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2023 innovationIOWA magazine

Entrepreneur Jeff Reed

innovationENTREPRENEUR of the Year: Jeff Reed

Jeff Reed is known as a serial entrepreneur and a supporter of innovation at local organizations and in the community. This year, he is the Business Recordโ€™s innovationENTREPRENEUR award winner.

Reed started a new venture, …

LEADER portrait Colorbiotics

Corteva Agriscience innovationLEADER of the Year: Colorbiotics

In 25 years, the 2023 Corteva Agriscience innovationLEADER of the Year has become a leading supplier of color to landscape and recreation areas and is now heading toward expansion.

Colorbiotics, headquartered in Ames, manufactures colorant …

Tej Dhawan

Risk capital retrospective

A look at the journey of Iowaโ€™s startup funding ecosystem

By the nature of startups, finding funding will always be challenging, especially during companiesโ€™ early days.ย 

Iowa has seen significant expansion of resources to capitalize …

Harris Milligan

Guest Opinion: Anyone with a great idea is worth investing in

Submitted by Donna Harris and Katie Milligan

Three in five people have an idea โ€“ whether that be for the next technology company, consumer product or social enterprise. Why, then, do the vast majority of …

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Waterloo Career Center: Innovation from the inside out

Perhaps one of the biggest testaments to the approach at the Waterloo Career Center is that the adults who visit wish they would have had the same option when they were in school.

โ€œIโ€™d have …

Wifi

โ€˜Game-changerโ€™ initiatives

Council Bluffs makes Wi-Fi available throughout community

By Lisa Rossi

Council Bluffs is becoming known for its public-private partnerships, one of which has resulted in free Wi-Fi throughout the city and another thatโ€™s fueling development …

Brandy Mcomber

Guest commentary: Competitive integrated employment

How Iowa will use Disability Innovation Fund Grant

Submitted by Brandy McOmber

Iowa Vocational Rehabilitation Services was awarded a Disability Innovation Fund Grant to support innovative activities aimed at improving the outcomes of individuals with …

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Two investors break down venture capital vs. private equity investing

Investors are a funding source that business owners may consider at various stages of their companyโ€™s life span, from the first days to the last. But not all investing is alike and companies are suited …

ToddVanThomme nyemaster

Guest Commentary: Innovation means more than numbers

Submitted by Todd Van Thomme

Hereโ€™s a simple formula: Patents equal innovation. Except itโ€™s not that simple. The number of patents often does not accurately represent the level of innovation, and innovation certainly occurs without …

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Science fair scenes

Iowaโ€™s only statewide science fair spurs student curiosity, ingenuity

Most people can picture a science fair โ€” trifold poster boards, project demonstrations and judges making their rounds.

For almost 70 years, Iowaโ€™s only statewide science …