Atonom, the company building autonomous Cloud Employees for modern teams, today announced it will serve as a Gala Sponsor of Utah’s Best of State Awards. Atonom is proud to partner with a program that has spent more than twenty years recognizing the people, companies, and institutions that put real work into their communities.
Best of State has been Utah’s leading recognition program since 2004. It honors outstanding people, companies, and institutions across the state, not only for commercial success, but for the quality of their work, the originality of their approach, and the strength of their contribution to the broader community. Through its annual awards cycle, independent judging process, and Awards Gala in Salt Lake City, Best of State has helped set a clear bar for excellence in Utah and given many organizations a reason to aim higher.
The Awards Gala is the program’s main event. Medal winners are honored, top performers across divisions are recognized, and business and community leaders from around the state come together for the evening. By sponsoring the Gala, Atonom is putting support behind a platform that lifts up the organizations helping Utah’s economy, culture, and civic life.
“Best of State has become one of Utah’s most meaningful institutions, not because it hands out awards, but because it shows what excellence actually looks like in our communities,” said Dave Elkington, CEO of Atonom. “We’re proud to sponsor the Gala and stand with a program that has spent decades recognizing the people and organizations that put in the hard work to deliver real value. Utah has always been defined by builders. Best of State celebrates those builders, and Atonom is honored to help put them on the stage they deserve.”
A program built on integrity and impact
Best of State’s reputation comes from how the awards are run. Nominees are judged on achievement, innovation, and contribution, including proven results, creative approaches, and service to the community. When applications close, more than 100 judges review nominations on their own, away from outside influence. Scores are collected and triple-checked by an independent CPA firm.
Medal winners are announced each spring. The top scorer in each major division receives the Best of State Statue (BOSS) at the Awards Gala. Over twenty years, the program has recognized thousands of winners across dozens of categories, from business and technology to food, design, health, media, and community service.
That record matters. Recognition from a trusted, independent program helps strong organizations get seen, attract talent and customers, and raise the bar for peers. Best of State puts real examples of success in front of others. Atonom shares that view. Good work should be noticed and named.
About Atonom
Headquartered in Silicon Slopes, Utah, Atonom builds Cloud Employees, intelligent AI agents designed to own real jobs end to end across sales, marketing, support, and HR. Where traditional software waits for human input, Cloud Employees live inside a company’s systems and keep complex work moving around the clock, including pipeline, support tickets, recruiting support, and other always-on execution. That frees human teams to focus on judgment, creativity, strategy, and relationships.
Cloud Employees are not chatbots or single-purpose automation tools. They are built as full units of work that can be brought into core functions, coached like teammates, and measured on outcomes. Leaders set direction and standards. Cloud Employees handle repetitive, high-volume work that never really stops. The goal is simple: help companies grow capacity without matching every gain with more headcount, and free people to do the work only people can do.
That mission fits with Best of State’s purpose of recognizing people and organizations that create real value for customers, employees, and communities. As a Utah company, Atonom sees Gala sponsorship as both a business decision and a community decision.
“Excellence is not abstract,” Elkington added. “It’s the restaurant that never compromises quality, the manufacturer that reinvests in people, the nonprofit that quietly changes lives, and the company that invents a better way. Best of State finds those stories and puts them in the light. We’re glad to help.”
Atonom encourages Utah organizations that have made real contributions in their fields to learn more about Best of State, explore nomination opportunities when the cycle opens, and attend the Awards Gala. For customers, partners, and peers across Utah’s business community, the sponsorship is also an invitation to build something worth recognizing and support the programs that make that recognition matter.
About Atonom
Atonom builds Cloud Employees, autonomous AI agents that execute real work across sales, marketing, support, and HR. Headquartered in Silicon Slopes, Utah, Atonom helps organizations scale capacity, improve speed, and free human teams to focus on high-value work.
About Best of State
The Best of State Awards recognize outstanding individuals, organizations, and businesses in Utah based on achievement, innovation, and contribution. Through independent judging and a flagship Awards Gala, Best of State has celebrated excellence across the state for more than two decades. Learn more at bestofstate.org