Growers Edge, a Johnston-based company providing financial products and data-driven tools for agricultural retailers, manufacturers and lenders, announced this week a first close of a new $25 million financing round. The round was co-led by S2G Investments, Cibus Capital and Lowercarbon Capital, with additional participation by Otter Creek, iSelect and Jeff Ubben, founder of ValueAct […]
The 2025 John Pappajohn Student Entrepreneurial Venture Competition was held on Friday, April 25, at the University of Iowa Pappajohn Education and Events Center in Des Moines. The final presentation round consisted of 18 students presenting 15 business ideas to a panel of judges. “John Pappajohn launched this student competition 25 years ago, and entrepreneurial […]
Morningside University announced the appointment of Paula Kueter as the inaugural director of its newly established Larry & Joan Arnold Center for Entrepreneurship and Economic Development, made possible by a $1 million gift from alumni Larry and Joan Arnold. Kueter most recently served as director of the Pappajohn Center for Entrepreneurial Outreach and the Buchanan Center […]
OpenLoop Health, a Des Moines-based telehealth startup, announced the appointment of Tyson Murdock as chief financial officer. Murdock brings 25 years of financial leadership experience spanning Fortune 500 companies, Big 4 firms and both public and private technology companies. In his new role, Murdock will lead OpenLoop’s financial strategy, focusing on performance optimization and long-term, sustainable […]
BLK & Bold Specialty Beverages, a Des Moines-based social impact coffee company, is releasing a new docuseries Friday about its sustainability collaboration with SGS, a testing, inspection and certification company. The docuseries “BLK & Bold: A Journey Rooted in Coffee, Community and Climate” will premiere at noon Friday at the second annual Business for Good Summit hosted […]
Nicholas Bushelle, associate and corporate and venture tech attorney, Dentons Davis Brown: Moving corporate domiciles out of Delaware: For over 100 years, Delaware has been the predominant state of formation for U.S. business entities due to its well-developed corporate case law and specialized judicial bench. That may be changing, as Delaware faces an exodus of tech […]
Upvote, an AI-native software company, has announced partnerships with Iowa’s House of Representatives and Governor’s office to use AI-powered tools to streamline the legislative process. Iowa House caucuses and the office of Gov. Kim Reynolds implemented Upvote’s Legible platform to develop, evaluate and publish legislation, starting with the 2025 legislative session, according to a news […]
The NIACC John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center hosted the second annual Iowa Student Entrepreneurship Summit on April 11-12 in Mason City and Clear Lake. The event brought together business majors and student entrepreneurs from Iowa’s community colleges, private colleges and the University of Northern Iowa. The Student Entrepreneurship Summit included a student pitch competition followed by […]
The Greater Dallas County Development Alliance announced the launch of its small business grant fund, a new initiative focused on supporting local entrepreneurship and small business to stimulate economic growth. With an annual funding pool of $10,000, the grant aims to provide financial support to small businesses. Small businesses operating in a Dallas County community […]
The Iowa Rural Development Council, a statewide nonprofit focused on small-town and rural vitality, awarded the 2025 Rand Fisher Rural Leadership Awards at its recent Iowa Rural Summit. The summit brought together leaders from small towns across Iowa. The awards recognize nominees in rural economic and community development, philanthropy, the arts and utilities. Honorees are nominated […]