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Keynote and schedule announced for 2023 Iowa Technology Summit
The Iowa Technology Summit will return in-person next month on April 3-4 at the Community Choice Credit Union Convention Center. This year’s summit will be divided into four separate tracks—cybersecurity, technology innovation, leadership, transformation, and data. Kian Gohar has been announced as the keynote speaker at this year's event. Gohar is a bestselling author, keynote…
DMACC announces schedule for 2023 Celebrate! Innovation series
DMACC has announced the event schedule for the 14th annual Celebrate! Innovation (ciLive! 14) Speaker Series, which will take place March 9, 2023, at the DMACC West Campus in West Des Moines. This year’s ciLive! theme is “Be Your Own Superhero,” and will celebrate the many ways we can all achieve superhero status through creative thinking and collaboration.  All ciLive! speaker events are…
Young Entrepreneur Convention set for Feb. 25 in Ames
Young Entrepreneur Convention 2023 is set to take place Saturday, February 25 in the Student Innovation Center on the Iowa State campus. The event is focused on providing information, motivation, and practical tools to assist early-stage founders. In addition to a series of keynote speakers and panel discussions, the event offers ample time for…
TAI announces 2023 public policy priorities, Legislative Launch
 The Technology Association of Iowa (TAI) has released its 2023 State and Federal principles and priorities leading into the 2023 Iowa legislative year. “Heading into the 2023 session, we are eager to build on our policy positions and have identified key areas of focus centered on data privacy and cybersecurity-related legislation,” said Brian Waller, president…
Winners of the University of Iowa’s Startup Games
Last weekend, the University of Iowa’s John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center (Iowa JPEC) hosted its annual Startup Games Competition. The Startup Games is a three-day event where students from all areas of study pitch their ideas to have an impact. After the student pitches, teams were formed and work together to bring the best ideas to…
Women Who Create Conference set to take place Oct. 19
Iowa State's annual Women Who Create Conference is set to take place on Oct. 19 inside the Iowa State Economic Development Core Facility at the Iowa State University Research Park. The day-long conference is a part of Women Entrepreneurship Week which takes place every October and will feature workshops and a panel discussion. The…
Finalists Announced for the 2022 Prometheus Awards
The Technology Association of Iowa has announced the finalists for the 2022 Prometheus Awards. The winner in each of the 15 award categories will be announced during the Prometheus Awards celebration on Thursday, November 3, in downtown Des Moines. Finalists in each category are:  Startup Technology Company of the Year  Distynct  Learning Couture  LSF Medical Solutions  Moov…
National Immigrant Entrepreneurs Summit set to take place in Ankeny this November
The National Immigrant Entrepreneurs Summit for 2022 is scheduled to take place on November 19, 2022 in Ankeny.  Since its creation in 2008, the Immigrant Entrepreneurs Summit (IES) has annually brought more than 1,000 business owners of diverse backgrounds together to share, learn and celebrate the immigrant entrepreneurship experience and the contributions they make, collectively…
Entrepreneurial events happening at the University of Iowa this fall
The Iowa Pappajohn Center for Entrepreneurship is hosting several events this fall for student entrepreneurs. Here are some of the entrepreneurial events happening at the University of Iowa this fall. Startup Incubator Open House The Startup Incubator Open House is an open house for students interested in entrepreneurship or starting their own business. Iowa JPEC…
Entrepreneurial events happening at Iowa State University this fall
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…
Events Archives | 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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