The New Bohemian Innovation Collaborative Inc., or NewBoCo, has announced a series of grants and donations received in late 2025 and early 2026. A major portion of this funding comes from Google’s support over the last year. In late 2025, Google provided foundational support for NewBoCo’s CoderDojo and Girls Who…
Iowa State University’s Ivy College of Business has launched the Murray G. Bacon Center for AI Ethics in Business, a new initiative aimed at advancing ethical leadership in artificial intelligence. Led by Professor Michael Howard, the center is a reinvention of a previous program solely focused on business ethics. The three…
ManchesterStory, an early-stage venture capital firm in Des Moines, has announced the promotion of Nicole Gunderson to partner and Mads Jensen to principal. According to a news release, the promotions come as ManchesterStory continues to deepen its insurance-focused investment model in a complex, highly regulated market. Gunderson joined ManchesterStory in…
The Iowa Association of Business and Industry Foundation is the recipient of a Union Pacific Railroad Community Ties Giving Program grant, which will support the expansion of Innovators Quest: The Quest for the Crystal of Innovation, an initiative designed to inspire the next generation of manufacturing workers. Innovators Quest, developed by…
At the Iowa AI Convening event Monday at the Science Center of Iowa, government officials, business representatives, educators and nonprofits gathered to explore how artificial intelligence is shaping learning, workforce development and innovation across Iowa. In the convening’s opening remarks, Justin Lewis, executive director of the Iowa Governor’s STEM Advisory…
Applications for the 2026 John Pappajohn Iowa Entrepreneurial Venture Competition are now open. The 21st annual statewide competition will award $100,000 in cash prizes to Iowa startups and entrepreneurial ventures. Iowa businesses that have been in operation for four years or less, or are not yet cash flow positive, are…
The Iowa State University Research Park and the Crop Science division of Bayer have announced the opening of the Seed Production Innovation (SPI) Innovation Center on the research park campus. According to a news release, the innovation space will host producer education, innovation workshops and foster collaboration with partners, with…
The Greater Des Moines Partnership has opened applications for the 2026 Scale DSM Business Accelerator, a program designed to help small businesses strengthen operations, increase revenue and create jobs. Over the past four years, 56 small businesses have graduated from Scale DSM, gaining tools, management strategies and professional networks to…
Bozz Prints, a gift shop in Valley Junction in West Des Moines, is seeking vendors for a new dedicated pop-up space in its shop. The area could be used for weekend pop-ups, Thursday nights during the Valley Junction Farmers Market or testing a new idea in a retail space. “Makers,…
BioConnect Iowa and the Iowa Biotechnology Association have announced that they have reached an agreement to share leadership through a joint service arrangement. Through the agreement, Jessica Hyland, who has served as executive director of IowaBio since 2019, will now also lead BioConnect, the state’s public-private partnership for economic development…