Iowa VMS looks for passionate entrepreneurs who have done the groundwork and are deeply committed to turning their vision into reality. Whether your venture is a spark of a startup idea with serious thought to prospects and ready to map it out, a business on the runway ready to launch in the market, or an established company already generating revenue looking to scale—Iowa VMS is here for you.
We do not believe in one-and-done advice. When you join, you gain an ongoing, long-term relationship with the Venture Mentoring Service, ensuring you have a dedicated team in your corner through every pivot, milestone, and triumph.
ENTREPRENEUR CANDIDATE CONSIDERATIONS
Our mentors are elite volunteers who generously donate their highly valuable time, insights, and talent to help you succeed. To honor their dedication, Iowa VMS requires a serious commitment from our entrepreneurs. This program is for people who are coachable, open to feedback, and have the time availability to actively participate in ongoing meetings.
We look for candidates who are genuinely excited to collaborate with others and driven to make their businesses better. Please note that while all business phases are considered, our most successful candidates are those ready to launch into the market or already earning revenue, as they are best positioned to immediately apply the team’s strategic guidance.
Most successful applicants have completed at least one of the following:
Participation in other collegiate or community venture acceleration programs
A client of the Small Business Development Center (SBDC)
Participation in a JPEC program such as
o Innovation Challenge
o NSF I-Corps
o Venture School
Team meetings are held via Zoom. Ventures located anywhere in Iowa and University of Iowa alumni outside of Iowa are welcome to apply.
HOW TO APPLY
One member of the venture team must complete the application, which will be reviewed by Venture Mentoring Service staff. This is a competitive, merit-based application. Program capacity is limited to ensure excellent venture-mentor relationships. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.
If you have questions, contact Jeralyn Westercamp at jeralyn-westercamp@uiowa.edu.