Launching the Iowa Startup Collective
Entrepreneurship through the lens of Iowa writers and creatives
Welcome to the Iowa Startup Collective, a bimonthly roundup of entrepreneurship from the lens of Iowa writers and creatives.
Like any entrepreneur, you start with a problem.
It took 12 Iowans sitting in a university room in Boston as part of the MIT Regional Entrepreneurship Acceleration Program to raise an issue facing our community: Who is covering entrepreneurship and startup news in Iowa?
Clay & Milk, an online news publication had recently shuttered due to the challenges that many media organizations face, the financial model. There were plenty of heartfelt discussions with passionate startup leaders, yet we couldn’t agree on a solution or replacement.
Enter the Iowa Startup Collective.
After watching Julie Gammack start and grow the Iowa Writer’s Collaborative to what it is today, it proved there is a new model that can work. Note: The Iowa Writer’s Collaborative has over 100,000 cumulative views each month. I am excited to join as a writer and contribute to the business and entrepreneurship beat!
If you’re here reading this, you are likely part of a growing audience that is looking for a form of journalism that is community-based and gives voice to the stories that have not been told yet. And it goes back to the adage from what my journalism professors taught me at ISU: If you provide quality content, readers will follow.
Let’s meet your storytellers and begin!
Tej Dhawan: A cultural record of Central Iowa’s technology
In his first post, Tej goes behind the story of Ken Kaplan. He is one of the earliest, continuous technology disrupters and innovators who found IPO success with his Clive-based startup, Microware.
Follow along with Tej’s Substack to dive right in as he documents the cultural history of the early startup and technology community. Learn why technology startups are not new to Central Iowa. Nearly every tall tower that makes the Des Moines skyline what it is today came with an origin story — a founder with an idea.
Mikayla Mooney: Ag Startup Engine
Writing under the Ag Startup Engine, a venture seed fund for agricultural innovators based in Ames, Iowa, Mikayla offers a fresh perspective on what venture capital looks like from the inside and as a previous founder.
For readers looking to drive thoughtful and impactful change in Iowa’s agricultural industry or any vertical for that matter, this Substack is one to follow!
Kaylee Williams: In This Economy?!
Contrary to the scarcity mindset, there is money in Iowa. Kaylee William’s Substack highlights this in her first post by painting what the landscape for venture capital looks like for budding entrepreneurs in our state.
While being a former startup or business operator isn’t a requirement for our writers, we may have a common theme. A good problem to have! Follow along as Kaylee shares practical how-to’s when starting a company, startup interviews, and overall community building from the lens of managing an early-stage fund on behalf of the State of Iowa.
Sree Nilakanta: A New Beginning
As a faculty in Information Systems at Iowa State University since 1986, Sree Nilakanta is no stranger to business creation. Currently on his fifth venture, he brings to life the stories of inside the university walls and labs, where tinkering PhDs can go beyond research and find success in the marketplace.
“Can one teach entrepreneurship?” has always been a question with two very contrasting answers in higher education. But regardless of what camp you fall in, one can certainly influence the next generation of young entrepreneurs and Iowa State University is at the forefront of that knowledge transfer and ideation. Follow along as Sree gives back to our community by sharing all that he’s learned.
Diana Wright: Startup Iowa Hot List + Iowa Startup Collective
If you’re reading this, you likely already follow the Startup Iowa Hot List and now Iowa Startup Collective! One could say the sole purpose is to change the perception of how Iowans view entrepreneurship and those outside our state lines.
In addition, I’ll bring a new series to life called Mini Moonshot Experiments. For years, I’ve followed the xPRIZE Foundation where they tackle the world’s biggest challenges through incentive competitions, leading to thousands of breakthroughs. Look for more thought exercises and entrepreneurial problem-solving to come.
Coming soon: Kevin Kimle, Alison Doyle, and more!
Join the Iowa Startup Collective! If you are interested in being a writer or are already publishing content via a different channel (podcast, blog, articles, etc), please fill out the interest form here.
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this Substack are my own and those of each writer. The views do not reflect my employer or place of work.
Love this idea and so excited to read the stories!