The University of Iowa’s Venture School is accepting applications for its fall 2025 cohort, which will begin the week of Oct. 6 at locations across the state. The Mason City program will start earlier, on Sept. 4.
According to a news release, the seven-week entrepreneurial training program meets one night per week, either in person, online or in a hybrid format, depending on location. Each cohort concludes with a Venture School Launch Day competition the week of Nov. 17. The cost is $299 per team, and each team is paired with a local entrepreneur as a coach.
Fall 2025 locations and details include:
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Iowa City/Cedar Rapids — Tuesdays starting Oct. 7 at the BioVentures Center in Coralville. Sponsored by Iowa SBDC. Contact: Scott Swenson, [email protected].
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Des Moines — Wednesdays starting Oct. 8 at DMACC Urban Campus Building 7, Room 170. Sponsored by DMACC and MidIowa SBDC. Contacts: Jenica Johnson, [email protected], and Jacki Boldt, [email protected].
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Mason City — Thursdays starting Sept. 4 at the NIACC Business Center. Hybrid format with the first and last week in person. Sponsored by NIACC Pappajohn Center and North Iowa Area SBDC. Contact: Ashley Page, [email protected].
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Quad-Cities — Thursdays starting Oct. 9 at the Blong Technology Center, Room 221. Sponsored by Eastern Iowa Community College and Eastern Iowa SBDC. Contact: Conor Flaherty, [email protected].
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Sioux City — Mondays starting Oct. 6 at the Lincoln Center on the Morningside University campus. Sponsored by Morningside University. Contact: Paula Kueter, [email protected].
The statewide program, developed from the National Science Foundation I-Corps curriculum at Stanford University and the University of California, Berkeley, focuses on real-world entrepreneurship and innovation. It is designed to help startups refine their ideas, explore opportunities and build customer traction.
The application deadline is Oct. 3 for all locations except Mason City. More information is available on the University of Iowa Venture School website.
