The statewide network of five John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Centers in Iowa has received a $200,000 grant from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation to establish a mentoring program for entrepreneurs.

The centers will work with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to implement its Venturing Mentoring Services model that is currently being licensed and used by more than 100 organizations to mentor entrepreneurs.

The grant is part of the Kansas City, Missouri-based Kauffman Foundation’s Central Standards initiative that provides matching funds to encourage and accelerate collaborations among two or more entrepreneurship support organizations working together to support entrepreneurs in Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, and Kansas.  

The Pappajohn Centers plan to launch the new mentoring programs in fall 2021. The initiative is expected to enhance Iowa’s entrepreneurial ecosystem and lead to the creation of new scalable ventures and expansion of existing Iowa businesses.

The Pappajohn Centers are located at the University of Iowa, Iowa State University, University of Northern Iowa, Drake University, and North Iowa Area Community College. The network is one of seven organizations that received a Central States grant from the Kauffman Foundation. 

For additional information, please contact David Hensley, executive director of University of Iowa John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center, at david-hensley@uiowa.edu.