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Des Moines Charity Hackathon set to take place February 21-23

January 14, 2019

The 2019 Des Moines Charity Hack will take place February 21-23 at the Des Moines Social Club.

The annual 48-hour hackathon will help local nonprofit organizations solve technology problems they’re facing. The event connects technology enthusiasts including developers, designers, and project managers and partners them with nonprofits selected through an application process.

“Year after year, it’s been great from an organizational standpoint,” said Alex Karei, Vice President & Communications Chair of dsmHack. “We’ve learned how to put on the best event for our participants and how we can get the best results for the nonprofits.”

Volunteers and nonprofits will come together to build and implement tools to make the area’s nonprofits operate more effectively so they can continue to focus on doing good.

“Thursday night everybody shows up and we have a social hour where everyone gets to know each other,” Karei said. Then, each of the nonprofits pitch and speak about their projects and then our participants self-select into project teams after that.”

Typically, ten nonprofits are accepted into the hack. Applications are now open for Iowa nonprofits to submit their technology needs.

Tickets for volunteer spots have already sold out, but the organization is encouraging people to join their waiting list and will reach out to those people as spots open up.

“Those who participate are really making a difference beyond the 48 hours,” Karei said. “The impact of the event goes much farther and wider than just the hack itself.”

Des Moines Charity Hackathon set to take place February 21-23 | Clay & Milk

A central Iowa ag-tech accelerator has secured more backers and finally has a name. The Greater Des Moines Partnership first announced the accelerator last year, naming four initial investors. On Monday, the Partnership said the program will be called the "Iowa AgriTech Accelerator" and named three new investors. The new investors include Grinnell Mutual, Kent Corp. and Sukup Manufacturing, all Iowa companies. They join investors Deere & Co., Peoples Co., Farmers Mutual Hail Insurance Co. and DuPont Pioneer. Each investor has agreed to put up $100,000 for the first year of the accelerator. Startups entering the program will receive $40,000 in seed funding in exchange for 6 percent equity. Tej Dhawan, an angel investor and local startup mentor, is serving as interim director until the AgriTech Accelerator names a permanent leader. Dhawan held a similar role with the GIA before Brian Hemesath was named as managing director. As interim director, Dhawan said his main job includes hiring the accelerator's executive director, establishing a business structure and initial recruiting for the first cohort. The accelerator will place few filters, such as location and product, on the applicant pool, Dhawan said. "When you’re seeking innovation, innovation can come from every corner of the world so why restrict ourselves," he said. One area the the AgriTech Accelerator won't recruit from is biotech. For its first cohort, the AgriTech Accelerator will work out of the GIA's space in Des Moines' East Village, Dhawan said. A future, permanent home is still to be decided. The accelerator's program will host startups from mid-July through mid-October, ending with an event connected to the annual World Food Prize. The GIA, which the AgriTech Accelerator is based on, also ends with presentations at an industry event. The accelerator has also started lining up a mentor pool. The Iowa Corn Growers Association, Iowa Soybean Association and the Iowa Pork Producers Association have agreed to provide mentors, as has Iowa State University. While the AgriTech Accelerator is loosely based off of the GIA, it will differ in its business structure, Dhawan said. The GIA runs through a for-profit model for both operations and its investment fund. The AgriTech Accelerator will have a nonprofit model for its operations and a for-profit setup for its fund. Dhawan said the nonprofit model is being used so the accelerator can better work with other nonprofit partners, such as trade associations. "These are all organizations that are nonprofits and can be amazing stakeholders without ever having to be investors in the accelerator," he said. "It becomes easier to work with trade associations in their nonprofit role when we are also a nonprofit." When it's up and running, the AgriTech Accelerator would be one of a handful of ag-focused startup development programs in Iowa. Others include the Ag Startup Engine out of Iowa State University and the Rural Ventures Alliance from Iowa MicroLoan. Matthew Patane is the managing editor and co-founder of Clay & Milk. Send him an email at mpatane@clayandmilk.com.

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