Colleges and departments across Boise State, from construction management to nursing, have long maintained close ties with the business world. And an entrepreneurial spirit has been part of the Bronco ethos since the beginning. But with the launch of The Junction this week, the university unites its entrepreneurial programs, research experts and industry partners in a dedicated space. The Junction will be open to students, faculty and community members. It will pool interdisciplinary expertise on and off campus to channel research and new ideas to the marketplace.
Located in Capitol Village, The Junction lies at a well-trafficked intersection near the College of Business and Economics, downtown Boise, and Trailhead Boise, a community partner. Its location pays homage to the historic Boise Depot, which long ago helped establish the city as a commercial hub.
“The Junction won’t displace relationships that already exist, but will amplify them,” said Jen Schneider, interim dean of the College of Innovation and Design and Strategic University Innovation. “The long-term vision is that it will become clear to everyone that Boise State is open for business.”
Why The Junction? Why now?
“We have unambiguous growth in our market and in the university. Our enrollment grows, our research grows, more capital is looking at Boise, and more venture capitalists are looking for connectivity,” said Roger Brown, director of The Junction and director of economic development and community affairs.
Seventy percent of Idaho’s GDP is concentrated in the Treasure Valley, with Boise State already contributing through the Small Business Development Center, venture support and venture capital connections, he said. The Junction will build on that momentum.
“I think of athletics — being entrepreneurial and rising to the moment, like with NIL [name, image, likeness],” Brown said. Boise State Athletics has created programs to help student-athletes build their personal brands, find sponsorship opportunities and manage money within NCAA rules. Brown believes this is the moment for similar strides in research and entrepreneurship.
“We can seize this opportunity and execute it in a way that’s meaningful for individuals and the business community,” he said. “With The Junction, instead of paying a lot of money elsewhere, local businesses can turn to Boise State — to our labs and experts who can support their startups. We can get them where they need to be.”
The Junction will be a boon for students and researchers, too.
“In a highly competitive higher education environment, if we’re successful, we’ll see people who come to the university and have support to nurture their interests and take them to another level,” Brown said. “If you’re a young researcher, a material scientist, or working in quantum DNA, there’s a capacity here to do that. You’ll have support to bring new tech online and commercialize it. Or if you’re an entrepreneur who wants to start a business, that will be possible.”
Students don’t have to be business majors or scientists to benefit, he added, noting that one of the winners of the Boise Entrepreneur Week 2025 pitch competition was a beef jerky company [the family-owned Mama’s Beef Jerky]. “If a person’s dream is to grow that kind of business, let’s make sure we can support them,” Brown said.
One entrepreneur’s take
Alum and local entrepreneur Adam LaBarbera (BA, international business; BBA, marketing, 2012) owns several companies, including EETech Group, a technical website for electrical engineers. He also supports students by managing the Sandbox, a Boise State incubator that helps students launch startups while earning academic credit.
Looking back, to the beginning of his own career, LaBarbera said that while he had good ideas, he lacked mentorship, connections and a clear path. Finding them for himself, which he eventually did, was not easy.
“The community is highly fragmented,” he said. “There are so many groups — the public side with the university, the private side with venture capital and private equity. It’s hard to know where to start or where to go.”
An initiative like The Junction aims to provide a road map.
“The Junction will point new entrepreneurs in the right directions,” LaBarbera said. “Sometimes a path is a dead end. The Junction will be there to redirect them with a deep understanding of the entire ecosystem.”
When it comes to building a business, “We often hear it’s not what you know, but who you know,” LaBarbera said. “But here is an opportunity that really is more about what you know. The Junction will level the playing field for people like me — starting out, knowing no one.”
Who is involved?
- Partners: Boise State Venture College, Office of Community Engagement, Office of Technology Transfer, Studio/Blu, Idaho Small Business Development Center, TechHelp, College of Business and Economics, and Trailhead
- Institutional sponsors: Division of Research and Economic Development, College of Innovation+Design
What will The Junction offer?
- Incubation space and entrepreneurial programs
- Support to test an idea and turn it into a real product or service
- A centralized network of campus makerspaces and labs for prototyping
- Accelerator programs to guide researchers and students through building and launching a startup
- Connection to a network of alumni and industry leaders