Tara Spalding is a distinguished business strategist, community leader, and investor with 30 years of experience in scaling companies, fostering entrepreneurship, and driving global impact. Her career spans from Silicon Valley startups to international trade, showcasing her expertise in go-to-market strategies, community building, and inclusive business practices. After concluding her role as Chief Experience Officer and Managing Director of International Programs at World Trade Center Utah in 2024, Tara now focuses on operational consulting and private investments for high-impact, scaling companies worldwide. Her leadership has been instrumental in various organizations, including serving as Interim CEO and CPO at Kinect Capital, where she supported entrepreneurs and women-founded businesses. As the founder of Hen House Ventures and former Managing Director of BoomStartup Accelerator, Tara has helped hundreds of tech companies scale rapidly and access crucial early-stage funding. Her Silicon Valley experience, including roles at SugarCRM, GroundWork Open Source, and Magnet Systems, laid the foundation for her expertise in tech-driven growth strategies. Tara actively volunteers with Utah's A Bolder Way Forward program and serves on advisory boards for organizations like B:Side Capital, Utah Tech Innovation Foundation, and the University of Utah UVF Fund II. Her co-authorship of "10 Preparation Stages to Start a Successful Business" reflects her dedication to empowering entrepreneurs. Tara's contributions have been recognized with the 2024 “40 Women Over 40” award and the 2020 Utah Business “30 Women to Watch” award. With a Bachelor's degree from the University of Colorado, Boulder, Tara continues to shape the global business landscape, driving innovation and fostering inclusive growth across industries.