Iowa’s Wallace family legacy of innovation continues Who’s who in the Wallace family Notable Iowans branch out from the Wallace family tree, but there are several who rose to prominence in agriculture and politics. Here are the four Henry Wallaces to note. Who is Uncle Henry? He’s the Henry who brought the Wallaces to Iowa in 1862. He co-founded Wallaces’ Farmer with his sons Henry C. and John in 1895.
2019 InnovationIOWA Magazine
May 30, 2019
innovationICON: Tractor innovation through the years
If there is one symbol for Iowa agriculture and innovation, it is the tractor. Since the machine’s early history in the corner of northeast Iowa, the tractor has been the most persistent yet ever-changing mark of innovation – and some controversy – in U.S. agriculture. While the history is long and the changes are nonstop in today’s industry, this timeline examines the highlights of the tractor’s evolution and cultural impact
May 30, 2019
innovationQ&A: Ada Woo
Senior director of strategy implementation and operations and chief of staff – R&D and innovation, ACTNext by ACT Inc. Iowa prides itself on providing a world-class education from the elementary to the university and college levels. In today’s world, technology is a huge part of that. Innovations in edtech are happening right in Iowa City, where ACT launched ACTNext a few years ago. As ACTNext’s senior director of strategy implementation
May 30, 2019
The pursuit of broadband
Iowans launch network to connect providers, communities seeking better service Recall the last year your home had dial-up internet service, the once great, shining beacon of communication in America. As you nudged your modem awake, a sound that an Economist writer once described in 2007 as “the distorted screams of two modems introducing themselves” disturbed the air of your at-home office or kitchen, where the family computer sat. As a
May 30, 2019
innovationQ&A: Rachel Binning
Global regulatory portfolio lead – soybeans, Corteva Agriscience Tiny seeds link Iowa’s past to the cutting-edge work at Corteva AgriScience, Agriculture Division of DowDuPont. The story began in the 1920s when Henry A. Wallace started Hi-Bred Corn Co., later known as Pioneer Hi-Bred, working on seed genetics. In the late 1990s, Dow would come to own Pioneer Hi-Bred; Dow and DuPont would merge, and Corteva AgriScience would be one of
May 30, 2019
innovationICON: John Pappajohn
In his 50th year as a venture capitalist, Pappajohn is still ahead of the pack John Pappajohn has invested in innovation from the very beginning of his career as a venture capitalist, and he prides himself on keeping himself — and his investment network — on the leading edge of technology. Some of his earliest deals involved the use of advanced technologies years before they became mainstream — among them
May 30, 2019
UI 3D Printing Club finds all the printable possibilities
University of Iowa students change the rules for amputees What would you have done in college with a machine that could print nearly anything you wanted? University of Iowa students Cody Wilson and Dylan Ray started the 2018-19 school year with just that question. The engineering students had access to a small basement lab in a converted maintenance closet, crammed with a couple of desks, whiteboards, file cabinets and four
May 30, 2019
innovationICON: Peggy Whitson
Whitson looks back on record-breaking space career and offers lessons for innovators Retired astronaut and native Iowan Peggy Whitson makes sure students and adults know the upside — way up, in her case — of working in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM fields. It’s a message she carries now that she spends her time Earth-bound, speaking at events with a mission to engage students in these fields. Many
May 30, 2019
innovationQ&A: Gregory Bailey
CEO and founder, Denim In 2015, Gregory Bailey – like many entrepreneurs – struck out and launched a startup from his Urbandale home. He had spent more than two decades in the corporate insurance world, including holding executive positions at Athene USA and Pacific Life. Now, his startup, Denim, operates from a bright, airy and open workspace on the skywalk level in downtown Des Moines and has developed partnerships local
May 30, 2019
How drones are helping farmers power our region
by Laurie Bedord, Successful Farming Editor’s note: This article is reprinted with permission from the May 2019 edition of Successful Farming. Heavy rains, strong winds, hail and tornadoes have all left their mark on the Applegates’ corn and soybean fields in western Iowa. Since planting their first crop in 1976, the family has watched those storms grow in frequency and intensity. “Over the last seven years, we have seen increased
