Editor’s note: The University of Iowa John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center (Iowa JPEC) will recognize several entrepreneurs at its annual Iowa JPEC Honors Celebration on April 8 at the Old Capitol Museum in Iowa City. The event highlights individuals whose work reflects innovation, leadership, and meaningful impact within their communities and industries.

From her first Startup Games as a University of Iowa freshman to her latest venture helping teachers generate student engagement, Jade Peterson has personified the entrepreneurial spirit of the University of Iowa John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center (Iowa JPEC). The Iowa graduate has turned her creativity into businesses that combine education and innovation, making her a fitting recipient of the Iowa JPEC Young Alumni Entrepreneur of the Year Award.

Peterson’s entrepreneurial journey began almost by chance. During a Startup Games exercise, she selected two words on separate Post-it notes: “funny” and “nugget.” That led her to pitch what would become Funny Nuggets, a comedy clubhouse for kids that encouraged creativity, confidence, and communication. What started as a weekend challenge turned into a successful program—and her first taste of building something from scratch.

That experience planted the seed for her next idea. After earning degrees in marketing and elementary education, Peterson taught in Des Moines Public Schools where she earned a Teacher of the Year Award in 2022 and discovered a classroom challenge of keeping students engaged. Her solution became Jolt Education, a Chrome extension that allows teachers to add short, educational videos to lessons to spark curiosity and conversation.

Through it all, Peterson credits Iowa JPEC for providing the foundation that shaped her as an entrepreneur. From Startup Games and (what was then known as) Founder’s Club to Venture School and ongoing mentorship in the Venture Mentoring Service, she says the support from Iowa JPEC has never stopped.

“It didn’t end when I graduated,” she says. “I still feel connected to the people and the programs that helped me realize I could actually do this.”

A native of Ankeny, Iowa, Peterson attended the University of Iowa in 2015 with an idea to go into something film related. She earned a BBA in marketing in 2020 with minors in rhetoric and persuasion and cinema. Peterson spent another year in Iowa City, earning a BA in elementary education in 2021. That crossover between education and entrepreneurship remains strong.

“I knew I loved teaching and I was always wondering how to solve problems in this education space,” Peterson said.

As a classroom teacher, Peterson started every day with a TikTok video, trying to make the subject about something students were currently studying or about a STEM career or current event.

“I found this was sparking deeper conversation,” Peterson said. “We would launch into discussions, debate with each other, and make connections outside class. This gave real engagement and critical thinking, and not the type of conversation the curriculum was sparking.”

That also inspired the entrepreneurial drive within Peterson, who knew she was onto something with the videos. Now she wanted to figure out how to help other teachers achieve a similar level of engagement.

After attending a Startup Weekend at MERGE in Iowa City, Peterson’s idea shifted to become a Chrome extension that integrates a database of approved videos into Google Slides lesson presentations.

“The value is that the videos are vetted for teachers, and I know that will be more important as they continue down that AI-generated content path,” Peterson said. “[With Jolt], they have trusted content that is short and engaging with no swear words or ads in the middle. It hooks students at the beginning of class.”

Peterson, who earned a master’s degree in education and entrepreneurship from the University of Pennsylvania in 2024, resides in Philadelphia and continues to stay involved in the classroom as a substitute teacher for The School District of Philadelphia while building Jolt.

“I live with a friend who went to the University of Iowa, so Iowans do find each other wherever you go,” Peterson said.