Kickstand will expand throughout Idaho 

As expected, Kickstand and Idaho TechConnect have signed a licensing agreement to set up Kickstand franchises throughout the state. Here’s the release:

Idaho TechConnect has signed a licensing agreement with Kickstand, a Boise-based entrepreneurial network, aimed at replicating the program throughout the state. In addition to an up-front licensing fee, Kickstand will receive a percentage of membership fees from licensees created in other Idaho cities. “Kickstand’s success during the nearly seven years of its existence has sparked an interest in other parts of the state with growing entrepreneurial communities,” noted Rick Ritter, president and CEO of Idaho TechConnect, Inc.  “We already have a timetable in place for setting up Kickstand networks in Moscow and eastern Idaho, and I expect their first meetings will be underway by this fall.”

Since its creation in 2001, Kickstand has created a network of hundreds of entrepreneurs, business innovators, professional services providers, investors and economic development experts.  Kickstand’s founders and board members assess and discuss Idaho’s “entrepreneurial ecosystem,” the interwoven fabric of assets that foster and sustain business life for young companies.  Kickstand was formed to fill a void in this ecosystem—to provide an organization that enables entrepreneurs to come together to network, learn, and grow.  Through monthly meetings and special events, such as the recent Kickstart conference at Boise State University, the organization fulfills its mission to nurture a climate for successful business start-ups across a wide range of market segments.

“The synergies between the objectives of Kickstand and goals of TechConnect prompted discussions between our organizations several months ago on how we might extend the Kickstand mission to other areas of Idaho that would benefit from a stronger entrepreneurial infrastructure,” said Ritter.  “While TechConnect provides an excellent economic development resource with links to both the private and public sectors, Kickstand adds another critical element: the ability to harness the collaborative power of the free market and foster an entrepreneurial gestalt beyond the Treasure Valley.”

“What Kickstand has been able to accomplish in the last seven years has been remarkable,” said Meg Carlson, President of Kickstand, “but as an all-volunteer organization, we are limited in our reach beyond the Treasure Valley. By combining TechConnect’s resources with Kickstand’s mission and infrastructure, we can expand this successful model to other areas of the state.”

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