The room you can't get into anywhere else.
For one week every August, a small group of Iowa's top student founders trade the classroom for the Okoboji Lakes Region — sitting across the table from the business leaders, entrepreneurs, and investors who helped build this state's economy. This isn't a speaker series. It's five days of direct access to people who are normally hard to get into a room with — except this week.
Applications Open Jan. 1, 2027
Built by the person the BELL is named after.
Twenty years ago, Iowa’s David Hensley and Tom Bedell set out to build something that didn't exist yet — a program that put Iowa's most driven student founders directly in front of the state's most accomplished entrepreneurs. No case studies. No simulations. Real business leaders, real feedback, real relationships.
That program became OEI. And Tom Bedell — yes, the same Bedell the BELL is named after — has spent two decades building the exact kind of founder access and community that OEI still delivers today.
Twenty years later, OEI is still one of the most connected weeks any Iowa student founder can have.
OEI isn't built around lectures. It's built around rooms — dinners, tours, evening events, and conversations with people who run real companies across the Lakes Region and beyond. You'll stay with a host family who is often a business owner or community leader themselves. You'll visit real local businesses and hear directly from the people running them. You'll sit across from entrepreneurs at evening networking events built specifically to put you in the room.
By the end of the week, you won't just have a stronger pitch. You'll have a phone full of people who watched you build it — and who remember you.
Network Highlights:
Host Families — Many are entrepreneurs, executives, or community leaders themselves — your home base for the week is also a connection.
Business Visits — Two rounds of visits to real Lakes Region companies, with owners who give it to you straight.
Speed Coaching Sessions — Face time with experienced entrepreneurs who coach your venture, one-on-one, multiple times throughout the week.
Evening Events — Dinners and gatherings hosted by local business leaders, built specifically for you to make real connections — not just listen to a speaker.
Statewide Peers — Founders from Iowa, Iowa State, Northern Iowa, Buena Vista, Dordt, and Iowa Lakes Community College, building relationships that outlast the week.
What's in it For You
Direct Access
Real conversations with entrepreneurs and business leaders who don't normally have time for college students.
Statewide Network
Founders, hosts, mentors, and business leaders — connections that outlast the week.
Expenses Paid
Housing, meals, and programming are fully covered. Your only cost is getting there and back.
Real Coaching
Direct, honest feedback on your venture from people who've actually built companies.
Prize Money
Compete in a student pitch competition for cash awards.
Your People
Spend the week with ambitious, curious students from colleges across Iowa who are building, exploring, and figuring it out alongside you.
This Is for You If...
OEI is open to any BELL student currently pursuing your business idea in the Incubator — Ideation, Validation, or Launch Stage. You don't need a fully scaled business, just a real venture you're actively building.
Because OEI includes evening networking events and off-campus travel, students who are 21+ will have a higher likelihood of being selected. Younger students are still welcome to apply.
This Stage Is for You If...
You're an active founder in the Startup Incubator.
You want direct access to entrepreneurs and business leaders outside the BELL community.
You're ready to represent the University of Iowa alongside top student founders from across the state.
Ready to Represent Iowa?
Applications open Jan. 1 and close March 31.
Only eight University of Iowa spots are available, so don't wait until the deadline to apply. You'll need a resume, a brief venture summary, and a short statement of interest — plan for about 15–20 minutes to complete the application.
