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…
Midwest venture studio Novy has announced the launch of its new startup Syncra, an AI-native scheduling platform designed specifically for independent emergency medicine groups. Syncra was introduced as Novy’s first portfolio company in August 2025. Since then, the company has established its brand informed by direct input from emergency medicine…
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…
Ag Startup Engine, an early-stage venture firm focused on technologies across the agriculture and food value chain, has closed its third fund, a $7 million seed fund. The fund builds on Ag Startup Engine’s mission of bridging the gap between innovation and real-world agricultural adoption, the firm said in a…
Inside the new Des Moines University Regional Simulation Center, which provides simulation technology and training spaces for the region’s professional and academic health care programs, there is what organizers call a “House of Horrors.” It is a simulated home health care catastrophe. Students are tasked with entering this mock-up of…
The Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program announced its 15th cohort in Iowa, with 39 small business owners from across the state participating. Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program, which is administered by Des Moines Area Community College in Iowa, is offered at no cost to small business owners and…
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 ISU Startup Factory has announced the members of it’s 19th cohort. The startup factory is an 18-week incubator for innovators residing in Iowa. The program focuses on helping founders build business acumen, improve communication skills, and leave with a commercialization plan in place. Teams include several ISU faculty and…
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…