IRDC’s eighth annual Iowa Rural Summit set for April 11-12

The Iowa Rural Development Council, a public-private statewide nonprofit supporting small towns, has opened registration for the 2024 Iowa Rural Summit. The event is scheduled for April 11-12 at the Gateway Hotel & Conference Center in Ames. Rural communities are invited to bring three-person teams, which has helped generate momentum after…

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USDA Rural Development invests $45 million in small business, public works projects across Iowa

The U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development agency is investing $1,213,603 in 13 grants and $43,957,700 in five loans to projects in Iowa that promote rural small businesses, provide technical assistance and support public works infrastructure. Greene County Development Corp. received a $95,703 Rural Business Development Grant to provide technical assistance…

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Funding recap: IEDA awards tax benefits, $350K in Innovation Continuum loans in Q4

The Iowa Economic Development Authority awards funding to startups in the form of low-interest loans through its Innovation Continuum, which includes five funds that are designed to offer companies non-dilutive funding at every stage of business growth. The funds are: Proof of Commercial Relevance (POCR), Demonstration Fund and the Innovation Acceleration Fund,…

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Global Insurance Symposium announces 2024 agenda

The agenda for the 2024 Global Insurance Symposium, scheduled for April 16-17, is now available. The content will cover the different aspects of risk facing insurers and innovators. Sessions will feature discussions of risks from AI, climate change, litigation and fraud, as well as panels of insurance commissioners and chief…

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3 Iowa CIOs discuss business, policy implications of AI at TAI forum

Four people, two men and two women, seated on a stage against a white wall

Artificial intelligence is seen as a copilot and tool to help employees be more efficient, a panel of chief information officers said at the Technology Association of Iowa’s AI Public Policy Forum on Jan. 24. All three panelists — Kathy Kay of Principal Financial Group, Ryan Schaap of Wells Enterprise…

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One Quick Quote: Thoughts from the Business Record’s 2024 Legislative Forecast

The Business Record recently hosted its 2024 Legislative Forecast event where business leaders discussed their group’s priorities for the 2024 session, which began Jan. 8. Mollie Ross, Technology Association of Iowa’s vice president of operations, was among the panelists. Here is some of what she shared about how TAI will…

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Public comment period open on Iowa’s Digital Equity Plan

The Department of Management Division of Information Technology, formerly the Office of the Chief Information Officer, is requesting public comment on the state of Iowa Digital Equity Plan. The plan details Iowa’s proposed implementation of digital equity funding made possible through the Digital Equity Act of 2021, which is funded…

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