For Nate Mortensen, business begins with light. Not as a metaphor or inspiration, but as pixels that paint stories across the night sky. As cofounder of drone-show company Open Sky, Mortensen transforms dark skies into shared experiences—from Stadium of Fire to small-town rodeos.
“Light can tell the story on its own,” says Mortensen, who earned his MBA from BYU Marriott in 2015. “The client begins with an idea. We design the message, create custom animations, and bring in music. But it really is the light that evokes the emotion and tells the story.”
Open Sky took flight in 2021 when Mortensen partnered with Ryan Davis, a 2002 BYU Marriott management finance alum and cofounder of Ice Castles, who brought entertainment and real-estate experience. Drawn to drones as an environmentally friendly alternative to fireworks, the pair soon realized that the technology could do more than entertain safely—it could immerse and connect people.
“Once the drones launch, a lot of the cares of the world just pause,” Mortensen says. “Time slows down. Your mind opens up. And you just kind of sit there in awe.”
During the past three years, Open Sky has expanded its fleet from 150 drones to 1,300 and built a team of 20 designers and operators—many of them BYU grads—who stage hundreds of shows across the country each year.
For Mortensen, the brilliance in the sky starts with the people on the ground—a team he built inspired by principles he learned at BYU Marriott. He entered the MBA program seeking a “reset from corporate America” and found “the right way of doing business” at every turn. “Yes, numbers are important,” he says, “but if you take care of people and treat them with respect and honesty, they will be great employees and take care of the business.”
The Open Sky team includes Mortensen’s wife, Tiffany, and his five children, ages 4 to 17, who help him prep and pack drones. His oldest daughter earned her Remote Pilot Certificate and now helps fly the formations. “My 15-year-old son has probably worked the most shows of anybody in the company and has traveled to 30 states,” Mortensen notes.
Some of those shows take place in massive arenas filled with thousands of spectators. “Those events are very fulfilling,” says Mortensen. “At Stadium of Fire, we were able to integrate drones into the traditional firework experience—have them coordinate and dance together—which added a new level of entertainment.”
Away from the arenas, Mortensen shares, the more intimate events highlight the community impact created by drone shows. “We love small-town shows because everybody shows up and cheers for their city logo. It means so much to the local community.”
Open Sky also shines light by inspiring the next generation. At many school-based shows, Mortensen and his team run a STEM booth to introduce students to drone technology and aviation careers. “It’s fun to open people’s eyes to drone operations and what drones can do for individuals,” he says.
Whether lighting up a stadium or a hometown field, Mortensen’s goal is simple: “We love entertaining, bringing a smile, and really delighting people.” The drones illuminate not only the night sky but also a simple truth: Light—in business and in life—leaves people a little better than it found them.
