IOWA ENTREPRENEURSHIP
NEWS | FALL 2016
Iowa Startup Games BRINGS UI STUDENTS TOGETHER Iowa Startup Games challenges students to team up, pitch ideas, and build a business in a weekend. Students emerge from this startup program with a plan for a business, as well as new friends, knowledge of the entrepreneurial ecosystem, and connections with the University of Iowa John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center (Iowa JPEC). The fourth Iowa Startup Games, held this past October at the University of Iowa, culminated in a pitch event where eleven teams, comprised of 43 total students, shared the story of their business for a chance to win cash prizes. Iowa Startup Games is a weekend-long competition that allows students to dive into entrepreneurial culture with their peers and build a business. Iowa JPEC believes that entrepreneurship enhances every career path, which is why the games were designed to be a welcoming environment that encourages students from any major or area of study to participate. During this competition, students became deeply engaged in the entrepreneurial ecosystem of Iowa City. Community mentors from various fields volunteered their time to meet with students and to help develop their businesses. Program facilitators taught mini sessions, aiding students as they encountered problems and pivots. In a customer discovery exercise, students went to the downtown Iowa City area to speak with community members. These students, with the help of the entrepreneurial community, proved that it is possible (and fun) to build a business in a weekend. We heard several exciting business ideas in this fall’s Iowa Startup Games cohort, including those listed on the right who were awarded prizes from our panel of judges.
Winning Teams
1st place - $1,000 Eleven - an incentive product and app that rewards safe driving for teenagers
2nd place - $750 ABAL - makes Applied Behavior Analysis therapy for children with autism more accessible for busy parents
3rd place -$500 Giving Tree - connects volunteers to opportunities that match their skills and passion
Judges’ Choice - $250 Clarity - makes eating out safer and easier for those with food allergies
Judges’ Choice, Pitch - $250 Elastic Language - makes it easier for individuals to learn new languages
People’s Choice - $250 ABAL (see description above)
A celebration of entrepreneurship ENTREPRENEURIAL INFLUENCERS ACROSS THE STATE OF IOWA CELEBRATE THE ANNIVERSARY OF THE PAPPAJOHN ENTREPRENEURIAL CENTERS AND HONOR JOHN AND MARY PAPPAJOHN. Centers in Iowa (Drake University, North Iowa Area Community College, Iowa State University, University of Iowa, and University of Northern Iowa). John Pappajohn, the philanthropist and entrepreneur who endowed the five centers, along with his wife, Mary, were the guests of honor. In 1996, they saw an opportunity to turn around Iowa’s economy in the midst of the farm crisis and funded the creation of the statewide entrepreneurial centers. It is hard to believe that at this time, entrepreneurship was not a common word associated with Iowa. Without John and Mary Pappajohn, Iowa’s current entrepreneurial ecosystem would be very different. Twenty years ago, they infused the state with entrepreneurial energy, creating five John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Centers to foster innovative business ideas from university students and community members alike. On September 15, 2016, entrepreneurial influencers from across the state of Iowa gathered in Des Moines to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial
The centers have been supporting entrepreneurship throughout Iowa since 1996, helping to fulfill Pappajohn’s dream of making Iowa the most entrepreneurial state in the nation. It’s estimated they have collectively helped to start more than 6,100 businesses and have had more than 237,000 participants since the centers opened. Today, Iowa is making a name for itself in the world of entrepreneurship. The state has its own thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem and is well-connected to nationwide and international entrepreneurship networks.
ENTREDAYS AT UI FROM IDEASTORM TO THE JOHN R. HUGHES LECTURE SERIES PRESENTING JEFF HOFFMAN, STUDENTS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS CELEBRATED ALL THINGS INNOVATIVE. students to receive cash prizes. Congratulations to those who placed.
ENTREdays is a three-day celebration of entrepreneurship that takes place in Iowa City each fall. This year, Iowa JPEC partnered with local entrepreneurship organizations to invite students and community members to join the entrepreneurial community of Iowa City, the state of Iowa, and beyond, and the turnout was a huge success. The fall 2016 IdeaStorm competition brought over 30 University of Iowa students to the stage - pitching their business idea in 60 seconds or less. The presidents of Iowa JPEC’s student organizations (Sigma Nu Tau, Enactus, and I-Envision) judged the event, choosing five innovative
The John R. Hughes Lecture Series welcomed Jeff Hoffman, serial entrepreneur and Priceline.com co-founder, to the Englert Theatre stage to share the story of his entrepreneurial journey on the second day of ENTREdays. Over 300 students and community members listened as Hoffman talked about his refusal to follow the traditional career path and his entrepreneurial spirit that he used to create, grow, and sell multiple startups throughout his life. He urged students to make a list of their goals and dreams and keep it somewhere they will see it every day. When it comes time for them to leave the university, he said to put this list foremost in their post-graduation plans and pursue a career that will help them to achieve their dreams. This event was co-hosted by Hills Bank and Trust Company. On the final day of ENTREdays, local entrepreneurs and community members attended 1 Million Cups at FilmScene to listen to pitches from AMP’d Cycles and Girls With Ideas. Both businesses recently graduated from the 2016 Iowa Startup Accelerator cohort in early November.
DID YOU KNOW> The ARTS ENTREPRENEURSHIP CERTIFICATE IS 1 OF 4 UNIQUE ENTREPRENEURIAL CERTIFICATES OFFERED BY IOWA JPEC
Innovation isn’t just for Business Students WHEN SHE WAS LOOKING TO GAIN EXPERIENCE AND INSIGHT INTO THE WORLD OF BUSINESS AS IT PERTAINS TO THE ARTS, JAELYNN BURKAMPER FOUND IOWA JPEC’S ARTS ENTREPRENEURSHIP CERTIFICATE TO BE THE PERFECT BALANCE. A junior at the University of Iowa, Burkamper is currently studying graphic design, theater, and entrepreneurship. This unique multi-disciplinary focus gives Burkamper the perfect palette to reach her academic and personal goals. The Arts Entrepreneurship certificate allows Burkamper to combine her love of the arts with the strategic, innovative lens of the entrepreneurial mindset. Established in 2008, the certificate combines entrepreneurial coursework with classes focused on arts management and leadership practices. This certificate is administered through a partnership between the John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center (Iowa JPEC), Division of Performing Arts, Department of Dance, School of Music, Department of Theatre Arts, School of Art and Art History, and the Department of Cinematic Arts, making it a truly campus-wide approach to entrepreneurship. Burkamper says, “Half of the classes are geared towards teaching business skills and the other half use arts and entertainment-specific examples to demonstrate course concepts and get messages across.” This multidimensional
approach to coursework has been beneficial in helping her understand the intersection of business and art, even landing her an elite internship with NBC Universal Brand Development. “Since many of us in the program are not business majors, we tend to learn the material differently. The professors have been wonderful at explaining information in a way that is more relatable and applicable to arts students,” said Burkamper. After graduation, Burkamper intends to pursue a job in graphic design. “I feel as though I have a slight advantage over some of the competition because I have a greater understanding about the business components of many arts-based organizations and businesses. I would highly recommend any artist to work towards the certificate, even if they don’t necessarily envision themselves with their own business down the road. This program has also been extremely helpful in preparing me to freelance in the future and knowing the logistics that go into that,” she stated.
ALUMNI UPDATE: Congratulations to Roby Miller, Iowa JPEC alum and Advisory Council member. As the founder of TelePharm, Miller recently sold his company to Cardinal Health. Miller began working full-time on the company just four years ago. TelePharm combines the advantages of virtual technology and brick-and-mortar pharmacies, helping healthcare organizations serve patients who otherwise may not have access to medications.
CONGRATULATIONS TO iowa jpec for being ranked #19 in the 2017 list of top 25 best undergraduate programs for entrepreneurship
STEM INNOVATOR PROGRAM PARTNERS WITH USPTO STEM INNOVATOR, ALONG WITH USPTO, WILL ALLOW TEACHERS AND THEIR STUDENTS TO TAKE INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY CONCEPTS TO THE NEXT LEVEL. Iowa JPEC’s Jacobson Institute for Youth Entrepreneurship has announced a landmark partnership with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). The partnership pairs the Institute’s STEM Innovator with the USPTO’s intellectual property workshop for a series of teacher training sessions, offered nationwide. The first session was held Oct. 11 in Iowa City. “STEM Innovator brings expertise in entrepreneurship and innovation to the partnership, and the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office brings the invention and intellectual property pieces,” said Dawn Bowlus, director of the Jacobson Institute. Bowlus and Dr. Leslie Flynn of the UI College of Education created STEM Innovator, whose K-12 curriculum and teacher training are built upon educational training best practices and ongoing University of Iowa research. STEM Innovator helps teachers – and their students – understand how a great idea, product, or solution to a local problem can be researched and taken to market. The USPTO component takes the concept even further, helping teachers and their students understand how to protect their investment in the idea or solution. “We are very happy to have a (joint partnership
The University of Iowa John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center 108 John Pappajohn Business Bldg., Ste. S160D Iowa City, IA 52242-1994 319-335-1022 | iowajpec@uiowa.edu
IOWAJPEC.ORG Iowa Entrepreneurship @iowajpec
Dr. Leslie Flynn (from left), University of Iowa science education professor and cofounder of STEM Innovator; Denise Sylvester, outreach officer with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in Detroit; Dr. Jorge Valdes, USPTO education program advisor in Washington, D.C.; and Dawn Bowlus, Director of the Jacobson Institute for Youth Entrepreneurship and co-founder of STEM Innovator, pause for a photo during the Oct. 11 teacher training session held in Iowa City.
agreement) with the innovators at the University of Iowa and look forward to working together to create more opportunities for educators and students to explore intellectual property,” said Dr. Christal Sheppard, director of the USPTO Midwest regional office in Detroit. Dr. Jorge Valdes with the USPTO office in Washington, D.C., and Denise Sylvester with the Midwest regional office joined Bowlus and Flynn for the Oct. 11 training session. The USPTO announced the partnership that morning during a keynote with the SAFERSIMposium, held by the National Advanced Driving Simulator. NADS has been a community partner for high school students in the pilot STEM Innovator class through Kirkwood Regional Center at the University of Iowa. A second STEM Innovator-USPTO training session will be held in the spring in Washington, and a third will be held online.