ETA Utah Chapter: Building Utah’s ETA Commons
This post is written by Morgan Olsen.
Morgan Olsen runs Durable’s community and communications. She’s part strategist, part storyteller, and full-time advocate of bringing people together. As the force behind Durable’s social presence, newsletters, and The Durable Dispatch, Morgan turns updates into conversations and customers into a community.
On February 19, we gathered at Lassonde Studios for the official kickoff of the ETA Utah Chapter — and the energy in the room made one thing clear:
Utah is ready for a thriving ETA ecosystem.
The evening brought together searchers, operators, investors, and advisors — all connected by a shared belief in Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition and the power of community.
This wasn’t just another event. It felt like the start of something lasting.
Why We Gathered
ETA — Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition — can be one of the most rewarding paths to business ownership. It can also be one of the loneliest.
At Durable, we believe business ownership shouldn’t be a solo journey. The same is true for ETA. The kickoff event was designed to bring together those already on the path and those considering it — and begin building the shared infrastructure Utah needs.
The room was full. Conversations started quickly and ran deep. There was curiosity, candor, and a clear desire to build something meaningful together.
A Panel Rooted in Real Experience
Moderated by Chase Murdock, the evening’s main panel explored a powerful theme:
How would a thriving ETA ecosystem have helped in their early ETA days?
We heard from some of our Advisory Board Members: Caroline Chapdelaine, Reid Tileston, and Dave Gilbert, each sharing openly about their ETA journey:
What their search looked like
The business they ultimately acquired
The bumps along the way
What would have made the biggest difference during their process
There was no sugarcoating. ETA is complex. Searches take time. Deals fall apart. Transitions stretch leaders in new ways.
And yet — each of them came out stronger and successful on the other side.
A consistent theme emerged: community would have made the journey better.
Better access to experienced operators.
More visible deal flow.
A stronger bench of advisors who understand ETA specifically.
A trusted room to ask hard questions.
Utah has incredible entrepreneurial talent. Now it’s time to build the connective tissue for ETA.
Advisory Board Lightning Round
Next, we shifted into a fast-paced Advisory Board lightning round.
We heard from the rest of our ETA Utah Chapter Board Members:
Heather Barber
Seth Jenson
Blake Harber
Michael Hurdon
Kyle Poll
Each introduced themselves, shared their connection to ETA, and answered a simple but powerful question:
What does the Utah ETA ecosystem need most right now?
The answers varied — more mentorship, stronger investor education, accessible events, better tooling — but the ideas were aligned.
Everyone in the room wanted to help build it.
A Working Session — Not Just an Event
Next, we began our first ETA Utah Chapter working session. The goal? To help shape the chapter into what Utah’s ETA community needs.
Attendees broke into facilitated table discussions and worked through four guiding questions:
Where are you on your ETA journey?
What’s missing in Utah to support your goals?
What kinds of events, tools, or people would help?
Would you be interested in contributing?
Great discussions came out of these questions. Some attendees were just beginning to explore ETA. Others were deep in search. Some had already acquired and were looking to give back.
What stood out most wasn’t just the answers — it was the tone.
Collaborative. Generous. Forward-looking.
“This Is a Starting Point.”
We closed the evening by recapping what we all felt:
There is real momentum around ETA in Utah.
But this isn’t a finished product. It’s a foundation.
The ETA Utah Chapter is just getting started — and the goal is simple: create a thriving, self-sustaining ecosystem where searchers, operators, and investors can learn from one another and build enduring companies together.
What’s Next
If you’re interested in ETA — whether you’re exploring, actively searching, already operating, or investing — we invite you to get involved.
Join the Slack channel inside the Durable Community: #eta-utah-chapter
Attend upcoming Chapter events (you can find them on Durable’s event calendar)
Volunteer, mentor, or contribute to shaping the ecosystem
Invite friends or colleagues who should be part of the conversation
This is how ecosystems are built — not by one organization, but by a community.
There is a real energy around ETA in Utah right now. A sense that something meaningful is forming. Great things are coming.
This is just the beginning.
Join us. Invite others. Help shape what comes next.