The NIACC John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center recently launched Venture Launch Lab, a new entrepreneurial incubator program designed to help aspiring and early-stage business owners build the knowledge, systems and confidence needed to successfully launch and grow a sustainable business. The Venture Launch Lab aims to fill a gap in entrepreneurial…
Registration is open for the 2026 Norman E. Borlaug International Dialogue on Oct. 20-22 at the Iowa Events Center in Des Moines. The theme of this year’s event is “Before Hunger Wins.” The three-day event includes discussions on food security, sustainability and agricultural innovation, networking opportunities with leaders from government,…
The Iowa Arts Council’s Creative Places Accelerator is a year-long program where community teams from small to mid-size Iowa communities develop arts-based projects to serve as catalysts for livability, economic development and community connectedness. Projects developed through this accelerator program will be focused on creative placemaking or placekeeping and will…
Raul Cunarro jokes with his wife that she’s lucky to be married to someone famous. Cunarro, who resides in West Des Moines, has built an online following for his storytelling around buying dilapidated homes around Des Moines. “I specialize in transforming distressed properties into quality homes,” Cunarro wrote in an…
Iowa Startup Week is accepting applications for its Best of the Midwest Pitch competition, which brings founders to one stage to share their innovations. The deadline to apply is July 6. Iowa Startup Week is a four-day event in Des Moines designed to spotlight and celebrate entrepreneurship in Iowa. The…
The Iowa Lean Consortium is asking for proposals for breakout presentations at its 2026 Annual Conference on Oct. 22 in Altoona. It is seeking breakout presentations that align with the principles of Lean — continuous improvement, change management and/or enterprise transformation while engaging, informing and offering practical insights. Priority will…
Aureon, a provider of connectivity and network solutions, has awarded $12,000 in STEM scholarships to nine Iowa high school students through its 2026 scholarship programs. Aureon has two scholarships: the Aureon ITC Scholarship Program, which supports students from Iowa communities served by independent telecoms who are pursuing STEM-related fields, and…
Jenn Tuetken, director of innovation, design and brand experience at Pella Corp., doesn’t just lead teams that create prototypes. She leads and creates innovative products. For these efforts and more, Tuetken is the Business Record’s 2026 Iowa innovationLEADER Award winner, which recognizes an individual or organization advancing innovation in Iowa….
Aureon, a provider of connectivity and network solutions, announced the delivery of a new 100 terabit long-haul transport route engineered to support the rapid growth of large-scale artificial intelligence and cloud deployments. Built with partners t3 Broadband, Nokia and Midco, the route links Ellendale, N.D., to Chicago through a low-latency…
Registration is now open for the NIACC John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center’s youth program for North Iowa middle school students. IDEA Camp is designed for students in grades 6-9 and will be held at in Clear Lake and Charles City in July. IDEA Camp is a hands-on program that helps guides…