Ed Lukacs

I volunteered for JA of Utah inspire Career Fair this morning and chatted with high schoolers. It was virtual and reached youth from remote areas to a variety of companies and industries. The students could “drop into” your booth and talk. They asked questions about training, career paths, salary, and more. Two questions stood out for me. What was the best thing you could learn in high school to help in your career field? What would you do different in high school if you could have a redo? My answer for the first question was public speaking and debate. No matter where you go you will need to articulate and defend your product/service/position. For the second question was more difficult for me. I suggested exploring more interests and combining your hobbies with your talents. Thoughts?

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Pay disparity is an uphill battle. Most women have learned to negotiate better salaries, emphasize the skills they bring to the employer, and work tirelessly to be seen in the tech field AND this wage gap still exists. Why? IMO, a few reasons. 1. Women are given a lower starting offer than their male counterparts, so negotiating up still puts them behind 2. Utah has chosen not to have pay transparency when posting jobs 3. Many employers still insist on knowing what your previous salary was so they can low ball their offer and perpetuate the wage gap 4. Corporations do not want employees discussing salary with each other and we're left to research tools such as Glassdoor or that one person we might know who's willing yo share information. It's 2024. Isn't it time to put wage gap to rest and open up pay transparency for all? #equality #wagegap #technology

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🚨Your Input Matters!🚨 Idaho Business & Hiring Managers: Please Take This Brief Survey We're reaching out to businesses and partners across Idaho to gather insights on the skills and qualities you look for in new hires. Your feedback will help shape the development of programs and services within our agency, ensuring they align with the needs of our local workforce. 📝 Take the Survey: https://lnkd.in/gwAf6VPQ This survey will only take a few minutes, but the impact will be long-lasting. We’re also asking you to share this survey within your network to capture a wide range of perspectives. #WorkforceDevelopment #IdahoBusinesses #Hiring #Skills #Survey MiKayla Monaghan Tate Sanders, MBA Kirby Rider

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"Hey Paul. I saw you went to the University of Arizona. That's awesome. I'd love to hear about it." "By the way, we should connect so I can pitch you something! No... Welp... see ya." #BS alert. #CrappyAI #AI lovers... A tip from me to you on behalf of most of us... I don't want to reminisce with you over my time in college - I have plenty of friends for that... or at least one. (ping Nicholas Pizii 🤣 ) This is especially true if I notice in your profile you have nothing to do with the U of A (#BEARDOWN.... apologies if you see this Mike Simmons... sort of 😁). Instead... you can use your AI as a prompt to maybe find something that we do mutually connect with. I personally like connecting with salespeople and revenue leaders about The Art & Science of Complex Sales podcast (shameless plug), and how they are managing shifting revenue landscapes. I know I can provide immediate value if they are podcast listeners... because we have worked really hard to cultivate a list of amazing guests that are way smarter than me. It's a great use for AI to scan a profile and give me potential podcast episodes that may bring them value based on what their profile communicates ... especially because I really do have the intent to bring the individuals I connect with value and elevate the sales profession. It's a pretty sweet tool. That being said... EVERYONE ELSE HAS THIS ABILITY TOO. It's not because we run a podcast. You can ALWAYS find something of value to be able to bring to someone you should be connecting to... especially because you've done the hard work of defining your ideal connection profile. Use AI as the tool to help with this... not to increase spam. YOU CAN ELEVATE YOUR GAME! We all can, and we all need to! Let's FRIGGIN GO! #shinebright

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Would you like to go to an area where you might have an intelligent conversation with you neighbor, and your kids could get a good #education. This article discusses a study by WalletHub that ranks the most and least educated cities in the United States. Here are the key points: 1. The study compared 150 of the most populated U.S. metropolitan areas based on factors like educational attainment and quality of education. 2. Top 5 most educated cities:   1. Ann Arbor, MI   2. San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA   3. Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV   4. Durham-Chapel Hill, NC   5. Madison, WI 3. California cities in the top 10 include San Jose (2nd) and San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley (6th). 4. Several California cities, particularly in agricultural areas like the Central Valley, ranked poorly:   - Visalia (150th - last place)   - Bakersfield (147th)   - Modesto (146th)   - Stockton (145th)   - Fresno (140th) 5. The study considered factors such as:   - Percentage of adults with high school diplomas, college degrees, and graduate degrees   - Quality of public schools and universities   - Racial and gender education gaps 6. Ann Arbor, MI stood out with over 95% of adults having at least a high school diploma, 57% with a bachelor's degree, and 30% with an advanced degree. 7. Experts suggest that cities should partner with higher education institutions and local businesses to develop skilled workforces aligned with economic needs. 8. The study also examined correlations between education levels and median household income in different metro areas.

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How does Pima Community College take the mystery out of college costs for their students? Pima Community College's Financial Aid and Scholarships team explain how transparent offer letters, 24/7 virtual support, and a streamlined financial aid process provides their students a clear path to funding their education. Make College costs crystal clear for your students. Want to learn more?

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Utah is the best place in the world to build an inside sales team. Here's my top reasons: 🎓 >5 Major schools including BYU, UVU, UoU, USU, Weber State to recruit from all within 60 minutes of the tech hub, Lehi 💵 Some of these have sales programs. One of them is top in the nation. Others have Entrepreneurship programs, accelerators and sales meetups ⛪ >62% of Utah's population is affiliated with Mormon religion. Most 18 year olds serve missions in different countries, learn a different language and sell Jesus for 2 years of their lives. For free. In fact, they pay for it themselves. They learn grit, hard word and how to cold call. In person. All day. For 2 years. If you can sell Jesus, you can pick up a phone and sell software 🏘️ Cost of living ~30% less than CA. Salaries, OTEs, etc. (for now) 👪 Many people are married with kids & a mortgage in their early 20s. This forces people to figure out how to pay for life quickly and the path of least resistance is often sales. 🎯 We're small. The community is still small and has the feel of 'everyone knows everyone'. This means your recruiting efforts have compounding effects. If you can steal a rep from company X, they likely went to school with, roomed with or worked with 3 others that want to follow them I could go on and on and on.... #buildUtah

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Do you employ people in Utah? If so, please consider filling out this survey to help our USHE institutions better understand industry needs when it comes to workforce preparedness. Knowledge is power!

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So great to see how our tools have revolutionized the #ECAP process, making it more accessible for both students and educators. #SchooLinks #EducationInnovation #CareerReadiness #CollegeReadiness

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💥Moscow, Idaho Business Owners 💥 Would you like to impact lives of students, while shaping the future of your workforce?   We have several students in the Moscow area, who are looking to work for you!   The Idaho Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (IDVR) invites you to join us in offering students with disabilities the opportunity to participate in summer paid work experiences. By becoming an employment partner with IDVR, you'll not only contribute to the growth and development of these students but also reap numerous benefits for your business. Here's what partnering with IDVR entails: ➡ Providing students with valuable work experiences, including internships, job shadowing, and work-based learning opportunities. ➡ Receiving reimbursement for costs incurred to provide the work-based learning experience, ensuring a mutually beneficial arrangement. ➡ Engaging in mentoring opportunities that promote employee loyalty and leadership development.   What is the process? It is simple… 1. Meet with an IDVR counselor & student to discuss the potential work experience. 2. Agree to the terms of the individual work-based learning experience and complete the necessary paperwork. 3. Become an IDVR vendor, if you're not already. 4. Receive ongoing support from your IDVR counselor, including monthly progress reports and invoicing. If this interests you, or if you would like to have further conversations around Work Based Learning Experiences, please let myself or @Zoe Remsburg know. Thank you for considering this opportunity to partner with IDVR. We look forward to collaborating with you! #moscow #vandals #Idaho #MoscowIdaho #UofI

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I’m deeply excited about our Series A raise and very appreciative of the folks at Origin Ventures (Brent Hill, Scott Stern) Mercury Ventures (adrian fortino Aileen Allen), Album (John Mayfield), and Pipeline Capital Partners (Tanner McDaniel 🚀) for believing in what we are doing at Voze. I have spent a lot of my time the last couple years visiting and building relationships with wonderful people at companies that aren’t being talked about often on Fox Business or CNBC, but are very successful, profitable companies that are the backbone of our country. They are doing the hard work to keep the infrastructure of America moving forward with little fanfare or technology built for them. They deserve more and we are excited to be there with them as partners, side-by-side, to see them grow. I’m giddy about where we are going and how passionate we are as a team about achieving our mission and strategy. We have done a solid job of removing annoying administrative work for salespeople, helping them stay organized, and developing the right behaviors to lead to more sales. For many of our users Voze feels like a personal assistant to them and not a “Big Brother” mandate. Now we are building on that to help managers better guide their sales strategy with their reps to sell the right product to the right customer at the right time - a true sales engine. Instead of “Big Brother” software that divides reps and leaders, it’s all about making sure leaders and sales reps are aligned through Voze to grow their business in a meaningful way. Maybe the most exciting thing to me is the Voze culture and what Dan Caffee and I are building as co-founders with our leaders (Dan Merrill, Agnes Chiao, David Freeman, Tom Metcalf) and team. We are committed to intimately understanding our customers' businesses, their challenges, and what we can do to support their goals. More sales for them not only means more profit and sales commissions, but more jobs in their communities, and individually more mortgages paid off, more car loans taking care of, paid education, food and medicine for families, and addressing the costs that matter in life that are difficult for a lot of families right now. We will build tools and provide affordable service that makes those dreams a reality. That is meaningful to us. Simply put: “If they grow, we grow.” If this is something you are passionate about as well, please reach out to me. I would love to talk with you about it. A final thought...families are not often recognized with these accomplishments, but I would be remiss if I didn't mention my beautiful, loving, and deeply supportive wife - Teresa Krueger. She gives up a lot with my work and travel, so thanks babe. :)

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Utah is the best place in the world to build an inside sales team. Here's my top reasons: 🎓 >5 Major schools including BYU, UVU, UoU, USU, Weber State to recruit from all within 60 minutes of the tech hub, Lehi 💵 All of these have sales programs. One of them is top in the nation. Others have Entrepreneurship programs, accelerators and sales meetups ⛪ >62% of Utah's population is affiliated with Mormon religion. Most 18 year olds serve missions in different countries, learn a different language and sell Jesus for 2 years of their lives. For free. In fact, they pay for it themselves. They learn grit, hard word and how to cold call. In person. All day. For 2 years. If you can sell Jesus, you can pick up a phone and sell software 🏘️ Cost of living ~30% less than CA. Salaries, OTEs, etc. 👪 Many people are married with kids & a mortgage in their early 20s. This forces people to figure out how to pay for life quickly and the path of least resistance is often sales. 🎯 We're small. The community is still small and has the feel of 'everyone knows everyone'. This means your recruiting efforts have compounding effects. If you can steal a rep from company X, they likely went to school with, roomed with or worked with 3 others that want to follow them If you're looking for sales talent, shoot me a note. I know a lot of people.

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Elevate your leadership skills and stay ahead in today's dynamic business landscape with the immersive CFO Leadership Bootcamp, hosted at the Jake Jabs Center for Entrepreneurship at the CU Denver Business School. This exclusive event is curated to equip CFOs with essential skills and insights to thrive as strategic leaders in finance. Dive deep into critical realms of modern CFO leadership, sharpen your skills, expand your knowledge, and empower yourself for success. Secure your spot today!

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Boise Entrepreneur Week is Finally Here! Let's Go Idaho! Get your free tickets and check out the full schedule below: 🎟️ Get Admission Here: https://hubs.li/Q02Nt9Tn0 🗓️ See Full Schedule: https://lnkd.in/d42gHUS3 We’ve curated 10 more Must-See Events that will make this year’s BEW the most exciting one yet! ✨ 1. VIP Party at Hap Hap Lounge with Treefort Music Fest Kick things off in style with an exclusive VIP party hosted at the coolest spot in town! Rub shoulders with founders, investors, and Boise's top creative minds—powered by our friends at Treefort Music Fest. 🥂 ✨ 2. The Block Party at JUMP Amphitheater BEW’s grand finale! Join us at the Block Party where we’ll hand out big checks, groove to DJ Court spinning live vinyl, and celebrate entrepreneurship like never before. 🏆🎶 ✨ 3. The Role of Government and Public Policy in Fostering Entrepreneurship. Straight from D.C., Deputy Administrator of the SBA, Dilawar Syed, joins Idaho Commerce Director Tom Kealey for a fireside chat you won’t want to miss. This is where public policy meets innovation. 🚀 ✨ 4. Gen AI: Just Ignore the Robot Behind the Curtain (Tech Track) AI is here, and it’s changing everything! Get the inside scoop on what’s real, what’s hype, and how you can leverage AI to drive your business forward. 🤖 ✨ 5. Idaho Companies Trailblazing Innovation for the Nation (Health Tech Track). Hear from the Idaho companies that are revolutionizing healthcare across the country. Learn how they’re solving national challenges with Idaho-born innovation. 🌟💼 ✨ 6. From Campus to Business: Leveraging University Resources to Start Your Business (Start Track) Think universities are just for degrees? Think again! Learn how to tap into university resources to fuel your startup journey. 🎓💡 ✨ 7. Innovator War Stories (Corporate Innovation Track) Get real with top corporate innovators as they share stories of risk, failure, and triumph. Lessons learned from the frontlines of innovation. 💥 ✨ 8. How I Raised a Billion Dollars to Build Alturas with Blake Hansen (Capital Track). Want to know how to raise serious capital? Blake Hansen shares his epic journey of raising $1 billion to build Alturas—don’t miss this powerhouse session. 💸 ✨ 9. Idaho Technology Council’s “50 to the A Showcase” We’re shining the spotlight on Idaho-based companies that have recently raised A rounds—come celebrate local innovation and see who’s on the rise. 📈🎉 ✨ 10. Women of Power Happy Hour (Connect Her) Co-hosted with the Idaho Technology Council, this is THE place for trailblazing women to connect, inspire, and empower each other. Raise a glass to female leaders shaping the future. 🍸👩‍💼 🔥 Whether you’re looking for insights, connections, or just a good time, Boise Entrepreneur Week has it all. Don’t miss out on these unforgettable events—see you there! #BoiseEntrepreneurWeek #Entrepreneurship #Innovation #Networking #TechTrack #HealthTech #CapitalTrack #WomenInBusiness #IdahoEntrepreneurs #FOMO

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Scaling a business on Amazon can be a game-changer, and using a strategic approach can help entrepreneurs reach their goals. But where do you start, and where do you go from there. Experienced Amazon seller and University of Utah alumnus Josh Hadley provided insights to help you succeed in a Lassonde for Life workshop titled “How to Scale on Amazon." Read his tips here: https://lnkd.in/gTrq5V5w

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Probably the coolest hands on simulation exercise format I've seen; can't wait for Minutes to Meltdown with the team at Commvault. Mark your calendar for May 16 in Sacramento and register below, you won't want to miss this one! Here's the scenario: It's a normal workday and the computers at your department stop working as applications and systems running on your network shut down. Employee’s pass-cards stop working, the phones are down, the lights go out and operations grind to a halt.    You are assigned a role on the leadership team of a pseudo company working through the critical hours of a ransomware negotiation. You’ll be faced with challenges and critical decision points as you participate in a “choose your own adventure,” action packed 2-hour agenda that has a crafted story pulled directly from today’s news headlines of known network breaches that have hit some of the biggest companies globally this past year. https://lnkd.in/gPYN89eV

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Today I watched these girls play some incredible basketball. They took 2nd place in Spokane playing against select club teams made up of great athletes from all over the PNW, majority of them a year older than our girls. The tournament director sat next to me during our first game asking a bunch of questions. The one question that stood out most was when he asked “what kind of gym do you guys practice in”? I laughed and said right now… we practice outside at our local college in the parking lot. And during the school year we get 2- 1 hour practices in a gym that’s not even regulation size, with no 3 point line. We only have one available to us to practice on in the valley. I wish I could have taken a photo of his face. He proceeded to tell me the coach of the team that beat us in the championship game practices in a private facility. Go figure. I watch this group of girls, Landon’s team and many others in the valley continue to give everything they have to this sport. To the teams they play on. To the coaches who love coaching them. My girls want to play 24/7. Practice is never a fight and they always take on more gym time if they can find it. The drive from home from Spokane tonight I could feel my rage get worse and worse. The Valley and surrounding areas has to have what… at least 75,000 people??? And we don’t have one single Rec center. We have Fenton gym. You can rent Fenton gym (the gym with no AC, over a million bucks in deferred maintenance and a gym floor that might suck the ball in when dribbled on) for $40 an hour…Oh and good luck finding availability. How do we not have the facilities for these kids???? I ask myself this question so often but something about today has me extra pissed off. I know so many of you feel the same way and also spin circles on where to find the anwser. I know so many that would pay the gym fees but don’t have the few million to get the gym started. What are next steps? Meetings with the mayor? Social media posts in frustration…. I’ve done all this. And in the mean time another season has gone by and my kids have missed the opportunity to grow like the competitors they face outside the area. Got ideas?? Please share…

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In Utah, college costs around $13,000 a year, so that's $52,000 for 4 years plus living expenses. That's expensive! Check out these tips on how to start saving early. https://bit.ly/4dScjbl

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Most business networking events are just a pushy pitch fest... getting doused with others' commission breath as they shove a business card into your hand or take your phone hostage as they add themselves to your contacts. Does that really lead to valuable business? Rarely. Arizona Entrepreneurs is reimagining networking. It's about creating meaningful, quality connections. Person to person. Built first on relationship rather than transaction. And it works! For those in the Phoenix Metro area, you are invited to join us in real life next Thursday to experience Business Connect LIVE, a new format for networking. https://lnkd.in/grvGvZwK Your next client, vendor, partner, or investor is just one connection away.

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