(DES MOINES) – Today, Gov. Branstad and Lt. Gov. Reynolds announced they will attend Iowa’s first Startup Accelerator on Thursday, Nov. 3 in Cedar Rapids. Iowa Startup Accelerator’s six teams in the 2016 cohort will present their progress over the last 94 days on November 3 at the Paramount Theatre in Cedar Rapids. For more information on the day, please visit http://newbo.co/iowa-startup-
“We are proud to take part in this celebration to highlight the efforts of the Iowa Startup Accelerator and these six Iowa-based entrepreneurs,” Governor Branstad said. “Iowa’s entrepreneurial ecosystem is vibrant and flourishing. Iowa is an exceptional place to start a new business.”
ISA will welcome Iowa’s two highest-ranking government officials as they celebrate and support these entrepreneurs. The program is no stranger to political visitors: Secretary of Agriculture and former Governor of Iowa Tom Vilsack recently visited the office to talk about agriculture and clean water. Last year, a number of presidential nominee hopefuls held town halls in the space.
“Innovation is nonpartisan,” Accelerator Program Manager Molly Monk said. “Building programs that make Iowa’s startup ecosystem stronger is something all Iowans can and should support.”
ISA is the first accelerator in the state to focus on agriculture, health, education, manufacturing, and transportation, all key Iowa industries.
“Providing aggressive acceleration to startups in the sectors in which Iowa is already strong makes it easier for them to get their first customers here, to grow here, and to collaborate with existing businesses here,” Executive Director Eric Engelmann said.
Although this is ISA’s third cohort, it is the first to have half of its companies led by female founders/CEOs and all of the businesses based in Iowa.
“Women comprise nearly half of Iowa’s workforce and Iowans want women to succeed and ascend to leadership positions; it’s great to see that half of the ISA teams are led by smart, Iowan women,” Lieutenant Governor Reynolds said. “I have worked closely with national organizations focused on women in business for years on how to make the pathways easier for more women to start and grown businesses.”
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About Iowa Startup Accelerator
Iowa Startup Accelerator is an intensive program that matches tech-based startups, especially those in ag, health, education, manufacturing, and transportation technology, with world-class mentors, Midwestern work ethic, seed funding, and development expertise to take them from concept to successful launch in 90 days. The New Bohemian Innovation Collaborative, the 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that powers Iowa Startup Accelerator, is nonpartisan.
