On Oct. 4, 2016, Jeffrey Johnston received the phone call no father ever wants to get. His oldest son, Seth, was found dead in a hotel room in Waterloo from a fentanyl overdose. When he told his two other sons about the tragedy, he framed it this way: “Boys, we…
The Iowa Go-To-Market Accelerator, a partnership between the ISU Pappajohn Center for Entrepreneurship, BioConnect Iowa and VentureNet Iowa, has announced its summer 2026 cohort. The accelerator supports technology-driven startups as they strengthen their business models and work toward commercialization. Participants begin with individualized planning sessions before diving into focused programming that…
The Iowa Economic Development Authority board recently approved assistance from Iowa’s State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI) Innovation Fund for startups in Ames, Des Moines and West Des Moines. SSBCI funding awarded to three startups this past month Headquartered in Ames, ASPi Solutions, Inc., operating as Bound, has developed a…
When customers walk into Blanc Dental Aesthetics, a boutique dental practice founded by Dr. Lauren Patrick, they receive a “comfort menu.” On that menu are options including a warm blanket, noise-canceling headphones, Netflix and other streaming options, and an eye mask. Patrick said she is not aware of any dental…
MiDi LLC, a business founded by Barb and Steve O’Rourke that develops products to help premature infants safely build feeding skills, won first place and $20,000 at the University of Iowa’s Venture School Launch Day on June 11 in Iowa City. The event was held in conjunction with the annual…
Raul Cunarro jokes with his wife that she’s lucky to be married to someone famous. Cunarro, who resides in West Des Moines, has built an online following for his storytelling around buying dilapidated homes around Des Moines. “I specialize in transforming distressed properties into quality homes,” Cunarro wrote in an…
The NIACC John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center recently launched Venture Launch Lab, a new entrepreneurial incubator program designed to help aspiring and early-stage business owners build the knowledge, systems and confidence needed to successfully launch and grow a sustainable business. The Venture Launch Lab aims to fill a gap in entrepreneurial…
Iowa Startup Week is accepting applications for its Best of the Midwest Pitch competition, which brings founders to one stage to share their innovations. The deadline to apply is July 6. Iowa Startup Week is a four-day event in Des Moines designed to spotlight and celebrate entrepreneurship in Iowa. The…
Greg Lagan Vice president of sales delivery, Paragon IT Professionals Age: 36 Education: Bachelor of Arts in interdepartmental health science, University of Iowa; minor in chemistry Wife: Kaitie Lagan Children: Charlie, Harper and Palmer What are you still working on to improve as a leader? Being a leader requires constant…
The Iowa Economic Development Authority board has approved funding for four startups. Ames-basedBitCorn Technologies Inc. is developing a new system to help agricultural producers and businesses complete transactions faster and more efficiently. The company’s technology is designed to improve how financial transactions are settled while continuing to work with existing…
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Visit www.businessrecord.com/innovation-iowa to view all Innovation Iowa stories, including the 2026 Innovation Iowa Magazine, out now.
-Sarah Diehn, Business Record Editor