Waukee-based payment processor VizyPay’s Cash Discount Program won Best Small Business Payments Solution at the 2022 FinTech Breakthrough Awards, the company announced. CDP is a month-to-month subscription service that allows small businesses to build the cost of processing transactions into their pricing. With the technology, businesses can eliminate all processing fees and maintain the same profit margin on […]
On March 13, 2020, Dima Ghawi received a flood of phone calls canceling her scheduled speaking engagements due to the onset of the pandemic. That day when everything changed was one of the most important days in her life and the life of her business, she said. “That is the day when we need to […]
Entrepreneurs can now apply for the 2022 John Pappajohn Iowa Entrepreneurial Venture Competition. Judges selected by the John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center will review all written submissions. Participants who advance to later rounds will give their pitches to a panel of judges, and the top three finalists will be awarded. The deadline to apply is May […]
Propel is a new Des Moines-based company looking to fill a gap in marketing leadership by creating the Marketing Leadership-as-a-Service model (MLaaS). The company, which announced its launch Tuesday, has started offering services of its team of four chief marketing officers to help midsized businesses and venture-funded startups nationwide with marketing strategy and leadership. “Propel has been […]
Candi Karsjens has been named the new director of North Iowa Area Community College’s John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center following the departure of Tim Putnam in December 2021. Karsjens joined NIACC’s Pappajohn center in 2019 as director of innovation and acceleration, bringing more than 30 years of experience in business and industry, including owning several businesses. In […]
The Startup Iowa Hot List is a new twice-monthly digest that aims to facilitate more connections between Iowa-based startups and the Midwest investor and entrepreneurial communities. The first list highlights startups like MemberMarketplace and ChopLocal, which are actively raising funds, as well as companies to watch. Questions and feedback can be sent to Diana Wright […]
The West Des Moines Chamber of Commerce has announced the second annual Athene Black & Brown Business Summit Pitch Competition, scheduled for April 21. The deadline to submit an application to participate is March 1. Applicants must be at least 51% minority-owned, have been in business for at least two years and be a for-profit business. So far, $38,000 has […]
“Bet on Black” is a new television series dedicated to investing in entrepreneurs with ideas that highlight Black culture and foster social and community impact. And it features someone familiar to the Des Moines startup community. Co-founder and CEO of Des Moines-based coffee company Blk & Bold Specialty Beverages Pernell Cezar is participating in the […]
Applications are now open for Techstars Iowa’s 2022 cohort. The three-month accelerator will be a hybrid of virtual programming and optional in-person events in Des Moines. The deadline to apply is April 6, and those interested in learning more about the accelerator can also sign up for a virtual office hours meeting.
An Iowa State University recruitment program geared toward international students, which was first piloted in December 2020, expanded its programming during 2021. The Office of Admissions and the Student Innovation Center’s Innovation Fellows program partnered to develop the virtual international program called Innovation Fellows-in-Training (I-FiT) in 2020 when the pandemic made it difficult to form personal […]