UNIVERSITY OF IOWA | JOHN PAPPAJOHN ENTREPRENEURIAL CENTER
SEMESTER REVIEW | SPRING 2019 Contents
Program, Event, and Competition Recaps……………………………………………………………………1-11
Featured Student Entrepreneurs…………………………………………………………………………….…12-23
In the Media………………………………………………………………………………………………………….…24-142 THANK YOU TO OUR SPRING 2019 IDEASTORM SPONSORS! IdeaStorms are entry-levels pitch competitions open to all UI students. These competitions are designed to introduce students to innovation by encouraging them to share their idea in two minutes or less with their peers and a panel of judges. A total of 256 individuals joined us at these competitions this spring where they heard 118 students pitches. The top five ideas were awarded cash prizes as well as the people’s choice at each competition –$6,600 total in prizes was awarded. Students participating represented a wide variety of academic areas across campus. Winners’ majors are listed behind their names below.
Health Initiatives IdeaStorm | Feb. 11 STUDENTS SHARED IDEAS THAT AIM TO HELP CREATE A BETTER WELL-BEING THROUGH HEALTH CARE INNOVATION. 1st Place, $500 | Scott Tribbey (Entrepreneurship & Business) - Spine Buddy: An improvement to existing scoliosis braces. Provides a way for adolescents to feel comfortable in their brace while actually improving their spine instead of simply preventing further curvature. 2nd Place, $400 | Grace Kim (Pharmacy) - A comprehensive medication information program to serve the population with limited language proficiency. 3rd Place, $300 | Dylan Schreder, Also awarded People’s Choice and an additional $150 (Business) - An automated drone to dispatch directly to emergency situations, assess triage and provide support. 4th Place, $200 | Rachel Cron (Engineering) - App that updates a device’s dictionary to include medical terms and acronyms that autocorrect doesn’t “fix”, saving time and reducing stress. 5th Place, $100 | Christian Jacoby (Pre-Business) - Emport: emotional support app for the suicidal, emotionally worn, and distressed. Creates a community based application where members can share, collaborate, and support one another, while being monitored by the suicidal support line for any concerns.
Thank you to Jay Greenzweig and family for your generous sponsorship!
Creative Concepts IdeaStorm | Feb. 12 STUDENTS SHARED IDEAS RELATED TO INNOVATION THROUGH ART, DESIGN, HISTORY, MUSIC, LITERATURE, AND MORE. 1st Place, $500 | Lance Junck (Business and Theater) - Open Mic: An online platform that directly connects theater teachers with emerging playwrights looking to get their work produced. 2nd Place, $400 | Alejandro Carasco (Liberal Arts) - An organization that helps patients with mental health issues cope through art and music. 3rd Place, $300 | Autumn Dickholtz (Enterprise Leadership, Event Planning) - Cloud Composer: Combining the use of AI technology with recording devices to allow everyday people to compose their own songs without the use of an expensive studio. 4th Place, $200 | Emma Killian (Liberal Arts) - Inspo-Paper: A wallpaper to help with mental health. 5th Place, $100 |Sarah Lehman (Liberal Arts) - A catching machine that one can pitch a softball/baseball to and it will throw it back. People’s Choice, $150 | Zoe Purcell (Environmental Policy, Entrepreneurial Management) - Sustainable living app that identifies harmful ingredients to the environment and provides alternatives.
Thank you to Don and Madelyn Schoen for your generous sponsorship!
1 Common Good IdeaStorm | Feb. 13 STUDENTS SHARED IDEAS THAT INSPIRE CHANGE THROUGH SOCIAL AND SUSTAINABLE SOLUTIONS THAT BENEFIT THE COMMON GOOD. 1st Place, $500 | Andrea Ford (Enterprise Leadership) - A mental health and addiction center. Acquire warehouse space to not only house the homeless but have store fronts on the bottom level to provide skill training for them as well. 2nd Place, $400 | Marisa Mueller (Biomedical Engineering) - Portable Power: bringing clean water and power to third world countries. Can also be used to power medical devices out of vehicles, thereby creating portable medical clinics which could service rural communities. 3rd Place, $300 | William Garrison (Social Justice) - Elated Youth Project: A homeless nonprofit to get youth off the streets and to a safe, loving environment. Focused on LGBTQ youth. 4th Place, $200 | Riley Kniptash (Environmental Science) - Hydro Pitch: A more efficient way to water field hockey turfs. 5th Place, $100 | Trent Katz, Also awarded People’s Choice and an additional $150 (Finance and Management) Recycling bin that counts how many bottles/cans that have been received. The app links with local companies to offer discounts once enough energy is saved.
Thank you to Michelle Bates and Ann Camblin for your generous sponsorship!
Consumer Solutions IdeaStorm | Feb. 14 STUDENTS SHARED IDEAS THAT EXPLORED SOLUTIONS TO EVERYDAY PROBLEMS THROUGH NEW PRODUCTS OR SERVICES. 1st Place, $500 | Bryce Prokof (Journalism, Entrepreneurial Management) - Amateur Caddie: A golf accessory organizer that clips to the outside of the golf bag to allow easier access to the essentials a golfer needs during their round. 2nd Place, $400 | Daniel Hernandez (Sports and Recreation Management) - Politicscope: A platform that allows insight into political candidates and their history. Features national/local incumbents, a track record of the professional career and candidates, links to voting sites, and an unbiased reputation scale. 3rd Place, $300 | Lance Junck (Business and Theater) - Clean Slate: An online media service that helps the user to quickly clear off any questionable content from social media in order to appeal to future employers. 4th Place, $200 | Mackenzie Simonsen (Liberal Arts) - Rubber based polymer to fix potholes – liquid to solid to create lasting fill. 5th Place, $100 | Madison Flinn (Enterprise Leadership) - Campus Table: Subscription based company where students can eat a home cooked meal in various homes without cooking themselves, buying groceries, eating alone, and reducing leftovers. People’s Choice, $150 | Daniel Machlab (Computer Engineering) - Graze Pay: App that allows customers to pay at local restaurants instead of waiting for the check.
Thank you to Curt and Nicole Strait for your generous sponsorship!
2 SPRING 2019 RECAP The first weekend of March we had the privilege of hosting the Spring 2019 Iowa Startup Games. This is a three-day event where students, from all areas of study, pitch their ideas to have an impact. Over the weekend 10 teams comprised of 42 students formed to work on their businesses. Our 10 teams competed in front of a panel of judges, faculty, and peers at the historic Kinnick Stadium Press Box for various cash prizes – a total of $3,000 was awarded. These students represented a variety of majors and backgrounds, making this competition an invaluable experience for team building, discipline, and innovation.
1st Place ($1,000) | Clean Slate – Expert service analyzing the online presence of new hires to find right fit for employers(Lance Junck, Rukshad Daver, Daniel Lopez, Tara Bendre, Madi Hayes) 2nd Place ($750) | Urbaniste – Public engagement app focusing on spread of local governmental issues and information (Anshuman Sahu, Vern Ancelet, Emily Legel, Chukwuebuka Ogwo) 3rd Place ($500) | Slingshot - Soft skill development for today’s job market (Hector Trejo Pena, Nicholas Dusold, Jesse Davis, Hyunki Min, Alex Borchers) Judges Choice ($500) | Abee’s Honey – Infused honey for healthier lifestyles (Nathan Davidson, Paul Flanders, Justin Morrison) People’s Choice ($250) | Aesop – Learning language through immersive storytelling program (Mandy Archer, Isabelle Teduits, Joshua Nichols, Nate Le Sage, Austin Johnson)
In addition to the cash awards, teams are recognized by a student group of nine organizers who were also present the entire weekend. These students have participated in Iowa Startup Games in the past and have returned to assist teams with advice and guidance. They recognized the following teams with these awards:
Best Customer Discovery: Clean Slate Most Presales: Clean Slate Customer Discovery Standout: Abee’s Honey Largest Pivot: Wildfire Most Committed Award: Urbaniste Iteration Award: Total Aroma Marketing Award: Abee’s Honey Minimum Viable Product (MVP) Award: Natural Nectar Individual Sustainability Award: Nick Simone (Nick organized the weekend’s recycling program for all composting items, cans, paper and plastic)
Thank you to our judges! Erica Cole, Founder, No Limbits Tim McDougall, Co Founder & President, 50PoundBoson Alec Whitters, CEO & Co Founder, Higher Learning Technologies
3 UNIVERSITY OF IOWA | JOHN PAPPAJOHN ENTREPRENEURIAL CENTER
SPRING BREAK IN BELIZE MARCH 16-24, 2019 INTERNATIONAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP & CULTURE COURSE
Nineteen UI students spent nine days in Belize over spring break improving the livelihoods of others through entrepreneurial action. They worked hand-in hand with local entrepreneurs in a Maya village in Southern Belize. The trip was lead by the John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center (Iowa JPEC) and was the third time faculty took students to this location as a part of the International Entrepreneurship and Culture course. Students learned about global entrepreneurship by experiencing what it is like to do business in a developing country. In their free time, they also enjoyed cultural activities and historical sites as they expereinced the rich history of Belize.
Students develop an understanding of entrepreneurship in an international context “The experiences my class went through were through class discussions, working with on-site unlike anything I could have experienced in the U.S., partners, and experiential learning field trips. They also have time to explore historic and cultural so it’s important to be open to trying new things attractions and experience the culturally rich and meeting new people. While In Belize, I formed and diverse atmosphere that Belize has to offer. tight-knit relationships with the other UI students The course is recommended for both seasoned that went, and I was surprised with just how fast I travelers and those who have not previously traveled abroad. It also provides an opportunity was able to do that.” for students with demanding academic schedules -Karly Lent who may not be able to study abroad during a year-long or semester-length program to gain a Journalism and Enterprise Leadership ‘20 valuable international perspective.
FIND OUT MORE IOWAJPEC.ORG
4 2019 RECAP On March 26 and 27, the University of Iowa’s John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center (Iowa JPEC) had the pleasure of hosting its annual Business Model Competition (BMC). 41 student teams competed in the two day competition and $50,000 was awarded in cash prizes. A BMC allows students to present their business to judges for the opportunity to win seed funding. This competition is based on the methodology of the Business Model Canvas, and requires that companies tell their story beginning from the idea stage, including pivots along the way. This two day competition allows businesses to compete with others that are at the same level as their own. This competition was co-sponsored by Iowa JPEC and the Sparks Family Entrepreneurial Fund.
See a full list of winners for each day on the following page. MEET SOME OF OUR WINNING TEAMS
Day 1 Winner Tiny Baker creates single-serving muffin mixes that can be made in under a minute. All you have to do is dump the mix in a mug, add two tablespoons of water, microwave for Advancing to 40 seconds, and you have a sweet eat that can be enjoyed for a quick International breakfast, snack, or late-night treat! Business Model Competition
Asonus Tech LLC is developing an application for smart Day 2 Winner devices that alert those who are hard of hearing of VerdiLife strives to make the Earth important noises (doorbells, a healthier planet by replacing smoke sectors). harmful agro-chemicals with all- natural solutions. They produce Asonus Tech was our “wood vinegar”, a 100% organic day 2 runner up, and was fertilizer and pesticide, from wood- selected to advance to the waste via a unique environmentally- International Business Model friendly technology with no Competition to represent emissions and zero pollution. UI. The overall competition winner, VerdiLife was inelgible VerdiLife was our overall winner of to move on to the IMBC as the BMC. they have participated in this competition in the past.
5 DAY 1 WINNERS DAY 2 WINNERS Day 1 of the competition is for early stage companies Day 2 of the competition is for advanced companies that have not achieved revenue, or have not won $1,001 that have achieved revenue, or have previously won or more in business competitions. $1,001 or more in business competitions. 1st Place—$2,500, ADVANCE TO DAY 2 1st Place—$10,000 Tiny Baker (Brendan McCormick, VerdiLife (Mahdi Eghbali, Ph.D. Economics) Entrepreneurial Management and Marketing) 2nd Place—$5,000 2nd Place—$1,000 *ADVANCING TO THE INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MODEL COMPETITION* DeFoggles (Eric Brosch, Biochemistry) Asonus Tech (Adam Hoffman, Mechanical Prairie Rose Coffee House (Jade Manternach, MBA Engineering; Brandon Williams, Computer Marketing) Science) Avarupt (Caleb Marting, Computer Science) In2 Notebooks (Peter Seele, Enterprise Leadership) 3rd Place—$750 Tiny Baker (Brendan McCormick, Entrepreneurial LevelUp (Josh Levinson, Marketing Management; Management and Marketing) Noah Polisner, Political Science; Michael Saperstein, Sports and Recreation Management) 3rd Place—$2,500 TYLT Medical (Clay Soelberg, Law; Rachel Cron, Funny Nuggets (Jade Peterson, Marketing Biomedical Engineering; Will Heritch, Biomedical Management and Elementary Education) Engineering; Austin Silver, Biomedical Engineering) Graze Pay (Daniel Machlab, Electrical Engineering) Mobile Pharmacist (Dayton Trent, Pharmacy) No Limbits (Erica Cole, Chemistry) Students Care (Jacob Newcomb, Accounting; ADDITIONAL AWARDS Michael Penniman, Pre Business; Peter Easler, MOST PROMISING IDEA—$375 Business Analytics) Apollo Medicine (Brandan Penaluna, Medicine) ADDITIONAL AWARDS LARGEST IMPACT—$375 BEST SOCIAL IMPACT—$1,250 Fusion Analytica (Ifeanyi Ugoh, MBA Financial Clean River Solutions (Eva Simon, Art) Analysis) BEST RETAIL PRODUCT —$1,250 BEST SOCIAL IMPACT—$375 Elevated (Zach Frisbie, Business) Box of Happiness (Sloan Hoover, Marketing Management) BEST LIFESTYLE BUSINESS —$1,250 BEST POTENTIAL CONSUMER VALUE—$375 A2 Services (Andrew Austin, Business) Biz 2 Build (HaoHao Sun, Professional MBA) BEST PITCH —$1,250 GREATER GOOD—$375 Funny Nuggets (Jade Peterson, Marketing Storm Sentinal (Joshua Meyer, English and Management and Elementary Education) Creative Writing)
MOST PASSIONATE PITCH—$375 Thank you to our Day 2 judges! Customize Your Automobile (Justin Berg, Thomas Harter Enterprise Leadership) President, Microdynamics Group, Chicago Zach Davis Thank you to our Day 1 judges! Co-Founder, Stylics, Chicago/New York Jennifer Horn-Frasier Tracy Fuller Principal, Bluebird Sky, LLC, Iowa City President, InnovavEvents, Des Moines Will Monk General Manager & Co-Founder, The Pig & Porter Restaurant, Cedar Rapids Steve West Chairman, West Music, Iowa City
6 FOUNDERS CLUB FAIR—2019 RECAP
On April 5, 2019, Iowa JPEC hosted our annual Founders Club Fair at the Graduate Hotel in Iowa City. Over 300 students and members of the community attended the fair, meeting all of the innovative UI student businesses that are apart of our Founders Club program. This fair showcased over 50 student businesses and a total of $13,000 was awarded to support these students. More established businesses had a booth to display their hard work in an expo setting where attendees could freely visit tables and ask questions. This competition was co-sponsored by Iowa JPEC and the Sparks Family Entrepreneurial Fund.
Awards
PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD (voted on by attendees) Winner $1,000—Elevated Supply Co An urban wear brand focused on invoking conversation through design, high quality garments, and hitting a fair price point. HIGHEST GROWTH POTENTIAL AWARDS Winner $2,000—VerdiLife A 100% organic fertilizer and pesticide, from wood-waste with no emissions and zero pollution. Runner up $1,000—Supercorn Education An online service integrating tutoring between the United States and China. BEST LIFESTYLE COMPANY AWARDS Winner $2,000—Eco-Stylist An online marketplace for eco-conscious and ethically made men’s clothing. Runner up $1,000—Funny Nuggets An interactive comedy show for kids that helps build social skills, confidence, and creativity. BEST TECHNOLOGY COMPANY AWARDS Winner $2,000—Asonus Tech LLC A smart device that alerts those who are hard of hearing of important noises. Runner up $1,000—Aelieve Digital Marketing A full service digital marketing company that prides itself on cutting edge technology, a passion for innovation, and affordable digital marketing solutions. WOMEN IN ENTREPRENEURSHIP AWARD (Sponsored by Michelle Bates and Ann Camblin) Winner $1,000—Jade Peterson, Founder of Funny Nuggets
Students who have recently joined the Founders Club program and did not have a table at the fair (due to their business still being at a very early stage), had the opportunity to participate in a pitch off for a chance to win seed funding.
BEST PITCH – $500 BEST LIFESTYLE BUSINESS IDEA – $500 Defoggles Prairie Rose Coffee HIGHEST GROWTH POTENTIAL IDEA – $500 BEST TECHNOLOGY IDEA – $500 Full Scope Apollo Med
Thank you to our judges! Adam Keune, Anne Price, Brad Phillips, Don Shoen, Dennis Sparks, Jay Greenzweig, Katy Brown, Laura Westercamp, and Tara Cronbaugh
7 UNIVERSITY OF IOWA | JOHN PAPPAJOHN ENTREPRENEURIAL CENTER
SIGMA NU TAU TRIP APRIL 25 & 26, 2019 IOWA CITY, IOWA On April 25 and 26, thirteen students from Sigma Nu Tau (entrepreneurial honor society) and the Founders Club program visited Des Moines to learn more about the city’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. The students spent two days touring local startups, meeting with local entrepreneurs and participating in the DSM Tech Crawl that was hosted by Clay & Milk, a Des Moines based entreprenurial news source (pictured left). This event allowed the students the opportunity to visit the offices of a variety of local startups and co-working firms.
The students started at Maytag Dairy Farms where President Myrna Ver Ploeg gave them a tour and told them the story of this infamous Iowa dairy. Their blue cheese is highly coveted by chefs in fine restaurants around the world. Students were also joined by John Mickelson (BBA ‘03, Entr Cert, JD/MBA ‘07), Founder and Managing Partner of Midwest Growth Partners, whose company recently purchased Maytag Dairy Farms. John explained how his company determinds which businesses to invest in and when.
Students visited the new office space of highly regarded, financial-tech startup, Dwolla. At this stop they were treated to a discussion with a panel of executives from the company covering many important areas of business including – IT security, professional services, product development, business development, engineering, finance and risk/compliance.
The last stop for the students was visiting Rocket Referrals, where they met founders Carl and Torey Maerz. Rocket Referrals is a cloud-based software company helping to improve company referrals and retention specifically in the insurance provider industry.
A special thank you to these businesses for welcoming us!
FIND OUT MORE IOWAJPEC.ORG/SIGMANUTAU
8 UNIVERSITY OF IOWA | JOHN PAPPAJOHN ENTREPRENEURIAL CENTER
PAPPAJOHN STUDENT ENTREPRENEURIAL VENTURE COMPETITION APRIL 26, 2019 | DES MOINES, IOWA
On April 26, three UI student teams claimed cash prizes at the finals of the Pappajohn Student Entrepreneurial Venture Competition in Des Moines (pictured above). This competition is open to any Iowa university or college student/team with an interest in starting a business. The 12 finalists in this year’s competition hailed from the University of Northern Iowa, Iowa State University, the University of Iowa, and Drake University. John Pappajohn created the competition in 2000 as a means of inspiring young entrepreneurs. The finalists presented their business plans to John Pappajohn, president of Equity Dynamics, Inc., Des Moines, and founder of the five John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Centers in Iowa, along with Dan Storck, CFO at Equity Dynamics and Dan Cosgrove, one of Pappajohn’s investor partners. The winning entries were chosen based on the content and viability of their plans as well as their ability to pitch and answer questions about their business proposals.
CONGRATS TO OUR UNIVERSITY OF IOWA STUDENT BUSINESSES: Asonus Tech | Top Statewide Prize ($5,000) Adam Hoffman - Mechanical Engineering, Spring ‘19, Brandon Williams - Computer Science, Spring ‘20 Asonus Tech is developing software on smart devices (e.g. Apple watches, Google OS Wear watches, smartphones) that will notify the user whenever an important noise occurs. No Limbits | Top Statewide Prize ($5,000) Erica Cole - BA Chemistry, Spring ‘19 No Limbits is giving people back control over their prosthesis by 3D printing custom prosthesis covers for amputees. Mobile Pharmacist | Regional Prize ($500) Dayton Trent - Pharmacy, Spring ‘19 Mobile Pharmacist makes your prescribed medications easy, fast and accurate while providing optional over- the-counter (OTC) recommendations.
FIND OUT MORE IOWAJPEC.ORG
9 UNIVERSITY OF IOWA | JOHN PAPPAJOHN ENTREPRENEURIAL CENTER
STUDENT STARTUPS OF THE YEAR Awarded at the Discovery and Innovation Awards APRIL 30, 2019 IOWA CITY, IOWA
Pictured is our two winners, Mahdi Eghbali (far left) and Erica Cole (far right) holding their awards with Iowa JPEC faculty member, Kimm Harris (center).
The University of Iowa Office of the Vice President for Research (OVPR) celebrated faculty, staff, and students who have distinguished themselves in the areas of research, scholarship, innovation and mentoring.
Joined by the UI John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center (Iowa JPEC) and the newest member of its organization— the Iowa Center for Research by Undergraduates (ICRU)--OVPR presented 14 awards and recognized individuals and startups awarded patents, options, or licenses to help protect and commercialize their intellectual property. The recipients the 2019 student startup of the year awards exhibit passion, devotion, and innovation in planning and deploying their startup and have either made significant progress over the years, making an impact.
CONGRATS TO OUR STUDENT BUSINESSES! No Limbits Erica Cole - BA Chemistry, Spring ‘19 No Limbits is giving people back control over their prosthesis by 3D printing custom prosthesis covers for amputees. These covers are lightweight, durable, and completely customizable at a price point that will allow customers to change the look of their prosthesis day to day. In summer 2019, No Limbits will be expanding the brand to include an amputee-targeted clothing line featuring adaptive pieces that allow the consumer to work with their prosthesis instead of fighting it. VerdiLife Mahdi Eghbali - Ph.D. Economics, Spring ‘21 VerdiLife strives to make the Earth a healthier planet by replacing harmful agro-chemicals with all-natural solutions. They produce “wood vinegar”, a 100% organic fertilizer and pesticide, from wood-waste via a unique environmentally-friendly technology with no emissions and zero pollution. The business model includes both social and environmental impacts by improving the wood-waste management industry and reducing the chemical fertilizers and pesticides usage.
FIND OUT MORE IOWAJPEC.ORG
10 UNIVERSITY OF IOWA | JOHN PAPPAJOHN ENTREPRENEURIAL CENTER
VENTURE SCHOOL LAUNCH DAY MAY 16, 2019
The University of Iowa’s Venture School is a nationally recognized program for entrepreneurs developed by John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center. The program held its annual launch day event in conjunction with EntreFEST on May 16th. This past year, 52 teams completed the intensive eight-week program with a streamlined curriculum developed by the National Science Foundation. These teams hail from our five cohart locations across the state: Des Moines, Dubuque, Iowa City, Mason City, and the Quad Cities. Venture School Launch Day highlighted the top 8 teams from the fall and spring cohorts and awarded a total of $21,000 to these businesses at the competition.
Venture School Spring 2019 Award Winning Teams
Immersive Development Reality (IDR) | Iowa City | $10,000 Teaches students the concepts of coding while in a virtual reality environment. Boundry | Dubuque | $5,000 Helps dog owners keep their pets safe with a simple, humane, and portable dog fence solution built on positive reinforcement, superior training, and GPS perimeter technology. Argrow’s House Bath and Body | Quad Cities | $1,000 A social enterprise where women survivors of violence create beautiful bath and body products that are natural, healthy and smell wonderful. BluJaket | Quad Cities | $1,000 Makes mobile marketing easy and affordable for small businesses and restaurants by connecting them with consumers in the right place, at the right time. Continuum Ag | Mason City | $1,000 Intel processor of agriculture data and the fully transparent link between the consumer and the soil. Grateful Graze | Quad Cities | $1,000 Raising grass fed and finished beef in their crop rotation. Connecting farmers to families with food they can trust. Horse Auction Block | Dubuque | $1,000 Providing online auction styled market place for horses while assisting in both the buying and selling process to ensure both parties are honest and receive the horse they paid for. VerdiLife | Iowa City | $1,000 Recycling wood-waste into 100% organic fertilizers and pesticides in the form of wood vinegar and bio char – eliminating harmful agrochemicals.
FIND OUT MORE VENTURE-SCHOOL.COM
11 FEATURED STUDENT ENTREPRENEURS
Co-founders of ASONUS TECH A Founders Club Student Business
Adam Hoffman Mechanical Engineering ‘19 (left) Brandon Williams Computer Science ‘20 (right)
Asonus Tech believed those who are hard of hearing deserved better technology so they have created it. Their mission is to increase the quality of life for the hard of hearing through innovative technology - with affordabilty, quality, style, and daily-use in mind. They are currently working on their application that will alert the user via vibration of noises ranging from short phrases to fire alarms. Recent Accomplishments
• International Business Model Competition Challenge Round Finalist (2019) • Iowa JPEC Business Model Competition, 2nd Place, Day 2, $5,000 (2019) • Iowa JPEC Founder’s Club Fair, 1st Place, Best Technology Award, $1,000 (2019) • Pappajohn Student Entrepreneurial Venture Competition, Top Statewide Prize, $5,000 (2019) • Hubert E. Storer Engineering Student Entrepreneurial Startup Award, $5,000 (2018)
Find out more: asonustech.com
12 FEATURED STUDENT ENTREPRENEUR
Founder of COMIGO A Founders Club Student Business
Isabel Reed Psychology & Nonprofit Management ‘18
BUILDING BIG IDEAS, TOGETHER. Comigo is a web platform for college students to find collaborators on their very own campus. It is an online tool for crowdsourced peer support and team building, on a wide variety of student ideas and projects, connecting you to fellow students to help you build a strong team for your project or startup. Recent Accomplishments
• Iowa JPEC Student Accelerator Final Pitches, 2nd Place, $2,000 (2018) • Iowa JPEC Rose Francis Elevator Pitch Competition, Best Community Impact Award, Day 2, $1,000 (2018) • Iowa JPEC Business Model Competition, 3rd Place, Day 1, $2,000 (2018) • St. Louis Real Elevator Pitch Competition, 2nd Place, $2,000 (2018) • University of Illinois Forge Startup Weekend, 1st Place, $1,000 (2018)
Find out more: comigo.co
13 FEATURED STUDENT ENTREPRENEUR
Founder of ECO-STYLIST A Founders Club Student Business
Garik Himebaugh MBA Marketing ‘18
Eco-Stylist is an online marketplace for eco-conscious and ethically made men’s clothing. Founded to answer one simple question: “can sustainable be dapper?” — Eco-Stylist connects you to clothes that look as good as the values they represent. From organic cotton oxfords to zero waste hats and sunglasses made from recycled plastic bottles, all of the brands at eco- friendly, socially responsible, and ethically sourced. Proud member of 1% For The Planet. Recent Accomplishments
• Iowa JPEC Founder’s Club Fair, 1st Place, Best Lifestyle Company Award, $2,000 (2019) • Univeristy of Tennessee Chattanooga Southeast Entrepreneurship Conference, 5th Place (2019)
Find out more: eco-stylist.com
14 FEATURED STUDENT ENTREPRENEUR
Founder of florakeep A Founders Club Student Business
Eric Brosch Biochemistry ‘19
FloraKeep is a new cut flower preservative for florists to make their flower’s beauty last, reduce loss and raise their bottom line. Their new technology adds days of useful life when used alongside current floral preservatives, or by itself. They plan to develop a line of flower care products, including a spray and flower food. FloraKeep’s current activities are the research and development of this patentable new flower preservative. By selling to florist managers who want their flowers to last longer, they can save money and increase customer value. Recent Accomplishments
• Accepted into Hawkeye Startup Accelerator Program (2019) • Frontier Co-Op Tippie Impact Competition, 1st Place, $2,500 (2019) • Iowa JPEC Business Model Competition, 1st Place, Day 1, $3,000 (2018) • Iowa JPEC Rose Francis Elevator Competition, 3rd Place, Day 2, $2,500 (2018)
Find out more: florakeep.com
15 FEATURED STUDENT ENTREPRENEUR
Founder of Funny Nuggets A Founders Club Student Business
Jade Peterson Elementary Education and Marketing ‘20
Funny Nuggets is the Comedy Clubhouse for Kids. They bring their interactive program and entertaining cast into existing facilities such as schools, churches, and recreation centers to put on a pop-up comedy experience for kids while giving parents a break. Their unique program combines a skit, craft, and games. The best part is that children become a part of the show and interact with each other to build social skills, confidence, and creativity without touching their devices once. Funny Nuggets can’t have FuN without U! Recent Accomplishments
• Iowa JPEC Business Model Competition 3rd Place, Day 2, $2,500 (2019) Best Pitch Award, Day 2, $1,250 (2019) • Iowa JPEC Founder’s Club Fair Runner up, Best Lifestyle Company, $1,000 (2019) Women in Entrepreneurship Award, $1,000 (2019) • Iowa JPEC Rose Francis Elevator Pitch Competition, 2nd Place, Day 2, $5,000 (2018) • Iowa JPEC Student Accelerator Final Pitches, 3rd Place, $1,000 (2018)
16 FEATURED STUDENT ENTREPRENEUR
Founder of Mobile Pharmacist A Founders Club Student Business
Dayton Trent Pharmacy ‘19
Mobile Pharmacist has patent-pending technology to provide pharmacists approved medication videos/content to standardize medication information to ensure patients receive correct information 100% of the time. This saves pharmacies approx. 1.6 hours per day per pharmacy. This technology allows patients to get in and get out of the pharmacy faster and empower them to understand more about their medications which in turn results in better health. This technology is ideal for medication consults for delivered medications as well. Recent Accomplishments
• Accepted into Hawkeye Startup Accelerator Program (2019) • Iowa JPEC Business Model Competition, 3rd Place, Day 1, $750 (2019) • Pappajohn Student Entrepreneurial Venture Competition, Regional Prize, $500 (2019)
17 FEATURED STUDENT ENTREPRENEUR
Founder of No limbits A Founders Club Student Business
Erica Cole Chemistry ‘19
No Limbits is giving people back control over their prosthesis by 3D printing custom prosthesis covers for amputees. These covers are lightweight, durable, and completely customizable at a price point that will allow customers to change the look of their prosthesis day to day. In summer 2019, No Limbits will be expanding the brand to include an amputee-targeted clothing line featuring adaptive pieces that allow the consumer to work with their prosthesis instead of fighting it. Recent Accomplishments
• Accepted into Hawkeye Startup Accelerator Program (2019) • Iowa JPEC Business Model Competition, 3rd Place, Day 2, $2,500 (2019) • Pappajohn Student Entrepreneurial Venture Competition, Top Statewide Prize, $5,000 (2019) • University of Iowa’s Student Startup of the Year (2019) • Iowa JPEC Iowa Startup Games, 1st Place, $1,000 (2018) • Iowa JPEC Rose Francis Elevator Pitch Competition 1st Place, Day 1, $2,500 (2018)
18 FEATURED STUDENT ENTREPRENEURS
Co-Founders of speeko A Founders Club Student Business
Anthony Pham MPH ‘19, MD ‘16, BS Physiology ‘11 (left) Nico Aguilar MHA, MPH ‘14, BS Physiology ‘11 (right)
Speeko is a technology company that helps individuals improve their professional speaking style. Using automated voice analytics, Speeko provides instant feedback and personalized coaching. The Speeko iOS app is now available on the App Store. Recent Accomplishments
• Rice Business Model Competition, 1st Place, Wild Card Round, $1,000 (2019) • Tulane Business Model Competition Semifinal Round, $1,666.67 (2019) Final Round, 3rd Place, $10,000 (2019) • App available in Apple iOS app store (2018) • Hawkeye Pitch Off in Chicago, 3rd Place, $1,000 (2018) • International Business Model Compeition, Semifinalist (2018) • Pappajohn Student Entrepreneurial Venture Competition, Top Statewide Prize, $5,000 (2018) • Participated in TechStars Chicago 12-week Accelerator (2018) • Iowa JPEC Rose Francis Elevator Pitch Competition, 1st Place, $11,000 (2017) • Iowa JPEC Business Model Competition, 1st Place, Day 2, $11,000 (2017)
Find out more: speeko.co
19 FEATURED STUDENT ENTREPRENEURS
Co-founders of Students care A Founders Club Student Business
Peter Easler Business Analytics and Finance ‘20 left) Michael Penniman Finance ‘20 (center) Jacob NewComb Accounting ‘20 (right)
Students Care is a non-profit organization with the mission of improving the college experience for students with disabilities by facilitating reliable student to student care, and by building relationships between students and clients that support integration into the college community. Students Care currently works with six students with disabilities in the Iowa City area and has provided employment and volunteer opportunities for over 50 University of Iowa Students. Recent Accomplishments
• Recently expanded to offer services at Iowa State University (2019) • Iowa JPEC Business Model Competition 3rd Place, Day 2, $2,500 (2019) 3rd Place, Day 2, $3,000 (2018) • Iowa JPEC Rose Francis Elevator Pitch Competition, 2nd Place, Day 2, $5,000 (2018)
Find out more: collegestudentscare.org
20 FEATURED STUDENT ENTREPRENEUR
Founder of Tiny baker A Founders Club Student Business
Brendan McCormick Entrepreneurial Management and Marketing ‘19
Tiny Baker creates single-serving muffin mixes that can be made in under a minute. All you have to do is dump the mix in a mug, add 2 tablespoons of water, microwave for 40 seconds, and you have a sweet eat that can be enjoyed for a quick breakfast, snack, or late-night treat! Not only is it like magic watching the mix change from powder to batter to a warm, delicious muffin almost instantly, but TB the tiny dinosaur and his huge personality bring endless amounts of fun to your day. Whether it’s jamming his heart out to his favorite song (Tiny Dancer, of course) or surfing on a bar of soap to clean up, TB is always trying to make your day a little better, one snack or story at a time. Recent Accomplishments
• Product and online marketplace launched in May 2019 • Iowa JPEC Business Model Competition 1st Place, Day 1, $2,500 (2019) 2nd Place, Day 2, $5,000 (2019) • Iowa JPEC Rose Francis Elevator Pitch Competition, 2nd Place, Day 1, $1,000 (2018)
Find out more: tinybaker.net
21 FEATURED STUDENT ENTREPRENEUR
Founder of VERDILIFE A Founders Club Student Business
Mahdi Eghbali Ph.D Economics ‘21
VerdiLife strives to make the Earth a healthier planet by replacing harmful agro-chemicals with all-natural solutions. They produce “wood vinegar”, a 100% organic fertilizer and pesticide, from wood-waste via a unique environmentally-friendly technology with no emissions and zero pollution. The business model includes both social and environmental impacts by improving the wood-waste management industry and reducing the chemical fertilizers and pesticides usage. Recent Accomplishments
• Iowa JPEC Business Model Competition, 1st Place, Day 2, $10,000 (2019) • Iowa JPEC Founder’s Club Fair, 1st Place, Highest Growth Potential, $2,000 (2019) • Stu Clark Investment Competition, People’s Choice for Logo Competition (2019) • University of Iowa’s Student Startup of the Year (2019) • Univeristy of Tennessee Chattanooga Southeast Entrepreneurship Conferenc, 2nd Place, $1,000 (2019) • Venture School Launch Day, $1,000 (2019) • Hawkeye Pitch Off in Chicago, 1st Place, $2,500 (2018) • International Business Model Compeition, Semifinalist (2018) • Iowa JPEC Student Accelerator Final Pitches 1st Place, $2,500 (2018) People’s Choice, $500 (2018) • MegaWatt Venture Competition, 1st Place, $50,000 (2018) • Pappajohn Student Entrepreneurial Venture Competition, Top Statewide Prize, $5,000 (2018)
Find out more: verdilife.com
22 FEATURED STUDENT ENTREPRENEURS
Co-founders of wANDERLUST WRAPS A Founders Club Student Business
Kennedy Voss Enterprise Leadership ‘19 (left) Taylor Williams Communication Studies ‘19 (right)
Wanderlust Wraps are boho style headbands that are proudly handmade in the USA. The soft, four way stretch material allows for a non slip and comfortable accessory to wear on the go, on the town, or at the gym! Uniquely designed for any individual with a passion for exploration and strong desire to travel. Wanderlust Wraps have sold over 2,000 wraps in their short amount of time in busniess. Recent Accomplishments
• Accepted into Hawkeye Startup Accelerator Program (2019) • Iowa JPEC Business Model Competition, 3rd Place, Day 2, $2,500 (2018)
Find out more: wanderlustwrapsusa.com
23 Meet the University of Iowa’s 10 Most Influential Trailblazers
January 9, 2019 // by Lily Friedman
College Magazine Blazing a trail for a world full of positive change, the University of Iowa’s most influential students embody everything it means to be an inspiring pioneer. Only the most hardworking and unconventional students have a spot on College Magazine’s list. From overcoming deafness to building satellites with NASA, these students will walk down the graduation stage with the most impressive achievements under their belt.
Hannah Gulick, Designer of Numerous Space Satellites
KEEP READING TO SEE EXACTLY WHAT IT IS THESE DISTINGUISHED STUDENTS DO TO REPRESENT THE UNIVERSITY OF IOWA IN THE BRIGHTEST LIGHT:
1. JACOB NEWCOMB, FOUNDER OF STUDENTS CARE After hearing from a friend about a quadriplegic student receiving insufficient care from caregivers, Jacob Newcomb founded the student-run nonprofit, Students Care, to help aid others with disabilities. For only being 20 years old, Newcomb’s intent behind the organization is
24 extremely sophisticated– to provide reliable and professional care to students at the University. He also wants to create better awareness for people with disabilities. If starting the nonprofit organization isn’t enough, Student Care now has an app registered with the UI Founder’s club. After winning awards at two university business competitions and missioning to help others, Newcomb is truly an admirable student.
2. HANNAH GULICK, DESIGNER OF NUMEROUS SPACE SATELLITES
Junior Hannah Gulick may have one of the most impressive and surprising résumés of all University of Iowa’s students. With an interest in astrophysics, she’s already worked on two satellite projects during her college career. The first satellite named, HERCI, was launched on Jan. 11 and sent to space by the Indian Space Research Organization on a rocket. She’s also worked on a University of Iowa collaboration with NASA on HaloSat, helping to build an instrument for coded data analysis. But that’s not all, Gulick is majoring in science and creative writing, two completely different genres of work. She also was the first American to ever attend a four-day rocket campaign program in Norway. Gulick stands to influence students that it’s okay to pursue all your interests and that you don’t have to feel confined to a box. You can do whatever you like, even if they are on two complete ends of a spectrum.
3. HIRA MUSTAFA, STUDENT BODY PRESIDENT
When Hira Mustafa decided to run for University of Iowa’s Student Government election in 2018 as a presidential candidate, she created the SURGE party, the name standing for ‘serving undergraduates through representation, growth and empowerment.’ What makes Mustafa an influential student beyond her striking accomplishments? Something very near and dear to her heart– diverse representation. “I made sure to include students on my team that represented communities whose concerns were not adequately being advocated for. As the first woman of color to lead UISG in over two decades, I bring a unique perspective to the role of student body president in that I am able to bring forth concerns and ideas specific to marginalized identities through my experience and involvement in those communities,” said Mustafa. Prior to coming to Iowa, she also set out to improve sexual violence education for students and even joined the UISG as a Health and Safety Liaison amongst other dedications. “I’d love to represent groups that need their voices heard and continue to advocate for the needs of marginalized identities,” said Mustafa. In her future out of college, Mustafa hopes to lead, inspire and motivate young people to contribute to the change they wish to see in the world.
4. HUNTER ORTHMANN, OVERCAME DEAFNESS
Imagine being born with a rare form of deafness. Well, for the first years of life this was Hunter Orthmann’s reality. After being told by doctors he wouldn’t be able to attend public school, Orthmann received cochlear implants. This was a new creation that many doctors did not think would work but they turned out effective in helping him hear sound. Now Orthmann attends the University of Iowa as a thriving student with an ambition to become a physical therapist for others with similar struggles. If attending Iowa weren’t enough of a miracle, Orthmann has a musical career outside his academics. He’s not only a trumpet player in the Hawkeye Marching Band, but he’s also the recipient of the prestigious Graeme Clark Scholarship from Cochlear
25 America. Orthmann’s aspirations and inspiring story teaches young people they can overcome the toughest obstacles, things they have been born with, and even deafness.
5. PATRICK HAGAN, CO-FOUNDER OF FOUNDRY IRL
Through an idea brought to the Founders Club, the Foundry IRL budded into reality here at the University of Iowa. Foundry IRL is an undergraduate student-run retail space which features eight different student’s companies, including Patrick Hagan’s streetwear-inspired fashion from Almyghty. The Iowa River Landing retail space is located in Coralville and offers products ranging from apparel to interior-design items, and even a phone repair business. Foundry IRL’s overall goal is to create a place for student entrepreneurs to gain experience growing a business and managing retail. Hagan’s work with Foundry IRL inspires students to follow through with their ambitions and never shy away from new experiences and opportunities. What began as a small idea has turned into a major project with many students involved.
6. ANDREW CROWLEY, PRESIDENT OF THE UI TRANS ALLIANCE
As a current sophomore at Iowa, Andrew Crowley uses his position as President of the UI Trans Alliance to share his experiences as a trans individual. Crowley leverages his position to educate others by building a welcoming community for everyone on campus. One of his greatest accomplishments is the inclusivity created on campus through organizing events for the Trans Week of Action, creating awareness and engaging events that encompass all on campus. Aside from the weeks of work put into the Trans Week of Action, the Trans Alliance also holds public panels and many other events on the University of Iowa’s campus. Crowley’s work at the University creates a space where all feel welcome, heard and understood.
7. BRIAN LEAL, RECIPIENT OF THE 2017 ‘MEET THE CHALLENGE AWARDS’ IN STRETCH
With a goal to recognize undergraduate students who exemplify The IOWA Challenge’s values and engagement within the community. The ‘Stretch’ award is granted to a person who respects different beliefs and perspectives, is open to challenging personal viewpoints and actively seeks out ways to meet people different from themselves. As a first-generation college student, Brian Leal shares his lessons with peers and those he mentors through the University of Iowa Center for Diversity and Enrichment as well as various other outlets. Leal serves as a role model for incoming freshman and historically marginalized students on campus. Each day he connects with students and shows them the resources available on campus. From 2016 through 2017 Leal was also the University of Iowa’s Diversity and Inclusion Director. Here he organized cultural humility workshops, collaborated with University governing bodies to improve student experiences and more.
8. ISABEL REED, CEO OF COMIGO (FORMERLY CO-FUND IT)
Founded in 2017, Isabel Reed spotted an opportunity to make entrepreneurial networking more accessible and comfortable for young adults and college students. She believed in the power of peer-to-peer support and created what began as her student-run startup, pitching her idea for the app in the Ideastorm competition on campus. After struggling with some logistics behind Co- Found It, Reed teamed up with others on campus to create the website of Comigo.co online, which shared the same vision. “I am head-over-heels working for Comigo. I believe in it so much,
26 and it has made my time in college so much more exciting and enriching. At the end of the day, I want to continue studying what makes the happiest, healthiest communities, and then implement that knowledge on every level I can,” said Reed. After receiving attention from numerous entrepreneurial groups on campus, the venture now provides networking resources for students looking to make connections for passion projects. What advice does this ambitious and successful entrepreneur have for other students? “You don’t have to know everything at the very start. But starting is the important part since a lot of amazing ideas get stuck there – as an idea,” said Reed. “Take one step forward, then another, and before you know it you’ll realize you’re running. Even if your startup doesn’t take off the way you’d expected, you’ll be all the more prepared for your next big idea.” So the next time you feel like taking a five-hour Netflix “break” after a rough ten minutes of work, remember that this idea–no matter how big or small–will help you move forward once completed (and then you can watch all the sitcoms Netflix has to offer).
9. EDEN DEWALD, ENVIRONMENTAL ACTIVIST
As Eco Hawks intern of three years, Eden Dewald makes environmental strides every day. She studies environmental policy and planning with a certificate in sustainability and hopes to change the world for the better. In addition to her internship, Dewald’s impressive resume consists of serving the University of Iowa Environmental Coalition for four years as an executive and co-president. She’s also the director of Sustainability of UIowa’s Student Government and on the board of the Iowa Climate Action Steering Committee, dedicating time to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. “The first thing that sparked my passion was recognizing the lack of education and information directly provided to young people. In my K-12 school district, we weren’t taught anything about environmentalism. Even if a student goes onto a bigger university or college, they may only learn that information if they take specific classes that integrates that information,” said Dewald. Between all of her positions Dewald has evaluated tactical solutions to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, managed and distributed the Green Initiatives Fund, developed the Student Day at the Farmer’s Market, created an in-dorm composting program and more. “I would love to pursue working with sustainability in any capacity. Right now, I am particularly interested in business. I currently work at a local restaurant in Iowa City and everything we hand out through the front of house is completely compostable, the plastic cups and utensils. Seeing the little change this local business made informs people, engages people, and they’re learning even though they didn’t expect to learn when going to eat,” said Dewald. Information is out there folks; all you need to do is take the first bite.
10. NATE ROBINSON, RECIPIENT OF THE 2017 ‘MEET THE CHALLENGE AWARDS’ IN SERVE
Created in collaboration by the Division of Student Life and the Office of the Provost, the ‘Serve’ award’s intention is to recognize an Iowa undergraduate that contributes to the community in empowering ways. This person shares their Hawkeye pride, makes service a natural part of life and leads by example with every day. Nate Robinson was recognized for making a positive impact from the moment he stepped foot on campus. He was involved in the Hubbard group, a Black Male Scholars program, in which he created a safe space for African–American men on campus to share ideas, challenges and insights amongst one another. Beyond volunteering at
27 local shelters, Robinson also worked at the local elementary school and focused on mentoring young boys into a healthy manhood. Robinson embodies everything it means to be an influential Hawkeye by serving and making a positive impact within the community and in other student’s lives.
28 University of Iowa student launches her own company after a tragic car accident
POSTED 6:21 PM, JANUARY 10, 2019, BY MARISSA SULEK, UPDATED AT 08:50AM, JANUARY 11, 2019, WQAD8 IOWA CITY, Iowa – A University of Iowa student is defying the odds after she lost part of her left in a car crash in May 2018.
Just eight months ago, Erica Cole’s life changed in a blink of an eye.
“I was T-boned, and my left leg was crushed so badly that it was beyond saving,” Cole explains.
But, she wasn’t upset about losing part of her left leg.
“The first time I cried about my leg was when I got my prosthetic, because I thought it was going to be a lot easier to walk on a prosthetic than it actually is,” says Cole.
Now, she’s decided to make the most of her struggle.
“People are going to look at it, so why not make it something cool,” Cole comments.
Her company is called “No Limbits” where she makes 3-D print prosthetic covers for amputees. With fashionable designs, she wants amputees to be proud of how far they’ve come.
“I used to make stained glass, so that’s where I got the idea to make a stained glass looking cover,” remembers Cole.
And the design is simple, it just Velcro’s right over the prosthetic leg.
“The amount of time and energy and dedication she has put into her idea, to see a student business grow that much in just a couple months really is very impressive,” says Kristen Tobert, a Communications Specialist at John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center at the University of Iowa – also one of Cole’s mentors.
Since she has started her company, Cole has seen a difference on Iowa’s campus.
29 “I noticed it started changing the conversation,” says Cole. “It went from ‘what happened to you?’ to ‘Oh my gosh, that’s really cool’.”
Something really cool that wouldn’t have been an idea just eight months ago.
“It’s kind of like a pair of glasses like you need them, but they can be fashionable as well,” says Cole.
Cole graduates in May and plans to grow her business after graduation.
She now has 50 pre-orders she is working on before her website launches in April.
30 UI grads invent first autonomous training device for football receivers An idea that began at the University of Iowa by students has come full circle. The Seeker, developed and engineered by UI grads, is being backed and used by the Iowa Hawkeyes football team.
The Daily Iowan
Kinsey Phipps, News Reporter January 14, 2019 Filed under Campus, Featured, News
Nate Pierotti was a third-year engineering student at the University of Iowa when he told friends Connor Early and Sawyer Theisen about an idea to revolutionize the sport of football around the country. At that time, Pierotti said, the Seeker was born.
The Seeker is a robot that throws footballs to receivers autonomously. The machine allows players to practice independently and allows coaches to track work ethic by getting data on what time of day the player practiced, how the number of repetitions, and how quickly they were completed.
31 “We did research to find out if something like this has been done before,” Pierotti said. “The closest machine being used is 45 years old with a patent that expired over 20 years ago. There is so much room for improvement. We moved forward knowing there was a large gap in technology and realizing we could fill that gap.”
Pierotti and Early met in a UI engineering course. Lab partners became business partners when Pierotti shared his vision of the Seeker.
“If I hadn’t been at the UI, I wouldn’t have met Nate or been part of this company,” Early said. “There were a lot of projects we worked on in school that helped us communicate and work together.”
From there, Pierotti reached out to Ben Hansen, assistant director of football operations for the Hawkeyes. Hansen hooked up Pierotti with the rest of the coaching staff to pitch the idea.
The Hawkeye coaches were more than pleased, Pierotti said, and he was assured that if and when the product came to life, Iowa football would back it up.
“We wouldn’t be where we are today without the UI football staff,” Theisen said. “They’ve been invaluable to our progress. On top of their support, they are some of our biggest proponents.”
The company behind the Seeker, Monarc, solidified upon Pierotti’s and Early’s graduation in 2016. Pierotti took over as CEO, and Early became the software engineer. Two Northwestern graduates, Igor Karlicic and Bhargav Maganti, are co-founders and mechanical engineers for Monarc. A little over a year ago, Theisen joined the team as director of sales and marketing.
Production for the Seeker finished last fall. Now, the team is working on getting the word out to other programs around the country, Pierotti said.
Monarc is going to different football programs to demonstrate the Seeker in action, Theisen said, because many coaches believe it’s simply too good to be true.
Iowa football continues to support Monarc. It has opened facilities, coaches, and players to aid testing and developing the Seeker, Pierotti said. Now that the product is complete, the Hawkeyes are eager to put the product to use and spread the word about the company, he said.
“We owe a lot to Iowa football,” Pierotti said. “We have met friends in the program that I think we will have forever. It’s not that they just want their team to be successful, but they want to see us succeed as well.”
In the future, Monarc hopes to extend past the football world to create machines for numerous sports. Allowing individuals to grow and coaches to truly know their players is the long-term goal, Pierotti said.
“Our team works very well together,” he said. “We don’t have any current plans to expand, but we know that it would be great to have an additional engineer or salesman. Right now, we are just trying to stay focused and take that first step in getting [the Seeker] out there.”
32 University of Iowa student goes from trauma into artful prosthetic covers Posted: Thu 10:22 PM, Jan 17, 2019 | Updated: Thu 11:27 PM, Jan 17, 2019
IOWA CITY, Iowa (KCRG) - A University of Iowa student is making the most of a traumatic experience by starting her own business.
Erica Cole lost one of her legs in a car crash last May. She said insurance would only pay for a basic prosthetic leg attached to a flesh-looking foot. That's when she got the idea to make something to go over it, constructing a stained-glass cover. She compares the designs to something like wearing a stylish pair of glasses.
"You have to wear them, but they can be stylish as well," said Cole. "So I made a cover and it looks like stained glass. I noticed that, for me, it changed the conversation of what happened to you to, 'Oh my gosh,' to "That's really cool and I love your style.'
Cole said she made her own by heating up a sheet of acrylic then drawing over it with a sharpie. Later, she wanted other people with prosthetics to be able to do the same. She pitched the plan to the Iowa City Area Development's "Idea Storm."
People at ICAD say they were in awe and wanted her on board.
33 "Iowa has been losing our best and brightest people for 30 something years. One way to turn that around is to build a stronger entrepreneurial ecosystem and helping them achieve their dreams here in Iowa," said Mark Nolte of ICAD. "That's what we want to do. That's why we built MERGE to support young people so they don't leave our state."
Erica Cole's "No Limbits" designs now involve 3D printing with measurements of a person's leg and then mimicking it for the other. People can choose their own custom designs and colors. If you'd like to take a look at her website, click here.
34 UI student amputee creates business for prosthetic limb covers by Gabriela Vidal | Sunday, January 20th 2019 |FOX
IOWA CITY, Iowa (CBS2/ FOX 28) — There are over two million amputees in the United States. Just seven months after becoming an amputee herself, University of Iowa Senior Erica Cole is turning her experience into a life-changing opportunity to help others like her.
"I thought I was a goner, I thought that was it for me," said 22-year-old Cole, recalling her car accident in Colorado last May.
"Everything's a little bit different now," she said. "I learned I lost my leg, and I was like, 'that's what happened, but we're going to keep moving forward.' And that's kind of been my attitude towards the whole thing."
At times, it was hard keeping her spirits up knowing other people may now look at her differently.
"The first time I cried about losing my leg was when I got my first prosthetic.," said Cole. "I didn't have any actual say over what it actually looked like That feeling of not having control over that really bothered me."
Cole decided to design a 3D-printed stain-glass prosthetic limb cover to wear over her prosthetic and win back control over her disability.
"[One time] a lady came up to me in the mall and she's like, that is a gorgeous piece you have on, I love that. And then we got to talking about it and she was like, 'I didn't even realize that you had a prosthetic limb. I thought that was just a fashion statement'," said Cole. "that makes me feel really good."
Now, Cole is working to bring this product to other amputees through a business she created with the help of the John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Program at the university.
"[It's called] no Limbits," she said.
Since launching her idea, she has won over $14,000 dollars in pitch competitions and is already creating more prototypes of the leg covers.
"We have a lot of interest already, and it's really exciting," she said.
Through the use of 3D printing technology, she hopes to make these products accessible to many amputees in need.
"Other covers on the market are starting, usually around $600 to 800 dollars. Our goal is between $150 and 200," she said.
Cole said she hopes this leg cover will help amputees see the beauty how much they have overcome.
"I really want people to be proud of showing off their leg," said Cole.
35 Cole said No Limbits plans to have a kick starter page set up in March to help raise more money for start up fees. More information on No Limbits can be found on their website.
36 5/21/2019 Garik Himebaugh | John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center
Search this site Search (https://uiowa.edu)
GARIK HIMEBAUGH FOUNDERS CLUB STUDENT BUSINESS
Garik Himebaugh (MBA, Marketing, 2018) is making moves in the clothing industry through Eco-Stylist--a business introducing sustainable and stylish clothing practices to menswear.
When you find your passion, pursue it.
That's what Himebaugh (High-mm-baa) did when he discovered the fashion industry is not as eco- friendly as he thought. Like others, he used to shop at stores like H&M, later finding out that they pay clothing makers minimum wage in countries like Bangladesh. In Bangladesh, the minimum wage is only about one third of a livable wage. Himebaugh also uncovered that 80% of factories around the world dump toxic wastewater straight into rivers without treating it. The problem? This
https://www.iowajpec.org/stories/garik-himebaugh 37 5/21/2019 Garik Himebaugh | John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center dumping creates literal dead zones, leaving rivers without fish and millions of people who live along these rivers in Indonesia, Bangladesh, and China poisoned from drinking or bathing in the water.
This is when Himebaugh's passion was ignited. He learned there are socially responsible clothing brands who make sustainable products, pay workers livable wages, and recycle their wastewater. These are brands Himebaugh wanted to support. That's when he decided to challenge himself to put together outfits that not only look great, but use ethical and sustainable brands to help other men care about what they are wearing and the impact their brands have on the world. And thus, Eco-Stylist was established. Founded in 2018, Eco-Stylist strives to create a world where all clothing shopping is sustainable. Through ethical menswear, they aim to promote human rights and environmental sustainability.
Eco-Stylist researches all the brands it endorses through its online presence, rating their ethical and eco-conscious practices. All brands they endorse are stylish, eco-friendly and fair for people, with many items also being vegan. Eco-Stylist is committed to raising the bar on what it means to be an ethical business in the world of menswear.
Do it, get involved
Before Himebaugh set foot on Iowa's campus, he knew he wanted to start a business and be a part of Founders Club. Moving from Pittsburgh to Iowa City, his number one criteria for a business school was the ability to also have access to entrepreneurial training and resources. After being on campus and joining the Founders Club, Eco-Stylist began to come to life.
The Iowa JPEC Founders Club program is available to all UI students. The business program connects students with the resources and training they need to launch their idea into a startup, and grow it into a sustainable business. Through Founders Club, Himebaugh has connected with other students who soon joined his team. He has also been sponsored by Iowa JPEC to compete in pitch competitions across the U.S.
"All of these opportunities have grown my network, helped me refine my message, and have many opportunities to raise money which is important for an early startup. I’ve also made friends along the way with other entrepreneurs, which is helpful both from a business and a personal perspective. Starting a business can be a very lonely road and knowing people who can relate to your struggle makes all the difference," Himebaugh said.
Position yourself for success
By teaming up with bloggers, networking with influencers, and guest appearances on successful podcasts, Eco-Stylist has been receiving some well-deserved recognition for their business. With this recognition, Eco-Stylist is trying to spread more awareness about sustainable clothing and
https://www.iowajpec.org/stories/garik-himebaugh 38 5/21/2019 Garik Himebaugh | John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center offer a solution with their fashion-forward curated shop. Looking forward, Himebaugh looks to continue sharing the mission driving Eco-Stylist—and hopes to become the go-to marketplace for ethically-made menswear.
"Looking into this year and the future, I plan to make the company a B Corporation, finalize a partnership we’ve been working on with a big ethical fashion organization, and launch a few surprise projects," Himebaugh said.
We are all looking forward to seeing what kind of impact this business is sure to have.
Bet on yourself
Himebaugh encourages other UI students to start their business, pursue an idea, or just get involved with Founders Club. "I’ve met some great founders in the club who weren’t originally interested in entrepreneurship or business because they didn’t believe it was for them. The messages we see sometimes tell us that entrepreneurship is for people who look a certain way or study a certain major. These founders almost didn’t join Founders Club at all, and yet today they are making big waves with their startups. My advice to anyone interested is that if you want to start something, to build a dream or a vision, join and see what happens. It’s a welcoming community where you can try it out to see if it’s a good fit,” he stated.
Eco-Stylist was recently awarded the Best Lifestyle Company Award and $2,000 by Iowa JPEC at the Founders Club Fair on April 5, 2019.
Himebaugh recently appeared on the Conscious Chatter (https://consciouschatter.com/) podcast, speaking about Eco-Stylist and sustainable clothing. Click below to listen!
Listen to podcast interview here (https://consciouschatter.com/podcast/2019/3/26/s03- episode-156-can-sustainable-be-dapper-menswear)
Visit Eco-Stylist (https://www.eco-stylist.com/)
https://www.iowajpec.org/stories/garik-himebaugh 39 UI student creates prosthetic limb covers Erica Cole created a business to provide amputees with prosthetic covers after losing her own leg in a car accident in May.
The Daily Iowan
Caleb McCullough, News Reporter January 18, 2019 Filed under Campus, Featured, Latest News, News
University of Iowa senior Erica Cole has managed to turn a tragedy into a triumph — and an exciting new business venture.
Cole lost a leg in a car accident in May 2018, and she began using a prosthetic leg in September. Since then, working with the Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center, she has started a business called No Limbits to provide prosthetic covers to fellow amputees.
“When I got my prosthetic, I was really excited to get back to normal life,” Cole said.
40 However, she said, people treated her differently when they noticed she had a prosthetic leg, and it was difficult for her healing process.
“I was getting a lot of sympathy and a lot of questions that I didn’t want to answer every day, because it kind of pulls you back into that moment,” she said.
So she decided to use her experience in costume design to find a solution to her problem. Using thermoplastics, she made a mold around her remaining leg that she used as a cover for her prosthetic.
The cover is designed to look like a normal leg under clothes, but Cole decided to use her cover as a fashion piece. Her prosthetic cover is dotted with colored geometric shapes, designed to look like a stained-glass window.
“I was like, ‘Well, people are looking at it, so I might as well give them something to look at,’ ” she said.
Cole was inspired to take her idea further after talking with other amputees and seeing that there was a desire for this kind of product. She entered the Entrepreneurial Center’s IdeaStorm competition in October 2018 to pitch her idea.
IdeaStorm takes place every semester; in it, students can pitch business ideas and compete for cash prizes. The event is split up into four categories, each focusing on different types of pitches.
Cole was awarded first place in the “Consumer Solutions” category, winning her $500 to put toward her business.
She began to grab the attention of Entrepreneurial Center officials after her IdeaStorm pitch. Center Director Lynn Allendorf was impressed by Cole’s idea and invited her to join the Founders Club after seeing her pitch.
“I was just blown away that she’d had this horrific accident and so quickly had been able to turn it into a real positive,” Allendorf said.
From there, Cole got more involved with the center’s competitions, competing in the Iowa Startup Games in October as well. Cole’s team won first place and $1,000 in seed money.
In November, Cole won first place at the Rose Francis Elevator Pitch Competition, which included $12,500 in prize money over the two-day event.
Cole, a chemistry major, didn’t have any business experience before starting No Limbits. She said the Entrepreneurial Center and the Founders Club were instrumental in giving her the knowledge to run her business.
Entrepreneurial Center lecturer Kimm Harris, who worked with Cole to start her business, said one of the center’s major goals of is to reach out to students all over campus, not just business majors.
“People have ideas everywhere. They’re not just in business peoples’ minds,” Harris said. “A lot of the really great ideas come from people who have experiences like Erica.”
41 Cole is currently taking orders and working on prototypes for No Limbits. She plans to launch a project on Kickstarter, a global crowdfunding platform for creative projects, in March.
Before starting No Limbits, she said, she was planning on attending graduate school. Now, she’s not so sure.
“I really want to see where this goes, and I think I have an opportunity to help people from a unique position that not a lot of people find themselves in,” she said. “I’d kind of like to explore that a little bit.”
42 Jake Slobe January 22, 2019 News, Tech Clay & Milk Speeko is using technology to create better public speakers
Nico Aguilar still remembers his unsuccessful attempt to give a speech in his University of Iowa rhetoric class.
“I had a full-on anxiety attack in front of my entire class and it’s taken me a lot to come back from that,” Aguilar said. “It’s something I’ve always struggled with, my anxiety and confidence with public speaking.”
That moment served as a catalyst to improve his communication skills. Aguilar worked with a public speaking coach, recorded himself and read about how to improve his speaking skill in books and online and was able to slowly get better and better.
“That journey of improving changed my life and is the spark behind starting Speeko,” Aguilar said. “We want to bring this same breakthrough to a lot more people and we think technology is a way to do that.”
43 Speeko uses artificial intelligence and automated speech recognition to listen to how you speak, measuring a variety of metrics including words used, the pacing, all these different factors to see if you sound professional. The app then gives you coaching specifically tailored to how you can best improve your speaking skills.
In 2017, Speeko participated in the University of Iowa’s two main competitions—the Rose Francis Elevator Pitch Competition and Business Model Competition—and won both of them. Winning the Business Model Competition advanced them to the 2018 International Business Model Competition, where they placed as semifinalists.
Last year, Speeko was one of ten companies accepted into the TechstarsChicago Class of 2018. Upon being accepted into the three-month program, the company was provided $120,000 in funding and direct access to a mentor network made up of Chicago tech investors, executives and entrepreneurs.
“TechStars really helped us connect with a lot of founders and folks in the midwest startup ecosystem,” Aguilar said. “It just accelerated what we were able to do in a set period of time. The built-in mentorship and networks through TechStars hav proven to be really helpful and resourceful for us.”
The launch of the Speeko app was announced at TechStars Demo Day on October 4. The app offers a free tier for users and a paid subscription tier that provides more advanced analytics.
“We think of communication as the next frontier in human productivity and corporate wellness,” Aguilar said. “We want to see people improve their ability to communicate and think there’s a big wellness component in what we’re doing with Speeko.”
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UI students develop app to improve public speaking—without imagining the audience in their underwear
BY: TOM SNEE | 2019.01.23 | 08:44 AM A case of the nerves is normal when students give class presentations. Nico Aguilar did that one better when he was a University of Iowa student.
“I had a full-on anxiety attack in front of my entire rhetoric class,” remembers Aguilar, a 2014 UI graduate from Solon, Iowa. “My palms were sweaty, my breath stopped. My mind just went blank, and I totally botched my presentation.”
But from that disaster came Nico Aguilar and Anthony Pham. Photo by Tim Schoon. something valuable. It helped Aguilar and current UI student Anthony Pham form the idea for Speeko, a voice analytics company that uses artificial intelligence to help people avoid embarrassing public speaking experiences by measuring and improving their verbal communication skills. As a team, the two have pitched their way to start-up success at a number of university and international entrepreneurial competitions.
Speeko’s team of developers and data scientists built machine-learning algorithms to identify the vocal patterns of both superior and poor communicators. The algorithms are based on thousands of speech recordings and are grounded in years of academic research on effective communication practices. Speeko is available through a mobile app, where
45 users record themselves and get instant feedback on characteristics such as pace, pausing, intonation, and eloquence.
The app flags weak spots and also provides lessons on how to improve. It might tell the user to stop using filler words such as “like” and “y’know,” or to reduce uptalk at the end of a sentence. That makes it as much a coach as a critic.
“Speaking to other people is such an important part of our lives, but so few of us get any feedback about it,” says Aguilar, who used a speech coach after his rhetoric class meltdown, an experience that inspired the Speeko algorithm.
Aguilar met Pham, who is from Davenport, Iowa, in class when they were undergraduate physiology majors at UI, and both graduated with Bachelor of Science degrees in 2011. They became friends while working on group projects and later collaborated on other start-up ventures while contributing to a National Institutes of Health-funded research project that measured communication patterns in medical settings. Both were graduate students at the time, studying in the College of Public Health. Aguilar received his Master’s in Public Health (MPH) and Master in Health Administration in 2014, whereas Pham is expected to graduate with an MPH in 2019. Pham also received his MD from the Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine in 2016.
Self-described technology junkies, the pair were avid users of mobile apps that help people improve a variety of skills, from learning new languages to tracking exercise to meditating—products that “are like having a coach in your pocket,” says Pham, who’s also struggled with public speaking.
“We were seeing this happen in other industries, and we thought, ‘Why aren’t we leveraging the incredible advances in technology to improve communication coaching?’” says Pham.
Merging these experiences and ideas, Pham and Aguilar worked on Speeko nights and weekends while pursuing their respective graduate studies. They connected with the UI John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center (JPEC) and participated in numerous events, winning the Rose Francis Elevator Pitch Competition and JPEC Business Model Competition in 2017. The latter propelled them to the 2018 International Business Model Competition, where they were semifinalists.
46 Most recently, the Speeko team was selected by Techstars, a global start-up accelerator, to be part of its 2018 Chicago cohort. Only 10 companies from more than 2,200 applications were chosen for the three-month program that ran from July through October 2018. Techstars provided the teams with workspace and direct access to a mentor network of Midwest tech investors, executives, and founders.
The Speeko app went on sale in the Apple iOS App Store in fall 2018 for a monthly subscription. It already has at least one happy customer, Obi Omile, an entrepreneur who is part of Techstars. Omile downloaded the app in September, all the while thinking his public speaking skills were adequate and that he didn’t need help from an algorithm. He decided to give it a try anyway, to see how it worked.
“After I started playing around with it, I found it very useful,” he says. He realized he talked too fast when he gave presentations, and his words ran together. Speeko’s digital lessons and skill games helped him not only identify his trouble areas, but also fix them.
“It especially helped to improve my diction, enunciation, and intonation by isolating those parts of my speech so I can work to improve them,” Omile says. It’s already paid off with improved presentations to potential investors in his business, he says.
Speeko is currently co-headquartered in two cities. While Aguilar is now based in Chicago and works full-time on Speeko, Pham is finishing both his Master of Public Health degree in occupational and environmental health and his medical residency training at the UI Hospitals & Clinics.
“Improving people’s communication skills is how we want to improve people’s lives,” Pham says. “The ability to communicate effectively contributes to your personal and professional success and well-being.”
The pair also encourages aspiring UI entrepreneurs to take advantage of the vast resources offered by the university.
“JPEC will connect you to a strong local network of entrepreneurs and mentors,” Pham says. “That’s how we got our start. It may take you out of your comfort zone to present your ideas to new people. Taking that first step is the only way you can learn, and it will make all the difference in turning your ideas into reality.”
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Hometown Hawkeyes About Advocate Take Action
Home / Hometown Hawkeyes Amanda Gustafson and Aunica Harvey
Waukee, IA
By planting the foundation for their business through their involvement with the University of Iowa’s John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center (Iowa JPEC), Amanda Gustafson and Aunica Harvey followed their passion and opened Premiere Dance Project in June 2018, just a month after they graduated.
Located in Waukee, Iowa, the dance company takes pride in nurturing relationships between instructors and members by hosting competitive and recreational dancers. The studio offers classes for students eighteen months and up in ballet, tap, jazz, acro, hip hop, lyrical, contemporary, pointe and modern dance. Premiere also uniquely offers personal dance training classes, infusing traditional dance training with athletic training principles.
Both Iowa natives, Gustafson earned Bachelor of Arts degrees in dance and entrepreneurial management in 2018 and grew up in Elk Horn, while Harvey earned Bachelor of Arts degrees in dance and business administration in 2018 and is from Corning.
“We have been dancing our whole lives and have never imagined ourselves doing anything different so it felt right to create this business together,” Gustafson and Harvey say.
48 While attending UI, both Gustafson and Harvey got connected with Iowa JPEC’s Founders Club, a student business incubator open to all UI students. The program allowed the duo to tap into resources that helped them launch their business including access to seed funding, co-working space, and even setting them up with a successful professional mentor. Harvey had heard about this club from one of her instructors at the time, and the two decided they had nothing to lose and would pursue bringing their studio idea to life.
“The most valuable thing that the Founders Club gave us was our mentor, Leslie Nolte. She was always there to answer our millions of questions and provide us with feedback on our ideas,” Gustafson says.
Nolte, a fellow UI grad, is the founder and artistic director of the Coralville-based Nolte Academy, an innovative dance school and performing arts preschool.
It wasn’t long after joining the Founders Club that Premiere Dance Project was named one of the UI’s Student Startups of the Year in 2018. This award annually honors two deserving UI student startups for their outstanding passion, devotion, and success with their startup.
The co-founders were also finalists in the statewide Pappajohn Student Venture Competition, and placed in the Iowa JPEC spring 2018 Business Model competition. They used their seed funding from these competitions to grow their marketing efforts and engage more with the community around them.
“Iowa JPEC has given us the opportunity and resources to meet so many people and hear their ideas. From all of the events we participated in and the mentorship that we received, we were able to be fully prepared by the time that we opened our doors on June 3 of 2018,” Harvey says.
Outreach Governmental Relations President's Office University of Iowa
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BRANDON CAMPBELL UI ALUM, ENTREPRENEUR
Campbell always knew he had the entrepreneur spirit, so it was only a matter of time before he got involved with Iowa JPEC while on campus. Since graduating, Campbell has started several businesses within the fashion and entertainment world.
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50 Brandon Campbell uses his entrepreneurial skills he gained as a student at UI to stand out within the fashion and entertainment world. He graduated in 2004 with a BA in Journalism and Mass Communications, International Studies minor, and Entrepreneurial Management Certificate. The coursework from Campbell's certificate helped him launch his career as an entrepreneur.
Originally from Little Rock, Arkansas, Campbell found himself in Iowa for college. Campbell has always had an entrepreneurial spirit, so it was only a matter of time before he got connected with the John PappaJohn Entrepreneurial Center (Iowa JPEC) as a student. It was through his Iowa JPEC entrepreneurship certificate program that Campbell was introduced to the skills that would aid him in being a successful entrepreneur.
"Iowa JPEC introduced me to the tools and tips on entrepreneurship, such as financial statements, business planning, analysis, marketing, and different areas that would open me up. It gave me the motivation to go forward with my ideas within the entertainment world because at the time, not many companies or people around me were interested in that industry," Campbell said.
After deciding to follow his passion, Campbell participated in a student competition and was awarded the Edward M. Moldt Award, which recognized an exceptional Iowa JPEC student with a promising future as an entrepreneur. Using the money from the competition, he invested in his earlier ventures he was working on as a student.
Since graduating, Campbell has started several businesses. Most notably, he founded the Little Rock Fashion Week, LLC, a fashion event and talent management company that hosts fashion weeks in Plano, Texas, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and Little Rock, Arkansas. Campbell is also the founder of iME Clothing and Oneofakind Talent, and has also worked for E! Entertainment, Fox News Channel, and the World Wrestling Entertainment. In his free time, Campbell also serves as a Little Rock School District reading volunteer and mentors disadvantaged youth, entrepreneurs, and college students--including Iowa JPEC students.
Currently, Campbell serves as the Director of Small Business and Diversity Initiatives for the Little Rock Regional Chamber. In this role, he engages with both aspiring and existing entrepreneurs in his community, providing business development, training, resources, encouragement, and inspiration to help them succeed. Through his experiences running fashion weeks and working with the Chamber, Campbell has personally seen the impact that small businesses and entrepreneurs can have within a community.
51 Campbell offers this advice to UI students, "Do. Nothing is stopping you but yourself, especially now with all the different programming University of Iowa has. As a young entrepreneur at Iowa, you have more opportunities than most. I had all of these opportunities to pitch ideas and to win seed money, so I encourage all students to participate in Iowa JPEC programs--so that they can be someone who makes an impact in their communities."
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IOWA WAVE SHIRTS IOWA JPEC ALUMNI
Iowa JPEC alums, Cy Phillips and John Mickelson, created “The Iowa Wave Shirt” to the UI Stead Family Children’s Hospital with the help of their families.
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53 Both Iowa Entrepreneurship alums and UI football letter winners, Cy Phillips and John Mickelson teamed up with the help of their wives to show their Hawkeye pride and support of the UI Stead Family Children’s Hospital (UISFCH) by creating The Iowa Wave Shirt.
Having each personally experienced the impact of the children’s hospital, where both families have had a child receive treatment, the two families came together to create the shirt to help celebrate the new tradition of The Wave, while raising money for a great cause.
“The Iowa Wave Shirt” is a 501c3 which sells apparel to raise money for UISFCH. After the first football season of selling apparel, the organization donated more than $440,000 to UISFCH in 2017.
John Mickelson (BBA, Certificate in Entrepreneurship ‘03, MBA ‘07, JD ’07) is the founder and Managing Partner of Midwest Growth Partners, a private equity firm which purchases businesses from retiring owners in the Midwest. John’s wife Brooke (BA ‘03) co-founded The Iowa Wave Shirt. They now both serve as directors. John and Brooke have four boys and live in West Des Moines, where John serves as a city councilman. (Mickelson family is pictured on the left)
Cy Phillips (BA, Certificate in Entrepreneurship ‘06) is the owner of Space Simply, a real estate brokerage in Des Moines. He is also the owner of Gym Space, Storage Space and Space Home Management, a suite of small businesses operating primarily on the west side of Des Moines. Cy’s wife, Meighan (MBA ‘08), is a managing director of portfolio management at Principal Global Investors and co-founded The Iowa Wave Shirt. They now both serve as directors. Cy and Meighan have four children. (Phillips family is pictured on the right)
In addition to the Mickelson and Phillips families, The Iowa Wave Shirt team includes Jason and Lori (co-founder) Willis, who also serve as directors of the organization.
54 An Iowa student dreams big with 'No Limbits': BTN LiveBIG By Matthew Wood, January 2019
When a traumatic situation strikes, you can either look backward and dwell on it or look forward and turn it into a positive outcome.
After losing her leg in a car crash last year, Erica Cole was faced with this very decision. The enterprising University of Iowa student not only embraced her life-changing experience and the prosthetic limb she now uses, but it might even make her a successful business owner.
Cole started a company, No Limbits, which 3D prints custom covers and other materials for people who have prosthetic limbs. She’s already had success pitching her idea at a number of entrepreneurial contests on campus, and received support from the university’s John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center (JPEC).
When the chemistry major was fitted with her prosthetic leg, she became increasingly uncomfortable with the reactions she was getting.
“There was this shift in the way people were treating me,” she says. “I was getting a lot of sympathy and questions that I didn’t want to answer.”
55 So, she did something about it, fitting herself with a homemade plastic cover with a cool stained-glass pattern.
“I noticed that the conversation changed when I wore the cover around,” she says. “Before I was getting [questions like], ‘What happened to you?’ Then it was, ‘What a neat accessory.’ And a lot of people didn’t realize I had a prosthetic leg. They thought it was a fashion statement.”
Cole’s idea has evolved well beyond a mere personal fashion accessory. It started with entrance in an elevator pitch competition put on by JPEC, where contestants have one minute to convince judges on the validity of their business ideas.
“I said, ‘You know, these covers should exist,’” Cole says. This was before she even built the cover for her own leg. “People were like, ‘That’s cool. That should exist.’”
As she prepared for another contest, the Iowa Startup Games, a few weeks later, she began to research the market for her product.
“We did a bunch of customer discovery,” Cole notes. “Talked to 80 amputees about their prosthesis. We discussed what kind of conversations they were having. It turned out I wasn’t the only one.”
After winning the Iowa Startup Games, Cole knew she was onto something. She continued to work with JPEC and credits much of her success to the help she got from the center.
“They have a ton of resources and advisors, and I feel they have my back and support, even if not officially,” Cole says. “They were so welcoming. It was like, ‘We’ll teach you everything you need to know.’ They really took me under their wing. It made me feel good about the university.”
The next step is to secure a 3D printer able to handle these types of materials in a timely and – more importantly from a business perspective – cost-effective manner.
Cole says she and her business partner, Iowa physics professor James Wetzel, are close to making that a reality.
“We’re in a stage now where we’re doing prototyping,” she says. “We definitely need a custom 3D printer. The problem with such a large print is often the material cost. Because of a difference in material, printing large volumes is very expensive. Something like a prosthetic cover would be considered large volume. I can keep materials costs a lot lower with my own printer.”
Cole says prosthetic covers are only the starting point of the potential of what she wants to do.
“There’s so much room for advancement in prosthetics, stuff you don’t think about until you’re in that situation,” she says. “I want to be able to offer covers for amputees who
56 don’t have traditional prosthetics. I want anybody to be able to send me a request and I can print them a socket and they can afford it.”
Cole also has plans to develop an adaptive clothing line for amputees. “It’s not something you think about, but wearing pants is a completely different experience. I want this to be a starting point. There’s a lot that can be done in the field.”
After talking to other amputees, Cole says it is inspiring to see what can be done. For her, it feels like an opportunity to do anything she wants.
“I thought when I got into that accident, that was it for me,” she says. “I thought I was gonna die, basically. For me, this has been, ‘All right, I have a second chance.’ I joked with my friends, I’m gonna rock climb. I’m gonna ballroom dance. I never did this with two legs, so now I’m going to take advantage.”
For Cole, the sky’s the limit and the only direction to go is forward.
3D printing allows No Limbits to create highly-customized covers.
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An innovative pivot in farming
58 (HTTPS://WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/SHARER/SHARER.PHP?U=HTTPS%3A%2F%2FUIOWA.EDU%2FSTORIES%2FALWAYS-HAWKEYE- KARSTEN-TEMME) (HTTPS://TWITTER.COM/INTENT/TWEET?(HTTP://WWW.LINKEDIN.COM/SHAREARTICLE?(MAILTO:? TEXT=AN%20INNOVATIVE%20PIVOT%20IN%20FARMING&URL=HTTPS%3A%2F%2FUIOWA.EDU%2FSTORIES%2FALWAYS-MINI=TRUE&URL=HTTPS%3A%2F%2FUIOWA.EDU%2FSTORIES%2FALWAYS-SUBJECT=AN%20INNOVATIVE%20PIVOT%20IN%20FARMING&BODY=HTTPS%3A%2F%2FUIOWA.EDU%2FSTORIES%2FALWAYS- HAWKEYE-HAWKEYE-HAWKEYE- KARSTEN-KARSTEN-KARSTEN- Karsten Temme, who received TEMME) TEMME&TITLE=AN%20INNOVATIVE%20PIVOT%20IN%20FARMING)TEMME) bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the UI College of Engineering, is the co-founder of Pivot Bio, a startup that is on the verge of revolutionizing agriculture by offering farmers a new crop nutrition tool for corn.
When Karsten Temme (https://www.linkedin.com/in/karstentemme/) thinks back to his time at the University of Iowa, he vividly recalls the abundance of opportunities the campus offered and the excitement he felt having so many academic, cultural, and social activities to choose from.
“The number of areas where I could get involved was immense,” says Temme, co-founder and CEO of Pivot Bio, a synthetic biology firm that makes an environmentally friendly alternative to synthetic nitrogen fertilizer that could upend the way nutrition is delivered to cereal crops. “There were many opportunities to participate in research and work with professors. My education at the UI is definitely the foundation that underpins my career today.”
Temme’s company recently announced $70 million in Series B financing (https://blog.pivotbio.com/news/pivot-bio-closes-70-million-series-b-financing- to-deliver-first-and-only-clean-alternative-to-synthetic-nitrogen-fertilizer- for-u.s.-corn-farmers), led by Breakthrough Energy Ventures (BEV), an investment fund that includes Bill Gates. BEV focuses its investments on innovation aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Pivot Bio’s broad range of investors are confident that the company will drive adoption of its product with farmers to help them farm more efficiently and productively while helping improve our environment. Pivot Bio PROVEN does not leach or run off into our waterways or volatilize into the air like traditional synthetic nitrogen fertilizers do. Therefore, it does not contribute to global warming and ocean dead zones.
In October, following on-farm beta testing in Iowa and other states across the Corn Belt, Pivot Bio announced the commercial launch of the first and only nitrogen-producing microbial product for U.S. corn farmers, Pivot Bio PROVEN. The microbial product works by reactivating the long-dormant nitrogen-producing capabilities that already exist in soil microbes’ DNA. These genes, when they are working, allow the microbes to convert nitrogen gas from the atmosphere into nutrition the corn needs to survive and thrive throughout the growing season.
59 “What we’re trying to do is actually reawaken this function that the microbe has had all along,” says Temme. “Applying this type of crop nutrient is better for the farm’s productivity because each plant gets the optimal amount of nitrogen. Because the microbes adhere to the roots, nothing is wasted. The microbes stay put and don’t wash away or evaporate eliminating the negative side-effects of synthetic fertilizer.”
“He was always a special, out-of-the-box, quirky student who was engaged in a lot of things outside of regular coursework. That is what made him special; he always had an entrepreneur in him.” - - - H.S. Udaykumar University of Iowa professor of mechanical and industrial engineering
Temme credits his time at the UI and in the Midwest, where he had opportunities to meet and talk with farmers, with helping him launch his first startup. While still an undergraduate, he created Xwires Communications, which provided internet service to farmers whose land was too remote to access cable. At the time, he was pursuing a bachelor’s degree in biomedical engineering, but he never limited his interests to his field, something that intrigued professors and administrators at the College of Engineering.
“Karsten took a thermodynamics course with me in his sophomore year and then went on to do an honors project with me on using artificial intelligence for predicting fluid flow behavior,” says H.S. Udaykumar, a professor of mechanical and industrial engineering. “This is in vogue today, but 10 years ago it was entirely pie-in-the-sky. A lot of my recent research comes out of that fledgling project that Karsten worked on with me.
“He was always a special, out-of-the-box, quirky student who was engaged in a lot of things outside of regular coursework. That is what made him special; he always had an entrepreneur in him.”
Besides his engineering studies, Temme, who is originally from Casper, Wyoming, also played the trumpet in the Hawkeye Marching Band and took advantage of liberal arts courses on campus to continue his study of French. He did a research practicum at University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics (https://uihc.org/), working in the neurology department for five to 10 hours week, and helped design new parts for the Mars rover.
“At Iowa I was able to create a degree path that really worked for me and that allowed me to explore what it meant to translate new technology into products and services with commercial relevance,” says Temme. “This experience
60 helped me decide that I wanted to spend my career building new businesses and building products that have never existed before and could have an impact on our daily lives.”
David Hensley, executive director of the John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center at the UI’s Tippie College of Business (https://www.iowajpec.org/), says he remembers working with Temme when he was getting his Xwire business started. Even then he says he was impressed with the young man’s work ethic and leadership abilities.
“As I got to know him, I was so impressed with his technical skills and his ability to really be an innovator and see opportunities where others maybe didn’t see opportunities,” says Hensley, who recently visited with Temme at Pivot Bio’s Berkeley, California, headquarters. “He is a very driven individual but also a team player and natural leader. He has high ethical and moral standards. He always came across to me as someone who was going to be very successful no matter what he pursued.”
Temme, along with Lauren, his wife and fellow UI alumna, and their two young children recently visited Iowa City and the UI campus for Homecoming. Temme says they spent time at the College of Engineering’s Seamans Center for the Engineering Arts and Sciences, where he visited with classmates, professors, and administrators. Temme says he is proud of his UI degrees and that he cherishes the personal connections he still has with people on campus. Temme was a presidential scholar, a member of the former UI scholarship program for students with intellectual and leadership promise. As a result, he says he was able to work on research and meet with important mentors.
“The University of Iowa made it possible for me to take some confident steps forward in my post-graduate education and in my career as an entrepreneur,” says Temme, who went on to get a doctorate in bioengineering from the University of California, Berkeley. “I never felt underprepared or less than ready for the challenges that I have tackled. And for that, I am so grateful to my alma mater.”
One of the reasons Temme chose the UI was because of its unique engineering education, one that stresses technical and analytical skills as well as creative and artistic ones. In the late 1990s, when Temme arrived, the UI College of Engineering (https://www.engineering.uiowa.edu/) was one of the few schools in the nation with a well-established biomedical engineering degree program, says Jane Dorman, director of admissions and the first-year experience at the college. Dorman still remembers meeting Temme when he came with his parents and siblings to visit campus as a high school senior.
61 “He took advantage of every opportunity that came his way and he found people who nourished and encouraged his curiosity and his interest in all sorts of different things,” says Dorman. “The College of Engineering has a motto that says ‘Where students become engineers and something more,’ and that really sums up Karsten.”
After he left the UI, Temme worked for a while in biomedical engineering but quickly realized that his calling was elsewhere. “When I heard about the potential of synthetic biology, of the promise of programming microbes and DNA like computers, I knew I wanted to build new products with living microbes as their building blocks,” says Temme.
The first seven years of the startup process were intense, Temme says, with all of his energy going into perfecting Pivot Bio’s first commercial product for the U.S. corn market. Today, with nearly 70 employees that includes the team in Pivot Bio’s Berkeley, California, headquarters and remote employees who work from Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska, Colorado and Ohio. Temme can finally take a more long-term look, one that includes a much larger market presence.
“We’re focused on corn now, and we’re looking to move into other crops soon while also looking at new markets around the globe,” says Temme. “We have a lot of exciting work in our pipeline.”
- - - - - Produced by the UI Office of Strategic Communication. Writer: Lynn Anderson Davy Photography: courtesy of Pivot Bio and the UI College of Engineering
62 INTERNATIONAL The University of Iowa PROGRAMS
IN THE NEWS: EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS ACROSS UNITED STATES SELECTED TO HOST MANDELA WASHINGTON FELLOWS
February 1st, 2019
Via: IREX
Launched in 2014, the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders is the flagship program of the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) and embodies the United States’ commitment to invest in the future of Africa. YALI was created in 2010 to support young Africans as they spur growth and prosperity, strengthen democratic governance, and enhance peace and security across Africa. Since its inception, nearly 3,700 young leaders have participated as Mandela Washington Fellows and had a positive impact on more than 45 million people across Africa.
63 Twenty-seven U.S. educational institutions in 20 states will host Leadership Institutes for 700 Mandela Washington Fellows. This summer, all Fellows will receive a letter from President Trump welcoming them to the United States for their program. The six-week Institutes, held on college and university campuses, will support the development of Fellows’ leadership skills through academic study, workshops, mentoring, networking with U.S. leaders, and collaboration with Americans. Each Institute will also offer insights into American society through site visits and cultural exchange. The Institutes strengthen connections between the United States and Africa and establish enduring partnerships between Fellows, local communities, and private businesses.
In addition to the knowledge and skills they bring back to Africa, Fellows enrich their American host communities through public service, cultural exchange, and the lasting ties they create between the United States and Africa. During the 2016-18 Institutes, Fellows contributed more than 30,000 service hours to their host communities, and since 2014, Fellows have connected with more than 30,000 Americans across the country. Americans also have the opportunity to apply to travel to Africa and collaborate on projects with Fellows through the Reciprocal Exchange.
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64 INTERNATIONAL The University of Iowa PROGRAMS
UNIVERSITY OF IOWA TO HOST 2019 MANDELA WASHINGTON FELLOWSHIP FOR YOUNG AFRICAN LEADERS
February 4th, 2019
The University of Iowa is proud to announce that it has been selected as an Institute Partner for the 2019 Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders. Beginning in mid- June, the UI will Mandela Washington Fellow Awa Thiam, of Dakar, Senegal, speaks with members of the Council for host 25 of International Visitors to Iowa Cities (CIVIC) at a meet and greet reception on June 25, 2018 Africa’s brightest emerging business and entrepreneurship leaders for a six-week Leadership Institute, sponsored by the U.S. Department of State.
65 “The Mandela Fellows program provides us with an unparalleled opportunity to cultivate long-term connections to dozens of Sub- Saharan countries, for the benefit our students and faculty," says Downing Thomas, associate provost and dean of UI International Programs.
The Mandela Washington Fellowship, the flagship program of the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI), empowers young African leaders through academic coursework, leadership training, mentoring, networking, professional opportunities, and local community engagement. Since 2014, the U.S. Department of State has supported nearly 3,700 young leaders from 49 countries across Sub-Saharan Africa to develop their leadership skills and foster connections and collaborations with U.S. professionals. The cohort of Fellows hosted by the UI will be part of a group of 700 Mandela Washington Fellows hosted at 27 educational institutions across the United States. This summer, all Fellows will receive a letter from President Trump welcoming them to the United States for their program. At the conclusion of their Leadership Institutes, these exceptional young leaders will convene in Washington, D.C., for the sixth annual Mandela Washington Fellowship Summit, where they will take part in networking and panel discussions with each other and with U.S. leaders from the public, private, and non-profit sectors. Following the Summit, 70 competitively-selected Fellows will participate in four weeks of professional development at U.S. non-governmental organizations, private companies, and government agencies.
"This program plays a pivotal role in the internationalization of our university community."
66 “Hosting the Mandela Washington Fellows for the fourth time in a row this summer confirms our commitment to strengthening ties with Sub- Saharan Africa," says Dimy Doresca, director of the UI Institute for International Business. "It’s a great honor to be able to interact and share knowledge with the future business and political leaders of Africa. This program plays a pivotal role in the internationalization of our university community."
With the help of a grant from the State Department to support the visit, the program is delivered and administered by the Institute for International Business, a partnership between the John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center (Iowa JPEC) and the Tippie College of Business. UI International Programs, in partnership with the Council for International Visitors to Iowa Cities (CIVIC), will provide cultural and logistical support to the fellows during their stay.
"CIVIC is thrilled that we'll once again be working with the university to host the Mandela Washington Fellows," says Jo Butterfield, executive director of CIVIC. "Each year, the opportunity to engage with these amazing young professional is a highlight for area students and our dedicated team of local volunteers!"
Funded by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and working closely with its implementing partner, IREX, host institutions will offer leadership programs that will challenge, motivate, and empower these inspiring young leaders from Africa.
The Mandela Washington Fellowship, the flagship program of the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI), empowers young African leaders through academic coursework, leadership training, mentoring, networking, professional opportunities, and local community engagement. Since 2014, the U.S. Department of State has brought 3,000 young leaders from across Sub-Saharan Africa to the United States to develop their leadership skills and foster connections and
67 collaborations with U.S. professionals. For more information about the Mandela Washington Fellowship, visit yali.state.gov/mwf and join the conversation at #YALI2019.
Keywords news (/news/news-0), Mandela Fellows (/news/mandela-fellows) Author Ben Partridge (/news/ben-partridge)
68 Jake Slobe February 11, 2019 News, Tech Clay & Milk SwineTech accepted into Pearse Lyons Accelerator
Cedar Rapids-based agtech startup SwineTech has been accepted into the 2019 cohort of the Pearse Lyons Accelerator.
SwineTech was one of 10 startups chosen and will spend the next 16 weeks working with mentors to accelerate its business development, including three weeks at Dogpatch Labs in Dublin, Ireland. Dogpatch Labs is a startup hub that offers mentors with expertise in various areas including investment and international expansion strategies.
At the end of the program, all 10 startups will pitch their companies at the ONE: The Alltech Ideas Conference. Now in its 35th year, the annual international conference will be held in Lexington, Kentucky from May 19–21 and will welcome more than 4,000 agriculture industry leaders from over 70 countries.
69 “The SwineTech team saw a lot of value in the opportunity to be a part of an accelerator that focuses on growth stage companies. It is an entire different experience from past accelerators that we have been a part of, and they really challenge you to take everything to the next level,” said Matthew Rooda, CEO and founder of SwineTech Said. “We also saw a lot of value in having the opportunity to collaborate with Alltech and its many great leaders. The accelerator has already helped introduce us to large producers in the US that are looking to improve survivability.”
More than 250 applications from 43 countries were sent in for the 2019 cohort. SwineTech is the first Iowa-based company to be accepted into the program.
Last October, SwineTech raised $1.5 million to allow them to begin to expand their product into other states and countries. The company’s product, SmartGuard, was named one of the top 3 new products showcased at the Iowa Pork Congress in January.
SwineTech is currently raising $5M in funding to support its growth throughout North America, Rooda told Clay & Milk.
70 Iowa student turns disability into accessibility for others By Forrest Saunders | Posted: Thu 6:52 PM, Feb 14, 2019 | Updated: Thu 9:05 PM, Feb 14, 2019
IOWA CITY, Iowa (KCRG) -- Michael Penniman always rises to a challenge. Just look at his Facebook profile, it's full of photos showing him climbing walls, rocks, and trees.
"I have always enjoyed a challenge in life," said the 26-year-old Iowa City resident. "Tried to conquer every challenge that comes to me."
But, it was a bit over seven years ago, Penniman faced his biggest challenge to date, paralysis.
"Horseplaying around with my buddies," Penniman said. "One of my friends put me in a wrestling hold. My neck popped and that was that. Kind of a freak accident."
The incident left him a quadriplegic, with limited use of his body from the neck down. Penniman now relies on a powered wheelchair to get around and has specialized equipment to operate it.
But, as you'd expect from a challenge seeker, Penniman found a way forward and he hasn't stopped tackling new hurdles, either.
Penniman is a full-time student at the University of Iowa. From day one, he's been finding things the school can do to improve accessibility on campus.
71 "I lived at Burge. When I first got there, there wasn't even a handicapped button on the door to get into the room, or to get into the bathroom of the room."
Penniman's suggestions paid off. The university is listening and making changes. One Penniman was particularly proud of, larger door buttons for the handicapped which can be tapped by a wheelchair.
It doesn't stop there. Penniman is also a co-founder of a nonprofit called "Students Care." Its goal, help those with disabilities acclimate to campus life. The group provides in-home care services, scheduling assistance, tutoring and a lot more.
"Our ultimate goal is to facilitate the best student-to-student care that we can," Penniman said.
The group came up with the idea following Penniman's own experience. A buddy of his, Peter Easler, was helping Penniman adjust to college independence and the thought to create a nonprofit to benefit others the same way just made sense.
"As he struggled with some of his issues-- traditional home care and just issues going to college, our involvement started to step up," said Easler, a fellow student and co-founder of Students Care. "Before we ever thought about starting the nonprofit, it was just, 'Is this working pretty well for you?'"
The nonprofit is now working well enough that it has six clients, more than a dozen employees and is starting a second operation on Iowa State's campus.
"The goal is to see this go nation-wide," Penniman said. "I would like to see every college campus have the accessibility, the awareness, the advocacy to allow any student, whether they have a disability or not, to get a higher education."
That's become this challenge seeker's next goal. If history is any indication, success looks to be in Penniman's future.
72 University of Iowa students create app to help with public speaking By Phil Reed | Posted: Fri 12:14 PM, Feb 15, 2019
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) -- Not everyone is comfortable speaking in front of a crowd.
A University of Iowa student, and a UI alum created an app called 'Speeko' to help people get better at it.
It was created by Nico Aguilar and Anthony Pham. They both have had issues with public speaking in the past.
They describe the app as a 'Fitbit for your voice.' It records a person speaking, then gives feedback on things like their pacing, if they are using too many filler words, and their tone.
The app took several years for them to make. The creators launched the app in October, hoping to help people going through what they did.
73 "We believe that communication is not just a talent, it's a skill,” said Aguilar. “It's something that you can improve, and that improving this can change your life. It's changed my life, and it's something we want to share with the world."
"Nico and I created this app because we both realized that we struggled with public speaking throughout our lives,” said Pham. “We saw this opportunity that we could use technology to help people with it."
The app is only available for iPhones. They hope to bring it to Android devices soon. It's free to download and use, however, there is a charge for the in-depth critiques.
74 5/21/2019 Creating five-star connections
Search this site Search (https://uiowa.edu)
(HTTPS://WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/SHARER/SHARER.PHP?U=HTTPS%3A%2F%2FUIOWA.EDU%2FSTORIES%2FALWAYS-HAWKEYE-MEGAN-RANEGAR-YELP) (HTTPS://TWITTER.COM/INTE(HTTP://WWW.LINKE(MAILTO:? TEXT=CREATING%20FIVE-MINI=TRUE&URL=HSUBJECT=C STAR%20CONNECTIONS&URHAWKEYE-STAR%20C Call her a matchmaker. As a senior community manager at Yelp in Los AngeleHAWKEYE-sMEGAN-, HAWKEYE- MEGAN-RANEGAR-MEGAN- RANEGAR-YELP&TITLE=CREATRANEGAR- University of Iowa alumna Megan Ranegar works with local businesses andYELP) usSTAR%20CONNECTers ofYELP) the popular website and mobile app to create lasting and harmonious relationships.
Your stomach is rumbling and you’ve decided to go to a restaurant, but you can’t make up your mind on where to eat. If you’re like millions of other people, you’re likely to pull out your smartphone and open the Yelp app to help guide your decision.
The online crowd-sourced review forum, created in 2004 to connect users with the best local businesses, contains more than 177 million reviews of businesses worldwide ranging from restaurants to hair salons to mechanics. Facilitating those connections are people like 2013 University of Iowa graduate Megan Ranegar, who started with the company in 2016 as a community manager in Denver and now is a senior community manager in Los Angeles.
“I’m what you would consider ‘boots on the ground.’ Yelp doesn’t have an office in L.A., so I work remotely,” says Ranegar, who earned an undergraduate degree from Iowa in health studies and business administration as well as a certificate in entrepreneurial management. “I’m a resource for business owners and users alike. I curate experiences, I create events, I answer https://uiowa.edu/stories/always-hawkeye-megan-ranegar-yelp 75 5/21/2019 Creating five-star connections questions—you could call me the Yelp expert in the city.”
Megan Ranegar helps local businesses in Los Angeles
Ranegar’s days are divided between event planning, outreach and marketing, writing and communicating, and socializing. She often works on her laptop in the apartment she shares with her fiancé and cat, but she can work anywhere with a Wi-Fi connection. The nontraditional work arrangement suits her, she says.
“The city of Los Angeles is essentially my office,” she says. “A huge part of my role at Yelp is to curate events to connect our most prolific users in Los Angeles with some of the coolest business owners. To do so, I sit down with owners to talk about what they want to highlight and then invite users to an event and show them an amazing time. We’ve had events on yachts, at escape rooms, in classes on cooking and on meditation—I’m always mixing things up. It’s never boring, and I get to discover hidden gems all over L.A.”
Perhaps the most enjoyable aspect of her job, Ranegar says, is interacting with business owners.
“I love getting to work one-on-one with them and helping them tell their stories to create a platform for bringing in new customers,” she says. “I particularly love working with immigrant, minority, and female business owners and making their voices a bit louder within the Yelp community.”
“I started to realize that my creative side could be an asset to my career, rather than just something I pursued as a hobby or on the side. My experience at Iowa really helped me find a different version of myself.” - - - Megan Ranegar 2013 University of Iowa graduate who works for Yelp in Los Angeles https://uiowa.edu/stories/always-hawkeye-megan-ranegar-yelp 76 5/21/2019 Creating five-star connections Design a major that works for you
Not sure what you want to study? No problem. Advisers in the University of Iowa’s Interdepartmental Studies Program can help students design a course of study that complements a wide variety of interests, from international business to diversity to the environment.
Visit the Admissions website (http://bit.ly/2Y45A6X)
Ranegar credits her alma mater with leading her to a career in what is a fairly new field. In fact, the Indiana native and track athlete had planned to become a podiatrist when she enrolled at Iowa.
“About three semesters in, I realized that maybe I didn’t want to do something as regimented as medicine,” she says. “I had creative parents and a creative childhood, and I started to realize that my creative side could be an asset to my career, rather than just something I pursued as a hobby or on the side. My experience at Iowa really helped me find a different version of myself.”
A group of UI advisers and mentors helped Ranegar carve out an academic path that excited her—one that included classes in business, entrepreneurship, and health studies. Ranegar says Joseph Sulentic, an associate professor in the Tippie College of Business, encouraged her to set her sights high and pursue internships that would advance her career.
“Having someone in your corner rooting for you and presenting you with opportunities you might not have thought of—or thought you were unqualified for—is so important,” says Ranegar, who held marketing jobs with Whole Foods and the Denver Museum of Nature and Science before Yelp hired her. “Professor Sulentic helped me get an internship after my sophomore year, which led to another internship the following summer and, ultimately, my first job out of college. He was my mentor and my springboard.”
Sulentic says Iowa has great resources for students who want to create their own course of study and notes that classes on entrepreneurship can be valuable for all majors.
Ranegar had a good run at Iowa
As an undergraduate, Megan Ranegar was the captain of the University of Iowa cross-country and track and field teams. She says being a student-athlete helped her develop crucial time-management skills and taught her how to balance personal motivation with team goals.
“Students in my classes learn to identify a target or goal and then develop a strategy for getting there. It forces them to think about things they may not have considered, like customers or production. It teaches them to take risks and, in the process, they become more confident. Their whole view of what they can accomplish changes,” says Sulentic, who is coauthor of a book called Visualize Strategize Execute. “Megan’s passions were in health, organic food, and community building, and now she is using her entrepreneurial skills to make the world a better place.”
For now, Ranegar is content to help steer progress at Yelp—both for the company and for herself.
“Some of the things I was doing when I was new in my career at Yelp are things I could now do in my sleep. Today I am pitching partnerships and hosting events that I never really dreamed I would be doing, and I’m enjoying taking on bigger challenges. I think it’s important to continually push myself out of my comfort zone,” she says. “It’s been really cool to watch Yelp change over the years. I love being part of a team that is at the forefront of technology and hearing firsthand from users what they like about the various features. It’s been really interesting, and I feel lucky to have been along for the ride these last few years.”
- - - - - Produced by the UI Office of Strategic Communication https://uiowa.edu/stories/always-hawkeye-megan-ranegar-yelp 77 (http://btn.com/2019/02/19/iowa-grads-want-to-help-you-speak-up-with-speeko-btn-livebig/)
By John Tolley, 1 month ago
Your palms are coated in sweat. You breathe sharp, shallow and quickly as your eyes dart around the room. Your body temperature rises uncomfortably. Your collar seems tight around your neck. Your mind races ever faster, even as it tries to telegraph calm.
You are about to speak in public, and, like many people would be, you’re tightly wound ball of nerves sure that nothing but failure and humiliation lie ahead. Dale Carnegie made a mint off of people like you.
(/)
78 But this is the 21st century, where the idea of sitting down with a copy of How to Win Friends and Influence People or signing up for a Toastmasters course might not square with most people’s lifestyles. Enter two University of Iowa grads who have developed Speeko, an app designed to improve communication skills from the comfort of one’s mobile device.
Nico Aguilar was inspired to create Speeko after his own nerve-wracking experience with public speaking while an undergraduate at Iowa. In a profile on Iowa Now (https://now.uiowa.edu/2019/01/ui-students-develop-app-improve- public-speaking-without-imagining-audience-their-underwear), Aguilar recalls just how debilitating the situation was.
“I had a full-on anxiety attack in front of my entire rhetoric class,” remembers Aguilar, who received his BS in 2011 and his MPH in 2014 at UI. “My palms were sweaty, my breath stopped. My mind just went blank, and I totally botched my presentation.”
Aguilar joined forces with current UI graduate student Anthony Pham to develop the app, which uses artificial intelligence to help analyze a user’s voice and provide them with tailored feedback. Common problems areas such as pace, pitch and word choice are improved as a person works through the skill- building exercises and challenges that meet their needs.
Aguilar met Pham, who also has his MD from the UI Carver College of Medicine, while both were undergrads. They decided to bring their shared their love of technology and digital hardware to bear on a field they saw as wide open.
The pair, along with partner and co-founder Will Field-Thompson, have grown Speeko with help from UI’s John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center (https://www.iowajpec.org/). They have also garnered a number of awards, such as the Rose Francis Elevator Pitch Competition and JPEC Business Model Competition in 2017.
For more on Speeko, visit the link above or visit their site here (https://www.speeko.co/). (/)
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Spring 2019 IdeaStorm Recap
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Friday, March 1, 2019
Health Initiatives IdeaStorm | February 11 | Sponsored by Jay Greenzweig and family Students shared ideas that aim to help create a better well-being through health care innovation
1st Place, $500 | Scott Tribbey (Entrepreneurship & Business) for Spine Buddy, an improvement to existing scoliosis braces that provides a way for adolescents to feel comfortable in their braces while actually improving their spine. 2nd Place, $400 | Grace Kim (Pharmacy) for a comprehensive medication information program to serve the population with limited language proficiency. 3rd Place, $300 | Dylan Schreder, also awarded People's Choice and an additional $150 (Business) for an automated drone to dispatch directly to emergency situations, asses triage and provide support. 4th Place, $200 | Rachel Cron (Engineering) for an app that updates a device's dictionary to include medical terms and acronyms that autocorrect doesn't "fix," saving time and reducing stress. 5th Place, $100 | Christian Jacoby (Pre-Business) for Emport, an emotional support for the suicidal, emotionally worn, and distressed that creates a community based application where members can share, collaborate, and support one another while being monitored by the suicidal support line for any concerns.
Creative Concepts IdeaStorm | February 12 | Sponsored by Don & Madelyn Schoen Students shared ideas related to innovation through art, design, history, music, literature, and more.
1st Place, $500 | Lance Junck (Business & Theater) for Open Mic, an online platform that directly connects theater teachers with emerging playwrights looking to get their works produced. 2nd Place, $400 | Alejandro Carasco (Liberal Arts) for an organization that helps patients with mental health issues cope through art and music. 3rd Place, $300 | Autumn Dickholtz (Enterprise Leadership & Event Planning) for Cloud Composer, which combines the use of Al technology with recording devices to allow everyday people to compose their own songs without the use of an expensive studio. 4th Place, $300 | Emma Killian (Liberal Arts) for Inspo-Paper, a wallpaper to help with mental health. 5th Place, $100 | Sarah Lehman (Liberal Arts) for a catching machine that one can pitch a softball/baseball to and it will throw it back. People's Choice, $150 | Zoe Purcell (Environmental Policy, Entrepreneurial Management) for a sustainable living app that identifies harmful ingredients to the environment and provides alternatives.
Common Good IdeaStorm | February 13 | Sponsored by Michelle Bates & Ann Camblin
80 Students shared ideas that inspire change through social and sustainable solutions that benefit the common good.
1st Place, $500 | Andrea Ford (Enterprise Leadership) for a mental health and addiction center, to acquire a warehouse space to not only house the homeless but have store fronts on the bottom level to provide skill training for them as well. 2nd Place, $400 | Marisa Mueller (Biomedical Engineering) for Portable Power, which brings clean water and power to third world countries and can be used to power medical devices out of vehicles, thereby creating portable medical clinics which could service rural communities. 3rd Place, $300 | William Garrison (Social Justice) for Elated Youth Project, a homeless nonprofit to get youth off the streets and to a safe, loving environment. Focused on the LGBTQ youth. 4th Place, $200 | Riley Kniptash (Environmental Science) for Hydro Pitch, a more efficient was to water field hockey turfs. 5th Place, $100 | Trent Katz, also awarded People's Choice and an additional $150 (Finance & Management) for a recycling bin that counts how many bottles/cans have been received. The app also links with local companies to offer discounts once enough energy is saved.
Consumer Solutions IdeaStorm | February 14 | Sponsored by Curt & Nicole Strait Students shared ideas that explored solutions to everyday problems through new products or services.
1st Place, $500 | Bryce Prokof (Journalism, Entrepreneurial Management) for Amateur Caddie, a golf accessory organizer that clips to the outside of the golf bag to allow easier access to the essentials a golfer needs during their round. 2nd Place, $400 | Daniel Henandez (Sports & Recreation Management) for Politicscope, a platform that allows insight into political candidates and their history. Features national and local incumbents, a track record of the professional career and candidates, links to voting sites, and an unbiased reputation scale. 3rd Place, $300 | Lance Junck (Business & Theater) for Clean Slate, an online media service to help the user quickly clean off any questionable content from social media in order to appeal to future employers. 4th Place, $200 | Mackenzie Simonsen (Liberal Arts) for rubber based polymer to fix potholes, a liquid to solid to create lasting fills. 5th Place, $100 | Madison Flinn (Enterprise Leadership) for Campus Table. a subscription based company where students can eat a home cooked meal in various homes without cooking themselves, buying groceries, eating alone, and reducing leftovers. People's Choice, $150 | Daniel Machlab (Computer Engineering) for Graze Pay, an app that allows customers to pay at local restaurants instead of waiting for the check.
Congratulations once again to everyone who competed in these competitions! The next IdeaStorm will take place the fall 2019 semester.
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Iowa Startup Games Spring 2019 Recap
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Monday, March 4, 2019
The first weekend of March we had the privilege of hosting the Spring 2019 Iowa Startup Games. This is a three-day event where students, from all areas of study, pitch their ideas to have an impact.
We started out Friday night with 74 participants pitching 30 ideas. From those pitches, 10 strong ideas were selected by the students to move forward and teams are formed. After the initial Friday night pitches, we experienced students dropping out for various reasons. This process left us with 10 committed teams developed from 42 participants.
The students started planning Friday night for their business, and spent all day Saturday assigning roles, doing research, customer discovery, and meeting with business coaches. By Sunday morning, they had a four minute pitch in place with slides and other visuals. Our 10 team then competed in front of three judges, faculty, and peers at the historic Kinnick Stadium Press Box. The top three teams were awarded cash prizes, as well as a Judge’s Choice and audience selected People’s Choice.These students represented a variety of majors and backgrounds, making this competition an invaluable experience for team building, discipline, and innovation.
As you will see below, our winning students represent a wide variety of academic areas. Congratulations again to our Spring 2019 Iowa Startup Games winners!
1st Place ($1,000.00) | Clean Slate – Expert service analyzing online presence of new hires to find right fit for employers • Lance Junck, English & Creative Writing • Rakshud Daver, Neuroscience • Daniel Lopez, Marketing • Tara Bendre, Marketing • Madi Hayes, Enterprise Leadership
2nd Place ($750.00) | Urbaniste – Public engagement app focusing on spread of local governmental issues and information • Anshuman Sahu, Mechanical Engineering • Vern Ancelet, Art • Emily Legel, Urban and Regional Planning • Chukwuebuka Ogwo, Oral Science PhD
3rd Place ($500.00) | Slingshot - Soft skill development for today’s job market
82 • Hector Trejo Peno, Economics • Nicholas Dusold, Enterprise Leadership • Jesse Davis, Enterprise Leadership • Hyunki Min, Economics, PhD • Alex Borchers, Enterprise Leadership
Judges Choice ($500.00) | Abee's Honey – Infused honey for healthier lifestyles • Nathan Davidson, Management • Paul Flanders, Chemical Engineering • Justin Morrison, Pre-Business
People’s Choice ($250.00) | Aesop – Learning language through immersive storytelling program • Many Archer, Journalism • Isabelle TeDuits, Marketing • Joshua Nichols, Enterprise Leadership • Nate Le Sage, Computer Science • Austin Johnson, Business
In addition to the cash awards, teams are recognized by a student group of 9 organizers who are also present the entire weekend. These students have participated in Iowa Startup Games in the past and are there to assist the teams with advice and guidance. They recognized the following teams with these awards:
• Best Customer Discovery: Clean Slate • Most Presales: Clean Slate • Customer Discovery Standout: Abee’s Honey • Largest Pivot: Wildfire • Most Committed Award: Urbaniste • Iteration Award: Total Aroma • Marketing Award: Abee’s Honey • Minimum Viable Product (MVP) Award: Natural Nectar • Individual Sustainability Award: Nick Simone (Nick organized the weekend’s recycling program for all composting items, cans, paper and plastic)
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March 7, 2019
An innovator’s journey from idea to market can be challenging and complicated—but also rewarding. Our Innovator Spotlight series explores how inventor-entrepreneurs in our network have evolved since they started their journey. Our goal is to share key learnings and best practices with early-stage science and technology inventors embarking on a path of innovation and entrepreneurship. Our latest Innovator Spotlight is Mahdi Eghbali, founder and owner of VerdiLife. Eghbali is an E-Team grantee. VerdiLife is developing a waste recycling process that can produce organic fertilizer and pesticide solutions and is carbon-negative with zero emissions.
84 5/21/2019 Innovator Spotlight: Mahdi Eghbali of VerdiLife What challenge did you seek to solve with your innovation and why?
VerdiLife strives to make Earth a healthier planet by replacing harmful chemicals in agriculture with all-natural materials. Our technology decomposes all types of biomass into fully organic fertilizer and pesticide for commercial agriculture purposes. Our long-term plan is to invest, install, and run several decentralized plants across the U.S. to help mitigate the negative impacts of agro-chemicals in agriculture while improving the waste management ecosystem.
What have you learned along your innovation and entrepreneurship journey?
The biggest lesson I’ve learned is to look for teammates who have vision and passion for the problem we’re trying to solve. It has been the most useful way to predict what someone can add to the company. Some previous team members did not work out despite having all of the necessary skills on paper. They lacked the overall vision and passion required to help take the company to the next level. I’ve started to value an individual’s passion and values more than their given skill level. You can teach skills, but you can’t teach passion or vision.
Tell us how you’ve integrated environmentally responsible practices into your innovation or process?
Unlike agro-chemicals that are made from oil and petroleum materials, we use wood waste that should otherwise be burned or dumped in land lls, manure that causes air pollution and nitrate runo , and food waste that release methane gas into the atmosphere. Our production process produces its own energy, which makes it a unique self-sustaining and carbon-negative system. And through that carbon (biochar), we help improve wastewater management by recovering phosphorus and nitrogen for reuse on the farm where it can recharge soil biology. This can solve a critical broad-based, long-term problem all farmers face by sequestering tens of thousands of tons of carbon over the life of just one system.
How has support from VentureWell impacted your innovation and venture?
VentureWell helped us test our assumptions. We now have a better understanding about our industry and value propositions. The E-Team program also allowed us to share our thoughts and plans with other innovators and entrepreneurs to ensure we are on the right track toward our business goals.
What’s next for you? https://venturewell.org/mahdi-eghbali/?utm_source=verdilife&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=innovator+spotlight 85 5/21/2019 Innovator Spotlight: Mahdi Eghbali of VerdiLife We have produced prototypes that are being tested in several laboratories. The initial results are very promising, and we plan to do further research to study the bene ts of wood vinegar in agriculture. While the project is at the pre-revenue stage, we have received a lot of interest from farmers to pre-order our products. We’ve also received several letters from the O ce of Forestry Services asking us to help them manage their wood waste. We are also working closely with the EPA and USDA to register and certify our product as a veri ed organic product and bio-based product. We plan to fully commercialize and ful ll the pre-orders by the end of 2019.
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Privacy - Terms https://venturewell.org/mahdi-eghbali/?utm_source=verdilife&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=innovator+spotlight 86 5/21/2019 Students win seed money in start-up business idea competition | Iowa Now
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Students win seed money in start-up business idea competition
BY: OFFICE OF STRATEGIC COMMUNICATION | 2019.03.13 | 02:21 PM Several start-up ideas from University of Iowa students were awarded cash prizes in various categories in the recent Iowa John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center (Iowa JPEC) IdeaStorm competitions.
IdeaStorms are entry-levels pitch competitions open to all UI students that introduce students to innovation by encouraging them share their ideas in two minutes or less with their peers and a panel of judges. A total of 118 students pitched their ideas in February at four di erent competitions, each with a di erent theme.
Students competed in four categories. The winners of each category received $500 and are listed below.
Health Initiatives
Scott Tribbey for Spine Buddy, which provides a way for adolescents to feel comfortable in a scoliosis brace while improving their spine.
Creative Concepts
Lance Junck for Open Mic, an online platform that directly connects theater teachers with emerging playwrights looking to get their work produced.
Common Good
Andrea Ford for her idea of a mental health and addiction center that acquires warehouse space as housing and skill training for homeless people.
Consumer Solutions
Bryce Prokof for Amateur Caddie, a golf accessory holder/organizer that clips to the outside of a golf bag to allow easier access to the essentials golfers need during their round.
Contacts: Tom Snee, O ice of Strategic Communication, 319-384-0010 (o ice), 319-541-8434 (cell) https://now.uiowa.edu/2019/03/students-win-seed-money-start-business-idea-competition 87 Solon native’s Speeko app designed to improve how you speak
Dick Hakes, Special to the Press-CitizenPublished 5:41 p.m. CT March 14, 2019
Solon-raised entrepreneur Nico Aguilar has migrated to a much larger town, now working to develop his fledgling business from an office in downtown Chicago.
His full-time energies are focused on Speeko, a technology company that is building an innovative product to help people improve their public speaking skills, using only their smartphone.
Solon native Nico Aguilar is shown rehearsing his presentation for Demo Day last October in downtown Chicago through the 2018 Chicago Techstars Accelerator program. His company Speeko was selected as one of ten startups in the cohort, out of more than 2,200 startups that applied. The Speeko app officially launched on the Apple App Store at the time of his presentation.
The Speeko app, which is accessible through a monthly or annual subscription, analyzes your recorded words, voice patterns, inflections and more. It offers a unique, high-tech way to progress to better speech, whether in the elevator, board room or at a conference podium.
Aguilar thinks it can change lives.
88 “We launched our app last October on the Apple App Store,” he told me last week. “And it's now helping thousands of people across the world develop this essential life skill.”
That’s a broad scope, but it doesn’t mean Aguilar has forgotten his local roots.
“Some of the best teachers I have ever had in my life were at Solon High School,” he says. It’s where an interest in science and technology became his passion.
He remembers being “CEO of a soap-making company” in a class project by chemistry instructor Ken Beck which first gave him a taste of business basics. As a high school senior in 2007, his wind turbine project placed fourth in the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair.
Later, as a student at the University of Iowa, he became friends with Anthony Pham of Davenport. The two collaborated on other startups while working on research that measured communication patterns in medical settings.
Pham, who is now finishing his medical residency at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, is a co- founder of Speeko. Aguilar has two masters degrees from the University’s College of Public Health.
After more than three years working on the startup in their spare time, Aguilar was able to leave his job as a manager at Northwest Memorial Hospital in Chicago and pursue Speeko full-time.
“It was a big leap for me to go all-in on this startup,” says Aguilar. “But our core team has been building toward this for awhile.”
The young company works out of Iowa City as well as their new office space in downtown Chicago as part of the Techstars global startup accelerator program.
Aguilar is CEO of the Speeko venture, which currently employs six full and part-time developers and data scientists. The team also includes another Solon native, Skylar Hansen, who works as the team's lead operating systems developer and is Nico's longtime friend from Solon High School.
What inspired him and Pham to create a better-speech app?
Aguilar recalls a stressful experience in which he had an anxiety attack speaking in front of his rhetoric class at the Iowa. He experienced sweaty palms and shortness of breath, and “totally botched my presentation.” He ended up working with a speech coach to improve, which was the catalyst for the idea of Speeko.
The two friends saw a way to combine voice analytics and artificial intelligence to help people avoid similar embarrassing public speaking experiences.
The company has developed machine-learning algorithms to identify vocal patterns of good and bad speakers, based on thousands of speech recordings and years of academic communication research. That data was built into the Speeko app, where users record themselves and get instant feedback on how to improve.
89 One section of the app provides interactive lessons and exercises. For example, a user may be asked to read 30 seconds of teleprompter-style copy on the screen. The feedback from the app may address the pacing of their reading, their pauses, their intonation and the use of filler words such as “um” and “like.”
“It will tell you if you are a monotone speaker and how to improve that,” he said. “It measures how dynamic you sound as a speaker. You learn techniques on how to retain an audience’s attention. There is science behind all this.”
Aguilar says people are encouraged to use Speeko to record their voice during any meetings or presentations where they may be addressing a group.
“It’s all about self-awareness and confidence,” he says. “All they have to do is open the app and hit record. Later, they can review a critique of their speech.”
The entrepreneur says the basic monthly subscription fee is about $12, but the young company is still evaluating how the product should be priced.
“This is a fraction of what it takes to hire a speech coach,” he pointed out.
Customer testimonials and company surveys have been extremely positive so far.
“We did a user survey, and 85 percent reported feeling more confident and effective with their public speaking skills after using Speeko,” he said.
Both Aguilar and Pham had high praise for the University’s John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center (JPEC), which connected them to a strong network of entrepreneurs and mentors. Last year, they won several pitch competitions at the university and national level.
90 Jake Slobe March 26, 2019 News, Tech Clay & Milk SwineTech wins first place at Digital Animal Summit 2019
Last week, Matthew Rooda, CEO and founder of SwineTech, spoke and participated at the 2019 Digital Animal Summit.
The Digital Animal Summit is an annual conference that bring together innovators, investors, executives, and entrepreneurs from animal care, animal production, and animal health industries to explore digital trends and practices in animal health and management.
During the event, Rooda participated in a startup pitch competition along with four other startups and won first place.
91 In addition to participating in the pitch competition, Rooda also spoke on a panel titled, “The Digital Transformation of Animal Production.”
“The Digital Animal Summit is a great event for entrepreneurs and investors to learn more about how technology in animal production,” Rooda told Clay & Milk. “SwineTech is one of the very first startups within agtech and we were thrilled to have the opportunity to share our experiences within the pork industry.”
Founded in 2015, SwineTech uses artificial intelligence and sensor-based technologies to save pig’s lives. Last October, SwineTech raised $1.5 million to allow them to begin to expand their product into other states and countries.
Here are the five startups the participated in the pitch competition:
Accessible Diagnostics
Accessible Diagnostics is developing a novel, smartphone based, saliva glucose test system that is easy for pet owners to monitor their diabetic pets at home.
Cowlar Cowlar, a fitbit for dairy cows, provides data as a service to help dairy producers optimize operations and improve herd health.
Pawprint Pawprint is digitalizing pet medical records to increase the quality, convenience, and accuracy of pet care for owners.
Petronics Petronics makes MOUSR, a robot mouse toy designed to let indoor cats hunt the way they were meant to.
SwineTech SwineTech uses artificial intelligence and sensor-based technologies to save pig’s lives.
92 Middle Bit: Iowa Entrepreneurial Venture Competition to award $100,000 in prizes Jake Slobe March 22, 2019 Clay & Milk
John Pappajohn speaks at the 2018 Iowa Entrepreneurial Venture Competition.
Applications for the John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Venture Competition are now being accepted.
The fourteenth annual statewide competition will be awarding $100,000 in cash prizes.
The $100,000 in seed funding consists of a $50,000 contribution from Pappajohn Center and a $50,000 match from the Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA).
Iowa businesses that have been in operation for four years or less, or are not yet cash flow positive are eligible to apply.
Participants will initially be judged on written submissions. Those who advance to the final round of the competition will present to a panel of judges.
First place will be awarded $40,000, second place $25,000, and third place $15,000. Awards for other categories will total $20,000.
Applications for the competition are due Monday, May 20.
What else is happening?
93 Illinois
BriteCo, an Evanston, Illinois-based startup that partners with jewelers to help consumers insure fine jewelry and watches within minutes of purchase, today announced a seed-round raise of $2 million. The round’s investors include Brian Spaly, the founder of Trunk Club, and Jeff Taylor, the former chairman and CEO at Cole Taylor Bank. -Silicon Prairie News
Minnesota
Toymaker Lego and the toolmaker Stanley Black and Decker have invested $19 million in Minnetonka-based Evolve Additive Solutions in the hopes of commercializing a faster 3-D printing robot that can mass-produce goods. Evolve had been a small research department within Stratasys until its 3-D printing capability advanced and the unit was spun off into a separate company in April. -Minneapolis Star Tribune
94 5/21/2019 Karly Lent | John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center
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KARLY LENT ENTREPRENEURSHIP STUDENT
Over spring break, Karly (Journalism and Enterprise Leadership, 20) and 18 other UI students traveled to Southern Belize to work with local entrepreneurs in a Maya village. Through the International Entrepreneurship and Culture course, Karly and her classmates experienced what it’s like to run a business in a different country.
Nineteen UI students spent nine days in Belize over spring break improving the livelihoods of others through entrepreneurial action. They worked hand-in hand with local entrepreneurs in a Maya village in Southern Belize. The trip was lead by the John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center (Iowa JPEC) and was the third time faculty took students to this location as a part of the International Entrepreneurship and https://www.iowajpec.org/stories/karly-lent 95 5/21/2019 Karly Lent | John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center Culture course. Students learned about global entrepreneurship by experiencing what it is like to do business in a developing country. Students also enjoyed cultural activities and historical sites as they learned about the rich history of Belize. Karly Lent (Journalism and Enterprise Leadership, 20) shared her experience with us below.
What local business did you work with while in Belize? I got to help a married couple, Elia and Gustavo, who own a farm and coconut oil business called “Fito’s Fresh Organic Coconut Oil.” Our mission upon arriving was to enhance their marketing in hopes to reach more people aside from just word of mouth. Once there, we realized they also needed help with transporting their coconut oil, because the demand for it is so high. We helped create labels for their coconut oil bottles, business cards, and also helped Elia figure out her profit margins. Simple things like knowing how much they make per bottle was information we could help them gather that would help their business model in the future. We also helped the couple look at their business in a new perspective; brainstorming and giving our advice for improvements. I also got to experience making the coconut oil and the process is extremely physically demanding. After spending time with them, my biggest take away was seeing the passion Elia has for her business. I learned that her coconut oil business requires a lot of physical work, and her passion is what drives the business. Elia and Gustavo work around 12-14 hours a day on their farm to produce the coconut oil. To me, this demonstrated just how important it is to find that passion in whatever I do.
Click here (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X80ZvwCo8Ms&feature=youtu.be)to watch students make coconut oil with some locals (video produced by Karly Lent).
What were some of the “adventures” you got to experience on this trip? When we weren’t working with local businesses, we were able to experience the culture in Belize. We made authentic Mayan chocolate, went snorkeling at Snake Caye, took drum lessons from a master Creole drummer, and swam in the Blue Creek Caves. My favorite activity was probably the caves because the trek to get to the caves was difficult, but fun to experience with the group. It was unlike any cave I’ve ever been in since you’re swimming and can only see with a headlamp; otherwise it’s completely pitch black in there!
What was a lesson you learned through your experience in Belize? Something that stuck with me from my time there was how environmentally friendly and sustainable Belize is. They rarely use plastic or single-use food items, like granola bars or bags of chips. Almost all the food we ate there was fresh and grown in that area. If they happened to use a plastic bag or bottle, they reused it more than once. Coming back to Iowa, I became more conscious of my everyday decisions that affect the Earth and how these practices can be applied to business.
https://www.iowajpec.org/stories/karly-lent 96 5/21/2019 Karly Lent | John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center What advice would you give to a student considering this trip after learning more about entrepreneurship on a global scale? I would tell them to go on a trip like this and be open-minded. The experiences my class went through were unlike anything I could have experienced in the U.S., so it's important to be open to trying new things and meeting new people. While In Belize, I formed tight-knit relationships with the other UI students that went, and I was surprised with just how fast I was able to do that. The trip itself was beneficial for me because I saw the coconut products being made from scratch. It also opened by eyes to the wage issues in the United States and how underpaid some areas are. Aside from that, the experience was literally hands-on. I physically grinded coconuts and got my hands dirty on Elia’s farm. It’s one thing to see a video of this process, but it’s another to go through it yourself. I think experimental learning, like my trip to Belize, should be required for every student because it changes your life. It showed me how different life can be in different parts of the world, and I loved that.
Learn more about international experiences here (https://www.iowajpec.org/students/real- world-experience/international-experiences)
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https://www.iowajpec.org/stories/karly-lent 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 5/20/2019 Tippie College of Business name changes reflect focus on innovation and data analysis | Tippie College of Business
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Tippie College of Business name changes reflect focus on innovation and data analysis
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Thursday, April 18, 2019 Tom Snee
The University of Iowa’s Tippie College of Business has renamed two of its academic departments to better reflect a curriculum that’s increasingly focused on innovation, entrepreneurship, and data analysis across business disciplines.
The Department of Management and Organizations is now known as the Department of Management & Entrepreneurship (/management-and- entrepreneurship) and the Department of Management Sciences is now called the Department of Business Analytics (/business-analytics). The name changes were approved by the Board of Regents, State of Iowa, at its April meeting.
“The new names serve to increase the visibility of entrepreneurship programs to students and reflect the growing presence of entrepreneurship as a scholarly discipline within the field of management,” says Sarah Gardial, dean of the Tippie College of Business. “They also reflect an increased emphasis on teaching and studying the use of analytics to solve business problems.”
She says the change to the Department of Management & Entrepreneurship highlights the college’s emphasis on innovation, one that is further strengthened by the partnership between the business school and the Iowa John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center (https://www.iowajpec.org/) (Iowa JPEC).
The Department of Management & Entrepreneurship offers an undergraduate major with tracks in entrepreneurship, human resource management, and leadership and management. With JPEC, the department also offers a variety of undergraduate entrepreneurship certificate programs for university students in all disciplines. The department is also expected to offer undergraduate and graduate innovation programs through the university’s Innovation Center scheduled to open in 2020.
The Department of Business Analytics offers an undergraduate major in Business Analytics and Information Systems (BAIS), part-time and full-time Master’s degrees in Business Analytics, as well as a PhD program. In addition to analytics and machine learning, the department will also continue to focus on the growing areas of operations and supply chain logistics, optimization, and information systems.
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https://tippie.uiowa.edu/news/tippie-college-business-name-changes-reflect-focus-innovation-and-data-analysis 105 5/20/2019 Students win cash prizes at 2019 Frontier Co-op-Tippie Impact Competition | Tippie College of Business
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Students win cash prizes at 2019 Frontier Co-op-Tippie Impact Competition
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Friday, April 19, 2019 Sara Maples
University of Iowa students had the chance to present their sustainable business pitches to win cash prizes at the 2019 Frontier Co-op – Tippie Impact Competition, held on Friday, April 12.
This competition is held each spring to promote students’ engagement with sustainability and business. Throughout the competition, students learn to develop a sustainable business plan with feedback from faculty, staff, and sustainability professionals.
“We care deeply about the effect our business has on the world – the people we do business with, the way our products affect the environment, and the holistic health of us all,” said Frontier Co-op CEO Tony Bedard. “We hope the competition inspires the next generation of business leaders to take a closer look at the role sustainability will play in their careers.”
Eric Brosch, an undergraduate studying biochemistry, chemistry, and entrepreneurial management, took first place and won $2,500 for his business idea, FloraKeep. FloraKeep is an organic flower preservative that when added to vase water or sprayed on flowers helps to extend the life of the flower, reducing the massive number of flowers wasted each year. Brosch plans to use the prize money to apply for a patent and begin sales this summer.
Brosch reflected on the competition, saying, “The Frontier Co-op - Tippie Impact Competition has been a tremendous help with implementing this new flower preservative. The concepts of sustainability in the flower industry have helped narrow the focus of research and development to make the biggest impact possible through boosting flower health.”
The second-place winner, Laura Schwager, an undergraduate student studying design anthropology, won $1,000 for her business, FEM Power. “FEM Power is an organic, sustainably sourced protein supplement designed to support female physiology and stimulate recovery and balance,” stated Schwager.
The $500 third-place prize was awarded to Tippie College of Business undergraduate students Nick Simone and Christian Henderson. The students pitched their business plan for Natural Nectar, a smoothie and soup truck that rescues food from grocery stores that would otherwise be thrown away or composted.
Competitors pitched their business models to a panel of judges during the Frontier Co-op – Tippie Impact Finals, held at the Tippie College of Business. Teams were evaluated on the quality of their presentations, the viability of their business idea, and the degree to which the business idea addressed a sustainability challenge.
“The competition is unique because it challenges students to consider the long-term impacts of their decisions. They are confronted with the challenge of making sustainable practices work in a business environment,” says Sara Maples - research support and sustainability manager and adjunct lecturer at the Tippie College of Business
https://tippie.uiowa.edu/news/students-win-cash-prizes-2019-frontier-co-op-tippie-impact-competition 106 5/20/2019 Students win cash prizes at 2019 Frontier Co-op-Tippie Impact Competition | Tippie College of Business The competition is a partnership between Frontier Co-op, the John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center, and the Tippie College of Business. All University of Iowa students were eligible to participate in the competition. The competition consisted of sustainability training, pitch coaching, and a video pitch submission culminating in six finalists pitching their ideas to a panel of judges.
More information about this event can be found at https://tippie.uiowa.edu/impactcompetition (/impactcompetition).
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https://tippie.uiowa.edu/news/students-win-cash-prizes-2019-frontier-co-op-tippie-impact-competition 107 Episode 156 | CAN SUSTAINABLE BE DAPPER?
Conscious Chatter
In episode 156, Kestrel welcomes Garik Himebaugh, the founder at Eco-Stylist, to the show. An online marketplace for eco-conscious and ethically made men’s clothing, Eco-Stylist was founded to search for an answer to the question, “can sustainable be dapper?”
“I THINK YOU CAN CREATE A REALLY GREAT OUTFIT WITH ETHICAL AND SUSTAINABLE OPTIONS ONLY, AND THEN THE OPTIONS JUST KEEP GETTING BETTER — SO THAT’S AN INSPIRING AND POSITIVE TREND AS WELL.” -GARIK HIMEBAUGH, FOUNDER OF ECO-STYLIST
108 In this week’s show, Garik shares more on what led him from fashion tech toward a more ethical and sustainable direction. He also reveals some of his favorite brands in the sustainable menswear realm. It’s motivating to hear that Garik does believe that sustainable fashion can be dapper.
The below thoughts, ideas + organizations were brought up in this chat:
• Adelante Shoe Company, one of the first brands that truly inspired Garik
• Vustra, they make more colorful men’s button-up shirts
• Outerknown, a brand Garik suggests, listen to hear their episode on Conscious Chatter here >
• Z Shoes, vegan shoe brand Garik recommends
• Arvin Goods, brand Garik recommends for basics
• Zero Waste Daniel, cool brand that upcycles fabric scraps
• Nisolo, shoe brand Garik suggests for classic styles
• Brave Gentleman, brand Garik suggests for interesting vegan clothing like biker jackets
• What are the best ways to repurpose your old clothes? on Eco-Stylist
109 Tippie College of Business changes 2 department names The state Board of Regents approved changing the names of two departments in the Tippie College of Business to better reflect what they represent.
The Daily Iowan Noelle Hass, News Reporter April 24, 2019 Filed under Campus, News
At its April meeting, the state Board of Regents gave the go-ahead to the Tippie College of Business to change the names of two departments.
The Department of Management Sciences will become the Department of Business Analytics, and the Department of Management and Organizations will become the Department of Management and Entrepreneurship — which, department heads said, better reflected the degrees offered in the departments.
110 What is now dubbed the Business Analytics Department offers a certificate in business analytics for undergraduate students as well as a full- and part-time business analytics master’s program and a Ph.D. program.
“Outside of the Ph.D. program, all of the academics in the department are named after business analytics, and this new name reflects that a lot better,” said department Chair Barrett Thomas. “The term ‘management sciences’ was a bit dated. A large number of people who see ‘business analytics’ will know what that is … It is ultimately who we are.”
The other department to adopt a new name, the Management and Entrepreneurship Department, offers a management major for undergraduate students with entrepreneurship tracks, an online bachelor’s in business administration, and a Ph.D. program for management. These programs offer many routes for students interested in management and entrepreneurship to take in order to obtain their degrees.
“Changing the department name from the Department of Management and Organizations to the Department of Management and Entrepreneurship more accurately reflects our current undergraduate programs, our developing graduate programs, and the existing partnership between our department and the John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center,” said Amy Colbert, the department executive officer.
The Management and Entrepreneurship Department has an ongoing connection with the Entrepreneurial Center.
Colbert said approximately 40 percent of management majors are in the entrepreneurial-management track. The department hopes that incorporating the term “entrepreneurship” to the name will increase awareness of the entrepreneurship options for students.
Tippie Senior Associate Dean Amy Kristof-Brown said she is optimistic about what the change will mean for the departments.
“Although we hope that this will continue to attract students, it’s more a reflection of where the departments had already begun to shift their focus,” she said. “Each of the departments has seen increases in majors recently, and the hope is that the name is a more consistent signal to other potential students and faculty of what the department majors offer.”
111 Students take top prizes in Pappajohn Student Entrepreneurial Venture Competition Jake Slobe April 30, 2019 Clay & Milk
Pictured left to right: Rebecca Lyons (Lunchsox); Dan Cosgrove; John Pappajohn; Dan Storck; Erica Cole (No Limbits); Adam Hoffman (Asonus Tech); Brandon Williams (Asonus Tech).
Three college student teams each took home $5,000 prizes at the finals of the Pappajohn Student Entrepreneurial Venture Competition on April 26, in Des Moines.
The winning entries were chosen based on their presentations, the viability of their plans and their ability to answer questions about their business proposals.
12 finalists from four different schools — the University of Northern Iowa, Iowa State University, the University of Iowa, and Drake University —competed in this year’s competition. Business ideas included a wide variety of concepts including photography, mobile apps, 360-degree camera systems for zoos,
112 nightlife transportation service, mock trial consulting, online painting estimate tool platform and filmmaking.
Here were the three teams that won the competition:
Rebecca Lyons, Iowa State University graduate student and founder of Lunchsox, sells fashionable wool socks online and in retail locations. Profits support American kids who are in need of food, especially on weekends and school breaks.
Adam Hoffman and Brandon Williams, University of Iowa students, presented their business, Asonsus Tech, which is developing software on smart devices that will notify the user whenever an important noise occurs through alerts sent via vibration or light flash.
Erica Cole, University of Iowa student and founder of No Limbits, creates lightweight, 3D printed custom prosthesis covers for amputees.
113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 5/20/2019 Awards program honors university researchers and innovators | Office of the Vice President for Research | The University of Iowa
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By: Stephen Pradarelli May 1, 2019 The University of Iowa Office of the Vice President for Research (OVPR) on Tuesday night celebrated faculty, staff, and students who have distinguished themselves in the areas of research, scholarship, innovation and mentoring.
Joined by the UI John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center (JPEC) and the newest member of its organization—the Iowa Center for Research by Undergraduates (ICRU)-- OVPR presented 14 awards (several to multiple recipients). It also recognized individuals and start-ups awarded patents, options, or licenses with the support of the University of Iowa Research Foundation to help protect and commercialize their intellectual property in 2018. [To view patent winners, click here. To view license and option awardees, click here.]
https://research.uiowa.edu/impact/news/awards-program-honors-university-researchers-and-innovators 121 5/20/2019 Awards program honors university researchers and innovators | Office of the Vice President for Research | The University of Iowa “All of our award recipients have made important contributions to the research enterprise,” interim Vice President for Research John Keller said in his opening remarks. “Whether they’re conducting new and exciting research and scholarship, translating that work into real-world treatments and inventions, or mentoring students and junior faculty, their work is the lifeblood of a research university.”
Awards given were:
Distinguished Research Administrator: Mindy Sickels Sterbenz, BBA, research support manager, College of Public Health Department of Occupational & Environmental Health. This award recognizes a staff member who performed exceptional service in support of research at the UI by exploring funding opportunities, and assisting in grant proposal preparation, submission, post-award administration, and operational support.
Distinguished Research Professional : Jeanette Daly, Ph.D., research scientist, UI Carver College of Medicine Department of Family Medicine. This award recognizes a staff member who performed exceptional service in support of research at the UI by conducting experiments, collecting and analyzing results, and performing operational duties associated with a laboratory or research program.
Early Career Scholar of the Year: Korey Kennelty, Pharm.D., Ph.D., assistant professor, College of Pharmacy Department of Pharmacy Practice and Science and UI Carver College of Medicine Department of Family Medicine. This award honors assistant professors in tenure-track, research-track, or clinical-track who have no more than four years total of postdoctoral and/or fellowship experience, are currently involved in research, scholarship and/or creative activity, and who show promise of making a significant contribution to their field.
Faculty Communicating Ideas: John Rapson, Ph.D., professor of jazz studies in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS) School of Music. This award recognizes excellence in communication about research and scholarship in the sciences and humanities and the study of creative, visual, and performing arts to a general audience directly or via print and electronic media.
Leadership in Research: Susan Assouline, Ph.D., Myron and Jacqueline Blank Endowed Chair in Gifted Education, professor in the Department of Psychological and Quantitative Foundations, and director of the Belin-Blank Center, College of Education. The
https://research.uiowa.edu/impact/news/awards-program-honors-university-researchers-and-innovators 122 5/20/2019 Awards program honors university researchers and innovators | Office of the Vice President for Research | The University of Iowa Leadership in Research Award is a lifetime achievement award recognizing research and scholarly accomplishments over a career.
Distinguished Achievement in Publicly Engaged Research: Lisa Segre, Ph.D., associate professor, College of Nursing. This award recognizes an individual faculty member who has put addressing public needs and direct engagement with the public, in the service of improving quality of life through research, at the forefront of his or her academic activities.
Scholar of the Year: Bob McMurray, Ph.D., professor, CLAS Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, and director of the DeLTA Center. This award celebrates nationally recognized recent achievement in outstanding research, scholarly and/or creative activities by tenure- and/or research-clinical-track faculty members within the previous 24-month period.
Student Startup of the Year (two awards): No Limbits, founded by Erica Cole, senior, CLAS Department of Chemistry, and VerdiLife LLC, founded by Mahdi Eghbali, Ph.D. candidate, Tippie College of Business Department of Economics. The recipients of this award exhibit passion, devotion, and innovation in planning and deploying their startup and have either made significant progress over the years, or have made an impact as determined by jobs created, revenue generated, or other metrics.
Faculty/Staff Startup of the Year: Firefly Photonics, LLC. Recipients of this award exhibit passion, devotion, and innovation in planning and deploying their startup and have either made significant progress over the years, or have made an impact as determined by jobs created, revenue generated, or other metrics. The recipients are:
Co-Founder and President John Prineas, professor, CLAS Department of Physics and Astronomy. Co-Founder and Vice President Fatima Toor, assistant professor, College of Engineering Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. CEO Michael Jones, MBA, University of Iowa.
Excellence in Undergraduate Research Award: These awards recognize outstanding accomplishments in scholarly investigation, artistic creation, or performance by UI undergraduates. The five recipients, in alphabetical order, are:
Mackenzie Cross, junior, CLAS Department of Anthropology.
https://research.uiowa.edu/impact/news/awards-program-honors-university-researchers-and-innovators 123 5/20/2019 Awards program honors university researchers and innovators | Office of the Vice President for Research | The University of Iowa Taha Gesalla, junior, UI Carver College of Medicine Departments of Neurology and Pediatrics. Rikki Laser, junior, CLAS Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences. Margaret Mungai, junior, UI Carver College of Medicine Department of Internal Medicine. Sam Ponnada, junior, CLAS Department of Physics and Astronomy.
Iowa Center for Research by Undergraduates (ICRU) Distinguished Mentor Award: This award was created to recognize the outstanding mentoring of undergraduate students in research and creative projects at the University of Iowa. (two recipients, in alphabetical order):
Philip Kaaret, Ph.D., professor, CLAS Department of Physics and Astronomy. Linda McCarter, Ph.D., professor, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Carver College of Medicine.
Student Innovator Award: Qinghua Wang, Ph.D. candidate, College of Engineering Department of Mechanical Engineering. This award honors undergraduate and/or graduate students conducting research/scholarly innovation or new technology development that is recognized as highly original work and has led to intellectual property.
Graduate Research Excellence Awards: The Graduate Research Excellence Awards honor students in terminal degree programs conducting research and scholarly activity that is recognized as highly original work and makes a significant contribution to the field. The three awardees, listed in alphabetical order, are:
Ian Faith (Arts and Humanities), Ph.D. candidate, CLAS Department of English. Volha Kananovich (Social Sciences), Ph.D. candidate, CLAS School of Journalism and Mass Communication. Benton Purnell (Life Sciences), Ph.D. candidate, UI Carver College of Medicine Department of Neurology.
Postdoctoral Research Scholar/Fellow Excellence Award: Ali Sulaiman, Ph.D., CLAS Department of Physics. This award honors research performance and scholarly activity that is recognized as highly original work and makes a significant contribution to the field.
https://research.uiowa.edu/impact/news/awards-program-honors-university-researchers-and-innovators 124 IOWA Now From tragedy comes a business opportunity UI student who lost a leg in a car crash now designs and sells covers for prosthetic legs
BY: TOM SNEE | 2019.05.06 | 08:45 AM
Erica Cole doesn’t let anything diminish her zest for life.
Not even losing a leg.
Cole’s first three years as a chemistry major at the University of Iowa were filled with success—her research published in a peer-reviewed scientific journal as a sophomore, she landed a prestigious U.S. Department of Energy-funded internship, she served as a costume designer for theatrical productions, and was a member of the UI Spirit Squad who designed new costumes for Herky.
Her future was bright and limitless, until May 2018 when her car was T-boned at an intersection in Colorado and her left leg was so badly injured that it was amputated later that day.
Yet her future remains as bright and limitless as ever, nearly a year after the accident. In fact, it might be even more so because the injury and her innate optimism led her curious mind in new directions and to a future as an entrepreneur.
“When I think about Erica, the last thing that I think of is that she’s been injured,” says Kimm Harris, who teaches entrepreneurialism in the UI’s John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center (Iowa JPEC) and is helping Cole start a new business that manufactures decorative covers for prosthetic legs. “She took what for so many people would be a tragedy and turned it into a problem-solving opportunity.
No Limbits To learn more about Erica Cole’s company, go to www.no-limbits.com.
“Her future is really bright, and she’ll help so many people,” says Harris.
Despite the severity of her injury, Cole, who is from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, has managed to keep moving forward. After a few months of adjustment, first to the injury and then to the prosthetic leg she began wearing to improve her mobility, she didn’t skip a beat and returned to campus to start her senior year. She went to classes, looked at graduate schools, considered applying for a Fulbright fellowship—all things she says she would have done before the accident.
The biggest change, and the one that bothered her the most, was how others reacted to her.
“There was a difference in the way people were treating me,” Cole says. “They were looking at me with sympathy and asking questions I didn’t want to answer every day.”
125 She didn’t want the loss of a leg to define her, for people to look at her and see only what she no longer had. So she invented a plastic cover that snaps over her prosthetic leg, designed using the imagination that led her to create new clothes for Herky. What so many people saw as a negative was now joyful and positive.
“That really changed the conversation,” she says. “Now, they weren’t saying ‘I’m so sorry,’ they were saying ‘That’s so cool. Where did you get it?’”
Eventually someone suggested she start a business designing, making, and selling the prosthetic covers. She’d never considered starting a business before, but she didn’t immediately dismiss the idea—after all, she’d been trying all kinds of new things since the accident.
If anything, the accident motivated her to try as many new things as possible, realizing now that there are no guarantees in life. She took classes for improv acting and ballroom dancing and scuba diving. She applied to graduate schools she’d been looking at. And she finished her Fulbright application, a proposal to study the teeth of wild boars captured around the Fukushima nuclear plant in Japan to track the spread of strontium since the facility started spewing radioactivity after it was destroyed by an earthquake and tidal wave in 2011.
So starting a business designing, manufacturing, and selling prosthetic leg covers? Sure, no sweat.
At her roommate’s suggestion, she entered a contest called Idea Storm, sponsored by Iowa JPEC in October 2018. Novice entrepreneurs describe their business idea to a panel of judges that awards start- up capital to the best presentations. Cole did so well that she was motivated to participate in the Iowa Startup Games later that month, another JPEC-sponsored contest where entrepreneurs work with coaches and mentors to create a business plan in a weekend, with the best plans receiving more start- up cash.
She discovered about 2 million amputees live in the U.S., a decent-sized market for her product. And while competition for her product exists, she has a significant price advantage because she plans to make hers less expensively using a 3-D printer. Cole also talked with potential customers, all of whom liked the idea of a cover for their prostheses.
Suddenly, starting a business seemed plausible. Cole joined the Founder’s Club—an Iowa JPEC program that provides a wide network of coaching, mentoring, educational programs, and funding opportunities—and met Harris, her entrepreneurial advisor.
“She’s been on a fast track because she received so much positive feedback from potential customers and from other entrepreneurs that it pushed her along,” says Harris. “She had no idea what to do at the start, but she’s not afraid to ask questions and she shows a willingness to try anything, which is a great characteristic of an entrepreneur.
“And she’s been taking advantage of everything Iowa JPEC has to offer,” Harris says.
Cole calls her business No Limbits, and she opened an office in the UI’s Merge co-working space in downtown Iowa City, where she’s surrounded by mentors, coaches, and other entrepreneurs who inspire her. She worked through the winter to raise more start-up capital, including a GoFundMe campaign. She settled on a compound to manufacture the covers—PETG, tough enough they won’t
126 break, “unless you’re kickboxing in them.” She purchased 3-D printers to manufacture the covers and devised a logistics system to ship them. Her website went live in April, at www.no-limbits.com.
Cole’s already looking to expand her product line, thinking about blank covers made of material similar to a white board so people can use markers to draw on them whatever they wish.
“They can be used for protection and creative expression,” she says. “People can choose different colors and designs. They can be like a pair of shoes; you can change them to match what you’re wearing or how you’re feeling.”
Her JPEC experience also connected with her George Daniel, a 2016 UI graduate who owns the Minneapolis-based Universal Prosthetics. The two met when he was a coach at the Iowa Startup Games in October 2018, and he’s served as a mentor since.
“One of the most important characteristics of a successful entrepreneur is resilience, and she obviously has that in spades, the way she’s bounced back from her accident,” Daniel says. “As for her business, she’s been making terrific progress so far and has gotten a lot of traction in just a few months.”
Daniel acknowledges that Cole’s road will be challenging, but says she has the tenacity and drive to make it work.
“She’s also started her business for the right reasons,” Daniel says. “She wants to solve a problem, not just for herself, but for other people too. She’s not doing this to get rich.”
Cole admits that the post-accident trauma was difficult. She remembers ambulances and emergency workers and flashing lights at the accident scene—and then nothing until she woke up in a hospital feeling relieved to be alive. She sensed something was wrong but she couldn’t figure out what, and nobody told her about the amputation for some time afterward.
She went through dark periods and struggled to adjust to life with one leg.
“I had moments that were hard for me,” she says. “It’s the little things that are the most difficult, things that were so simple before.”
But, she says she kept thinking, it was just one leg. The rest of her still worked just fine. And she knows she still has options in life. She can get her PhD in chemistry. She can win a Fulbright (she’s been announced as a semifinalist). And she can manage her own business.
NoLimbits, it turns out, has become a form of therapy. Not only did it give Cole something to think about besides self-pity, her market research and customer discovery put her in touch with other amputees whose own stories lift her spirits.
“I talked with so many other amputees that I was able to see all the things that they can do, and it’s so inspiring,” she says. “Now, I’m going to do things because I realize I might not be able to do it later.
“I’m a lot happier now because of it,” she says. “I wouldn’t be able to do any of it without JPEC. So many people have taken me under their wing, it suddenly became possible for me to start my own business.”
127 5/20/2019 Hawkeyes start new business to fund semester at sea | Iowa Now
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Hawkeyes start new business to fund semester at sea Student entrepreneurs create Wanderlust Wraps, a successful company that funded their study abroad experience
Kennedy Voss (le ) and Taylor Williams (right) pose for a photo aboard the ship where they are participating in Semester at Sea through the University of Iowa’s study abroad program. The UI juniors started a company making sport headbands to pay for their trips. Submitted photo.
BY: TRICIA BROWN | 2019.05.08 | 08:24 AM
https://now.uiowa.edu/2019/05/hawkeyes-start-new-business-fund-semester-sea 128 5/20/2019 Hawkeyes start new business to fund semester at sea | Iowa Now Former Iowa crew teammates Taylor Williams and Kennedy Voss wanted to take part in Semester at Sea through the University of Iowa’s study abroad program in spring 2019.
But they didn’t know how they were going to pay for it.
The best friends were inspired to make no-slip sport headbands and start a business called Wanderlust Wraps to raise money for their trip. The product and company have been so successful that, now that they have just returned to campus, Williams and Voss plan to grow the company and turn profits into scholarships for other UI students who hope to study abroad but lack the funds to do so.
Williams, a communication studies major from Geneva, Illinois, and Voss, an entrepreneurial leadership major from Ankeny, Iowa, are both UI juniors who will graduate in December 2019.
Q: How did you get the idea to start making headbands?
Voss: The idea came from our frustration with athletic headbands sliding o during workouts. In rowing, you can’t pause and fix your headband because your hands have to stay on the oar.
Williams: We knew this would be a good problem to solve, and we knew there was a market for this. As college students, we see people all over wearing wraps in di erent ways, but we wanted to make them more unique and more fun than most.
Voss: We started making them and selling them to friends, teammates, and family members. We hosted a pop-up shop in front of Iowa Book & Supply and were shocked when we sold out in a matter of a few hours.
Q: Did you make the first headbands yourselves?
Voss: All of our headbands are unique and made by hand. We pride ourselves in our work, especially considering we just learned how to sew when we started the business.
Williams: We not only made the first ones ourselves, but we make each of them ourselves to ensure the quality stays at a level we expect. Eventually we plan to outsource locally to other women with the same drive as we have.
Q: What’s the secret to them staying in place?
Voss: The fabric that we use is so and grips the hair. Along with that, the size is universal and isn’t too tight so you don’t get headaches. https://now.uiowa.edu/2019/05/hawkeyes-start-new-business-fund-semester-sea 129 5/20/2019 Hawkeyes start new business to fund semester at sea | Iowa Now Q: Why was participating in Semester at Sea important to you?
Voss: Semester at Sea o ers a global experience like no other. I knew I wanted to go abroad, but this program allowed me to see the most possible in one semester. I have grown so much as a person and met people from around the world.
Williams: This is such a unique program that allows you to see so much of the world and really immerse yourself in di erent cultures. It was important to me to be able to get credit for school while also traveling, which has become my all-time favorite hobby. It has opened my eyes to so many things in the world, and I am excited to get back and start working on my next project with my best friend.
Q: How do you think the trip will help you a er you graduate and begin your careers?
Voss: I feel that my perspective has changed dramatically and helped clarify where I want my future career path to go. We have taken this time to think of where we want to take our business and of potential new products.
Williams: I really think I will take back the lesson that if you’re thinking about doing something, just do it because otherwise you will regret it later. I have a whole new perspective on life that I will take with me into my professional career. This program really showed me how it takes just one person to make a di erence.
Q: What has been the most educational experience so far?
Williams: Living on a boat in the ocean and learning about plastics, you can really see the e ects. The next was seeing poverty in several countries. It was really hard getting o a beautiful ship when you could see people starving in the streets, kids walking around without shoes, not having access to fresh water
And in Burma, there is still a genocide going on, and the majority of the people of this country know nothing about it because everything is so censored.
Q: How has your education at the UI helped in starting your business? What skills have you learned?
Voss: My major, enterprise leadership, has been the perfect foundation. The classes taught me exactly what I needed to know and the sta in the John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center (JPEC) program were always willing to answer my questions. I also spent last summer https://now.uiowa.edu/2019/05/hawkeyes-start-new-business-fund-semester-sea 130 5/20/2019 Hawkeyes start new business to fund semester at sea | Iowa Now interning for a student business in the Summer Accelerator, where I learned key information that I was later able to apply to our business.
Williams: As a communication studies major, I didn’t know much about becoming an entrepreneur and the steps to get there, but I did know about the strategies of marketing and communicating to di erent audiences. The most helpful thing at the UI is JPEC, from our branding to having accountants and lawyers on hand, they have helped us so much. The sta is always willing to help, and they are a huge reason behind our success.
Q: You have said that your goal is to grow the business and turn profits into a scholarship fund for students who want to study abroad. Why is it important to you to help fellow Hawkeyes?
Voss: We always knew we wanted to give back, but were struggling to find a way that aligned with our business’ mission. If the business continues to see success, we want to implement the scholarship fund for our fellow Hawkeyes as soon as possible. We have a lot of school pride and want to take our spirit around the world.
Williams: Everyone deserves the opportunity to see the world because until you really do, you never know what’s out there and what impact you as an individual can make. Hawkeyes always support Hawkeyes, so I really think it was instilled in me to help other Hawkeyes the second that I stepped on campus.
Contacts: Tricia Brown, O ice of Strategic Communication, 319-384-0009
News From: TIPPIE COLLEGE OF BUSINESS INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMS News For: STUDENTS FACULTY STAFF ALUMNI & FRIENDS PARENTS & FAMILIES NEWS MEDIA News About: ACADEMICS ACHIEVEMENTS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INTERNATIONAL Keywords: STUDY ABROAD SEMESTER AT SEA JPEC ENTREPRENEUR
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From tragedy comes a business opportunity https://now.uiowa.edu/2019/05/hawkeyes-start-new-business-fund-semester-sea 131 How two sustainable entrepreneurs are making Iowa City a better place May 15, 2019 The University of Iowa
Michael Simon and Garik Himebaugh are two Iowa City entrepreneurs who are actually hoping to put their companies out of business. As entrepreneurs dedicated to sustainability, both have found innovative ways to solve the issues that they care about. The faster their work is finished, the faster they can start working on another problem.
"I would essentially like to put myself out of business... If all clothing were sustainably made, I could go work on another problem." - Garik Himebaugh, Founder of Eco-Stylist
Michael and Garik met as UI graduates in the Founder’s Club, an on-campus business incubator, while Michael founded Clean River Solutions, an innovator in water quality and flood prevention, and Garik founded Eco-Stylist, a sustainable, online shopping experience for men. They most recently worked together to organize an Earth Day river cleanup at Ralston Creek in East Iowa City. 17 students and community members volunteered at the event, collecting 20 bags of trash, a bicycle, several pieces of furniture, and a flat-screen television from just two blocks of Ralston Creek and its banks.
Afterwards, Michael and Garik sat down with the Office of Sustainability and the Environment to talk about river cleanups, their companies, and the advice that they have for others interested in sustainable and socially-conscious business.
Michael and Garik’s primary hope for the river clean-up was “just going out there and getting some trash picked up.” Garik originally proposed the idea to Michael as a way to celebrate Earth Day and the event came together seamlessly from there – Eco-Stylist and Clean River Solutions co-hosted the event with the help of United By Blue, a national company that has committed to cleaning waterways around the country. Their main goal was to show just how easy it is to get involved, whether organizing your own river clean-up or just picking up trash as you walk outside. “Really, the community needs to become more invested in preventing pollution of these creeks and streams… It has to be a sustainable effort,” said Michael.
"For me, my hope is that people will see how easy it is to get involved-- Whether it's just taking more time to make sure that trash won't fall out of a garbage bag or picking up trash on a walk home." - Michael Simon, Founder of Clean River Solutions
132 Javy Perez, a student at the University of Iowa, came to the event after meeting Michael and Garik through the Founder’s Club. “Their businesses are doing some great things for the environment and the community, so I wanted to show my support in their mission.” He also thought that the event was a success, saying, “It was awesome to see people dedicate part of their Saturday to help the environment.” Javy wasn’t the only person excited about the event’s success. People in the community stopped and thanked the volunteers, and two students even bought the group a case of water. “Hopefully, we can all do it again soon,” said Javy.
Michael and Garik plan to organize more river clean-ups in the future, but they’re also busy with their companies. Michael made headlines last year when he built the RC Beaver, a prototype for “a swimming drone to clear woody debris and blockages,” and won two prizes through JPEC competitions. With Clean River Solutions, Michael would like to use the Beaver to safely and cheaply clean rivers. As he finds more ideas, he would eventually like to address flooding more broadly, slowing water down and reducing flooding damage. Overall, he said, “I just want to make rivers nicer for people to enjoy.” Garik has also been praised for Eco-Stylist and his work to provide sustainable clothing options for men. After realizing the extent of pollution and human rights violations in the fashion industry, Garik built Eco-Stylist to endorse eco-friendly, socially responsible, and ethically sourced men’s clothing. Consumers can easily find any ethical menswear they need, from organic cotton oxfords to zero waste hats and sunglasses made from recycled plastic bottles. In the end, Garik said, “I want to see all clothing be sustainable.”
Michael and Garik have learned a lot from their experience with start-ups, and they’re excited to share what they’ve learned with others interested in sustainability and innovation. Michael found that the most important lesson he learned was to get out and talk to potential customers. “Entrepreneurship is not just risk taking—By doing customer discovery, we can make it a calculated risk.” Garik also talked about customer discovery and the importance of trusting your business’ success. “In a sustainable or socially good business, sometimes you get a lot of resistance. What you have to do is trust the data and yourselves.” Both entrepreneurs talked about the benefits and the costs of starting a business, saying that “it’s the greatest but hardest experience,” although “the benefits definitely outweigh the costs.”
When asked to give advice, Michael and Garik agreed that the possibilities are endless for sustainable entrepreneurs. “If you look at the forefront of sustainability, you’ll find a lot of opportunities to get involved or do your own thing,” said Garik. Michael suggested that competitions like IdeaStorm and Founder’s Games or programs like JPEC and EntreFest represent just a few of these great opportunities for sustainable innovators. If you have an idea, go pitch it to one of these competitions; if you don’t have an idea yet, find other people at business programs with similar goals and brainstorm. Getting involved, even through events like river cleanups, will help you make connections and learn about innovation until you find the people and the idea necessary to start your own project.
133 EntreFEST in Cedar Rapids this week, Venture School Launch Day tonight 16 May 2019/Laura Neesen Silicon Prairie News
Tominsky, David (@tominsky). “Love that @geoffwood does this crash course on the Iowa Startup Scene and excited to have it as one of the first sessions at #EntreFEST2019.” 9:09 AM – May 16, 2019. Tweet.
EntreFEST by nonprofit New Bohemian Innovation Collaborative (NewBoCo) is in full swing this week in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. EntreFEST is a two-day conference, celebrating the spirit of entrepreneurship and innovation where professionals at every level can come together, share ideas, and own their success. EntreFEST kicked off Wednesday and runs through Friday. The event features a full schedule of sessions, pitch coaching, panels, and more.
Aaron Horn, Chief Operating Officer of NewBoCo said, “EntreFEST brings together students, entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, angel investors, and business leaders in the community. This event brings people from all over the state to hear from speakers over two packed days of learning and networking. Over 500 EntreFEST attendees are enjoying picture-perfect weather in Cedar Rapids today as they attend the breakout sessions scattered throughout the city’s NewBo district. The event’s location provides attendees an excellent opportunity to explore the local area businesses and dining as well.”
Eric Engelmann, Executive Director of NewBoCo tweeted a few take-aways from today’s keynote address delivered by Jerry Greenfield, Co-founder of Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream, as Greenfield relayed the story of the ice cream sensation’s founding and the principles that are the bedrock of the company.
Engelmann, Eric (@ericengelmann). “You can design your organization to maximize its social impact; “business can be spiritual” For Ben & Jerry’s, “organized people + money = power” — to leverage the
134 business this way, chose to support missions they care about, e.g. voting rights, enviro issues etc.” 11:15 AM – May 16, 2019. Tweet.
Engelmann, Eric (@ericengelmann). “You can be intentional about designing a business that also makes your community better.” 11:08 AM – May 16, 2019. Tweet.
EntreFEST’s speaking lineup includes many notable names such as Rada Yovovich, Co-founder of the The Darkest Horse, Michal Eynon-Lynch, Co-founder of Pear Deck, Scott Hoekman, Co-founder of Next Level Ventures, Brad Dwyer, Co-founder of Hatchlings, and Mike Draper founder of RAYGUN, to name only a few. Melissa Perri, Founder & CEO of Produx Labs will deliver Friday’s EntreFEST keynote address, The Build Trap.
The University of Iowa’s Venture School Launch Day event is being held in conjunction with EntreFEST. Eight Venture School alumni from the 2018/2019 year are set to pitch their businesses tonight to a panel of judges for a chance to win cash prizes. The first prize winner will receive $10,000. The second-place winner will receive $5,000, and $1,000 goes to each of the remaining six businesses. (See company bios at the end of this article).
The Venture School, established in 2013 in partnership with the National Science Foundation Innovation Corps, is an extension of the University of Iowa John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center (Iowa JPEC). Iowa JPEC was established in 1996 and is committed to teaching and supporting innovation and entrepreneurial development. The center serves University of Iowa students, Iowa startups and businesses, and k-12 innovative youth. Iowa JPEC’s programs support entrepreneurs of all ages and experience levels.
Venture School is an innovative training program focused on real-world experimentation, customer discovery, and Lean LaunchPad methodologies. The statewide Venture School program helps entrepreneurs by accelerating the startup process and increasing their odds of success. The program is available to startups, small businesses, non-profits, and corporate innovation teams in Iowa, and has grown dramatically to reach all major cities across Iowa, from Council Bluffs to Dubuque.
Over 320 themes and companies with 160 mentors have accessed the program since it was established. The Venture School Launch Day features eight businesses selected from over 50 teams throughout Iowa, including Mason City, Iowa City, Des Moines, Quad Cities, and Dubuque.
“We’re excited that our partnership with the Iowa JPEC is providing the opportunity for these entrepreneurs to take center stage and share what they’ve been working on for the past year,” NewBoCo Events Director Jill Wilkins said. “At EntreFEST, the teams building these new companies will not only get to pitch to their mentors but also to business leaders from across Iowa and the Midwest.”
Kurt Heiar, Venture School Director, said about the program, “The business landscape today is dynamic, and changes are rapid; entrepreneurs are more important than ever because they are willing to jump in, take on risk, and create jobs. The Venture School offers the perfect marriage of experienced mentors, experienced investors, and experienced entrepreneurs to help assess commercial opportunities. The program has resulted in the launch of several companies, and we’re excited about the talent and promise we see here in Iowa. Our program is in place to impart high-value insights, experiences, and academic tools to benefit these companies, and help drive them toward success.”1
135 Heiar added, “The EntreFEST program is important because building a business is a team sport. EntreFEST is an excellent opportunity for business networking and interfacing with people at all levels of experience – those who have done it and those who are doing it. The idea-sharing and exchange of information that happens at EntreFEST is integral to the methodologies and training we employ at the Venture School.
The action continues next week (May 21 and 22) as Dwolla hosts premier tech summit Monetery at the Temple for Performing Arts in Des Moines. Monetery will feature a heavy-hitting lineup of speakers in the tech sector on Day 1. The summit offers Midwest startups an opportunity on Day 2 to connect one- on-one with investors. Check back right here on SPN for coverage of Monetery.
The Venture School Launch Day companies pitching tonight at EntreFEST are the following:
VerdiLife – Iowa City. Mahdi Eghbali, William Braverman, Kaveh Mostafavi. VerdiLife strives to make the Earth a healthier planet by replacing harmful agrochemicals with an all- natural solution. Their business focuses on recycling wood-waste into 100% organic fertilizers and pesticides in the form of wood vinegar and biochar.
Argrow’s House Bath and Body – Quad Cities. Dr. Kit Ford. Argrow’s House is a social enterprise where women survivors of violence create beautiful bath and body products that are natural, healthy, and smell wonderful.
Continuum Ag – Mason City. Mitchell Hora. Continuum Ag is the intel processor of agricultural data and the fully transparent link between the consumer and the soil. Their business works with farmers, ag companies, and food organizations, around the world, to quantify and improve soil health.
Grateful Graze – Quad Cities. Alyssa Bradley, Yasmin Moreles, Chrissy Elliott. Grateful Graze stands out from the typical farm of corn and soybeans by raising grass fed and finished beef in their crop rotation along with lamb and pastured chicken. Their mission is connecting farmers to families with food they can trust – raised in a way that is best for the animal, the environment and people.
Boundry – Dubuque. Eric Peters. Boundry helps dog owners keep their pets safe with a simple, humane, and portable dog fence solution built on positive reinforcement, superior training, and GPS perimeter technology.
BluJaket – Quad Cities. Michael Lawrence. BluJaket makes mobile marketing easy and affordable for small businesses and restaurants by connecting them with consumers in the right place, at the right time, for a mutually beneficial engagement.
Horse Auction Block – Dubuque. Tyrel Nelson. Horse Auction Block is providing an online auction styled marketplace for horses. Their business assists in both the buying and selling process to ensure that both parties are honest and receive the horse that they paid for.
Immersive Development Reality (IDR) – Iowa City. Jens Zalzala, Megan Zalzala, Joshua Jackson. Immersive Development Reality (IDR) teaches students the concepts of coding while in a virtual reality
136 environment. As middle schools struggle with participation in computer science, IDR presents a fun way to garner student interest and create continuous engagement, while teaching valuable skills.
Visit www.venture-school.com for more information.
1. Kurt Heiar is an Iowa JPEC lecturer, and Lead Instructor for UI’s statewide Venture School Program. Kurt has been the President & CEO of four early stage companies to date, including Immortagen, Inc., a women’s cancer diagnostics company named UI Start Up of the Year for 2016.
137 EntreFEST 2019 Jake Slobe May 20, 2019 Clay & Milk
Jerry Greenfield, co-founder of Ben & Jerry’s, delivers the EntreFEST keynote at Veritas Church in Cedar Rapids.
Cedar Rapids became an entrepreneurial hub last week as entrepreneurs, business owners, software developers and other professionals gathered for EntreFEST 2019.
The two-day conference, which ran Thursday and Friday, offered attendees a combination of presentations and panels at several venues, hosted by nearly 50 businesses throughout Cedar Rapids.
Here are some highlights from the event:
Jerry Greenfield tells origin of Ben & Jerry’s
Jerry Greenfield, co-founder of Ben & Jerry’s, delivered EntreFEST’s first keynote Thursday morning.
138 Greenfield shared how he turned a storefront venture into a $300 million ice cream empire by making social responsibility and creative management into strengths instead of weaknesses.
Greenfield emphasized the powerful influence businesses like Ben and Jerry’s can have in using their voice to advocate for social issues.
“There is a spiritual aspect to business just as there is to the lives of individuals,” Greenfield said. “As you give, you receive. As you help others, you are helped in return. And just because the idea that the good that you do comes back to you is written in the Bible and not in some business textbook doesn’t make it any less valid.”
Venture School Launch Day
The University of Iowa’s John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center held its Venture School Launch Day event in conjunction with EntreFEST on Thursday night.
Venture School Launch Day highlighted eight standout Venture School alumni from the 2018/2019 year. The eight startups each had six minutes to pitch their businesses to a panel of judges followed by a four-minute Q&A.
First place was given to Immersive Development Reality who took home the $10,000 first place prize. Second Place was given to Boundry who took home $5,000. The six other startups that pitched each received $1,000.
Placemaking in rural America
Zachary Mannheimer, principal community placemaker at Clive-based McClure Engineering, spoke about how rural America has significant potential to grow with new residents as populations along the coast become more and more saturated.
Mannheimer said that in order to prepare for larger populations, officials in rural communities need to begin to seek out purposeful innovation now.
“There’s this psychology about folks in rural areas,” he said. “‘Poor rural, we’ve got to wait for the big stuff, that’s for cities, that’s not for us.’ We can do it here and we can do it better.”
Escaping “The Build Trap“
Melissa Perri, founder of Produx Labs, talked about how large companies can often fall into a dangerous place she called “The Build Trap.”
Perri shared how product teams and organizations can restructure their thinking to focus on finding value for the user through experimentation to achieve business goals.
139 Attendees received a free copy of her book, Escaping the Build Trap: How Effective Product Mangement Creates Real Value.
Things no one tells you about owning your own business
Meegan Hofmeister, founder of The Dostal House, spoke about the unspoken hardships that can come with owning a business.
She shared the ups and downs of her experience opening up a retail store that she ended up closing after running for three years.
“I went into that business with my best friend and we had two very different commitment levels,” said Hofmeister.” And very quickly I had a better understanding of the business than what my business partner did and that started to be a wedge.”
Hofmeister now runs and owns The Dostal House, a retail, coworking and event space for women located in Cedar Rapids.
140 5/20/2019 VerdiLife, Iowa City - Iowa Small Business Development Centers
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VerdiLife, Iowa City (http://iowasbdc.org/success-stories/verdilife- iowa-city/) (http://iowasbdc.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/VerdiLife-Mahdi-picture.jpg)The University of Iowa SBDC has been consulting with Mahdi since he was a student in 2016. He is a PhD candidate in Economics at the University of Iowa, and he is from Iran. He has won numerous business plan contest around the world and he just nished up venture school where I was a mentor. With Mahdi’s determination and innovative approach, VerdiLife is poised for great future success.
VerdiLife’s company mission is, “We strive to make our planet healthier by replacing chemicals used in conventional agriculture with all-natural solutions long favored by organic producers worldwide. We believe farmers in the US will be quick to embrace Wood Vinegar once they see its e ectiveness, ease of application and cost of savings it provides.” (VerdiLife.com)
Mahdi began nding solutions for using wood vinegar while he was working on a related business when he discovered wood vinegar was considered a waste product. In Asia, it has been used as an alternative to fertilizers and pesticides. His journey led him to the US, at the University of Nebraska, Omaha, where he began his Masters of Economics coursework. While in Nebraska, he began his self-driven research to increase his knowledge of
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USA agriculture. He found the opportunity after many conversations with farmers and took steps to develop and test wood vinegar as a viable farm product. He founded VeriLife in 2015, while he was studying a second master’s program in Mathematics. He is currently a Ph.D candidate in Economics at the University of Iowa – and still growing his business.
Mahdi has been getting his support from the University of Iowa SBDC and John Pappjohn Entrepreneurial Center. He has learned how to pitch his business to investors and has been successful in securing $97,000 in seed funding so far. He’s also learned other skills in marketing his business and building a team. It is clear to Mahdi that he can’t do it alone, and he has reached out for resources and mentors to help his business grow.
Best wishes for continued success to Mahdi and the VerdiLife team!
For more information, go to www.verdilife.com (http://www.verdilife.com).
VerdiLife Success Story (http://iowasbdc.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/VerdiLife-Success-Story.pdf)
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