New initiative turning used electronics into funding for nonprofits 

SmartphonesPLUS, a Hiawatha-based electronics resale business, in partnership with An Enduring Legacy, a Mount Vernon-based business that works with individuals and corporations to design and implement philanthropic initiatives, has announced the launch of Tech for Good, a new initiative designed to transform used electronics into funding for nonprofit organizations. The…

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Wellmark receives award named a 2026 Foundry CIO 100 Award winner for using data and AI to improve business agility

Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield has been named a 2026 Foundry CIO 100 award winner. For more than 40 years, the CIO 100 Awards have recognized innovative organizations that exemplify the highest level of strategic and operational excellence in IT, according to a press release. Wellmark was recognized for…

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UI JPEC holds IdeaStorm Applied AI Case Competition

Lyndsey Mekelburg earned first place and $500 at the University of Iowa IdeaStorm Applied AI Case Competition on April 27 at Merge Iowa City. A total of $1,500 and mentoring sessions were awarded to student innovators. Eleven teams pitched business ideas built around real-world applications of artificial intelligence. Mekelburg’s winning…

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Great Outdoors Foundation to hold pitch competition at summer conference 

The Great Outdoors Foundation has announced the launch of Convergence: The Conservation Ag Accelerator, a pitch competition designed to advance innovative solutions at the intersection of agriculture and conservation. Convergence is part of the Athene Watershed26 conference, taking place June 30–July 1. Convergence aims to bring together entrepreneurs, farmers and…

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Four Central Iowa student teams advance to robotics world championship in Houston

Four Central Iowa student robotics teams are heading to the FIRST World Championship in Houston this weekend. The teams are from Waukee, Des Moines, Ames and Urbandale. Through FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology), students design, build and program robots under real-world constraints, developing skills in mechanical…

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