HP Boise’s incredible impact: How HP helped start the technology industry here in Idaho Boise, Idaho : While the company’s departure marks the end of an incredible era, the real credit and gratitude for HP’s success and lasting impact goes to its employees, writes - Rich Raimondi. Idaho Technology Council Founding Board Chair, 2024 ITC Hall of Fame Inductee Upon hearing of HP’s impending departure from Boise after 53 years, I, along with thousands of other former HP employees, were very saddened. We feel for the 1,100 current employees, their families and our community at large. We wish them all the best in determining what is next in their lives now that HP is closing down the site in 2027. But rather than dwell on feeling sad or angry, I would like to speak to and celebrate the incredible impact HP has had on Boise, the Treasure Valley and the state of Idaho over the past 53 years. In so many ways, we have been incredibly fortunate and blessed that HP chose to come to Boise in 1973. In reflecting on this and talking with former HP colleagues, I would cite five areas of impact HP had in its five decade history here in Boise. First, HP started the technology industry in Boise and Idaho. Without HP and Micron, which was founded four years later, there might not be a tech sector in Idaho. In addition to HP’s contributions, there is an Idaho tech ecosystem graphic that shows numerous companies that were founded by former HP employees, many of which grew to employ hundreds and helped shape entire industries. Companies like Extended Systems, Cradlepoint, ProClarity, White Cloud Analytics, Alturas and many others. Also, partly because of HP Boise’s success and the talent in the Boise area, other tech companies from throughout the west chose to move to Idaho. Finally, the impact over those five decades on the state GDP, employment and revenue base has been very significant. The second impact was the fact that HP brought thousands of talented people to Boise from across the country and the world. World-class business leaders, engineers, scientists and professionals in manufacturing, supply chain, marketing, finance and HR came to work for HP Boise. In particular, executives like Ray Smelek, Dick Hackborn, Don Curtis, Doug Carnahan, Rick Belluzzo, George Mulhern, Nor Rae Spohn, Cathy Lyons, Neil Martini, Carolyn Ticknor and Von Hansen all moved here to work for HP and made a significant impact by growing HP businesses and technologies — and employment — in Boise. They and hundreds of employees also made a difference in their communities by getting involved in nonprofits, universities and other businesses. They served on boards, on governmental task forces, as adjunct professors, as volunteers, and gave generously of their time, talent and treasure to numerous nonprofits. And, after they retired or left the company, most HP employees chose to remain living in Boise because they loved this community and the state of Idaho. My wife, Georgiann, and I were one of those who came in 1979 thinking we would be here for two to three years and then move back to Northern California where we were raised, our families lived and HP had large operations. But 47 years later, 30 of those with HP, we are still here. We, like so many others, found fulfilling careers, a wonderful community and chose to raise our family here. The third impact HP had was to provide thousands of jobs for Idahoans. People found fulfilling lifelong careers in a company that valued them and their contributions. Plus, Idaho university grads could stay at home and find challenging jobs and careers at a world-class company like HP. At its peak during the 1980s and 1990s, HP employed over 7,000 people at the Boise site. The fourth impact HP had was its special, unique and successful culture — “The HP Way.” The company was featured in books like “Good to Great,” largely because of the success of its culture which was embraced and lived by employees at all levels. The key elements of “The HP Way” were: 1) we have trust and respect for individuals; 2) we focus on a high level of achievement and contribution; 3) we conduct our business with uncompromising integrity; 4) we achieve our common objectives through teamwork; 5) we encourage flexibility and innovation. Also, HP practices like management by objectives, open door policies, management by walking around and profit-sharing were uncommon before HP. These values and practices impacted many other businesses and organizations in Idaho who developed similar cultures and practices. HP also provided leadership in areas that aligned with its core values, such as human rights. In the 1990s, HP established the Idaho Human Rights Award, in partnership with the Wassmuth Center for Human Rights, recognizing leaders in Idaho’s Treasure Valley who actively promoted respect, dignity, and human rights. Finally, the HP Boise team “saved HP” during a very turbulent time in the company’s history with the introduction of the first LaserJet printer in 1984. The LaserJet is often cited as the most successful product in HP’s long history and continues to be a cornerstone of HP’s business today. During LaserJet division reviews, HP Boise and the LaserJet product were called by various HP Board members and leaders “the lifeboat of HP” during the 1990s when all other parts of the company were struggling. It generated some 70% of the company’s profits and almost all of its growth for several years during that period. In summary, Boise, the state of Idaho and HP were blessed beyond all expectations by Ray Smelek’s recommendation in 1973 to HP’s founders, Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard, to establish an operation in Boise. While the company’s departure marks the end of an incredible era, the real credit and gratitude for HP’s success and lasting impact here in Boise goes to the tens of thousands of former and current HP employees who made such meaningful contributions to HP, HP Boise and the Boise community over the past 53 years. About Rich Raimondi Richard Raimondi spent 30 years at HP, 16 as a VP/SVP in several businesses inside HP. After retiring in 2008, he served as president of Bishop Kelly for 12 years. He currently serves on the boards of St. Luke’s Health System, LED, the Idaho Film Society, the Wassmuth Center for Human Rights and the College of Idaho Advisory Council. He was the founding chair of the Idaho Technology Council from 2010-2015. Rich was born and raised in Sacramento, California. He graduated from Stanford University in 1974 with a BA in history and has an MBA from the University of Oregon. About the Idaho Technology Council The Idaho Technology Council (ITC) is a member-based organization that champions innovation and collaboration to grow Idaho’s economy through technology. Representing a dynamic and growing community of entrepreneurs, industry leaders, and policymakers, ITC connects vision with action to position Idaho as a hub forinnovation and opportunity. Learn more at www.idahotechcouncil.org .

Introducing: Kevin Phithak, Staff Program Manager/Workforce Strategies, Micron Technology Describe the business/organization you work for: Micron Technology is a world leader in innovating memory and storage solutions that accelerate the transformation of information into intelligence, inspiring the world to learn, communicate and advance faster than ever. What inspired you to start your own business, or why did you decide to work for this specific organization? Growing up, my dad worked at Micron, and some of my favorite memories were attending the company picnics. Those events offered a chance to connect with the community, enjoy great food and activities, and even tour the fab in a cleanroom suit. Experiencing that environment at a young age sparked my interest in technology and inspired me to pursue a career in a high?tech company. Today, both of my brothers and I are proud to be second?generation Micron team members. I truly value the diverse and meaningful challenges I get to work on here—especially the opportunity to inspire students to explore careers in our industry. It’s rewarding to contribute to work that has impact and helps shape the future talent pipeline. What sets this business apart from others in the industry? The semiconductor industry is a fast?paced, continuously evolving field that presents both exciting opportunities and unique challenges. It offers the chance to work with some of the most advanced and innovative technologies—capabilities you simply won’t encounter anywhere else. What challenges have you faced as a business owner or employee, and how did you overcome them? One of my biggest early challenges was developing a deep understanding of the CTE and community college programs that prepared students for technician roles. I needed to identify which schools offered relevant curricula, determine how their programs aligned with our team’s requirements, and figure out the best way to connect and build relationships with the right stakeholders. Much of this work involved navigating each institution’s structure to determine the appropriate point of contact—whether a department chair, dean, or career counselor. Through consistent outreach and experimentation with different engagement approaches, I ultimately created a reliable system for establishing those connections. After two years of focused effort, we have built a strong network of partner schools that now serve as a pipeline for technician talent. This foundation has significantly strengthened our ability to identify, engage, and recruit students into opportunities at Micron. What advice would you give to someone looking to join your industry? Maintain a growth mindset and remain open to continuous learning. Remember that a “no” is not the end of your path—it often simply redirects you toward new opportunities. About the Idaho Technology Council The Idaho Technology Council (ITC) is a member-based organization that champions innovation and collaboration to grow Idaho’s economy through technology. Representing a dynamic and growing community of entrepreneurs, industry leaders, and policymakers, ITC connects vision with action to position Idaho as a hub for innovation and opportunity. Learn more at www.idahotechcouncil.org . Connect with Kevin on LinkedIn HERE Check out Micron Technology HERE

Idaho Advances AI in Education with Landmark Legislation, Strengthening Future Workforce Pipeline

ITC hosts iTECH Summit in Idaho Falls in partnership with area leaders.

Introducing: Sheila Franek, Software Architect & Could Migration Manager, at ZeroCookie.NET Describe the business/organization you work for: ZeroCookie is built for organizations that want to offer a simple, trustworthy promise to their visitors: we don’t track you, we don’t sell your data, and you don’t need to click through a cookie banner. Many small websites want to respect privacy but don’t realize how many tracking scripts are quietly introduced through plugins, themes, and embedded tools. As a result, they rely on intrusive consent popups they don’t actually need. ZeroCookie scans for and disables tracking scripts, provides clear remediation guidance, and verifies true no-tracking compliance through an AWS-powered scanning and verification engine—allowing sites to remove cookie banners entirely and replace them with real privacy by design. What inspired you to start your own business, or why did you decide to work for this specific organization? I started this business after hearing the same frustration over and over from clients and everyday users: cookie popups are annoying, confusing, and feel meaningless. Most people don’t understand what they’re agreeing to, and most site owners don’t fully understand what their own websites are doing behind the scenes. I realized the real problem wasn’t consent—it was that tracking had become the default, even for businesses that never intended to collect data at all. ZeroCookie was born from the idea that privacy should be simple, honest, and proven by design, not buried behind popups and legal jargon What sets this business apart from others in the industry? What sets ZeroCookie apart is that it eliminates the need for cookie banners altogether instead of trying to manage them. Most tools in this space focus on collecting consent for tracking that’s already happening. ZeroCookie takes the opposite approach by identifying and disabling tracking at the source, then continuously verifying that no tracking is occurring. Rather than forcing users to accept confusing choices, ZeroCookie allows businesses to operate with a true no-tracking model and prove it through ongoing, automated verification. The result is genuine privacy by design, not privacy theater. What challenges have you faced as a business owner or employee, and how did you overcome them? One of the biggest challenges has been cutting through widespread confusion around privacy and compliance. Many businesses assume cookie banners are mandatory and don’t realize they’re often responding to a problem they don’t actually have. Overcoming this meant spending time deeply understanding the technical and regulatory landscape, then translating it into something practical and non-intimidating for nontechnical site owners. Another challenge has been building trust in a space crowded with fear-based compliance tools. We addressed that by focusing on transparency, clear explanations, and verifiable results—proving privacy through how the product works rather than through marketing claims. What advice would you give to someone looking to join your industry? Learn the fundamentals, build for the real world, and don’t chase hype. The best tech products are the ones that quietly work, scale cleanly, and solve real problems without getting in the user’s way. About the Idaho Technology Council The Idaho Technology Council (ITC) is a member-based organization that champions innovation and collaboration to grow Idaho’s economy through technology. Representing a dynamic and growing community of entrepreneurs, industry leaders, and policymakers, ITC connects vision with action to position Idaho as a hub for innovation and opportunity. Learn more at www.idahotechcouncil.org . Connect with Sheila on LinkedIn HERE Check out ZeroCookie.NET HERE