Roughly 350 people are expected to attend EntreFest, an annual innovation and entrepreneurship conference in Cedar Rapids in June, organizers said. Produced by NewBoCo, a Cedar Rapids nonprofit offering programming that supports entrepreneurship, innovation and tech education, EntreFest aims to bring people together and expose them to cutting-edge information, organizers said. The event will be held June 12-13 in the NewBoCo neighborhood. “EntreFest is probably one of the things I look forward
Cedar Rapids
November 11, 2021
Cedar Rapids to pilot Esri broadband tools
Cedar Rapids will be one of three cities to participate in the Capstone Challenge Series, a pilot program led by advocacy organization National League of Cities testing geographic information system (GIS) broadband tools. Esri is the program’s strategic partner, providing four GIS solutions to launch and test in Purcellville, Va.; Butte-Silver Bow, Mont. and Cedar Rapids. Included are the equity index tool, designed to identify gaps in broadband coverage and priority populations, and the speed
November 11, 2020
NewBoCo announces changes as Engelmann steps down
Eric Engelmann plans to step down from his role as NewBoCo’s executive director on Dec. 1 to focus exclusively on ISA Ventures, a multi-million-dollar fund he founded to provide capital for both early-stage startups and fast-growing companies in Eastern Iowa, reports the Corridor Business Journal. Engelmann’s role at NewBoCo will be filled by Aaron Horn, who currently serves as its chief operating officer. Horn’s COO role will be assumed by
October 7, 2020
John Pappajohn Iowa Entrepreneurial Venture Competition announces 2020 winners
Four award-winning businesses and three honorable mentions were awarded between $4,000 and $40,000 in the 15th Annual John Pappajohn Iowa Entrepreneurial Venture Competition, held digitally in September, the Iowa State University and University of Iowa JPEC centers announced last week. 3D Health Solutions of Ames received $40,000 and first place, FBB Biomed of Iowa City received $25,000 and second place, and Roboflow of Des Moines received $15,000 and third place.
June 11, 2020
EntreFEST 2020: How to reorganize into a virtual conference
At the morning keynote on June 4, NewBoCo Executive Director Eric Engelmann sat down at his computer with a plastic toy hand-clapper and gave it a good shake. The session’s “pre-standing ovation,” an EntreFEST tradition, would go on as planned — even over Zoom, with a sea of audience microphones muted. Keeping conference attendees engaged in the age of virtual events is a challenge — especially for a conference like
March 26, 2020
EntreFEST announces 2020 keynote speakers; plans to proceed as scheduled
EntreFEST on Wednesday announced five keynote speakers and plans to carry on as scheduled for the 12th annual conference June 4-5. Event planners say they are staying informed about developments on the novel coronavirus and will heed recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and the Iowa Department of Public Health, but are hopeful the event will proceed as planned. Keynote speakers for this year include Arlan Hamilton of Backstage
March 5, 2020
TAI announces 2020 Iowa High School Tech Summit
The Technology Association of Iowa will host the 2020 Iowa High School Tech Summit on Oct. 7 in Cedar Rapids, TAI announced this week. The summit will introduce high school students to technology companies and careers across the state. Eddie Etsey, information technology/chief technology officer for the University of Iowa Athletics Department, will emcee the event, and speakers will be announced this summer. Registration is available at www.iowatechsummit.com/studentsummit.
February 12, 2020
Scooter share program will return to Cedar Rapids
An electric scooter rental program that’s popular but also potentially a dangerous nuisance will return to Cedar Rapids and expand, the Cedar Rapids Gazette reports. The scooters and bikes — introduced last year and stationed on public walkways — are slated to return this spring, city officials said Tuesday. Last fall, city officials were weighing whether to continue with the scooters, which were introduced as a trial in August, because of
December 11, 2019
C.R. funeral equipment company wins innovation award
Cedar Rapids-based Mortuary Lift has won second place in the National Funeral Directors Association’s annual Innovation Awards for its lightweight stair climbing system known as “the Stepper,” reports the Corridor Business Journal. The NFDA’s Innovation Awards recognize outstanding funeral service equipment, products and processes introduced commercially during the prior year. The Stepper promises to ease the toll lifting takes on workers in the funeral service industry. The average male funeral director
November 13, 2019
NewBoCo’s DeltaV Code School announces nights and weekends program
The DeltaV Code School, hosted in Cedar Rapids by the New Bohemian Innovation Collaborative, is launching the first nights-and-weekends Code 201 program for potential students with full-time jobs, NewBoCo announced last week. The eight-week course launches Jan. 18, 2020, with final class presentations on March 14. The DeltaV Code School is GI Bill-approved and is an established U.S. Department of Labor Registered Apprenticeship; it is also developing an income-share agreement
