Featured News
$14,000 in prizes awarded to Hawkeye Startup Accelerator companies
15 student-run companies from the University of Iowa’s John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center (Iowa JPEC) Hawkeye Startup Accelerator program pitched their innovative business ideas Friday, July 31, marking the end to the first-ever virtual 2020 Hawkeye Startup Accelerator.
Recent News
Rantizo wins 2019 Pappajohn Pitch Competition, takes home $40,000
Rantizo today was announced the winner of the 2019 John Pappajohn Iowa Entrepreneurial Venture Competition and was awarded $40,000. The competition is a collaborative project of the Iowa John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Centers located at Drake University, Iowa State University, North Iowa Area Community College, the University of Iowa and the University of Northern Iowa.
Business ideas bloom in Iowa, thanks to UI and young minds
Mike Kuennen, a teacher at New Hampton High School, helped his students come to a solution by drawing on the lessons he learned through STEM Innovator created by the University of Iowa's Jacobson Institute. The group of high school students decided to start their own business, a portable drive-in movie theater, to give people something to do on summer evenings.
Something to Look At
Erica Cole founded No Limbits after losing her leg in a tragic car accident the summer before her senior year. She came up with the idea after the questions and stares about her prosthesis were getting too much to handle. Cole decided to turn the negatives into positives and gave people something to look at.
$12,500 in prizes awarded to Hawkeye Startup Accelerator companies
16 student-run companies from the University of Iowa pitched their business ideas last Friday as the 2019 cohort of the Hawkeye Startup Accelerator came to an end.
Iowa students helped towns prepare for the RAGBRAI spotlight
16 Iowa JPEC students worked with pass-through towns along the RAGBRAI route to help encourage riders to stop and explore the towns during their cross-state ride.
A group of African entrepreneurs come to the Quad Cities
A group of entrepreneurs, the Mandela Washington Fellows, visited the Quad Cities. The fellows are a group of 25 people from countries in Africa who are learning new techniques and methods to bring back to their home countries.
African fellows learn new business skills at the University of Iowa
African fellows participating in the Mandela Washington Fellowship at the University of Iowa are studying American business and economics through the John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center.
Mandela Fellows tour Herbert Hoover Museum in West Branch
On Saturday, twenty-five African entrepreneurs participating in the Mandela Washington Fellowship toured the Herbert Hoover Historic Site in West Branch.
Venture School Launch Day, Spring 2019
The University of Iowa’s Venture School, a nationally recognized program for entrepreneurs developed by John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center, held its Venture School Launch Day event on Thursday, May 16th. This year, the event highlighted the top 8 teams from the year and awarded a total of $21,000 to these Venture School businesses during the competition.
From Tragedy Comes a Business Opportunity
Erica Cole, founder of No Limbits, tells her story of overcoming her tragedies to find business solving opportunities in her community.
Tippie College of Business Name Changes Reflect Focus on Innovation and Data Analysis
The Tippie College of Business has renamed it's Department of Management and Organizations to the Department of Management and Entrepreneurship to better reflect the increasing visibility and importance of entrepreneurship.
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.
Business Model Competition (BMC) Spring 2019
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).
Innovator Spotlight: Mahdi Eghbali of VerdiLife
VentureWell's latest Innovator Spotlight is Iowa JPEC's very own, Mahdi Eghbali, founder of VerdiLife.
Iowa Startup Games 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.