The University of Iowa Venture School is adding a location in Ottumwa and accepting applications for its spring 2026 cohort across multiple Iowa communities.
The eight-week program will begin the week of March 2 in most locations, with sessions meeting one night per week. The Mason City cohort starts earlier, on Feb. 5.
Sessions are offered in hybrid (in-person and online), fully remote or in-person formats depending on location. The program concludes with a Venture School Launch Day Competition the week of April 20, with Mason City’s competition scheduled for March 26.
Cost is $299 per team, and each team receives a local entrepreneur as a coach.
Spring 2026 locations include:
Iowa City/Cedar Rapids: Tuesdays starting March 3 at BioVentures Center in Coralville. Sponsored by Iowa SBDC.
Mason City: Thursdays starting Feb. 5 at NIACC Business Center. Sponsored by North Iowa Area Community College Pappajohn Center and North Iowa Area SBDC.
Ottumwa: Thursdays starting March 5 at Indian Hills Community College. Sponsored by Indian Hills Community College and IHCC SBDC.
Quad-Cities: Thursdays starting March 5 at Blong Technology Center, Room 221, 8500 Hillandale Road, Davenport. Sponsored by Eastern Iowa Community College and Eastern Iowa SBDC.
Sioux City: Online only, Tuesdays starting March 4.
The program uses curriculum developed by the National Science Foundation I-Corps at Stanford University and the University of California, Berkeley. The curriculum focuses on real-world entrepreneurship and challenges participants to develop business models and make strategic pivots based on market discovery.
The application deadline is Feb. 27. Applications and additional information are available at venture-school.com or by contacting Shannon Henderson at [email protected].
