Pitch Incubator Frequently Asked Questions

Question: If I register and attend the Business Pitch Incubator, does that automatically qualify my business to pitch at the Idaho Veterans Chamber of Commerce Shark Tank Pitch Competition? Answer: No, however, the incubator course does provide you an advantage to be ready to apply for the Chambers pitch competition and others being hosted by different organizations across Idaho and the United States. 

Question: What type of businesses would be a good fit to attend the Pitch Incubator? Answer: All business types from start-up, scaling, franchise owners, ideation phase, and also includes businesses that have a product, service, prototype being built, retail, food, etc. The Business Pitch Incubator is designed to help you create a pitch that you can use to connect with investors, wholesale markets, potential clients, business bankers, CDFI's, and Federal, State, and local government contracts.  The incubator is designed to prepare you for capital funding or at the very least help you to be capital funding ready. 

Question: What are the options to attend the course? Answer: In person in Meridian, Idaho or by zoom virtually.  You can log on from your home wherever you are in Idaho as long as you have good Wifi. 

Question: How long is the course? Answer: The course is held Every Thursday from 4:00 PM - 6:00 PM MST. 

Question: How will my business benefit from attending? Answer: Your business will be introduced to Business Bankers, Entrepreneur Resource Partners, Investors, and other community partners who are eager to help your business launch, scale, or grow.  The Idaho Veterans Chamber of Commerce will also be featuring your business through spotlights to the Network of over 2k people across Idaho over the course of the next several months through social media, newsletters, and at events. The opportunity to get to know the Idaho Veterans Chamber Business Advisors and Boise State Venture College Faculty will happen organically and the opportunities to apply for other capital funding will be provided to your business based on referrals and advocacy that is created over the 7 week period. 

Question: What happens after the Business Pitch Incubator has concluded? Answer: Your business will have the tools, knowledge, and understanding of how to pitch your business, and most importantly, you will have shared your business with Pitch Experts from Boise State University Venture College that will be there to support you for years to come.  We also will be starting a Business Pitch Incubator Alumni online chat feature to continue to learn and grow with other Business Owners that attend the first cohort and the ones to follow each year. 

Question: What will I leave the Incubator Cohort with? Answer: A well developed pitch deck, an opportunity to present to capital readiness funders, to include investors, bankers, partners, CDFI's, and Government, State, and Local Contract partners.  A connection with a group of businesses that will be a part of your journey for years to come. A more successful future and pathway to launching, scaling, or growing your business. On the 7th week, you will present your business pitch deck to the community of funders, supporters, and those that may want to do business with your business. Opportunities are ENDLESS. 

Question: Does this cost anything? Answer: No, we are a nonprofit 501c3 and have raised funds through events, grants, sponsorships, and donations to provide this cohort at no cost to our Military Serving, Veterans in Transitioning, and Spouses.  We will also provide the course at no cost to patriot-owned businesses as part of our partnership with Boise State Venture College, we will consider all.

Question: How much time should I set aside per week aside from the class to meet the requests of the cohort? Answer: Estimated around 2 hours. There will be some homework and pre-reads each week however, we have paired down to just the essentials into smaller sizes to allow you to work through each topic and dive further into being ready for capital funding. 

Question: What if I don't have time for this Incubator because I have so much going on with my business? Answer: We understand entrepreneurs have to make the decision on where they invest their time, we believe this cohort is designed to give you back time in the long run, help you get where you need to go quicker with the right tools, resources, and understanding of your business. At some point entrepreneurs must take time to work on their business and not in their business in order to see the results, get more sleep, feel more confident, have a clearer mindset, and most importantly be able to put the shiny pennies aside for now and take a step back to reflect, assess, redirect, and prioritize on the things that will bring more results over a 7 week period than a whole year could. 

Your Entrepreneurship journey requires a network of people that you can grow, learn, and even hit bumps in the road with. Building your entrepreneurship network can start here. 

Food & Farm Marketing Bootcamp

November 12th - 14th 2025

Join us for a hands-on 3-day workshop designed to equip veteran and spouse business owners in the food and agriculture industry with essential marketing strategies to grow their business, increase sales, and strengthen their brand. Business Owners will be provided practical tools, expert-led training, and collaborative peer learning to help navigate the ever-changing landscape of food and farm business marketing.