From corporate executive to technology startup chief operating officer, then mergers and acquisitions advisor and angel investor to entrepreneur, Meg Carlson’s career has evolved over the years. In 2018, she founded Uproar Capital to accelerate early-stage food, beverage and technology brands, and now serves as a strategic advisor to coach other businesses on how to scale up.

“My expertise has developed in leadership, strategy and coaching other founder CEOs,” Carlson shared. “Mentoring others in their leadership journeys is my sweet spot. I am committed to the successful scaling of each of my client companies in the next year.”

In addition to this work, Carlson is engaged in nonprofit board service, including active membership with the Entrepreneurs Organization (EO). She recently served as a global empowerment leader for Europe and the United States for the global growth portfolio for EO, where she was able to both mentor and guide other leaders.

Bill Connors, former president and CEO of the Boise Metro Chamber of Commerce, led the organization to its incredible growth while he was there. He invested 15 years in his role and was the longest serving CEO in the organization’s history.

Under his leadership, the chamber navigated a variety of ups and downs and launched several successful things including an annual gala, the introduction of industry sector boards, new member and new valley CEO receptions, and he expanded the Boise Young Professionals network into one of the largest in the country. Connors also started a Hall of Fame program, founded a nonprofit and designed, built and paid for the new chamber headquarters in downtown Boise.

Over the course of his career, Connors was an advocate for expanded transportation and continually cheered on small businesses across the Gem State, working to provide tools to help them thrive.

Connors holds four master’s degrees and officially retired at the end of 2023.

Born in Twin Falls and then raised on a farm near Eden, Jim Jones invested much of his life to the State of Idaho. Being inspired by President John F. Kennedy’s famous speech of “ask what you can do for your country,” and after graduating college and ultimately earning a Juris Doctor from Northwestern University School of Law, Jones served in the United States Army during Vietnam, where he received several combat decorations and was honorably discharged in 1969.

He then served as a legislative assistant for a U.S. senator in the 1970s before he set out to practice law in Boise and Jerome.

In 1978, he decided to move into the world of politics and ran for Congress. He lost, but then in the early 1980s, was elected as Idaho’s state attorney general. Jones went back to practicing law in the 1990s and then in 2004, was elected to serve in the Idaho Supreme Court. In 2015, he stepped into the role of chief justice and in 2017 retired from active service, though he still remains involved in advocacy and other pursuits.

Growing up, Carolyn Holly was given the freedom to express herself and explore what interested her. After gravitating to the arts, she pursued an education in broadcast journalism and eventually worked in television news at Idaho’s KTVB for more than 33 years.

After becoming one of the Gem State’s most well-known television personalities, Holly shifted gears and now serves as the vice president of development for Idaho Business for Education. She’s been in this role for six years and has found inspiration in the work that the organization is doing.

“I am excited to continue to build opportunities in Idaho, so it continues to remain the greatest state to live and raise your family in,” Holly shared in a 2024 interview.

When she’s not at work, you can find her giving back to community organizations including FACES of Hope, FUNDSY, the Boise Police Chief’s Citizen Advisory Group and Idaho Youth Sports Commission.

Mark Johnson retired from television broadcasting in December 2021 after three decades at KTVB, serving as the face of Idaho news on the station’s top-rated evening and late newscasts.

Starting as a sports anchor at KTVB from 1983 to 1988, Johnson worked at stations in Milwaukee and Pittsburgh before returning to Boise in 1996. He was promoted to main news anchor in 2003 after 22 years as a sports anchor and reporter.

Johnson covered a Super Bowl, World Series, Fiesta Bowls, NCAA basketball tournaments and five Olympic games, winning a national Edward R. Murrow award for his 2002 Salt Lake Olympics coverage. He championed countless community nonprofit organizations including Boys and Girls Club, Big Brothers Big Sisters, United Way, Make-A-Wish and Boise Rescue Mission.

In 2022, Johnson was inducted as a Northwest Emmy Silver Circle Honoree, and Boise Mayor Lauren McLean presented him with a key to the city, recognizing his immeasurable contributions to Idaho journalism and community service.

John Berryhill is the spirit behind Berryhill Bacon. Founded in 1995, the company and their bacon products have become a staple around Idaho.

While Berryhill cooked the first strip of bacon that launched the company that year, there was more to it ― he was destined to be a rising chef. In fact, he was named one of the Best Chefs in America in 2013 and his recipes and writings have been published all over the world. He spent seven years as the KTVB Channel 7 Chef and is the chef for BSH Home Appliances Corporation, makers of Bosch, Thermador & Gaggenau.

Berryhill Restaurant became one of Boise’s most well-known dining locations, but in 2017, he decided to close the restaurant and open BACON Boise.

The café has grown in popularity since opening and now it cooks more than 20 tons of bacon per year. To date, Berryhill and his staff at BACON Boise have served more than 100,000 guests. Berryhill’s son recently joined the family business, too, and is working on expanding its product offering and reach.