ENTREPRENEURIAL RESOURCES
GETTING YOU CONNECTED
Have you already checked out our Iowa JPEC programs for community startups and businesses a cross the state of Iowa? If we have already served you and you are looking for additional resources - look no further!
We work closely with entrepreneurial groups from across the state in an effort to improve Iowa's entrepreneurial ecosystem. Check out some of the Iowa groups listed below that offer programs and events throughout the state of Iowa. In addition to these groups, be sure to visit our competitions and funding webpage to see if you qualify for any additional Iowa JPEC funding opportunities.
1 Million Cups (1MC)
1 Million Cups is a free, national program designed to educate, engage, and connect entrepreneurs. Developed by the Kauffman Foundation, 1MC is based on the notion that entrepreneurs discover solutions and network over a million cups of coffee. The Iowa City 1MC takes place in Iowa City at MERGE.
Entrepreneurial Development Center (EDC)
EDC’s mission is to provide economic growth through the creation and expansion of high-impact Iowa businesses. From startups to well-established entities, EDC is focused on fostering innovation and creating vital and diversified entrepreneurial communities. EDC provides guided professional and business direction, networking and educational programs, and connection to qualified community and state resources.
EntreFEST
Taking place over two days in venues around Downtown Iowa City, the conference is the largest gathering of Iowa’s entrepreneurial and innovation community. EntreFEST is powered by the New Bohemian Innovation Collaborative.
Gravitate
Gravitate is a community of more than 1,000 people who care about innovation in Iowa. It's a workplace community for entrepreneurs, freelancers, remote workers, startup team members, and others who enjoy working independently but don't want to work alone. Work better. Work together.
Iowa City Area Business Partnership
The Iowa City Area Chamber of Commerce serves member businesses and the Iowa City community. In order to create a strong business climate, the Chamber advocates for businesses, connects these businesses to resources, cultivates community leaders, gives businesses visibility, and educates business members.
Cedar Rapids Metro Alliance
The Cedar Rapids Metro Economic Alliance is proud to serve nearly 1,200 member businesses through core functions of business support, economic development and workforce, community development, and public policy.
Iowa City Area Development Group (ICAD)
The Iowa City Area Development Group is committed to enhancing the economic vitality of our area. The organization works to strengthen our local communities with a strong business climate and employment opportunities.
Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA)
The Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) offers a variety of programs and services to individuals, communities, and businesses to attract and grow business, employment, and workforce in Iowa. Ground-breaking economic growth strategies focus on cultivating startup companies and helping existing companies become more innovative.
Mason City Chamber of Commerce
The Mason City Chamber of Commerce is a membership-based organization more than 650 strong whose members provide more than 16,000 jobs in the region. It works for the success of its members and strives to promote and educate to ensure the future growth of North Iowa.
BioConnect Iowa
BioConnect Iowa is the state’s public-private partnership for economic development. Their mission is to:
- Serve as the Iowa Bioscience Development Center (IBDC).
- Administer the state’s SBIR/STTR Outreach Program.
Iowa Small Business Development Centers (SBDC)
The mission of America’s SBDC Iowa is to have a positive impact on the economy of the state of Iowa and its communities. They do this by providing the highest quality assistance to current and future businesses and by collaborating with other federal, state, local, and private resources to ensure maximum benefit to clients. Connect with the SBDC to find out which center serves your county.
Women Lead Change
Women Lead Change is dedicated to the development, advancement, and promotion of women, their organizations, and to impacting the economy and future workforce.
NewBoCo
NewBoCo accelerates world-changing ideas, from Iowa, by powering programs that include Iowa Startup Accelerator services, Imagination Iowa, Vault Coworking, EntreFEST, and DeltaV Code School.
Quad Cities Chamber of Commerce
The Quad Cities Chamber of Commerce is your go-to organization for all business resources in the Quad Cities. The area boasts cool places, creative people, a connected region, and a prosperous economy.
MERGE
MERGE Innovation Space, an expansion of the IC CoLab, is designed to create and cultivate a knowledge ecosystem for entrepreneurs and startups, offering vital resources and connections to successfully create, launch and grow new companies in Iowa’s Creative Corridor. MERGE offers a co-working space with open workspace benches, dedicated offices, conference rooms, large training room, business resources, community events, 3D printing, Wi-Fi powered by ImOn, free coffee and much more!
Startup Weekend
Startup Weekend Iowa City provides local entrepreneurs and innovators with the chance to build an amazing startup in Iowa City, all over the course of one weekend. Each year, Startup Weekend proposes a theme to inspire entrepreneurs during the creative process.
Techstars Iowa Accelerator
Techstars Iowa, Techstars’ first accelerator in Iowa, is open to startups addressing innovations across a broad technology landscape and with specific relevance to Iowa industries such as Fintech, HealthTech, EdTech, AgTech and Insurtech, and cross-vertical disciplines such as automation, engineering, manufacturing, and virtual and augmented reality. The program is run in partnership with Grinnell College, a private liberal arts college in Grinnell, Iowa and with support from Iowa State University and the University of Iowa.
UI Research Park
The University of Iowa Research Park is a place for collaborative opportunities in technology. The organization offers corporations who are located at the Park convenient, sustained access to the extensive, relevant research resources of the University of Iowa. At the Research Park, growing enterprises have access to a state-of-the art business incubator, world-class research facilities and a dynamic faculty of scientists, physicians and engineers at one of the world’s leading public research universities.
UI Ventures
The UI Ventures program assists University of Iowa inventors in creating new ventures based on their research. They provide education and mentoring to advance entrepreneurs and emerging growth companies by linking them with the capital, talent and other critical resources they need for success.
VentureNet Iowa
VentureNet Iowa connects ideas to resources, management, and investors, to create jobs and build businesses in Iowa. What does VentureNet Iowa mean by connecting companies to resources? They have developed relationships with some of Iowa’s top experts and successful high-level management candidates to help each entrepreneur take their new company to the next level.
Dubuque Area Chamber of Commerce
Representing more than 5,000 Members & Subscribers, the Dubuque Area Chamber of Commerce supports policies that foster a positive business climate through job creation and economic development.
Des Moines Downtown Chamber of Commerce
The Des Moines Downtown Chamber of Commerce promotes the success and sustained growth of downtown Des Moines by proactively providing information and resources, facilitating knowledge-sharing, and elevating understanding of economic issues.
Grow Cedar Valley
Formerly known as the Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber, Grow Cedar Valley is a valued business partner. It is the leader in bringing business and community together to grow opportunities for the Cedar Valley.
Siouxland Chamber of Commerce
The Siouxland Chamber of Commerce serves the tri-state region including the cities of Sioux City and Sergeant Bluff, Iowa; South Sioux City and Dakota City, Nebraska; and North Sioux City and Dakota Dunes, South Dakota by promoting economic development and quality of life for the region.
DSM USA
DSM USA is the regional identifier for Greater Des Moines. DSM USA is a bold statement to the world: This is a welcoming, diverse, and vibrant community with affordable and accessible amenities for residents and businesses. This regional identifier is the result of significant quantitative and qualitative research.
Iowa Innovation Dashboard
Coming in 2022, the Iowa Innovation Dashboard is a comprehensive indicator of entrepreneurial activity in the state of Iowa, compiling several key metrics of entrepreneurial information into one dashboard to capture the pulse of Iowa's entrepreneurial and startup climate.