Applications Now Open for the Annual John Pappajohn Iowa Entrepreneurial Venture Competition
The 2024 John Pappajohn Iowa Entrepreneurial Venture Competition application portal is now open. The nineteenth annual statewide competition will award $100,000 in cash prizes to early stage Iowa startups and entrepreneurial ventures that intend to scale operations in Iowa. The $100,000 in seed funding includes a $50,000 contribution from the late John Pappajohn, matched by […]
February Entrepreneur of the Month Shawn Dietz
The NIACC John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center and North Iowa Area SBDC are proud to announce Shawn Dietz of OnTheGoMedia, Inc. in Hampton, IA as the February 2024 Entrepreneur of the Month. OnTheGoMedia is a full-service, community-oriented media company. OnTheGoMedia owns two radio stations – 104.9 KLMJ-FM, Hampton and 98.9 KQCR-FM (99 The Wave), Parkersburg – […]
Venture School Helps North Iowa Entrepreneurs Succeed
Applications Now Open for Spring 2024 Cohort MASON CITY, Iowa – North Iowa entrepreneurs are achieving success with the assistance of the NIACC Pappajohn Center cohort of the University of Iowa Venture School. Venture School is the premiere business training program in Iowa, emphasizing real-world entrepreneurship and innovation based on a leading-edge curriculum. Participants learn […]
Tiffany Rottinghaus of Mara Bridal Boutique and Cardigan in Charles City is the December 2023 Entrepreneur of the Month
NIACC Pappajohn Center & SBDC recognizes Tiffany Rottinghaus of Mara as the December 2023 Entrepreneur of the Month The NIACC John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center and North Iowa Area SBDC are proud to announce Tiffany Rottinghaus of Mara Bridal Boutique and Cardigan in Charles City, IA as the December 2023 Entrepreneur of the Month. Tiffany Rottinghaus […]
North Iowa Entrepreneur Billie Asmus Makes a Splash at Lowe’s Into the Blue: Product Pitch Event
Billie Asmus of Repaint Studios in Hampton, IA made a splash at the 2023 “Into the Blue: Lowe’s Product Pitch Event” held on December 5, 2023 in Charlotte, NC. Competitors traveled from around the world to compete in this global pitch competition after a rigorous application process. Asmus’s invention, the Repaint Tray, received the coveted […]
North Iowa Entrepreneur Wins 2023 InnoVenture Iowa Challenge
Jayson Ryner of Nora Springs, IA won the top prize at the 2023 InnoVenture Challenge on Wednesday, December 6 in Des Moines, IA. The InnoVenture Challenge invites the best and brightest Iowa entrepreneurs to participate in a pitch competition where three early-stage startup companies compete on-stage for a winner-take-all $100,000 award. Jayson Ryner is the […]
North Iowa Businesses Compete in Venture School Launch Day
$5500 in Prizes Awarded to Local Entrepreneurs MASON CITY, Iowa— The NIACC John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center hosted the Venture School Launch Day competition on Thursday, November 16, 2023. The Fall 2023 Venture School cohort competed in person after attending classes virtually for 7 weeks of training, customer discovery, and developing their business model alongside local […]
North Iowa Students Compete in NIACC Everyday Entrepreneurs Pitch Competition
The NIACC John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center hosted the Everyday Entrepreneurs Pitch Competition on Monday, November 13, 2023. The Everyday Entrepreneur Program is sponsored in conjunction with the National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship (NACCE), helping to provide access to entrepreneurial education and funding for students to take their businesses from an idea to a thriving […]
NIACC Pappajohn Center & SBDC recognizes Shelby Pohlman of Kidtastic Cuts as the November 2023 Entrepreneur of the Month
The NIACC John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center and North Iowa Area SBDC are proud to announce Shelby Pohlman of Kidtastic Cuts and Glow Up Hair Studios in Mason City, IA as the November 2023 Entrepreneur of the Month. When Shelby Pohlman opened Glow Up Hair Studios in 2021, it was just a part of her overall […]
NIACC Pappajohn Center & SBDC to hold Entrepreneurship Events during Global Entrepreneurship Week (Nov 13-19)
The NIACC John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center & SBDC is hosting several days of events in celebration of Global Entrepreneurship Week on November 13-19, 2023. Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW) inspires millions every year to explore their potential while fostering connections and increasing collaboration within their ecosystems to empower entrepreneurs and strengthen communities. GEW reaches beyond traditional […]
NIACC Pappajohn Center & SBDC recognizes Kayla Nagel as the October 2023 Entrepreneur of the Month
The NIACC John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center and North Iowa Area SBDC are proud to announce Kayla Nagel of Fizz Co. in Clear Lake, IA as the October 2023 Entrepreneur of the Month. Fizz Co. is a full-service non-alcoholic beverage company that serves both public and private events, operating out of an Instagrammable renovated horse trailer […]
North Iowa Entrepreneurs Win at 2023 John Pappajohn Iowa Entrepreneurial Venture Competition
The 18th annual John Pappajohn Iowa Entrepreneurial Venture Competition awarded $100,000 in cash prizes to nine Iowa ventures Friday, August 25, 2023. The $100,000 in seed funding consists of a $50,000 contribution from John Pappajohn and a $50,000 match from the Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA). The goal of this competition is to support Iowa’s […]
NIACC Pappajohn Center & SBDC recognizes Mitchell Hora of Continuum Ag as the September 2023 Entrepreneur of the Month
The NIACC John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center and North Iowa Area SBDC are proud to announce Mitchell Hora of Continuum Ag in Washington, IA as the September 2023 Entrepreneur of the Month. Continuum Ag is a soil health data intelligence company, using its TopSoil Tool to scale the “how-to” of regenerative agriculture and enable farmers to […]
NIACC Pappajohn Center now accepting applications for Fall 2023 Venture School
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 […]
NIACC Pappajohn Center & SBDC recognizes the July 2023 Entrepreneurs of the Month
The NIACC John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center and North Iowa Area SBDC are proud to announce Ashley & Matt Thompson of Child Time Daycare in Northwood, IA as the July 2023 Entrepreneur of the Month. Ashley Thompson began Child Time Daycare as an in-home business in Northwood in 2018. She successfully ran the daycare at home […]