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Entrepreneurial events happening at Iowa State University this fall

August 12, 2022

The ISU Pappajohn Center for Entrepreneurship is hosting several events this fall for student entrepreneurs. Here are some of the entrepreneurial events happening at Iowa State University this fall.

ISU Innovation Prize

The ISU Innovation Prize is an incentive competition at Iowa State University on the weekend of September 30 – October 1, 2022. The Iowa State Pappajohn Center for Entrepreneurship and Start Something – Agriculture Program are co-hosting the event. It will be held at the ISU Research Park Core Facility.

The competition theme for the seventh annual event is Innovation at Iowa State. There will be three focus areas for participants to solve: AgTech, EdTech, and Global Impact.

Fall Startup Pitch Competition

The Fall Startup Pitch Competition is hosted each fall by the Iowa State Pappajohn Center for Entrepreneurship. Students from every college are invited to deliver a 90-second pitch about an idea or business they are working on to a panel of judges to potentially win cash prizes! In addition to a cash prize, the top three winners in each category, new idea and existing business, will advance to the Fall Startup Pitch Finale on October 13.

There are 25 spots available for signup on both October 10th and 11^th.A waitlist will be started if the spots are full. Students may only pitch once.

Women Who Create Conference

The Women Who Create Conference brings together women entrepreneurs, women business owners, aspiring entrepreneurs, and individuals of all genders who support women entrepreneurs for a full day of workshops and speakers aimed at growing their business. The Women Who Create Conference takes place at the Iowa State University Research Park Core Facility Training Room. Registration is required and will open late summer 2022.

SheTalks

Following the Women Who Create Conference, we invite the public to attend the uniquely inspiring SheTalks event: a community cocktail reception featuring six women who are creatively leading in their distinct fields. Each presenter shows 20 slides, each for 20 seconds while telling their story.

Tags: Iowa State University JPEC

Entrepreneurial events happening at Iowa State University this fall | 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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