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Interviews

TechBrew: Matt Behrens of the Office of the Chief Information Officer
On the second Friday of each month, the Technology Association of Iowa hosts an informal networking event at West End Salvage in downtown Des Moines for entrepreneurs, educators, technologists, business leaders and government professionals. During each event, Brian Waller, President of the Technology Association of Iowa, does a sit down Q&A with a local tech executive. This month, Waller spoke…
TechBrew: Bryce Hemme, Director of Platform Engineering at Granular
On the second Friday of each month, the Technology Association of Iowa hosts an informal networking event at West End Salvage in downtown Des Moines for entrepreneurs, educators, technologists, business leaders and government professionals. During each event, Brian Waller, President of the Technology Association of Iowa, does a sitdown Q&A with a local tech executive. This month, Waller…
TechBrew
TechBrew: Martina Schubert of Continental Western Group
On the second Friday of each month, the Technology Association of Iowa hosts an informal networking event at West End Salvage in downtown Des Moines for entrepreneurs, educators, technologists, business leaders and government professionals. During each event, Brian Waller, President of the Technology Association of Iowa, does a sitdown Q&A with a local tech executive. After each interview,…
Firebrand Ventures
Q&A: What to do after raising $17 million
As the expression goes, the harder you work the luckier you get. So it's no wonder John Fein was able to raise $10 million more than his original goal for Firebrand Ventures, a Kansas City-based venture capital fund. The news was announced Wednesday that Firebrand Ventures had raised $17 million for its seed stage venture capital fund. Fein…
Threadit
Q&A: Janae Smith, the Apparel Architect in Ames
Janae Smith can literally see her future. From her current second-story location in the corner of a building off Ames Main Street, she looks ahead to moving her business, Threadit, to a new street-level space this April. Exposure is everything for a tailoring, custom design and clothing repair business built on style and happy customers.…
Nathan Wright
Q&A: Being the artist…in-residence
It wasn't quite a sabbatical but the Ballet Des Moines Artist-in-Residence program had the same type of impact on Nathan Wright, the Des Moines-based illustrator. He is finishing the six-week residency program this week which is held each Fall, Winter and Spring as the lead up to a performance. Wright started on Feb. 19 with Ballet…
Diana Wright
Q&A: A welcoming face for Ames startups
As a leader in the Ames startup community, Diana Wright crosses paths with a lot of entrepreneurs. After studying advertising, marketing and entrepreneurship at Iowa State University, Wright now works as the Marketing & Programs Coordinator at the Pappajohn Center for Entrepreneurship at Iowa State University. "It’s all come full circle," Wright explains. "During my time as…
1 Million Cups Des Moines
Q&A: Before 1 Million Cups…meet the host
Set aside plenty of time before asking Ben McDougal what he does for a living. Because he's got a lot to talk about. Each Wednesday McDougal hosts the Des Moines chapter of 1 Million Cups, a weekly program designed to engage and connect entrepreneurs with their communities. As host, McDougal introduces the entrepreneur each week to present and provides…
TechBrew
TechBrew: Q&A with Luke Tingley of Hy-Vee
On the second Friday of each month the Technology Association of Iowa hosts an informal networking event at West End Salvage in downtown Des Moines for entrepreneurs, educators, technologists, business leaders and government professionals. During each event, Brian Waller, President of the Technology Association of Iowa, does a sitdown Q&A with a local tech executive. After each interview,…
Interviews 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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