Aureon, a provider of connectivity and network solutions, has awarded $12,000 in STEM scholarships to nine Iowa high school students through its 2026 scholarship programs. Aureon has two scholarships: the Aureon ITC Scholarship Program, which supports students from Iowa communities served by independent telecoms who are pursuing STEM-related fields, and…
Seven Iowa-based small businesses received AI implementation service offers valued at $335,000 after completing the AI Services Challenge held Feb. 16–18 at the BioVentures Center in Coralville. The event was a partnership among Iowa JPEC, the Iowa Small Business Development Center, Amazon Web Services, and PREDICTif Solutions. The awards will…
Ramero Jackson, an Urbandale resident, was unemployed and going through medical issues that precluded him from working. He had sought rental assistance and used a food bank. He was looking for a new opportunity. He linked up with Audrey Kennis, director of human services at the city of West Des…
On Feb. 19, the Morningside Arnold Center for Entrepreneurship and Economic Development held the first annual Northwest Iowa Pitch Challenge, with 14 student teams competing for $2,750 in total prize money. A total of 37 students from Morningside University, Dordt University and Buena Vista University competed. The prize money was…
The University of Northern Iowa has received a $130,000 grant from the Roy J. Carver Charitable Trust to support continued development of the TEACH Studio, a learning environment advancing how future educators are prepared to serve Iowa’s PreK–12 schools. The Carver Trust grant will provide access to five new educational…
The University of Iowa’s DesignDash program will expand internationally for the first time in March, bringing its innovation-focused learning model to Lisbon, Portugal. Led by Dawn Bowlus, director of the Jacobson Institute for Youth Entrepreneurship, the program will introduce approximately 30 medical students at Católica Medical School to design thinking…
The University of Iowa Venture School is expanding its footprint with a new location in Ottumwa and is now accepting applications for its spring 2026 cohort. The application deadline is Feb. 27, with sessions beginning the week of March 2. Venture School is an eight-week, hands-on entrepreneurship program designed to…
The Iowa Department of Education and the Iowa Governor’s STEM Advisory Council have announced six teachers as the 2026 Iowa STEM Teacher Award recipients. Now in its 12th year, the annual Iowa STEM Teacher Award recognizes one full-time, licensed PK-12 teacher from each of the state’s six STEM regions for…
Judi Eyles, the Iowa State University director of Pappajohn Center for Entrepreneurship, recalls taking a career aptitude test. The results? She was destined to be a nurse. That’s not how her life went. Instead, she’s about to celebrate 30 years in 2026 of leading entrepreneurship efforts at ISU. “I didn’t…
The University of Iowa John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center wrapped up an end-of-semester Pitch Showcase for its startup incubator program on Dec. 12 at Merge Iowa City. A total of $5,000 was awarded in two categories. Savanna Kaczynski and WedGen won first place and $1,000 in the Tech/Student Lifestyle category. WedGen…