Boise Chamber honors Small Business of the Year

More than 450 people took a break from the workday to laud Boise businesses and beyond.

On June 17, the Boise Metro Chamber of Commerce held its annual Small Business of the Year and Chamber Excellence Awards at Boise Centre, highlighting the achievements of businesses and businesspeople in several categories.

Prior to the awards ceremony and luncheon, a tradeshow was held in which chamber members networked and connected with others. Various industries were represented as a way to help the community engage.

Isabelle Siegrist, business and outreach coordinator for Foothills Physical Therapy, said such events are important to companies such as hers.

“I think it allows us to network with a lot of different companies, get our name out there and meet new companies,” she said. “Foothills has been established for about 20 years, so it’s fun to see new companies that are coming in and joining the chamber and then also just connecting with ones that are also established.”

Siegrist said Foothills Physical Therapy tends to make mostly business connections at such events, but seeing that businesses are run by people who sometimes need such services, it also helps to build a client base. Foothills has four locations throughout the Treasure Valley, with one in Boise, one in Eagle and two in Meridian.

Bobbi-Jo Meuleman, president and CEO of the chamber, said the event is one of the organization’s most popular and creates a positive air.

“I think the businesses obviously appreciate the opportunity to get recognized with the awards we present, and I think that businesses appreciate the opportunity to do the trade show,” she said. “It’s very positive. Just a small business lunch. This is my first one as well, too, so I’m excited to get to see it for the first time in a new role.”

The awards portion of the afternoon honored nine categories, and a similar theme of perseverance and ingenuity wove throughout the ceremony, starting with the presenter of the awards, Ysabel Bilbao, owner and founder of Bilbao & Co.

“It was nine years ago that I opened Bilbao & Co. with a hope and a prayer and a backup plan to run away to Europe and bartend if all else fails,” Bilbao said. “When you’re starting a business, failure simply isn’t an option. I moved in with my parents to save money. I only accepted coffee meetings because I was fearful I would have to pay for that lunch meeting. I stole Wi-Fi from nearby businesses to send press releases from the front seat of my car. And I cried many, many a morning, wondering what I had done. But then by eight or nine o’clock, I’d wipe those tears and had to get my hustle on to get it moving forward.”

The awards given and winners were:

The Jim Moore Lifetime Legacy Award for Excellence in Travel and Hospitality Block 22

Healthcare Industry Excellence Award Regency Blue Shield

Financial Services Industry Excellence Award D.L. Evans Bank

Food & Agriculture Industry Excellence Award Idaho Candy Co.

Nonprofit Excellence Award Jannus

Small Business of the Year (Small, 25 employees and under) Talentspark

Small Business of the Year (Medium, 26-100 employees) PortaPros

Government Advocate of the Year Gerald Hunter

Hall of Fame Inductee Odette Bolano

Bolano, who is retiring from her role as Trinity Health West Region’s CEO this month expressed gratitude for the recognition but admitted she couldn’t do it alone.

“I think that this recognition is more about the incredible people that have supported me and how they supported me and allowed me to collectively move forward with you toward whatever costs and initiatives we have,” she said in her acceptance speech. “Your trust and support fueled my passion and my drive, so I am extremely grateful. The nine years that I’ve spent in Boise has been the most rewarding and profound of my 42-year career.”

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