The Latina Business Excellence Summit has announced this year’s theme for its second annual event in Des Moines: “Health: Intersecting Financial, Physical and Mental Well-being.”The 2025 summit will be held Aug. 9, 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at Drake University’s Sheslow Auditorium, 2507 University Ave. The event is the signature event of the JEFAS Latinas in Business Magazine, an Hola America publication featuring stories of Latina entrepreneurs. Founded in 2024, the summit aims to
Health
June 12, 2025
DMU holds first Innovation Tank to spark health care breakthroughs
Des Moines University Medicine and Health Sciences recently hosted its inaugural Innovation Tank, a new competition designed to spark creative thinking and cross-disciplinary collaboration in tackling real-world health care challenges. Organized by DMU’s Office of Research, the team-based event brought together six interdisciplinary groups of students, faculty and staff across DMU’s colleges, a news release said. Each team pitched a “best idea” to a panel of DMU judges and an
June 12, 2025
UI Health Care adds three new robotic-assisted surgical systems
University of Iowa Health Care has added three new da Vinci 5 robotic-assisted surgical systems, one of the latest minimally invasive technologies on the market. The three new da Vinci 5s are the first in Iowa and will double the health system’s capacity for robotic-assisted minimally invasive procedures, enabling approximately 1,000 additional procedures each year. UI Health Care already has three robotic-assisted surgical systems in use at its university campus.
June 12, 2025
Taking a load off: CIRAS pilot program brings exoskeletons to Iowa companies
Ty Hill is a project leader at the Center for Industrial Research and Service at Iowa State University, and he has a message about exoskeletons for Iowa companies: “They exist and that they’re not something that’s out of your reach,” Hill said. CIRAS is running a pilot program to introduce companies to exoskeletons, which are mechanical frames worn to reduce pressure on the back or reduce the weight of items
May 8, 2025
Midwest rural communities recipients of compost training program
The Iowa Waste Reduction Center at the University of Northern Iowa is launching the Rural Compost Operations and Compost Use Training Project, which aims to teach attendees how to compost food waste, including best management practices and strategies to use compost to protect local water resources from pollutants and contaminants. The project is funded by the United States Department of Agriculture Rural Utilities Service Solid Waste Management Grant Program. It aims to support rural
May 8, 2025
Idea for app seeks to help women with perinatal mood and anxiety disorder
When Clair Williams-Vavra went to Techstars Startup Weekend, she had a seven-year-old idea to help moms going through hard times after giving birth. Once known as postpartum depression, it’s now referred to as perinatal mood and anxiety disorder, or as Williams-Vavra, 37, refers to it: being in “a hole.” She experienced it with both of her children and it was the impetus that got her to Startup Weekend, to assemble
May 1, 2025
OpenLoop Health hires Tyson Murdock as chief financial officer
OpenLoop Health, a Des Moines-based telehealth startup, announced the appointment of Tyson Murdock as chief financial officer. Murdock brings 25 years of financial leadership experience spanning Fortune 500 companies, Big 4 firms and both public and private technology companies. In his new role, Murdock will lead OpenLoop’s financial strategy, focusing on performance optimization and long-term, sustainable growth for the company. “Tyson’s track record speaks for itself,” said Jon Lensing, CEO and
March 27, 2025
Iowa startup seeks federal approval for avian influenza vaccine
An Ames-based animal vaccine startup is on the path to getting U.S. Department of Agriculture conditional approval for a highly pathogenic avian influenza vaccine, its co-founder said recently. Joel Harris, the CEO and co-founder of Genvax Technologies, said in mid-March the company is hoping to do more animal studies in the coming weeks. “We’re generating the data, working closely with USDA and communicating with them on our progress,” he said, explaining
March 20, 2025
UnityPoint CTO talks AI, Internet of Medical Things, telehealth
By Lisa Rossi The Technology Association of Iowa interviewed Brett Taylor, chief technology officer at UnityPoint Health, during its recent TechBrew:AM event at West End Architectural Salvage in downtown Des Moines. Tyler Wyngarden, TAI’s vice president of strategic partnerships, facilitated the conversation with Taylor. Here are five takeaways from the March 13 discussion. Eliminating ‘pillow time’ Taylor said he and his team are trying to figure out how to eliminate
February 6, 2025
New targeted radiation for brain tumors introduced in Iowa
A new targeted therapy for treating aggressive brain tumors has been used for the first time in Iowa by UnityPoint Health — John Stoddard Cancer Center. GammaTile Therapy is designed to delay tumor regrowth and preserve healthy tissue by targeting the radiation in the areas where tumor recurrence is most likely. “GammaTile therapy involves implanting postage stamp-sized tiles embedded with radiation sources into the brain during the final minutes of
