On Thursday May 9th, Boise tech stars are gathering for back-to-back events celebrating Boise start-up success stories.  

The first event,

Startups and Beers will be a spirited event at the Crux, from 4-6pm featuring an opening presentation from Matt Rissell, CEO of T-Sheets, a local tech company whose growth has accelerated due to recent deals with Intuit and Snap-On.   Live music from the Fiddle Junkies will entertain the crowd while start-up CEOs and entrepreneurs mingle.   Startups and Beers is sponsored by four up and coming Boise tech companies, Meal Ticket, Locate Express, Beacon Guides and VoxBright.  Free beers will be provided to the first 50 entrepreneurs walking through the door.

The second event,
 

Kickstand May Monthly meeting:

Why ask “Y”?  Because Boise was home to a recent Y Combinator alumna, one of a small group of women founders, come hear her story.

May 9, 2013, 5:30 – 7:00 at The WaterCooler

Guest Speaker:     Michelle Crosby, President and Co-Founder of Wevorce

 Wevorce, a Boise startup, recently took part in the Winter 2013 class of Y Combinator, a well-known and highly successful seed accelerator in Silicon Valley. Since 2005, Y Combinator has funded over 500 startups, and has been called “the tech world’s most prestigious program for budding digital entrepreneurs” by Wired Magazine. Only 47 startups were selected to participate in Y Combinator’s Winter 2013 class, and Wevorce was named by TechCrunch as one of the “Top 7 startups from Y Combinator’s Winter 2013 Demo Day”.

 Wevorce is a company that brings a high tech + high touch approach to divorce. Wevorce’s methodology and technology work together seamlessly to provide a civilized, predictable approach to transitioning from one household to two while helping couples maintain their roles as mom and dad.

Wevorce’s six-step process ensures kids come first, costs remain affordable, and everyone stays out of court. The Company and its Co-Founder, Michelle Crosby, were recently quoted, published or featured by Forbes, The Wall Street Journal, Huffington Post, The Judith Regan Show (SiriusXM), TechCrunch, and The Next Web.

 Michelle will talk about the experience of going through Y Combinator’s most recent class, and share what other Boise entrepreneurs can learn from that experience.  She will also talk about what it means to be one of only a small group of women founders to go through the Y Combinator program, as well as what is next for Wevorce.

 About Michelle Crosby

 Michelle Crosby is an accomplished mediator, attorney and founder of Wevorce. Though Michelle’s expertise spans business law, securities law and family law, her passion is teaching others how to overcome challenges creatively and collaboratively. Michelle has led hundreds of negotiations for clients ranging from Fortune 1000 corporations to couples in the midst of divorce. The lessons she’s learned, along with her extensive research on human behavior and the law, provide a rich backdrop for inspiring and empowering her audiences to become peacemakers in their own lives.

Startup: TV , "Under one tent", builds off of IdaVation with the inclusion and participation of organizations that support the Treasure Valley startup community. In 2014 we envision this becoming Startup: TV Week.

Want to see local Treasure Valley entrepreneurs pitch their ideas/business?

Want to learn how to convert your idea into a business?

Do you have a startup and want expert advice on how to get around some of your barriers?

Are you considering being an Angel investor or are you wondering how to get funding via Angel investment?

If you answered yes to any of these questions then attend Startup: TV.

Saturday allows participation without taking time off work. At an affordable $39/person, attend the parts that interest you and fit your schedule.  Come Friday night to celebrate our local talent !  

Note:  If you have a scalable startup and would like to connect with a local experienced entrepreneur then check out the website.  We are accepting applications for a 2 hour mentoring session with a local experienced entrepreneur.  Do you have an experienced entrepreneur in mind that you would like to connect with for this session?  Let us know on the application and we will try to make the connection.

Applications for the Mentoring session + Idea or Business Pitch are on the website:  http://www.startuptvidaho.org/Pitch-Mentoring.html

Agenda overview:

Friday night, April 5:  5:30pm - 7:30pm
Showcase of our local talent
″    BSU student idea pitch contest  $500 for the winner.
″    Business Idea/Pitch contest  $1500/$1000/$500 1st/2nd/3rd.

Saturday, April 6:  9:00am - 5:00pm
Main event
″    Keynote: Boise serial exit entrepreneurs.
″    4 tracks: Idea, Startup, Scalable, Investor.

Location
Micron Business and Economics Building, Boise State University + Tent

$39 includes attendance at the event plus snacks Friday night, lunch Saturday, and hors d'oeuvres during the Networking session with a no-host bar.

December Monthly Meeting    Sign up now

To "B" or not to "B"   is a B Corp right for you

December 13, 2012        The WaterCooler    5:30 - 7:00

Special Guest Speakers:  Jessica Rolph, Happy Family; Jeff Russell, Easy Office;  Duncan Morton, Summit Creek Capitol

  B Corp certification is to sustainable business what LEED certification is to green building or Fair Trade certification is to coffee.

B Corps are certified by the nonprofit B Lab to meet rigorous standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency.

Today, there is a growing community of more than 600 Certified B Corps from 15 countries and 60 industries working together toward 1 unifying goal: to redefine success in business. 

About Happy Family:

Launched on Mother's Day 2006, Happy Family is a leading premium organic food brand delivering optimal nutrition for the entire family. Happy Family, most well-known for its Happy Baby meals and snacks, is the only company to feature a complete line of certified organic nutrition including first cereals, meals, yogurt and fruit treats and allergen-sensitive snacks for babies and children, as well as organic smoothies for older kids, teens and adults.

Mom-owned and mom-operated, Happy Family is the only company to incorporate nutrient-rich ingredients like choline and vegan/non-GMO DHA for brain and eye development, prebiotics and probiotics to support digestive health, and super grains like Salba®, nature's most nutritious whole food.

Happy Family's products are all certified organic, using 100% natural ingredients, and are free of pesticides, chemical fertilizers, preservatives, and genetically modified ingredients (GMO's). They contain no added salt or coloring.

Not only does Happy Family provide innovative and optimally nutritional products to their consumers, they are also committed to promoting the health and nutrition of those in need. This can be seen through their partnership with Project Peanut Butter where for every package of Happy Family food bought, a portion goes to feeding malnourished children in Malawi and Sierra Leone.

Happy Family believes that incorporating sustainability into their business practices is absolutely essential. Their commitment to using only organic ingredients demonstrates a commitment to both human and environmental health. Happy Family sources their ingredients and raw materials from highly socially responsible suppliers and is committed to continuing to work with them to find the greenest and most innovative packaging possible. Their pouches come in BPA-free packaging with recyclable caps, offering a lower environmental impact than glass jars. All of their containers are also BPA free, and many are made from post-consumer recycled materials.

In addition to providing nutritious and organic foods, Happy Family supports social causes, such as Project Peanut Butter, Healthy Child Healthy World, FEED Projects, SPOON Foundation, and the March of Dimes. The company also aims to educate the public about raising healthy babies and children. Happy Family provides educational materials on their website, in their newsletter, and through their book to serve as a resource to parents looking for information that will help them make informed decisions regarding food, nutrition, and a healthy environment for their family.

Certified: May 2011

Statement : B Corp Certification is an excellent tool for us to demonstrate to our customers that we have done a comprehensive and thoughtful assessment of the environmental and social impact of our business. From manufacturing and sourcing to logistics and packaging, consumers know they can feel good about all aspects of the Happy Family products they love.

About Jessica Rolph

 

Jessica is passionate about giving babies the best start in life with nutritious, organic food. Her hands-on leadership and partnership management has lead the HAPPYFAMILY production, product development, logistics, finance, and planning teams to many successes including Target Vendor of the Year for 2011 and a #68 ranking on Inc. 500's 2011 fastest growing companies. 

Before launching HAPPYBABY in 2005, Jessica worked onsite at the national office of Whole Foods Market in Austin Texas as the account manager for SPINS, the leading information provider for the natural products industry. 

Jessica was awarded the Park Leadership Fellowship, a full-tuition merit scholarship to Cornell University's Johnson School of Business where she earned her MBA in 2004.  She also earned her BA from Cornell.

She was a member of the Full Circle Fund, a Bay Area philanthropic organization. She currently serves as a trustee for RSF Social Finance, an organization that lends to socially responsible ventures, and as a board member for Create Common Good, which provides training and employment to refugees and others in need in Boise, ID. She also serves on the Steering Committee for Organic Research and Promotion project for the Organic Trade Association.

 

About Easy Office

 

Easy Office is a social venture providing affordable finance and accounting services for 200+ non-profits nationwide. Easy Office was founded in 2007 by The Momentum Group , now known as Create Common Good, a 501c3 organization and a group of Yale MBAs. Easy Office exists solely to serve the needs of non-profits. By focusing on our passions, we help you to focus on yours.

 

Certified: November 2012

Statement on becoming a B Corp:

We became a certified B Corporation to validate our values and to hold ourselves accountable to those values. The process of becoming a B Corp did not require us to change a single policy or process from how we had been operating for the past five years. We were already living these values; now we have an official third party process to ensure we stay true to those values.

 

About Jeff Russell

 

Jeff Russell is the CEO of Easy Office.  Prior to Easy Office, Jeff had over a decade of consulting, client management and back-office experience. He served as the Executive Director for an international development non-profit, The Momentum Group.  He last designed and implemented a back-office shared service center in Bangkok Thailand that handled over $250M worth of transactions each year.

 

As an industrial engineer, Jeff is passionate about helping non-profits become more effective and efficient.

 

Jeff is a Georgia Tech Industrial Engineer and holds an MBA from Yale University.

 

About Summit Creek Capital:   

 

Summit Creek Capital provides innovative capital solutions to individuals, families, and institutions.  By mapping a future of opportunity, we bridge outdated investment models to less fragile investment allocations.

 

SCC combines intellectual independence with fiduciary responsibility to find success in the basics — transparency, adaptability and integrity.

 

SCC offers risk management strategies to preserve and to grow wealth.

 

B Corp Certified:   January 2012

Statement on becoming a B Corp:

Summit Creek Capital pursued the B Corp Certification to express our doctrine that private enterprise will drive a future of generative ownership structures and that investors will steer corporations to embrace less extractive business models.  Generative ownership structures enable all members of a team to own the outcome of a dedication to responsible results.

About Duncan Morton

 

Duncan Morton III, CFA, has nearly 20 years of financial services experience. He specializes in short and long-term growth and risk management strategies for individuals and institutions. Prior to co-founding Summit Creek Capital in 2009, Duncan worked for a decade with UBS Financial Services, Inc., as vice president-investments and branch manager in Sun Valley, Idaho. There, he focused on Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOP), providing tax deferral strategies and building post-transaction investment portfolios. In addition, he provided individuals, families, and institutions with short and long-range wealth management services, including lending solutions, equity risk strategies, and financial and estate planning. Earlier, Duncan worked as a financial analyst at Moss Adams Advisory Services in Seattle, Wash., advising privately-held companies and family limited partnerships. Specifically, his advisory service to ESOPs included valuations, estate and tax situations, and fairness opinions.

 

Duncan serves as a director of The Sage School's board of trustees and is a former director of Company of Fools, a local theater company recently merged with the Sun Valley Center for the Arts.  Duncan is an avid mountain biker and skier. He is a member of the CFA Institute and is a Chartered Financial Analyst. Duncan earned a master's degree in management from the Georgia Institute of Technology and bachelor's degree in history from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

The White Board is Back – bring your wants/needs and list them on the white board.  You never know who will have what you need right here in Boise.  Do you have excess inventory, products, equipment?  List them on the board and share with other small businesses. 

 Sign Up Now