News Release
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March 9, 2005
TECHCONNECT Program At Boise State Wins National Award For Nurturing Entrepreneurship Across Idaho
Idaho's TechConnect program has won the national Best
Practice award from the Small Business Administration s Office of Advocacy
for educational efforts to promote entrepreneurship. Locally, TechConnect is
based at the TECenter on the Boise State University-West campus in Nampa.
TechConnect was honored during Putting it Together: The Role of
Entrepreneurship in Economic Development, a one-day national conference on
March 7 in Washington, D.C. It was one of 19 programs from across the
country invited to showcase its successes during the conference.
"Encouraging entrepreneurship is a key component of local, regional and
state economic development," said Thomas M. Sullivan, SBA chief council for
advocacy. "TechConnect shows a clear dedication to innovations in public
policy that encourage entrepreneurs and provide an environment where they
can flourish. It demonstrates market-based results and ought to be
replicated across the country."
Furthermore, TechConnect was recognized for concentrating specifically on
scientific and technological areas, combining education, venture capital and
government/ business collaboration to accomplish its goals and using Boise
State students to support entrepreneurial development through its TEAMS
program.
TechConnect began in 2002. It is a statewide effort with offices in Nampa,
Post Falls and Idaho Falls. It is the state s only public/private
organization focusing solely on technology, its development, transfer,
commercialization and impact on the state s economy. TechConnect receives
its primary funding from the Idaho National Laboratory. It is a partnership
between Boise State, the Boise State College of Business and Economics, the
Idaho Small Business Development Center and the TECenter, with additional
support from the Inland Northwest Research Alliance.
For more information on the conference, visit
www.sba.gov/advo. Details about
TechConnect can be found at
www.bsutecenter.org.
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Contact:
Rick Ritter, TechConnect coordinator, (208) 426-3870,
rritter@boisestate.edu
Media Contact:
Sherry Squires, communications and marketing, (208) 426-1563,
ssquires@boisestate.edu
The Office of Communications and Marketing
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Boise State University
1910 University Drive -
Education Building, #726 -
Boise Idaho 83725-1030
208-426-1577
(fax)208-426-4001
email newservices@boisestate.edu
Last reviewed on Thursday, December 22, 2005