The spring 2021 cohort of nine teams competed in person after attending classes virtually for 8 weeks of training, doing customer discovery and developing their business model alongside local entrepreneur mentors. A panel of judges (Stacy Doughan, Clear Lake Chamber; Jayson Ryner, ReEnvision Ag; and Joyce Martin, Pappajohn Center Marketing & Communications Coordinator) selected First and Second Place winners, and two Honorable Mention awards.
First Place – Nathaniel Julseth, Nate’s Powder Coating, Northwood. Awarded $2500 prize.
Second Place – Catarino Martinez, Casa Mezcal, Clear Lake. Awarded $1500 prize.
Honorable Mention – Marie Boyd, Deb Lassie, and Lisa Parker, The Kitchen, Mason City. Awarded $500 prize.
Honorable Mention – Shawn Flitcroft, Brigid Porter and Billy Koci, Pipe Dream Pizza, Mason City. Awarded $500 prize.
The University of Iowa Venture School is a premier statewide program for entrepreneurs and is built from a streamlined curriculum developed by the National Science Foundation I-Corps at Stanford University and the University of California, Berkeley.
Venture School emphasizes real-world entrepreneurship and innovation based on leading edge curriculum.
