About Us

Cara joined the Venture College as the Marketing and Communications Manager in 2020. Since then she has taken on the role of Director, and is passionate about supporting entrepreneurs throughout their startup journeys. Cara’s prior experience includes: supporting an early stage startup, coordinating a large capital campaign, working for a large tech firm, and coaching.

Cara graduated from the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, Washington with a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish and International Affairs, and a Business minor. After graduating, she worked in the corporate world in Seattle, but was excited to move back to her hometown here in Boise.

Ask Me About: Opportunities to collaborate, serving as a judge or mentor, sponsoring an event, and more!

Having worked in private creative agencies and public institutions, Holly brings extensive marketing, communications, and project management experience to Venture College. Her dedication to working with rising entrepreneurs is fueled by a collaborative spirit and passion for design thinking.

Holly holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communications from the University of New Hampshire, with minors in Architectural History and Studio Art. Creative activities include watercolor and encaustic painting, and textile sculpture.

Ask Me About: The Venture College Incubator, pitch competitions, entrepreneur resources, and more!

Studying Illustration with a minor in Visual Design, Jeana is excited to apply their skills with Venture College. Jeana has been part of the College of Innovation and Design team since March 2024 as the Lead Event Assistant for The SPACE.

Jeana is currently a 5th year at Boise State and is graduating at the end of the 2025 spring semester. Originally from Reno, Nevada, Jeana is also passionate about marching band as a color guard member and coach, and also enjoys sewing, embroidery, and painting.

As a Computer Science student, Nazifa brings a unique blend of analytical thinking and creative expression to every project. During high school in her hometown of Afghanistan, Nazifa served as the Director of Seminars & Debates and the Director of a writing organization where she honed her leadership skills and inspired others through the power of words. Beyond professional pursuits, Nazifa finds inspiration walking outdoors and traveling to new cities or countries.

Sarah is an independent strategy and operations consultant and early-stage investment advisor. She spent five years at Google’s Area 120 incubator, leading investment strategy, evaluating pitches, and advising portfolio companies.

She began her career as a CPA at Deloitte, then joined Guidebook, a mobile app startup, where she managed finance and accounting through its Series B and international expansion. Sarah earned her MBA from the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business, where she worked with the Wolverine Venture Fund, and holds a bachelor’s degree from Santa Clara University.

George retired in July 2024 as CEO of Cradlepoint and head of Ericsson’s Enterprise Wireless Solutions global business unit. He joined Cradlepoint in 2011 and led it to become the global leader in enterprise cellular WAN, culminating in its acquisition by Ericsson in 2020.

Before Cradlepoint, George was a general partner at Highway 12 Ventures, a Boise-based VC firm focused on early-stage tech in the Intermountain West. He began his career at Hewlett-Packard, where he spent 20 years managing hardware, software, and services, ultimately serving as SVP of the LaserJet Global Business Unit.

He currently serves on the boards of Cambia Health Solutions, Regence Blue Shield of Idaho, and Tracer, a Boise brand security start-up. He has also advised Idaho governors on science, technology, and cybersecurity.

George earned his BS and MBA from San Jose State University, where he played Division I tennis.