In November 2025, the College of Business and Economics held the inaugural Bronco Entrepreneur Challenge. This shark tank-style pitch competition brought together 60 Boise State students and 25 judges from the community, awarding $13,000 in cash prizes. Open to students in any field, the competition was designed to be an accessible entry point for student entrepreneurs. The event was supported by The Venture College, which is part of the College of Innovation and Design.
Held over the course of two days, students from colleges across campus pitched their business ideas in either the Idea Track (for teams that have an early product concept or market fit explanation) or the Open Track (for teams moving beyond the ideation phase). The final day featured a keynote address from Rick Isaacson, a Boise State alum and former CEO of Boise restoration powerhouse SERVPRO.
“The inaugural Bronco Entrepreneur Challenge has been a success on so many levels. It helped develop a community of entrepreneurial minded students who shared their ideas and learned from each other in the process. Creativity and entrepreneurial thinking are a powerful combination,” said Kent Neupert, event organizer and management professor. “The College of Business and Economics supports entrepreneurship in all areas of campus and the community. We are proud to have initiated this new pitch competition for all Boise State students. Whether they are ‘entrepreneur ready’ or ‘entrepreneur-curious’ we look forward to supporting them on their path as successful creative problem solvers with their own businesses.”
Winning teams received cash prizes and automatic entry into the statewide Idaho Entrepreneur Challenge held in the spring. But whether they won or not, the competition was a gateway for students to become successful entrepreneurs. All the teams can go on to compete locally in Trailhead’s Boise Pitch Night and in other collegiate competitions across the country.
The overall winning teams
Here’s a closer look at the two winning teams:
Boise Night Rider (Idea Track winner)
Chloe Eriksson, is a senior studying business administration and entrepreneurship and Paige Bynum is a senior studying communication and entrepreneurship. These best friends have known each other since freshman year and they hatched the idea for Boise Night Rider in their entrepreneurship class while exploring public transportation solutions. It’s a late-night shuttle service and mobile app designed to give students a safe, affordable way to get between campus and downtown after hours.
“Every weekend hundreds of students go downtown, but getting to and from downtown can be challenging,” said Eriksson. “Taking a Lime scooter or walking can be cold and inconvenient — and scary if you’re alone. When Ubers are surge pricing, the short trip can cost $40 with a 30-minute wait. There’s no other alternative. Boise Night Rider is a fun, safe opportunity to ride together with friends for an affordable price.”
The bus would travel in a loop with pickup and drop-off locations around campus and downtown, running from 9 p.m. to 3 a.m., Wednesday through Saturday. Their concept claimed first place in the Idea Track and was voted second place in the Idea Track People’s Choice category.
“Our entrepreneurship professor told us we should enter, and we thought, ‘Let’s do it for fun and see what we can learn,’” Eriksson said. “It turns out people actually like this idea. The Bronco Entrepreneur Challenge opened our eyes to the resources around campus and we want to move forward with the idea. Initially we weren’t really thinking about starting our own business, but there’s no better time than now.”
Bynum added, “Winning first place gave us this confidence — it feels kind of like an identity shift.”
Fire Call (Open Track winner)
The Fire Call (formerly Viper Wildfire Protection) team is made up of Devyn Korber, computer engineering junior, Brayden Xenos, a computer science senior, and Will White computer science junior. The three met on a Boise State Ski and Board club trip to Montana, where they discovered a shared interest in starting a business. They subsequently enrolled in Sandbox, a new Boise State tech startup incubator program, and hit the ground running.
The concept was born from Korber’s experience as a former contract wildland firefighter. Having responded to dozens of wildfires for both federally funded efforts and private insurance contracts, he saw the demand for contract fire services and knew they needed a better way to connect with the market. Fire Call is a booking app that connects private citizens with private wildfire resources. Insurance companies already hire private firefighting contractors, and the Palisades Fire in Los Angeles saw celebrities hiring these contractors to protect their homes.
“Anyone with exposure in wildfire regions needs protection. We want to believe that federal and state government will be there when needed, but private fire protection is a necessary service,” Korber said. “Last year 30% of wildfire resource order requests through the government were unfilled. Fire Call is a service that can save lives and property. We are giving landowners the tools they need when they need them the most.”
Through the group’s work in Sandbox, the project has gone from idea to reality in just five months. The Fire Call app currently lists 68 wildfire contractors offering over 500 fire resources including fire engines, hand crews, dozers and fuel removal services. The team has already met with two venture capital firms and attended multiple industry conferences. Fire Call is set to go live spring 2026. Their concept claimed first place in the Open Track and was voted second place in the Open Track People’s Choice category.
“It’s a passion, not just a side gig,” Xenos said. “We have a passion for helping people out because we know how destructive wildfires can be.”
Korber added, “After we graduate, Fire Call is viable to become a full time job.”