How Iowa will use Disability Innovation Fund Grant Submitted by Brandy McOmber Iowa Vocational Rehabilitation Services was awarded a Disability Innovation Fund Grant to support innovative activities aimed at improving the outcomes of individuals with disabilities. Nearly $14 million, awarded by the U.S. Department of Education, will be used over five years to advance and […]
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 company, industry and other factors. […]
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 but the stakeholders that support […]
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 that helps veterans and their […]
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 care. But there are countless […]
Q&A with Tracy Jon Sargeant By Lisa Rossi It wasn’t until Tracy Jon Sargeant’s junior or senior year in high school in the small town of Black Creek, Wis., that he first had access to a computer. “There were socioeconomic barriers that contributed to me growing up in a household without access to technology,” he […]
The school district, community college and four-year university will pursue more collaborations to develop education talent pipeline The University of Northern Iowa, Des Moines Public Schools and Des Moines Area Community College are engaging with existing and new relationships to create pathways that develop educators for Iowa. The DMACC Foundation held a ribbon-cutting and open […]
By Hailey Ann For the last two years, ReShonda Young has been in the process of opening the first Black-owned bank in Iowa. Young had opened her own businesses before — she founded and franchised the successful gourmet popcorn chain Popcorn Heaven in 2014 and ran her biological father’s business for nine years — but […]
Submitted by by Britton Langdon and Scott Hoekman In 2022, Cedar Rapids-based construction technology and software startup Msuite announced its sale to the world’s largest tool company, Stanley Black & Decker. The following is a great case study of how Msuite’s relationships and strategic development led to an excellent outcome. Preparing an exit strategy For […]