The Family Business Forum program at the University of Northern Iowa will visit Des Moines and four other locations in Iowa to share stories of successes, challenges and opportunities that arise within family enterprises, the program announced this week. Family-owned businesses are invited to join the Family Business Forum Aug. 27 at the Jasper Winery […]

Ames entrepreneur Steven Brockshus, founder and CEO of FarmlandFinder, is part of the AgGrad’s inaugural 30 Under 30 class of young professionals in agriculture, the platform announced on Monday. Brockshus was recently named the 2019 Farm Bureau Entrepreneur of the Year for his pitch of FarmlandFinder, an online service tracking and listing agricultural real estate […]

Jerry Greenfield, co-founder of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream, will keynote EntreFEST on May 16-17 in Cedar Rapids, organizers at NewBoCo announced this morning. Greenfield and Ben Cohen built a storefront venture into a $300 million ice cream brand that has received multiple awards for the company’s commitment to social responsibility and sustainability. EntreFEST released […]

Predictive Health Partners, with founder Jim Lewis, is the only local startup represented in the Global Insurance Accelerator’s 10-member cohort for 2019. It’s also one of only three Iowa startups that have participated among 36 since the GIA’s first cohort in 2015.  Based now in West Des Moines, Lewis, a serial entrepreneur, thinks of Predictive Health […]

Two Iowa businesswomen will accept entrepreneurial awards by America’s SBDC Iowa later this month for their leadership as Small Business Development Center clients. Sara Winkleman, founder/owner of S&B Farmstead Distillery, is the 2019 Deb Dalziel Woman Entrepreneur Achievement Award winner, and Staci Ackerson, owner of Shankland Insurance, is the 2019 Neal Smith Entrepreneur of the […]

In 2013, the Business Record launched innovationIOWA Magazine, an annual publication with a mission to spotlight innovative companies and technological achievements across the state. One year ago this week, our newsroom launched the innovationIOWA e-newsletter, updating our delivery from annually to weekly – right to your inbox. The mission remains the same: we seek out […]

Global Atlantic Financial Group announced a $100,000 investment in the Global Insurance Accelerator, a Des Moines-based 100 day program aiding up to ten insurtech startups in financing and industry connections. The investment joins Global Atlantic with the GIA’s 12 other existing private company investors, which support the accelerator’s mentor networks and business infrastructure assistance. GIA […]

Ames entrepreneur Steven Brockshus is the 2019 American Farm Bureau Entrepreneur of the Year, the Iowa Farm Bureau announced on Monday. It is the fourth time in five years that an Iowa-based company has won the Farm Bureau’s Ag Innovation Challenge. As one of the final four contestants, Brockshus presented a live pitch on Sunday […]

The Des Moines-based Immigrant Entrepreneurs Summit is accepting early submission forms for the 2019 IES Awards, the IES announced on Twitter Thursday. The IES recognizes individuals in four categories: the Immigrant Entrepreneur Leadership Award, the Outstanding Immigrant Business Award, the Karen L. Evans (Immigrant Champion) Award and the Immigrant Spirit Award. More information and early […]

The Global Insurance Accelerator is welcoming 10 new insurtech companies to Des Moines as part of the 2019 cohort, starting Jan. 15. This year’s GIA cohort is developing and delivering new products and business models for buying insurance, cyber risk protection, underwriting automation, advisor services, digital transformation, claims resolution, pension planning, and employee benefit management. […]