The Iowa Small Business Development Center at Eastern Iowa Community Colleges will host Venture School Oct. 4 – Nov. 15.
Startups, small businesses, nonprofits and corporate innovation teams can apply for the fall 2023 Venture School cohort, which will meet 5:30-9 p.m. each Wednesday at the Scott Community College Urban Campus, 101 W. Third St., Davenport.
Venture School is a program of the University of Iowa’s John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center that helps high-potential startups turn ideas into reality.
This statewide program for entrepreneurs is built from a streamlined curriculum developed by the National Science Foundation I-Corps at Stanford University and the University of California, Berkeley.
For the past 16 years, the SBDC at EICC has partnered with the university to provide the Venture School program to entrepreneurs in the region.
The cohort meets weekly for seven weeks to work with instructors and mentors. The curriculum leans into client discovery, allowing the participants to become more entrepreneurial, consider new customer archetypes, and learn tactics for marketing, distribution, and product concepts. Participants are challenged to use their findings to pivot, preserve, or enhance their original business plans.
The program culminates with each member of the cohort pitching their business plan and product to a venture capitalist and a lender.
“Our Venture School graduates have excelled in raising capital, creating jobs, launching products and services, turning profit, and creating additional joint ventures,” said SBDC Regional Director Joel Youngs. “We are proud of the work we do to ensure entrepreneurs in our region have all the tools, resources, and opportunities to excel. Every successful start-up strengthens our communities.”
Apply online by Monday, Sept. 18, at iowajpec.org/community-programs-and-resources/venture-school.
