OUR STORY
– MEET OUR TEAM –
Maven, co-founded by Tessa Arneson and Rocky Donati, began as a Pilates studio in Salt Lake City and has grown into the world’s largest community of women-owned small businesses. Over a decade ago, when Tessa became the owner of a local Pilates studio and brought it down to the 900 South and 200 East area, she found that many of her clients were asking her for recommendations for other services like physical therapy or hair stylists. That’s when Tessa started fantasizing about having all of her favorite services and products in one location so she could point her clients down the hall instead of across town.
The Pilates studio, now called Maven STRONG, is also where Tessa met her co-founder, Rocky Donati, who had recently moved from California seeking a more fulfilling life after leaving the corporate world. Tessa immediately recognized Rocky’s potential to help her bring her idea to life. Rocky, in turn, saw the transformative potential of Tessa’s vision and its importance in creating a sustainable micro-economy and a stronger sense of community in Salt Lake City.
Maven has since grown into ten buildings across downtown, with six centralized on 900 South between State Street and 200 East. It is home to over 100+ local businesses, 85% of which are women-owned. But more than the numbers, it’s a movement—a place where women support women, where entrepreneurs take bold risks, and where the local economy flourishes through collaboration.
MEET OUR FOUNDERS
Tessa Arneson is an entrepreneur, girl mom, angel investor, and real estate developer who builds community-driven spaces for founders. Tessa is the daughter of a Utah pioneer and is aware of her white privilege, but makes it her mission to always keep learning. She is also a self-proclaimed wellness and self-growth enthusiast. Traveling the world inspires her design and expands her thoughts while connecting with people feeds her soul, especially after recovering from a traumatic brain injury. Tessa feels fortunate to have spent the majority of her career working in her purpose: to help women lead brave and intentional lives.
Rocky Donati has a quirky sense of humor, the mouth of a sarcastic sailor, and talks supersonic fast. Her insatiable drive and knack for creative problem-solving meant a decade of spearheading high-level business strategies for the outdoor industry in San Francisco before fleeing to Utah and founding Maven District. More often than not, she elects to play hooky with her partner in crime and two Aussie pups in search of desolate wilderness and that perfect pocket water for fly fishing. When Rocky isn’t helping womenpreneurs, she embraces the hermit lifestyle, writing less than witty bullshit for hire and renting out luxurious cabins, including a living treehouse.
MEET OUR TEAM
JEN UNGVICHIAN
SIDNEY SMITH
COCO HERNANDEZ
JESS KLOCKMAN
HEATHER GEERTGENS
ZOEY SHEINBERG
