Like nearly all offices, Gravitate Coworking was quiet throughout 2020 as many worked from home. While its two locations never closed last year and precautions were in place, visitors to the space remained slim. But since the vaccine for COVID-19 became available, numbers have steadily returned to normal levels, and founder Geoff Wood said this […]
The Cedar Rapids-based Iowa Startup Accelerator is accepting applications for its fall cohort. Managing Director Alex Taylor said applications are open until Aug. 15. The cohort is expected to be announced by Aug. 27, and begin on Sept. 13 in Cedar Rapids. Taylor said applications will be reviewed to ensure they meet the qualifications of the program. […]
The Techstars Iowa Accelerator is welcoming 10 new companies to the 2021 cohort. Nearly all those in this year’s cohort founded their business amid the COVID-19 pandemic shutdowns during 2020, said Kerty Levy, managing director of Techstars Iowa. “What that says is that they’re hopeful. They trust that they can create, they can make great […]
Des Moines entrepreneur Ben McDougal joined the Techstars Iowa team in a combined entrepreneur-in-residence and ecosystem development role, the accelerator announced last week. McDougal is a four-time company founder and co-founder, an author and is currently the midwest regional representative for the 1 Million Cups entrepreneurship network. The second class of Techstars Iowa begins July 19.
The Iowa State University Startup Factory announced nine new cohort companies for the 2021 program. Cohort X entrepreneurs are Ruben Aria (company unnamed), Jared Dopp (Frugi Biotechnology), Allison Hockey (Lineage Mapper), Nacu Hernandez, Baker Kuehl and Austin Homann (MacroLei Technologies), Nathaniel Kallmyer (Zymosense), Katherine Richardson Bruna (Mosquitoes & Me), Aaron Rosenberg (Rosenberg Solutions), Shan Jiang, […]
It’s been a while since people have met for coffee. Entrepreneurship is already often described as a lonely journey for individuals and co-founders. Throw in an ongoing pandemic, and it’s not hard to imagine how isolated community members can feel in a year without in-person events. In the mix of live and recorded videoconferencing events […]
Registration is available now for the first Black and Brown Business Summit hosted by the West Des Moines Chamber of Commerce, scheduled for April 22-23. Hosted at Athene, the summit is organized by the West Des Moines Chamber of Commerce’s 27-member Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee, led by Chamber Vice Chairperson Angela Jackson. Despite offering only limited […]
A mockup of the mobile Farmmee platform, expected to launch this spring. Contributed image A new mobile app launching for agricultural producers this spring is designed to connect farmers with equipment to farmers with jobs, the founders say. The Farmmee app is expected to launch after April 1 following a year of development and piloting […]
Tikly, a Des Moines-based platform for event ticket sales, is closing one year after the COVID-19 pandemic hit, the company announced on social media Friday morning. The company aimed to lower ticket fees for live events by giving artists and venues direct control over tickets sold, and served clients in five countries over ten years; […]
The Hawkeye Startup Accelerator at the University of Iowa is accepting applications from student individual and team founders for its 11-week summer program, which takes place from May 17 to July 31. Founders will receive a $5,000 living stipend. The application is available online.