Each week, Clay & Milk will curate a rundown of startup, tech and innovation news from “the middle.” Check back every Friday for that week’s Middle Bit.
Illinois
Illinois Senate passes legislation to slash start-up costs. Illinois Policy
Furniture startup Interior Define raises $8M. Built In Chicago
Listen Ventures wants to find the next B2C startup success in Chicago. ChicagoInno
Iowa
American Farm Bureau Federation contest promotes rural economic growth for entrepreneurial food/agriculture businesses. Iowa Farm Bureau
New event series to inform, educate and inspire business owners. Greater Des Moines Partnership
New Iowa City space wants to incubate the next brick-and-mortar stores. The Gazette
Minnesota
MedTech Conventus secures $20M in Series C funding round. Twin Cities Business
Be The Match subsidiary emerges as a Biotech Venture player. Twin Cities Business
New technology investment fund looks to invest $50k-$100k into emerging tech companies. TechMN
Missouri
KC tech startup partners with Children’s Mercy to help diagnose, manage care. Startland News
CNBC recently featured Victor Hwang, Kauffman Foundation VP, to discuss gaps in entrepreneurship. Startland News
Opera Theatre St. Louis engages startups with special events geared toward innovation community. EQ STL
Applications are due for the Prosper Women Entrepreneurs Startup Accelerator May 19. Prosper STL
Nebraska
Dundee Venture Capital closes $31m fund to back Midwest tech startups. Startland News
Lincoln accelerator NMotion announces 2017 cohorts. Silicon Prairie News
Bigger Than the Middle: What We Read this Week
On Nonconformity: Artist Ben Shahn’s Spirited Defense of Nonconformists as Society’s Engine of Growth and Greatness. Brain Pickings
When Giants Fall. The New Yorker
One CEO explains why the best time to change everything is when it’s working out great. Fast Company
How privacy became a commodity for the rich and powerful. The New York Times Magazine
How a humble pineapple became art. The New York Times
Dance of death: are the days of the moshpit numbered? The Guardian
A Clay & Milk Cartoon by Nathan T. Wright. Clay & Milk
Jami Milne is the interim managing editor of Clay & Milk. Send her an email at editor@clayandmilk.com.