A group of 8 people smiling at the camera, holding certificates for having completed venture school

Venture School

Launch your business through innovative entrepreneurial training.

Bring Your Idea to Life with Venture School

Venture School is a statewide entrepreneurial training program brought to Mason City through a partnership between the NIACC John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center and the University of Iowa. Established in 2013, the eight-week program 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 is designed to help participants test ideas, strengthen business models, and move promising concepts closer to the market.

Since its inception, Venture School has helped guide more than 250 teams across Iowa. While it is designed primarily for startups, it also offers value for small businesses, corporate innovation teams, and businesses looking to introduce a new product or expand into new territories.

Participants gain marketing insight and make valuable connections that can help take an innovative idea to the next level. Teams will also be eligible to compete for cash awards both locally and at the state level during Venture School Launch Day at EntreFEST.

Learn more about the University of Iowa Venture School program

Mentoring

Venture School is also an opportunity for North Iowa business leaders and field experts to connect with new entrepreneurs. Mentoring creates value for both the entrepreneurs participating in the program and the local leaders supporting them.

Each Venture School team is assigned a local entrepreneur as its mentor.

Pappajohn staff and an entrepreneur discussing a business idea during a meeting

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, mentors, and instructors
  • 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
A woman standing on a stage and pitching her business idea

Program Details

Cost: $299 per team

When: Spring 2026

Schedule:

Orientation (in person): February 5, 2026

Classes (virtual): Thursdays, February 12, 19, 26, March 5, 12, 19

Pitch Night: Thursday March 26

Time: 5:30 – 9:00pm

Registration Deadline: January 23, 2026

Contact Ashley Page with questions, or if you are a local entrepreneur interested in becoming a Venture School mentor.

Take the Next Step with Venture School

Ready to apply, or still deciding whether Venture School is right for you? Explore the next step that fits you best — register for the upcoming cohort or request more information to learn more about the program.
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