- By Krissa Wrigley, Special to the Idaho Statesman, Published 03/19/09: We have to take the good with the bad with the change to daylight-saving time. We lose an hour of sleep in the morning, but gain an hour of daylight in the evening. Are you using that extra hour of the day productively?

This year's extra hour comes at just the right time for Treasure Valley entrepreneurs. In the coming weeks, there are several events - many of them free - that are geared toward getting your creative juices flowing. These events will challenge you out of your comfort zone, give you something to think about when you are tired of listening to the news, and provide opportunities to let out your inner geek.

Starting Thursday night, there's Ignite Boise. The premise is simple: If you had five minutes and could talk about anything, what would you say? What idea would you share? The call for submissions produced 44 ideas; competition was fierce. Tonight at the Egyptian Theatre, 16 people get their five minutes of fame to share an idea with you. The event is free and doors open at 5 p.m. for ticketholders (5:30 p.m. to the general public). Be aware that 600 tickets for a 750 seat auditorium went like wildfire when they were released.

Who knows? Maybe you'll be inspired enough to submit an idea for Ignite Boise 2, happening sometime this summer. For more information, visit igniteboise.com.

® On March 28, Boise Code Camp and Tech Fest return to Boise State University. Created by software developers for developers at all levels, Code Camp is a great way to see who is working on what in the area. Tech Fest features sessions for every technology-oriented entrepreneur. Both events are free and more information is available at BoiseCodeCamp.org.

On to April - where there are a lot of options during the week of April 13-17.

® A "One Day Entrepreneur Bootcamp" will be held at Boise State on April 13 from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Join Highway 12 Ventures, the Rocky Mountain Venture Association, Hawley Troxell and the BSU College of Business and Economics as they bring Bill Joos, a principal of Go To Market Consulting and co-founder of Garage Technology Ventures, and learn about the top 10 mistakes in business plans, positioning your company, perfecting your pitch and boot-strapping your company.

This one-day event is $20, which includes lunch; free to BSU students with s student ID card. To register, visit www.123signup.com/event?id=zyxgg. Contact Denise at 345-8383 with questions.

® Invention 2 Venture takes place at the DoubleTree Hotel Riverside in Garden City on April 16-17. Brought to you by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and the National Collegiate Inventors & Innovators Alliance, this two-day workshop focuses on the basics of technology entrepreneurship, and features local guest speakers. Registration is $20 for students and $35 for all others. Find more information at invention2venture.org/boise09/. Contact Tony Crawford at Anthony.crawford@inl.gov with questions.

® Boise State hosts its Business Plan and Elevator Pitch Competition on April 17 in the Student Union Building. The event is free and open to the public. More than $3,500 will be awarded. See the Valley's next generation of entrepreneurs before they make it big. Information is available at boisestateelevatorpitch.org.

® Last but not least, TechLaunch 6.0 and IdaVation return to the Doubletree Riverside in May. TechLaunch is a two-day educational event, providing training and education to companies seeking financing. On May 27, winners of Idaho university and college business plan competitions present their business plans. On May 28, eight companies from around the state pitch their companies in front of angel investors, venture capitalists, commercial bankers and entrepreneurs. More information is available at idahotechconnect.com/Raising_Capital/TechLaunch.

IdaVation, Kickstand's annual education and networking summit for innovators and entrepreneurs, occurs May 28. Check www.idavation.com for more information.

What are you waiting for? Regain that lost hour. Dare to dream. Think big - and learn to execute your idea.

Krissa Wrigley is the vice president of research and evaluation at Idaho TechConnect and a faculty member with University of Phoenix. She can be reached at krissa.wrigley@idahotechconnect.com.

Starting Up is a series published on Thursdays. The columns grew from discussions between the Statesman and local tech and entrepreneurial leaders and are coordinated by Julie Howard, a marketing specialist for the Idaho Department of Commerce. Reach her at julie.howard@commerce.idaho.gov.

Article by Krissa Wrigley, Special to the Idaho Statesman, Published 03/19/09