983, and still offers unprecedented opportunity. Our focus is to offer a unique synergy of intellectual, financial and entrepreneurial capital. We help our members meet and master business challenges through relevant events, education and networking.
09/30/2026
MountainWest Capital Network is proud to spotlight this year's Utah 100 Emerging Elite and Top Revenue honorees!
The Emerging Elite category celebrates the newest wave of high-growth Utah companies setting the pace for what's next, while Top Revenue honorees represent the state's biggest revenue generating businesses driving major economic impact.
Congratulations to every company on these lists! Together, they capture the range of Utah's business community, from rising stars to established leaders.
09/29/2026
Most private equity teams will stress test a financial model a dozen different ways before they’ll trust it. Risk, on the other hand, often gets a single look right before closing.
In the latest MWCN Deal Flow article, Regan Guth of IMA Financial Group, Inc. makes the case for treating risk strategy as a capability that runs through the entire deal lifecycle, not a box to check at the end. From early exposure assessments before a letter of intent to representations and warranties insurance during diligence to portfolio wide benchmarking after close, Regan lays out how sophisticated investors are building risk into every stage of a transaction.
Regan Guth is a Sales Leader in Commercial Lines at IMA, with deep experience advising private equity clients and their portfolio companies through M&A transactions.
Read the full article on the MWCN website.
No sales team. No cold outreach. Just relationships.
Chad Fraughton says Cornerstone Technologies was built almost entirely without traditional business development, because if you’re a good person, good people find you.
It’s a philosophy that’s kept clients and employees around for 30 plus years.
Full episode on the MountainWest Capital Network Podcast.
Getting let go can feel like the end. For Chad Fraughton, it was the moment a new industry got built.
Chad Fraughton, Founder and CEO of Cornerstone Technologies, on why he tells his team something most companies never say out loud: today’s biggest names can be tomorrow’s has beens, so you build like it.
It’s the kind of long view thinking that’s kept Cornerstone growing for 33 years.
Full episode on the MountainWest Capital Network Podcast.
09/24/2026
🎙New episode is live!
Chad Fraughton, Founder and CEO of Cornerstone Technologies, joins Cheri M. Waldron and Jason Roberts on Welcome to the Winners’ Circle.
Chad walks through 33 years of building Cornerstone from the ground up. A business proposal that got him fired, a company built on maxed out credit cards instead of venture funding, and a culture where employees stay for 30 plus years because, as Chad puts it, “if you're a good person, good people find you.” He also opens up about working alongside his son and nephew and what he’s learned about culture, loyalty, and building something that lasts.
It’s a raw, funny, and unexpectedly emotional conversation.
🎧Listen to the full episode now on the MountainWest Capital Network Podcast.
🎙This week on Welcome on the Winners’ Circle, Jason Roberts and Cheri M. Waldron sat down with Chad Fraughton, Founder and CEO of Cornerstone Technologies.
From a college football injury and a late night security job to founding one of Utah’s premier event production companies. Chad’s path was never a straight line. He built three recording studios during Seattle’s grunge era, got fired from a corporate job in a room full of 20 people, and turned that layoff into a company that grew 400% in its first year, without ever securing outside funding.
This one is honest, big hearted, and full of the kind of stories you don’t usually hear on a business podcast.
Full episode drops TOMORROW!
09/22/2026
Huge thank you to Forbes Partners for hosting this month's MWCN Business Forum!
Their support made it possible for our community to hear directly from Joe Atkin, CIO of PV3 Enterprises and CEO of West Desert, on entrepreneurship, stewardship, and using business to create real impact.
We're grateful for partners like Forbes Partners who show up for MWCN and help our community keep learning and growing together!
09/22/2026
Many deals lose momentum in diligence, not because the business isn’t strong, but because buyers never fully vetted the numbers before asking questions.
In this week’s MWCN Deal Flow article, Marilyn Garcia of Citrin Cooperman digs into the Quality of Earnings report and why it belongs at the start of a transaction, not the middle. She walks through what a QoE actually uncovers, from sustainable EBITDA to customer concentration to working capital needs, and why sellers who commission one early tend to negotiate from a stronger position.
Marylyn leads buy side and sell side due diligence work for private equity groups and middle market companies across the region.
Read the full article on the MWCN website. https://shorturl.at/5fXAg
09/18/2026
Joe Atkin doesn't measure success by ROI alone, and yesterday's Business Forum crowd got to hear why.
As Chief Investment Officer of PV3 Enterprises and CEO of West Desert (formerly Utah Motorsports Campus), Joe has spent his career building things that outlast a single exit, from Goal Zero and Owlet to MTN OPS. Now his focus is on turning West Desert into an inclusive destination for motorsports, engineering, recreation, and community right here in Utah.
"I believe that money does not change people. It magnifies and reveals us," Joe told the room. As an operator and investor, he values solving problems and finding ways to give hope and confidence to people, a philosophy that's shaped every business he's touched.
Thank you to Joe for sharing his story with the MWCN community, and to Forbes Partners for hosting.
09/16/2026
MountainWest Capital Network is proud to reveal the 2026 Utah 100 Honorees!
This year's list celebrates 100 of the fastest growing, most innovative companies driving Utah's economy forward. From healthcare to manufacturing and tech, these honorees represent the depth and diversity of Utah's business community.
Congratulations to all 2026 Utah 100 honorees. This list is presented in alphabetical order, with rankings to be revealed live at the Utah 100 Awards on Friday, November 13, in the Grand Ballroom at the Grand America Hotel. Take a look and see if you spot a partner, client, or neighbor on the list!
Register now at mwcn.org/utah-100
Click here to claim your Sponsored Listing.
Contact the business
Telephone
Website
Address
Salt Lake City, UT
84125
Alerts
Be the first to know and let us send you an email when MountainWest Capital Network posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.