The Iowa State University Pappajohn Center for Entrepreneurship, Small Business Development Center, and the Ames Chamber of Commerce will host the fall Smart Start Workshop, a comprehensive workshop focused on the essentials of starting a business. The workshop is a community-wide event open to existing business owners as well as anyone interested in or considering […]
Iowa State University held a grand opening on Sept. 8 for the Kent Feed Mill and Grain Science Complex, located on 10 acres of university farmland. The grain storage and feed milling complex can produce up to 30,000 tonnes of feed and store more than 200,000 bushels of grain, according to a news release. The […]
In 2014, the Global Insurance Accelerator was a first for Iowa in many ways, including how it brought together seven local insurance companies to partner and invest in an accelerator dedicated to advancing innovative ideas for the insurance industry. Those founding investors were Principal Financial Group, Delta Dental of Iowa, FBL Financial Group, IMT Insurance, […]
Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig announced Sept. 14 the formation of the Livestock Protection Innovation Grant Program. The program will provide grant funding to assist Iowa-based companies in the development of safe and effective vaccines that may help protect Iowa livestock from foreign animal diseases. Though the threat of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza remains […]
The ISU Startup Factory has named local entrepreneur Andrew Kirpalani as the newest entrepreneur-in-residence for the incubator program. Kirpalani will serve as a member of the teaching team to facilitate industry connections and provide mentorship for cohort members. Kirpalani’s background includes more than 15 years of entrepreneurial experience. An alumnus of Iowa State, he began working for […]
Hank Harris, co-founder of Genvax Technologies, and professor emeritus at Iowa State University, is the 2023 recipient of the Biotechnology Innovation Organization’s (BIO) George Washington Carver Award for Leadership in Agriculture and Environmental Biotechnology. The George Washington Carver Award recognizes individuals who have advanced biotech innovation to make supply chains greener and have worked successfully […]
Finding the resources to start a business is one of the first tasks new entrepreneurs will always need to navigate, and a new tool from the Greater Des Moines Partnership is aiming to provide an “easier on-ramp” to the existing pathways and resources. The Resource Compass is an online platform of entrepreneurial resources available from nonprofits or […]
Colorbiotics, an Ames-based colorant manufacturer, reports it more than doubled its recycling year-over-year. In the first half of 2023, Colorbiotics recycled 1.8 million pounds of materials compared with less than 750,000 pounds the year before. According to a news release, plastics are the primary driver of the increase in recycling for Colorbiotics. High density polyethylene plastic […]
Bunker Labs Des Moines, a nonprofit supporting veterans and military spouses starting their own businesses, is looking for a new volunteer entrepreneur ambassador. According to the Bunker Labs website, the Entrepreneur Ambassador program includes a 12-month training for individuals who are already established leaders in their community and well-positioned to build their local business ecosystem. Ambassadors […]
Heartland Business Systems is hosting the 11th annual Secure Iowa conference on Oct. 3 at the Meadows Event Center in Altoona. HBS is hosting the event following its acquisition of Pratum in 2022. The sessions include a keynote speech by Samuel Visner, an adviser on U.S. national security on the evolution of cybersecurity, a panel of […]