Organization supporting entrepreneurs looks to serve entire community
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REXBURG — A longtime business development nonprofit is transforming its mission from serving university students to the entire community.
The Idaho Entrepreneur Center’s roots go back to 2006, when it was founded as the Eastern Idaho Entrepreneurial Center. It supported Brigham Young University-Idaho and Idaho State University students in working in research teams to serve clients.
Another nonprofit, the Southeast Idaho Research Institute, started in 2010 to facilitate collaboration between researchers at BYU-Idaho and other organizations.
In 2014, Kim B. Clark, then-president of BYU-Idaho, influenced the merger of both organizations into the Research and Business Development Center. RBDC was a nonprofit that BYU-Idaho contracted with to provide in-house internships conducting research for small businesses.
Now, it is transitioning into another phase. The Idaho Entrepreneur Center is dedicated to bolstering entrepreneurs, small businesses and municipalities, and it will serve anyone in the community, not just students.
“Really our focus is now on eastern Idaho communities,” said Ryon Brewer, the Idaho Entrepreneur Center CEO.
The Idaho Entrepreneur Center, which is unaffiliated with BYU-Idaho, offers three programs for budding entrepreneurs.
Entrepreneur Edge gives entrepreneurs access to a wide range of resources, including a coworking space, an assigned industry mentor and a “boot camp.”
Entrepreneur Bootcamp is a six-week course taught by seasoned entrepreneurs who guide clients through finances, marketing, sales and everything in between.
“More than just offering them a coworking space, we’re really focused on the idea of ‘What resources do they need to be successful?’” Brewer said.
Anyone who has tried starting a business knows you need money to get started. The Entrepreneur Launch Program helps out by connecting entrepreneurs with investors.
“We look at what they’re interested in investing in, and when we find an entrepreneur or small business that meets that, we go through a process of doing some due diligence and make sure it’s a great opportunity and investment for the investor,” Brewer said.
In addition to serving start-ups, the center offers research projects for established businesses needing market research, marketing plans, competitive analysis and more.
The center also helps municipalities run their entrepreneurial programs. It provides mentor support, entrepreneurial training and funding competitions.
“We help the city of Rexburg and other municipalities out there that may not have the resources to do their own entrepreneur program,” Brewer said. “We can come in and help run those programs.”
The center will also hold monthly networking nights open to the whole community.
“That is open to everybody whether you’re a small business, an entrepreneur, someone with an idea, an investor, big business, whoever,” Brewer said.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Idaho Entrepreneur Center will be Thursday, Aug. 22 at 5 p.m. at the Rexburg City Hall, where the center is located.
Afterward, the public is invited to an open house from 5 to 8 p.m. where visitors can tour the conference rooms, ask questions and enjoy refreshments.
“Investors, entrepreneurs, small businesses and municipalities are all welcome to come,” Brewer said. “Anybody from the community — just come and see what we’re about.”
For more information about the Idaho Entrepreneur Center, visit its website.
