Three Central Iowa startups achieved top five placements at the annual Surge Summit, the closing workshop for University of Iowa’s Venture School. Mo’ Goodness, a Des Moines-based specialty food line, received $3,000 and first place in the day’s final pitch competition, out of 12 teams statewide that completed the eight-week Venture School program. Also in the top five were Windsmart Systems, a commercial roofing system (third, $1,000); and Creative Habitat, a coworking and daycare space for mothers (fourth, $500). FixxStick, a Des Moines-based company that produces a simpler makeup remover and touchup tool, received third place and $1,000 as a Venture School alumni. Venture School is a nationally recognized eight-week program developed by the John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center, and uses curriculum developed by the National Science Foundation at Stanford University and the University of California, Berkeley.
