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Building Idaho’s Innovation Pipeline: From Student Ideas to Industry Impact


Moscow, ID — During Idaho Entrepreneurs Week 2025, the Idaho Technology Council (ITC), in partnership with the University of Idaho College of Business and Economics, played a central role in advancing Idaho’s innovation ecosystem — connecting students, founders, educators, and industry leaders across multiple days of programming focused on the future of work, entrepreneurship, and technology-enabled growth.


Hosted on the University of Idaho campus in Moscow, ITC’s engagement across Day 3 and Day 4 highlighted a clear and intentional throughline: supporting talent at every stage — from student ideation to scalable innovation.


Day 3: Inspiring the Next Generation at Idaho Pitch

On Day 3 of Idaho Entrepreneurs Week, ITC President and CEO Diane Temple joined University of Idaho faculty and leadership to support Idaho Pitch, a signature student pitch competition showcasing emerging entrepreneurial talent.

Temple delivered a keynote to students centered on turning ideas into impact — emphasizing the importance of confidence, communication, and adaptability alongside technical skill. She also served as a pitch competition judge, offering direct feedback and encouragement as student teams presented innovative business concepts.

The event highlighted the depth of talent across the University of Idaho, with students demonstrating not only strong ideas, but also collaboration, professionalism, and readiness to lead.

The success of Idaho Pitch was made possible through the dedication of University of Idaho faculty and staff, including George Tanner, Director of the Idaho Entrepreneurs Program, Tiff Reiss, Adjunct Faculty, Britnee Christen, Student Experience Coordinator, and Lori Rock, Marketing and Communications Manager, whose collective efforts ensured a meaningful and high-impact experience for participating students.


Day 4: Idaho Innovation & Tech Forum — Building Forward Together

Momentum continued on Day 4 with the Idaho Innovation & Tech Forum, co-hosted by the Idaho Technology Council and the University of Idaho as part of Idaho Entrepreneurs Week.

The forum convened entrepreneurs, researchers, and industry leaders to explore how artificial intelligence, innovation, and cross-sector collaboration are actively shaping Idaho’s economy and workforce.

The morning opened with a keynote from Diane Temple, titled:

“AI and the Future of Work: See the Shift and How We Build Forward.”

Her remarks challenged attendees to move beyond awareness and into action — emphasizing the responsibility of leaders, educators, and entrepreneurs to intentionally shape how technology impacts people, work, and opportunity across Idaho.


A featured Fireside Chat bridged industry and academia, featuring University of Idaho leaders deeply engaged in research, entrepreneurship, and applied learning:

  • Tiff Reiss, Adjunct Faculty in Entrepreneurship
  • Arch H., Assistant Vice President for Research
  • Matthew Swenson, Director of Interdisciplinary Capstone Design & Associate Professor

Moderated by George Tanner, the conversation explored how interdisciplinary education, applied research, and industry partnerships translate into real-world innovation.

The forum concluded with Innovation Lightning Chats, spotlighting Idaho founders building across sectors:

  • Shawn Schneider, Founder of Eldil Ai.ai
  • David Foucachon, Co-Founder & CEO of Veritas Surgery
  • Jeff Mau, Founder & Head of Strategy at Tenicor

Moderated by Stefan Haney, Managing Principal at Vantage International, the session underscored how vision, execution, and adaptability are driving innovation across Idaho.


Building the Future, Together

Reflecting on the impact of Idaho Entrepreneurs Week and the importance of connecting students to industry, Mya Groza, Associate Dean and Professor of Marketing at the University of Idaho College of Business and Economics, emphasized the value of experiential learning and collaboration:“From Idaho Pitch to the Innovation & Tech Forum, we saw ideas move from the classroom to real-world application,” said Groza.
“These experiences help students understand how innovation, entrepreneurship, and technology intersect — and how they can lead in that space.”

Reinforcing ITC’s long-term commitment to Idaho’s innovation ecosystem, Diane Temple highlighted the organization’s statewide approach: “The Idaho Technology Council is committed to supporting Idaho’s technology ecosystem statewide,” said Temple.
“By partnering on events like this and traveling across the state, we’re intentionally engaging with students — our future leaders — as well as small business owners and entrepreneurs to ensure innovation and opportunity reach every region of Idaho.”

Through continued collaboration, on-campus engagement, and community partnerships, the Idaho Technology Council and the University of Idaho are helping ensure Idaho’s next generation of innovators is prepared to lead — from the classroom to the marketplace.


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.

Meet RT Williams

by Tim Munkres • 10 September 2026
Introducing: RT Williams, Founder & Energy Engineer, Pathline Foundry Describe the business/organization you work for: Pathline Foundry is an independent energy consulting and software firm in Meridian, Idaho. I run the gamut from benchmarking and energy audits to custom software for energy strategy, management, and optimization. It's a niche offering that's widely applicable across many industries. One engineer, start to finish. See where your energy is going, so you can make a smarter decision about where it goes next. What inspired you to start your own business, or why did you decide to work for this specific organization? I want to be the person who stays and partners with those who need it most. I've been doing energy engineering since 2017, and I've kept seeing the same pattern. A building gets an audit report, the report goes on a shelf, and nothing changes. Pathline Foundry grew out of that pattern, and I build software for the same reason: the findings need somewhere to live once the engagement is over, or they end up back on the shelf. Energy gets treated as a fixed cost, a line on the bill you can't do anything about. It isn't. There's real money sitting in waste and inefficiency, and most of the people who could act on it have no spare bandwidth and limited technical staff. I wanted to make that easy to see and easy to act on. What sets this business apart from others in the industry? There's no sales team and no handoff to a junior analyst. You talk to the person doing the engineering, and that same person is still there when it comes time to implement. I build the software side myself too, so the analysis, the modeling, and the tools a client ends up using all come from one place. Where it fits, I take a share of the savings instead of a flat fee, so the work is built to pay for itself. I'm a PhD engineer and a Certified Energy Manager. I write the work so a decision-maker can understand it and an engineer can act on it. What challenges have you faced as a business owner or employee, and how did you overcome them? Starting a business in a state where nobody knows you is a slow problem, and there's no clever fix for it. My family and I moved here in 2025, and I spent a lot of that first year in rooms where I knew one person, or none. What surprised me is that it made the actual work better. I used to lead with what I found in a building. Now I ask what somebody is trying to decide first, because a room full of strangers teaches you quickly that nobody cares what you know until they know why it matters to them. That turns out to be most of the job. Idaho has been more welcoming than I expected. Almost everything I've built here started with someone making an introduction, and I look forward to growing my work to support the community that made room for me. What advice would you give to someone looking to join your industry? Go into the buildings. You can learn modeling and software anywhere, but you can't learn how a facility actually runs from a spreadsheet. Spend time with the people who operate it. They'll tell you things no data set contains, and more often than not, they already know where the waste is. 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 RT Williams on LinkedIn HERE Learn More about Pathline Foundry HERE

Idaho Technology Council Announces 2026 Hall of Fame Inductees, Idavation™ Award Finalists and Keynote Speaker Gary Sorrentino, CIO, Zoom

9 September 2026
Idaho Technology Council Announces 2026 Hall of Fame Inductees, Idavation™ Award Finalists and Keynote Speaker Gary Sorrentino, CIO, Zoom

ITC partners with Coeur d'Alene Regional Chamber to host iTECH Summit Inland Northwest

by Diane Temple • 3 September 2026
ITC partners with Coeur d'Alene Regional Chamber to host iTECH Summit Inland Northwest