ITC Announces Relaunch of CyberUSA, and Idaho Chapter 

For immediate release:

Boise, Idaho — November 22, 2024 — The Idaho Technology Council (ITC) is excited to announce the relaunch of CyberUSA the formation of the ITC CyberIMPACT chapter, as an affiliate of CyberUSA. This initiative comes on the heels of CyberUSA's press release yesterday, highlighting their ongoing efforts to combat the rising tide of cybercrime and emerging threats anticipated in 2025.  CyberUSA Press Release


“With our increased reliance on software, especially cloud-based platforms, comes increased security risk,” said CyberUSA Advisory Board Chairman Phil Bond, a former US Undersecretary of Commerce for Technology. “The statistics have shown that the economic and strategic damage from cybercrime continues to increase. The global cost of cybercrime will reach $15.6 trillion by 2029 according to Statista. Lest we forget, perpetrators increasingly include organized crime, terrorists, and state-sponsored actors.”


The ITC is looking forward to active participation with CyberUSA, leveraging the collective expertise and resources of this national network to enhance Idaho's cybersecurity resilience. The Idaho chapter will play a crucial role in uniting regional, state, and corporate cyber organizations in a collective effort. ITC members and nonmembers will have an opportunity to join the Chapter and participate in CyberIMPACT meetings.


Sam Evans, Vice President & Chief Information Security Officer at Clearwater Analytics based in Boise, Idaho, will represent the Idaho affiliation on the Advisory Board of CyberUSA. With over two decades of experience in information security and cybersecurity, Sam Evans brings a wealth of knowledge and leadership to this role. His extensive background includes positions at Clearwater Analytics, Micron Technology, Gartner, and Transform Solar, where he has held various leadership roles such as Vice President, Chief Information Security Officer, Deputy Chief Security Officer, and Senior Director Analyst. Sam's expertise encompasses developing and directing information security programs, leading global cybersecurity operations, and advising Fortune 100 companies on digital transformation and security challenges.


"There has never been a more crucial time for CyberUSA and the ITC CyberIMPACT to emerge, offering essential support to Idahoans as cyber risks escalate daily. The Idaho Technology Council acknowledges the significant number of unfilled cybersecurity positions and is dedicated to enhancing the tech ecosystem by promoting digital literacy and collaborating with our educational partners to build the tech talent pipeline," said Diane Bevan, ITC President and CEO.


The launch of the CyberIMPACT chapter aligns with the ITC's 2025 strategic plan to build a community that manages and mitigates cyber risk through various methods. This includes working with partners, like CyberUSA, a national threat-sharing platform. The organization is dedicated to proactive coordination of public and private efforts to shape the education, innovation, and policy landscapes at the regional and federal levels. Cyber Idaho aims to strengthen the state's cybersecurity resilience collectively.


This renewed call for collaboration highlights the urgency of defending against escalating cyber threats in an increasingly connected world. “By fostering cooperation and sharing critical information across public and private sectors, organizations can collectively strengthen the nation's cybersecurity resilience,” commented CyberUSA’s incoming Executive Director Adam Rak. “This unified approach will help protect vital infrastructure, safeguard sensitive data, and ultimately secure the future of digital innovation in America.”


The ITC invites its members, technology cyber groups, public and private organizations engaged in mitigating the risks of cyber to join the ITC chapter and be part of this statewide movement to bolster Idaho’s cyber defense.


###

ABOUT IDAHO TECHNOLOGY COUNCIL

The Idaho Technology Council (ITC) is the industry voice driving innovation in the state of Idaho. The ITC is a member driven organization; committed to the success of Idaho’s technology ecosystem and leading Idaho to a knowledge-based economy. Our mission is to build a strong tech community in Idaho by bringing people together, supporting tech education, and advocating for policies that promote sustainable growth. Together, we’re making Idaho a top destination for technology and innovation. The ITC is instrumental in building advocacy needed to persuade legislators and private industry to invest in high return initiatives that are necessary to propel new companies forward, along with retention and growth with existing companies.

 

About CyberUSA

CyberUSA is a trusted forum where American organizations can collaborate on solutions to protect us all. By transcending local, state, and national security silos, we ensure that leaders and practitioners have the best possible resources to safeguard their assets.

CyberUSA membership amplifies cyber defense effectiveness through a community of communities that scales and accelerates information sharing to an unprecedented level. Membership provides access to reliable resources available nowhere else, including a national threat-sharing platform. The organization is dedicated to proactive coordination of public and private efforts to shape the education, innovation, and policy landscapes at the regional and federal levels.

For more information about CyberUSA, visit https://www.cyberusa.us/


 

Email: info@idahotechcouncil.org

Website:  https://www.idahotechcouncil.org/

 

Meet Mel Pint

by Tim Munkres • 7 October 2026
Introducing: Mel Pint, Founder & CEO, OpulX Media LLC Describe the business/organization you work for: OpulX Media LLC is an Idaho-registered live events company and a sister company of OpulenceX Inc., the marketplace where artists sell their work and keep earning royalties when it resells. OpulX Media produces art, fashion and technology showcases built around augmented reality and digital collectibles. Our first production is The Digital Loom: Intersecting Realities at Boise Centre on November 14, 2026: an AR runway, an exhibition of international artists whose every work is registered as a digital twin, and a free afternoon built around The Loom Youth Prize, a statewide art competition for Idaho kids and teens. It is planned as an annual Boise event, with a Honolulu edition in April 2027. What inspired you to start your own business, or why did you decide to work for this specific organization? I watched artists sell a piece once and never see another dollar from it, while the technology that fixes that already existed and nobody was putting it in front of the people who make things. OpulenceX Inc built the tools. OpulX Media exists because tools alone do not change anything; a room full of people watching a garment come alive through their own phone, standing next to a painting a nine-year-old made, does. Boise has a technology community, an arts community and a fashion community, and they rarely stand in the same room. I wanted to build the night where they do. What sets this business apart from others in the industry? Most media companies build audiences and rent them to advertisers. We build a creator economy and stand inside it with the creators. What challenges have you faced as a business owner or employee, and how did you overcome them? Being new. A first-year event with a technology company behind it has to earn standing in the arts community before anyone will put their name next to it. We did that the slow way: a venue contract before any letter went out, a judged youth prize with real cash and real exhibition space, terms for artists that put 70% of every sale in their hands. Joining the Idaho Technology Council was part of the same answer: be inside the community before asking anything of it. What advice would you give to someone looking to join your industry? Decide what you will not do before you decide what you will. Then find the person in your community who has done the hard part for years and ask them how, before you tell them what you are building. 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 Mel Pint on LinkedIn HERE Learn More about OpulX Media HERE

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