Global Entrepreneurship Week connects young people everywhere through local, national and global activities designed to help them explore their potential as self-starters and innovators. Students, educators, entrepreneurs, business leaders, employees, non-profit leaders, government officials and more will participate in a range of activities.

Boise State’s Center for Entrepreneurship, Office of Technology Transfer and the Idaho Small Business Development Center have developed events for students, faculty and the public to learn more about entrepreneurship and how Boise State can engage in the economic development of the community.

The schedule is as follows:

Nov. 16 — Mentoring Madness, 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Boise State Student Union Building, Simplot Ballroom. This national webcast offers aspiring entrepreneurs advice from a panel of experts that includes rapper Snoop Dogg; Blake Mycoskie of TOMS Shoes; Barry Sternlicht, chairman and CEO of Starwood Capital; and Stephen P. Hanson, founder and president of B.R. Guest Restaurants.

Nov. 17 — Start Your Business During Class, 10:40-11:55 a.m. Boise State Student Union Building, Hatch CD. Three entrepreneurs share how they started their businesses while in school. They will address the challenges, trials and successes of starting and growing their own company. Featured panelists are: Jenna Strong-Haener, founder and partner, The White Space; Valice Alex Livingston, founder and CEO, R2EV; and Josh Woodard, founder and partner, Valitics.

Nov. 18 — Invention to Venture, 12:15-1:30 p.m. Boise State Student Union Building, Hatch AB. Panelists include Peter Midgely, patent attorney, who will discuss top 10 intellectual property considerations; Tony Hauser, serial entrepreneur with latest start-up, Booklamp, who will cover top 10 tips for entrepreneurs; and John Hanousek, active angel investor, who will address top 10 tips for start-ups.

Nov. 18 — Entrepreneurship from Soup to Nuts, 5:30-7:30 p.m. The Watercooler, 1401 W. Idaho St. Community-focused panel discussion on entrepreneurship topics.

Nov. 20 — Elevator Pitch Competition and Business Plan Competition, 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Boise State Student Union Building Lookout Room and Bishop Barnwell Room. In the elevator pitch Boise State students will have two minutes to present their ideas for a new product, service or business concept and compete for prizes. The business plan competition will allow teams of undergraduate and graduate students to compete for start-up cash.

For more information about Boise State’s entrepreneurship week activities, visit the Web site.

For more information on the activities of Global Entrepreneurship Week visit: http://cobe.boisestate.edu/ent/gew/

Kirk Smith, Nancy Napier (seated from left)

Two Boise State business professors recently offered a “train the trainer” course to Vietnamese consultants and educators in Hanoi and Nha Trang (in south Vietnam) on how to provide training to small- and medium-sized firms.

Kirk Smith, associate dean for executive education and head of the Executive MBA program in the College of Business and Economics, along with international business professor Nancy Napier offered training to two groups – about 20 people in Hanoi and 25 in Nha Trang – on how to sell training programs, how to facilitate training and how to write and use business cases in their training.

The participants were consultants and university educators who will be part of a Danish-funded capacity building project to help small business owners become exporters. The project involves training the trainers, who in turn will deliver much of their subsequent training to small business owners in the provinces outside of the large cities.

The executive training session followed a weeklong residency and “trade mission” of sorts in Hanoi by Boise State’s Executive MBA participants as part of the program’s international component. The group studied the country’s rapidly emerging economy, met with U.S. embassy and Vietnamese government officials and explored possible business opportunities with a number of both private and government-run enterprises.

More information about the trip can be found at http://boisestateinvietnam.wordpress.com/.

Samia Islam

November’s Fettuccine Forum will feature two local economists and their take on “Our Great Recession.”

David Eberle, Boise city councilman and economist, will host the discussion with Samia Islam, a professor of economics at Boise State, on Thursday, Nov. 5, in the Rose Room at 718 W. Idaho Street in downtown Boise. Doors open at 5 p.m., with the presentation at 5:30 p.m. Free appetizers will be served and fettuccine will be available for $6, catered by Life’s Kitchen.

Eberle, a native of Boise, operates his own economic consulting firm and is a small business owner. He has a doctorate in economics from the University of Nebraska and has taught economics courses at Boise State and College of Idaho. He is the author of several articles for The Western Planner and the Association of Idaho Cities.

Islam joined the Department of Economics at Boise State as an assistant professor in 2004. She received her doctorate from West Virginia University the same year, focusing on urban and regional economics. Islam serves on several Boise and Treasure Valley planning committees.

The Fettuccine Forum is a free public lecture series on First Thursdays during Boise State’s academic year. Lively and informal, the monthly event invites the public to interact with politicians, artists, historians, activists, advocates and professionals in an effort to promote good citizenship and responsible growth through education.

The Fettuccine Forum is produced by the Boise City Department of Arts & History in conjunction with Boise State’s College of Social Sciences and Public Affairs, with support from Park Lane Management and other sponsors.

This month’s forum includes a companion workshop taught by Eberle Nov. 5-7 titled “Boise’s Urban Core: Past Problems, Future Trends.” Workshops are offered for graduate and undergraduate credit. Register at www.broncoweb.edu. For more information contact nancytacke@boisestate.edu

The next Forum will be Feb. 4 and will feature Carter McNichol discussing “Streetcar Architecture: Portland’s Transit-friendly Downtown.”

Teams have 15 minutes for presentation of business plan, up to 20 minutes for Q&A.

Extended Deadline: Written business plans due by Friday November 13, 2009.

1st, 2nd and 3rd place awards for undergraduate and graduate teams

This competition is open to all Boise State University Students.

Location: Student Union Building, Boise State University

For more information visit the Center for Entrepreneurship website.

Do you have an idea for a new product or service? An idea for a new business concept?

Do you want a chance to pitch your idea to entrepreneurs, investors and people who can help you make it happen?

Do you want to win money for your idea?

If so, the Boise State Elevator Pitch is for you!

You have 2 minutes to present your idea for a new product, service or business concept. What is the problem? How do you solve it? What do you need to make it happen?

Pitch your idea to a group of entrepreneurs, investors, and others who can help.

Award categories include: “Best Overall Elevator Pitch,” “Most Viable Idea Pitch,” ” Best Green/Sustainable Idea Pitch” and “Best Technology Idea Pitch.” Enter your idea today!

Over $1,500 in awards! Each category will award 1st Prize ($250), 2nd Prize ($100) and 3rd Prize ($50).

This competition is open to ALL Boise State University Students.

Location: Student Union Building, Boise State University

For more information visit the Center for Entrepreneurship Website.

Jackson announced his donation to the university during the annual Boise State Foundation Board meeting on campus. Jackson serves on the Foundation Board of Directors and Boise State’s Destination Distinction campaign steering committee.

“A strong, dynamic business college in the Treasure Valley is essential for the state’s economic development, and John Jackson’s commitment to Boise State helps ensure its impact for years to come,” said Boise State President Bob Kustra. “He is one of Boise State’s and Idaho’s success stories, and we thank him for giving back in support of a high quality learning environment for future students.”

The Micron Technology Foundation committed to a $12.5 million lead gift for the business building in 2007, with $5 million of it contingent on Boise State raising $5 million in matching funds by the end of 2009. With the Meet the Match deadline quickly approaching, this donation puts the university within $1.5 million of the goal.

“This gift is an investment in the future of Boise State University and the College of Business and Economics,” Jackson said. “Business education is all about preparing today’s students to become tomorrow’s business leaders.”

Overall, the new business building is part of a comprehensive campaign to transform Boise State into a metropolitan research university. Destination Distinction is a $175 million fundraising initiative for the people, places and programs of Boise State. To date, almost $116 million has been raised from alumni and friends in current and future gifts to support the university’s strategic plan for facilities, students, faculty, academic programs, athletics and research.

Jackson attended Boise State and majored in accounting. His gift will establish the Jackson Commons, the grand entryway and first impression of the new College of Business and Economics building that will be constructed at the corner of Capitol Boulevard and University Drive, where the former University Inn is located. Boise State hopes to begin construction on the $35 million building in spring 2010.

The Jackson Commons

The Jackson Commons will be the heart of the building both structurally and metaphorically. It will be the main circulation route through the building and will provide an open, inviting, productive space for students, faculty and leaders from business and government organizations to interact. This hub of activity will house a café, an open computer lab, community bulletin boards, flexible seating to accommodate small or large working groups and a welcoming hearth.

“The Jackson Commons will honor Mr. Jackson’s nationally recognized success as an entrepreneur, an individual who has dreamed big, worked hard and been such an important part of the Idaho business community,” said Pat Shannon, dean of the College of Business and Economics.

Jackson, a Chevron/Texaco and Shell marketer based in Meridian, founded Jacksons Food Stores Inc. in 1975 as a single service station and has grown it to a chain of approximately 200 branded convenience stores in four western states. Jackson also owns and operates Jackson Oil and Capitol Distributing. Jackson Oil is a wholesale and transportation company delivering fuel to 400-plus locations in nine western states. Capitol Distributing is a grocery wholesaler that delivers merchandise to more than 400 convenience store locations in five western states.

Boise State’s business college has achieved the gold standard of accreditation. Only about 4 percent of all the business programs in the world and 20 percent in the United States have AACSB accreditation, and Boise State is one of them. Next year, its graduate programs will be included in the “Princeton Review” Best Business School ranking. More than 3,600 students at Boise State major in business and economics.

For more information about the College of Business and Economics and Meet the Match, visit http://cobe.boisestate.edu or contact Cheryl Larabee at (208) 426-2039.

The 24/7 schedule is as follows:

• Monday, Nov. 2, 7 p.m.
• Tuesday, Nov. 3, 10 a.m.
• Wednesday, Nov. 4, 7 p.m.
• Thursday, Nov. 5, 10 a.m.
• Friday, Nov. 6, 7 p.m.
• Saturday, Nov. 7, noon
• Sunday, Nov. 8, 7 p.m.

About 1,200 people attended Walker’s talk, titled “Day of Reckoning: America’s Fiscal Future.” He was on campus as this year’s Brandt Foundation Lecturer.

Walker has unique insight into government spending and has been an outspoken, nonpartisan advocate for addressing the country’s major fiscal challenges. The Wall Street Journal recently likened him to a modern-day Paul Revere.

Walker served as Comptroller General of the United States and head of the Government Accountability Office from 1998 to 2008 — spanning both Democratic and Republican administrations. In 2007, he was elected a member of the Independent Audit Advisory Committee (IAAC) of the United Nations and is president and CEO of the Peter G. Peterson Foundation.

He currently is the president and CEO of the Peter G. Peterson Foundation (pgpf.org). He has authored two books, is a regular commentator in national media outlets and was the subject of the critically acclaimed documentary “I.O.U.S.A.” that premiered in movie theaters around the country in August 2008.

The annual Brandt Foundation Lecture is presented by the College of Business and Economics, in conjunction with the John and Orah Brandt Foundation.