NIACC Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center

Venture School Launch Day Competition
2023-11-16 17:30 - 21:00 UTC | NIACC Activity Center, 500 College Dr, Mason City, IA, 50401, United States
Teams from the Fall 2023 cohort of Venture School present their business pitch to a panel of judges, with the top prize winning $1,500 in seed money. Additional prizes will be awarded.
The Fall 2023 cohort will compete in person after attending classes virtually for 7 weeks of training, customer discovery, and developing their business model alongside local entrepreneur coaches.
Doors open at 5pm. Competition begins at 5:30pm.
Learn more about Venture School in North Iowa.
Contact Ashley Page at ashley.page@niacc.edu with questions or if you are a local entrepreneur interested in becoming a Venture School coach. To apply for the Spring 2023 cohort, visit the University of Iowa Venture School Program and select the Mason City cohort in the drop-down menu. Or submit an Interest Form.

Venture School Classes Begin
2024-09-19 17:30 - 21:00 | IA
Venture School Fall 2024 Applications due September 12
The NIACC John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center has partnered with the University of Iowa to bring Venture School to Mason City, Iowa. Venture School is the state of Iowa’s premiere entrepreneurial training program. Established in 2013, the eight-week Venture School program is built from a streamlined curriculum developed by the National Science Foundation I-Corps at Stanford University and the University of California, Berkeley.
Since its inception, Venture School has helped guide over 250 teams across the state of Iowa, and is designed to benefit Iowa startups, small businesses, non-profits, and corporate innovation teams. While Venture School is designed primarily for start-ups, it also has value for non-profits and businesses looking to introduce a new product or to expand into new territories.
Participants will gain marketing and make valuable connections to help them take their innovative idea to the next level. Venture School is currently looking for hardworking teams and individuals throughout the North Iowa and Southern Minnesota regions to join the upcoming Fall program.
Participating teams will also be eligible to compete for cash awards both locally and at the state level during the Venture School launch day at EntreFEST in Summer 2025.
Benefits

Gain focus and clarity for your business idea and build your foundational business model
Test and prove your business idea through guided customer discovery interviews to find product-market fit
Learn from experienced entrepreneurs, coaches, and instructions
Make valuable connections with local communities and other external groups that can help you define your key activities and get the resources you need to start and grow your business
Create a business model that becomes the core foundation of how you provide and deliver value to your customers and clients
Avoid wasting the time, energy, and money and create a sustainable business model that will deliver your customers what they need, want and are willing to pay for

Details
Cost: $299 per team
When: Fall 2024
Schedule:
Orientation (in person): September 19
Classes (virtual): Thursdays, September 26 – November 7 (no class Thursday October 3)
Final in-person presentations: Thursday, November 14
Time: 5:30 – 9:00pm
Registration Deadline: September 12, 2024
Contact Candi Karsjens at candi.karsjens@niacc.edu with questions, or if you are a local entrepreneur interested in becoming a Venture School coach.
Apply now for Fall 2024
Apply for Venture School
