The Des Moines City Council recently reauthorized the Small Business Impact Loan Program, which aims to help local entrepreneurs start, grow and strengthen their businesses. Launched last year, the program is designed to fill a financing gap for small business owners who may not qualify for traditional bank loans but…
Nurses, health care professionals, innovators and community members are invited to attend the 2025 Iowa Nurse Innovators Roadshow, where nurse innovators will share their stories, and emerging nurse innovators will pitch their ideas. The event will feature keynote speaker Judy Lenane, a nurse and health care executive with a clinical…
The inaugural Risk Management and Insurance Strategic Collaborators Summit, happening this week in Iowa City, is designed around how the insurance industry can recruit, inspire and equip the next generation of risk management professionals. The event is organized by a national group of higher education institutions that want to advance innovation and…
A lot of people encouraged Billie Asmus, founder and CEO of Repaint Studios, which sells reusable paint trays, to apply to ABC’s hit show Shark Tank. Her thought? What’s the worst that could happen? She wouldn’t make it. That’s not that bad. Well, she not only made it on the…
BrokerTech Ventures, a platform and accelerator program focused on delivering innovation to the insurance broker, carrier and wholesale community, announced it will open applications for its 2026 Accelerator cohort on Friday, inviting insurtech companies to apply for the chance to pilot and test their solutions across the BTV network. Since…
The University of Northern Iowa has been awarded nearly $5 million from the National Science Foundation to lead a new initiative aimed at strengthening STEM education in rural elementary schools. The five-year grant of $4,918,593 will fund the National STEM Teacher Corps Pilot Program: Midwest Alliance for Rural Elementary Science….
The World Food Prize Foundation announced the winners of the inaugural Innovate for Impact Challenge on Oct. 22 during the foundation’s annual Norman E. Borlaug International Dialogue. The three winners are: First place ($50,000): APOLO Biotech, Argentina | RNA technology. APOLO Biotech addresses the challenges of climate change impact on…
Dream City, an Iowa City-based nonprofit that offers leadership programs and opportunities for youths, families and entrepreneurs, started as a response to young boys who were growing up without fathers and needed a safe space. Frederick Newell, executive director of Dream City in Iowa City, had his first child at…
Mindr, an Urbandale-based company that offers safety technology in substance detection and monitoring, announced the launch of its latest innovation, Keepr Drive, an advanced accountability and measurement platform designed to promote safe driving and responsible decision-making among drivers, including teens. Keepr Drive integrates the Keepr pocket-sized breathalyzer, which measures a…
The Immigrant Entrepreneurs Summit has announced its 18th annual National Summit, schedule for Nov. 15, from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the FFA Enrichment Center in Ankeny. The event will convene hundreds of attendees representing 50 countries of origin to celebrate and empower the growing community of immigrant entrepreneurs,…