The University of Iowa John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center (Iowa JPEC) concluded its statewide spring Venture School program the week of April 10 by awarding $18,000 in prize money during final pitches.
Placing first at the centers were Certeza Environmental (Bret Shaw) and SimplSupport.com (Lori Palmer) from Des Moines, Level Up Bouldering (Paul Altvater) from Iowa City/Cedar Rapids/Dubuque, Three Bells Books (Molly Angstman) from Mason City, Autistic & Loved (Dr. Kit Ford) from Quad-Cities, and Living Treasures Farm (Lauri Taylor) and Mindful Living (Robyn Mellang) from Sioux City.
Thirty-one teams participated in final pitches.
Following is a list of winning businesses and their founders:
Des Moines
1st Certeza Environmental (Bret Shaw) $1,500
Carbon credit monitoring platform
1st SimplSupport.com (Lori Palmer) $1,500
In-home skilled nurse care
3rd ToVE (Brian Barney) $500
Startup high-concept restaurant
Iowa City/Cedar Rapids/Dubuque
1st Level Up Bouldering (Paul Altvater) $2,400
Rock-climbing studio with weight room and yoga studio
2nd Akademi (Alan Murdock) $1,200
Developing art and design economy in eastern Iowa
3rd Kitchen Confidential (Noah Stein, Susann Rodriguez) $700
Shared-use kitchen to cater to and house food businesses
Trust Solar (Silvia Quezada) won Mentor’s Choice $700
Services that ensures installment payments aren’t lost
Mason City
1st Three Bells Books (Molly Angstman) $2,000
Bookstore/bar and coffee concept for events and meetings
2nd Mags & Lu (Mary Jo Vrba) $1,500
Pet daycare, grooming, and training
3rd Retrofit Electric (Oscar Madong) $1,000
Service to convert vehicle to electric
4th Buck Wild Racing (Dustin Buck) $500
Online store and wholesale products
Quad-Cities
1st Autistic & Loved (Dr. Kit Ford) $2,500
Chewable jewelry and special gifts for autistic children and families
2nd M.A.D. Bakery $1,000
Healthy sourdough products
Sioux City
1st Living Treasures Farm $500
Provide locally grown floral material to florists
1st Mindful Living $500
Assisting stay-at-home seniors
