The University of Iowa John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center (Iowa JPEC) concluded its statewide spring Venture School program the week of Nov. 11 by awarding $11,300 in prize money during final pitches.

Placing first at the centers were Musa’s Lemonade (Ahmed Musa) from Des Moines, Ampersand Legal, PLLC (Mackensie Graham) from Iowa City/Cedar Rapids, and CaptuRE Recycling (Shaden Tweeten) from Mason City. 

Following is a list of winning businesses and their founders:  

The seven-week Venture School is sponsored by the University of Iowa John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center (Iowa JPEC) and includes hub locations in Des Moines, Dubuque, Iowa City, Mason City, Sioux City, and the Quad-Cities. The statewide Venture School training program focuses on real-world experimentation, customer discovery, and Lean LaunchPad methodologies. Partnering with Iowa JPEC for Venture School are the University of Iowa Small Business Development Center, Eastern Iowa Community College, North Iowa Area Community College, Des Moines Area Community College, Iowa’s West Coast Initiative, and The Innovation Lab Dubuque.

Venture School returns in the Spring with cohorts tentatively scheduled to begin the third or fourth week of February. For more information click HERE.

About Iowa JPEC: Iowa JPEC fosters entrepreneurship and innovation across the state of Iowa by providing a range of educational and training programs and support services for entrepreneurial ventures and existing small-to-medium size businesses. Iowa JPEC is dedicated to nurturing the growth of new ventures and assisting them in reaching their full potential.