America’s Cultivation Corridor’s sixth cohort of Cultivo Virtual Academy will focus on educating startup companies and entrepreneurs from India on entering the U.S. market. The six-week virtual program will provide up to 12 participants with mentorship, interaction with Iowa’s agricultural leaders and an online curriculum focused on U.S. market entry,…
In his last month of college, Tom Hicks failed student teaching. He called off his wedding to his high school sweetheart. Then his dad was diagnosed with dementia. “I felt like a failure,” said Hicks during a presentation at ENTREFest, an annual conference celebrating entrepreneurship and innovation. “I didn’t want…
The Iowa Arts Council’s Creative Places Accelerator is a year-long program where community teams from small to mid-size Iowa communities develop arts-based projects to serve as catalysts for livability, economic development and community connectedness. Projects developed through this accelerator program will be focused on creative placemaking or placekeeping and will…
Registration is open for the 2026 Norman E. Borlaug International Dialogue on Oct. 20-22 at the Iowa Events Center in Des Moines. The theme of this year’s event is “Before Hunger Wins.” The three-day event includes discussions on food security, sustainability and agricultural innovation, networking opportunities with leaders from government,…
Registration is now open for the NIACC John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center’s youth program for North Iowa middle school students. IDEA Camp is designed for students in grades 6-9 and will be held at in Clear Lake and Charles City in July. IDEA Camp is a hands-on program that helps guides…
NewBoCo has announced the return of the Entrefest Pitch Competition, presented by Hy-Vee, offering attendees the chance to compete for a share of $15,000 in prize money. Now in its second year of partnership with Hy-Vee, the competition, scheduled for June 11-12 in Iowa City, is designed to be an…
SmartphonesPLUS, a Hiawatha-based electronics resale business, in partnership with An Enduring Legacy, a Mount Vernon-based business that works with individuals and corporations to design and implement philanthropic initiatives, has announced the launch of Tech for Good, a new initiative designed to transform used electronics into funding for nonprofit organizations. The…
Catherine Tran has stepped down as executive director of Immigrant Entrepreneurs Summit to accept a new opportunity. Her last day was May 8. Tran was the organization’s first executive director and oversaw much of its expansion beyond the national event in Iowa. Justin Hollinrake started as the new executive director…
Lyndsey Mekelburg earned first place and $500 at the University of Iowa IdeaStorm Applied AI Case Competition on April 27 at Merge Iowa City. A total of $1,500 and mentoring sessions were awarded to student innovators. Eleven teams pitched business ideas built around real-world applications of artificial intelligence. Mekelburg’s winning…
Four Central Iowa student robotics teams are heading to the FIRST World Championship in Houston this weekend. The teams are from Waukee, Des Moines, Ames and Urbandale. Through FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology), students design, build and program robots under real-world constraints, developing skills in mechanical…