Iowa City innovator and entrepreneur Dasia Taylor and her venture, NERD STEM Box, took first place and $3,500 at the University of Iowa John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center (Iowa JPEC) Startup Incubator Summer Track Demo Day on Aug. 7 at MERGE Iowa City.
NERD STEM Box is a hands-on STEM education tool designed for use in homes and classrooms. According to its website, NERD STEM Box has a mission to ‘democratize STEM learning. By providing tools and resources that are fun, educational, and rooted in real-world applications, we aim to nurture a love of learning while breaking down barriers to access. With NERD STEM Box, every child can see themselves as a scientist, engineer, or inventor – no matter where they come from or who they aspire to be.”
The event awarded a total of $10,000 to four businesses, including:
- Archaneon Supplements, founded by Tyler Graham and Johnathan Brown, won second place and $3,000 for its line of fitness supplements for high-performance athletes.
- ZIA Defense Systems Inc., pitched by Craig Bantz, took third place and $2,500. The business offers a professional-grade monitoring system to enhance the safety and effectiveness of K9 units.
- Dorm in a Box, created by Ava Graf to help students decorate and furnish college dorm rooms, received the $1,000 people’s choice award.
Demo Day featured 11 pitches from participants in the summer track incubator, which is open to University of Iowa undergraduate and graduate students, recent graduates, and faculty and staff. The program accepts individuals and teams from all majors.
Judges for the competition were Paul Heath, director of the Small Business Development Center; Melanie Bimson, economic program manager for Greater Iowa City Inc.; and Gregg Barcus, entrepreneur-in-residence for Iowa JPEC.
Iowa JPEC provides education, training, and support for entrepreneurs and small to midsize businesses across Iowa, with a focus on helping new ventures grow and reach their potential.
