Utah Business proudly presents this year’s cohort of our Leaders of the Year award. These 12 honorees represent accomplishments of Utah’s business community in 2024 and were selected by the Utah Business editorial team.
McKenzie Bauer
Co-Founder | Thread Wallets
Though McKenzie Bauer dreamed of selling homemade bracelets as a kid, she set that entrepreneurial spirit aside when she found her passion in conflict resolution at BYU-Hawaii. After graduating, Bauer planned to pursue peacebuilding — until she met her husband, Colby. The duo went on to build Thread, now a multimillion-dollar company.
Before the birth of her third child, Bauer handled Thread’s marketing and found passion in engaging with the community. But she struggled to reconcile those two parts of her identity: peacebuilder and entrepreneur.
In the contentious times of COVID-19, she realized the power of marketing to build community. “Good marketing is creating connections amongst people,” Bauer says. “It’s allowing people into your tribe so they feel like they belong somewhere and serving the needs of a community that you love and want to be part of.”
Building communities drives Bauer. When she became a mother to three daughters, her eyes were opened to the needs of another community: women in business.
“Maybe I haven’t experienced blatant sexism, but that doesn’t mean my daughters won’t,” Bauer explains. “I’m going to do all that I can to make my community and the world a place where my daughters can do whatever they want to.”
That view, combined with her experience traveling and collaborating with her fellow Forbes 30 Under 30 alumni, inspired Bauer to empower women. While she initially felt weighed down by imposter syndrome and competitiveness in Thread’s early years, Bauer now recognizes her opportunity to mentor as one of the most valuable pieces of her life.
“There’s just so much room for everyone to succeed,” she says.
In an attempt to recreate her unique 30 Under 30 experiences, Bauer founded Female Founders Only (FFO), an organization designed to help female founders connect, learn and grow. FFO meets every other month or so to get away, build each other up and network in natural, fun ways.
“There’s something so sacred to me about spaces where women can show up and just be themselves and be vulnerable,” Bauer says.
At one FFO gathering, Bauer created a Black Friday Bootcamp where industry experts shared practical Black Friday tips, such as how to set up an ad campaign and customer service workflows.
“I found so much passion and fulfillment in trying to expedite their growth and success because I remember how long it took me,” Bauer says.
One attendee, a business student at a local college, even shared that she learned more in that 12-hour workshop than she ever learned on campus — a huge compliment to Bauer, who had to learn her business skills hands-on.
Today, Bauer is devoting her life to building a strong community of women, both at home with her daughters and in business.
“I want to be someone who pushes others forward, pulls up a seat at the table for them and trailblazes to make the path easier for them,” Bauer explains. And the women in Bauer’s community, a unique and welcoming group, are thriving.