Kori Ann Edwards, Chief Strategy Officer at 47G (Salt Lake City, UT), reflects on leadership, connection, resilience, and loss—and how building relationships across industries has shaped her career, family, and philosophy.
Connecting the Dots: How Kori Ann Edwards Built a Career—and a Community—Through Connection
Salt Lake City, Utah — January 5, 2026
Originally from Ogden, Utah—affectionately known as “O-town”—Kori Ann Edwards has built a career as an economic and industry leader through private industry, government relations and by seizing unique opportunities. Her journey began in 1992 as an intern to the Mayor of Ogden and has evolved into her current role as Chief Strategy Officer (CSO) at 47G: Aerospace and Defense, a nonprofit organization based in downtown Salt Lake City that is working to develop a premier ecosystem in Utah for aerospace and defense companies. In her role, Edwards helps develop strategies that drive 47G’s mission forward.
Throughout her career, Edwards has collected stories, philosophies, and lessons that shape who she is today—and what it means to her to hold the titles of connector, mother, wife, and leader. Each role is vital in defining who Kori Ann Edwards really is.
Her identity as a connector is evident in her passion for building strong relationships across industries. Edwards shared a specific example involving Nvidia, a global leader in computer manufacturing.
“Through my connections, we started brainstorming what it could look like and how we could engage Nvidia with the state of Utah,” she said. “It took a long time—about a year—countless meetings, phone calls, bringing the right people together, being shot down, finding another path, realizing that wasn’t the path, and then trying again. But you just keep going, right?”
That persistence paid off.
“We were able to sign the second-ever MOU with Nvidia,” Edwards said. “We signed an MOU with Nvidia, executive branch offices/departments, and Utah’s state universities and colleges."
Edwards sees connection as both her role and her responsibility. “I’m the connector,” she explained. “I’m the person who brings them into the ecosystem. It really takes everybody working together, and that’s been my specialty.”
She later reflected on how she grew into that role. “I was always trying to figure out, ‘How does my role fit in? The coder is going to do their thing, and the tech person is going to do their specialty—but maybe they don’t know how to talk to the economic development people. How does the ecosystem all work together?”
By bridging those gaps, Edwards has helped redefine what leadership in tech looks like. Her efforts to foster collaboration across teams, industries, and communities have had a meaningful impact on Utah’s tech, aerospace, and defense landscape.
That same commitment to connection extends to her work with the Women Tech Council and the broader Women in Tech community. Recognized as one of the most influential women in tech, Edwards reflected on what that acknowledgment means to her.
“I’m not in the tech field, but they need me in the tech industry,” she said. “What the Women Tech Council is doing is so important. I’m such a fan of their work and so passionate about what they’re building. Staying connected to that movement matters to me.”
While her professional accomplishments are significant, Edwards says her most important role is being a mother.
“I love my career, but family is first for me,” she shared. “Being a mom and a wife—that’s my priority.”
She credits her family as her “pride and joy,” explaining how she intentionally integrated her work and home life. “I tried to engage them in what I was doing so I wasn’t living two separate lives—my mom life and my work life,” she said. “I wanted them to have exposure to it.”
Her children were present for milestones like the Women Tech Awards, supporting her and participating in what she describes as a shared journey. “Hopefully, we’re making it a family journey as well,” she added.
Edwards also shared one of the most defining moments of that journey—what she called the “ultimate challenge.”
“Four years ago, I lost my daughter and her husband in a plane crash,” she said. “It’s changed every aspect of my life. It’s learning how to carry forward as a person, as a mother, as a career professional. How do you move forward with heavy trauma?”
“There’s no perfect answer,” Edwards said. “You just put one foot in front of the other each day and keep moving forward.”
Rather than letting grief define the rest of her life, Edwards and her family made a conscious choice. “We all sat down and asked, ‘What kind of life do we want after this trauma?’” she said. “We push each other every day to make the most of it.”
That mindset carries into her career as well. With almost 30 years in aerospace and defense, Edwards has earned recognition as one of the most influential women in tech, including the Strategic Innovator Award at the 2025 Women Tech Awards.
Her path hasn’t been without obstacles. “There are roadblocks in every part of life,” Edwards said. “In this industry, government is highly involved. You have private industry, but also a heavy intersection with government—especially on the defense side. Changes in administration, new ideas, different approaches—it can all be disruptive.”
She added that current political uncertainty, including government shutdowns, creates real challenges for the ecosystem. “It’s daunting,” she said.
Still, Edwards meets those challenges head-on. “It’s about finding different opportunities, different ways to connect, and different resources,” she explained. “Knowing when to double down, when to be a good advisor, when to have the right information—so we can help pivot and keep the industry strong, even when the government isn’t.”
Edwards closed the conversation with advice shaped by experience, loss, and resilience.
“If I’m going to do something, I’m going to do it 1,000%,” she said. “I’m not going to give up when it gets tough. I keep going because I have a passion for it.”
Her message is simple but hard-earned: find what you love—and let it carry you through both the highs and the lows.
Learn more about 47G at 47g.org.
Lynny Gibson is a junior at Taylorsville High School in the Granite School District. She serves as a SheTech Student Board member, Keys to Success Ambassador, and MyHometown Board Member. Lynny is actively involved in DECA, FBLA, NHS, and Pit Orchestra, and this marks her second year as a SheTech media intern.
Aileen Prieto Diaz is a senior at Itineris Early College High School. She enjoys dance and visual art and has a strong interest in STEM, particularly psychology. Her passion for psychology is rooted in mental health advocacy and a desire to help others, which has long been a defining part of who she is. Aileen plans to study educational psychology, fashion design, and cosmetology, blending creativity with a commitment to learning and service.