Jeff Reed is known as a serial entrepreneur and a supporter of innovation at local organizations and in the community. This year, he is the Business Record’s innovationENTREPRENEUR award winner. Reed started a new venture, Momentum Studios, in May. The strategy and innovation consulting company offers services such as developing…
In 25 years, the 2023 Corteva Agriscience innovationLEADER of the Year has become a leading supplier of color to landscape and recreation areas and is now heading toward expansion. Colorbiotics, headquartered in Ames, manufactures colorant for mulch and recreation surfaces like rubber and rock as well as the equipment that…
A look at the journey of Iowa’s startup funding ecosystem By the nature of startups, finding funding will always be challenging, especially during companies’ early days. Iowa has seen significant expansion of resources to capitalize startups in the last 10 years, leaders say, but refining pathways to funding must remain…
Submitted by Donna Harris and Katie Milligan Three in five people have an idea – whether that be for the next technology company, consumer product or social enterprise. Why, then, do the vast majority of people never pursue their idea, and of those that do, a fraction get venture capital…
Perhaps one of the biggest testaments to the approach at the Waterloo Career Center is that the adults who visit wish they would have had the same option when they were in school. “I’d have done backflips to have that when I was in school,” said Bryan Tonne, vice president…
Council Bluffs makes Wi-Fi available throughout community By Lisa Rossi Council Bluffs is becoming known for its public-private partnerships, one of which has resulted in free Wi-Fi throughout the city and another that’s fueling development in its urban core. The following is an edited and condensed conversation with Council Bluffs…
Investors are a funding source that business owners may consider at various stages of their company’s life span, from the first days to the last. But not all investing is alike and companies are suited to different types of investment firms, based on their product or service, needs as a…
An ecosystem triggers thoughts of nature, a complex network of organisms of all shapes and sizes, all with different but important roles in keeping the system healthy. Two thought leaders, Victor Hwang and Greg Horowitt, first applied the term ecosystem to describe entrepreneurship. The two words seem to be unrelated…
By Joe Fisher Supporting veterans and the families of veterans is about more than lip service. That is what Bernie Stone emphasizes when he passionately discusses efforts to truly help those who have served. Stone is a U.S. Army veteran and a volunteer ambassador for Bunker Labs, a nonprofit organization…
How businesses, communities and day care centers are innovating together to address state’s child care crisis By Emily Kestel Addressing the child care crisis in the state is a bit like a high-stakes puzzle. The objective is simple: Have an equal ratio of child care slots and kids who need…