The NIACC John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center is now accepting applications for the Fall 2023 cohort of the University of Iowa Venture School program. The Fall 2023 program will be held as a hybrid in-person/online on Thursday evenings, and will begin with an in-person orientation session on Thursday, September 28, 2023.

U of I Venture School is the premier statewide program for entrepreneurs and is built from a streamlined curriculum developed by the National Science Foundation I-Corps at Stanford University and the University of California, Berkeley. Venture School emphasizes real-world entrepreneurship and innovation based on a leading-edge curriculum. Participants will encounter the chaos and uncertainty of creating new ventures based on customer discovery.

The Fall 2023 Venture School program will be held as a hybrid class. An in-person orientation will be held Thursday, September 28 to explain the course expectations and to meet the coaches. Following classes will be held via Zoom on Thursdays, October 5 – November 9, 5:30-9:00 pm. The Launch Day Pitch Competition will be held in-person on the NIACC campus on Thursday, November 16, 2023. The cost for the program is $299.

Each Venture School team will be assigned a local entrepreneur as their coach. Participating teams will be eligible to compete for cash awards both locally and at the state level during the Venture School launch day at EntreFEST 2024. Last year’s Mason City graduates were awarded $7,000 in prize money during the 2023 EntreFEST pitch competition.

Contact Mary Spitz at mary.spitz@niacc.edu with questions or if you are a local entrepreneur interested in becoming a Venture School coach.

To apply for the Fall 2023 cohort, visit http://www.venture-school.com and select the Mason City cohort in the drop-down menu. The deadline to apply is September 18, 2023

The NIACC John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center is the expert in rural business innovation and success. In partnership with North Iowa’s Small Business Development Center, together we provide tools, support, and resources to Iowa’s entrepreneurs. We counsel both new and existing local businesses, from Main Street to industry leaders. We’re growing Iowa’s entrepreneurial culture through grade school initiatives, college and community programs, and business training and development. Contact the NIACC Pappajohn and SBDC Center at 641-422-4342 or pappajohn@niacc.edu.

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The mission of North Iowa Area Community College (NIACC) is to enrich lives through comprehensive educational opportunities, a commitment to learner success, community engagement, and leadership. Founded in 1918, NIACC is a nationally-recognized, two-year college located in central North Iowa. With approximately 3,000 career and transfer students, the College has been recognized by the Aspen Institute as a leading community college in the nation. Become a NIACC Trojan today at https://www.niacc.edu/apply-mkt/.