Tippie College of Business is partnering with Eastern Iowa Community Colleges (EICC) and the Eastern Iowa Small Business Development Center to bring the University of Iowa Venture School program to the Quad Cities this spring.
Championing the effort is author, corporate strategist and behavioral scientist Andrea Belk Olson. The adjunct instructor at the University of Iowa John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center (JPEC) will lead the Quad Cities cohort.
The Venture School entrepreneurial training program has helped write a number of success stories. That includes the most recent class held in the Quad Cities in Spring 2023. Among its participants was Autistic & Loved LLC. entrepreneur Kit “Dr. Kit” Ford. Her thriving then start-up – which makes chewable, personalized jewelry – received top honors in the cohort’s pitch competition, and was awarded a $2,500 check.
This spring’s EICC Venture School cohort, like previous versions will be tailored for startups, small businesses, nonprofits and corporation innovation teams. The goal is to turn ideas into reality.
“Venture School is an innovative training program designed for both emerging entrepreneurs and established business professionals seeking to drive innovation,” Ms. Olson said in an email. It uses the National Science Foundation I-Corps curriculum to transform high-potential ideas into valuable business ventures.
“I’m seeking a minimum of eight teams – team size can be from one to six people – to get the program off the ground this semester,” Ms. Olson said
The QC cohort currently is scheduled once a week from 5:30-9 p.m. from March 3, 2025 through April 22, 2025 at the EICC downtown Davenport campus. (The seven Tuesday class dates are: March 4, March 11, March 25, April 1, April 8, April 15, April 22.)
Pitch prize $5,000
“The program costs only $299 per team, of course with the opportunity to win up to $5,000 in pitch prize money,” Ms. Olson said.
“Whether a startup founder, corporate innovator, or business leader looking to test a new product concept, Venture School offers a dynamic learning experience that goes far beyond traditional business training,” she added in a recent post on LinkedIn.
“I’d love your help in identifying candidates and getting applicants into the program, as this is an incredible opportunity to help build the entrepreneurial community here in the Quad Cities,” she added.
Those interested in signing up for the Spring 2025 cohort should go here.
The University Iowa Venture School website says the program is tailored for a diverse group of business professionals. They include:
- Startup Founders: Turn your innovative ideas into market-ready solutions.
- Corporate Innovation Teams: Develop intrapreneurial skills and test new business concepts.
- Existing Business Employees: Enhance entrepreneurial thinking and strategic innovation capabilities.
- Business Leaders: Validate potential products through rigorous customer discovery.
Among the programs highlights, the university said, are:
- Real-world experimentation using Lean LaunchPad methodologies.
- Extensive customer discovery process.
- Statewide hub locations for convenient access.
- Hands-on learning that challenges traditional business assumptions.
Embrace the chaos
The website also said Venture School will “test your business hypothesis by directly engaging with customers, partners, and competitors. You’ll navigate the unpredictable landscape of innovation, learning to create and adapt your business model based on real-world insights. Embrace the chaos of commercialization while developing the agility to pivot or persevere.”
According to the Eastern Iowa SBDC the “curriculum leans into client discovery, allowing them to become more entrepreneurial, consider new customer archetypes, and learn new tactics for marketing, distribution, or minimum viable product concepts. They are challenged to use those findings to pivot, preserve, or enhance their original business plans.”
At the program’s end, each participant will pitch their business plan and product to a venture capitalist and a lender. The pitch competition winner goes on to compete in the statewide competition, EntreFEST.
