Entrepreneur
-
No long hair for welders? Bolu Ojo created SparkDefy to solve the problem.
Welding generates sparks. Sparks light hair on fire. But rather than cut off her hair, Boluwarin “Bolu” Ojo decided to create a fire retardant solution that protected her hair. The invention became a new company and has been a welcome change for women in the trades, but also men with long locks. Ojo discusses how…
-
Booze-free and drug-free cocktails for health-minded “drinkers”
What do you reach for if you want to wind down with a delicious cocktail, but don’t want alcohol or THC? Your options are fruit juice or sparkling water. Taylor Grasso, co-founder of Pesche and a registered dietitian, says that gap is an opportunity to create a new beverage product focused around positive health “moments.”…
-
U of I students create pace-keeping LEDs for track athletes – Nicholas Gorsich of Stridelane
Long distance runners need to strike a delicate balance to win. If they go to slow, they fall behind. If they go to fast, they lose precious energy. Nicholas Gorsich, co-founder of Stridelane explains how their high tech LED pacing lights solves the problem and how their first version was made of hacked carnival lights!…
-
Iowa’s Plas-Tech Tooling Goes to DC For Freedom 250 Patriot Pitch
Update (Oct. 21, 2026): Plas-Tech Tooling won first place in the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Million Dollar Pitch Competition, the final round of the SBA’s Patriot Pitch, taking the $400,000 top prize. Dean Sonquist and his sons Andrew and Ryan pitched to a celebrity judging panel in Washington, D.C., in a program that began streaming…
-
Building a boutique made-in-Iowa golf brand? Jared Doerfler of Hanna Golf
Want a boutique, Iowa-made putter? Jared Doerfler of Hanna Golf says even though their premium golf gear is shipped all over the world, but surprisingly, 30% of his business still comes from within the state. Doerfler explains how they maintain their boutique quality, why their limited drops sell out in minutes, and how he taught…
-
Iowan breathing new life into old ag equipment with Ai retrofits.
Ai is allowing farmers to scale and cover more ground, but new Ai systems can be insanely expensive, costing nearly one million dollars. Craig Rupp of Sabanto Ag sees a more efficient path. His approach retrofits existing, older farm equipment with Ai packages, making old “dumb” farm equipment completely autonomous. Rupp says many of his…
-
Up to $20 trillion worth of businesses to be sold over next decade
Guest host Jason Kiesau talks to Mike Barratt, a certified exit planning advisor with Choreo about the Iowa impacts of the “Silver tsunami.” With 10,000 baby boomers turning 65 every single day, the landscape of business ownership is about to experience a massive shift. A staggering 75% of business owners regret their decision to sell…
-
How the midwest won the autonomous vehicle race with Colin Hurd of MACH
The coasts may get the headlines, but the midwest holds the crown for real-world autonomous vehicles. In fact, Ai-driven vehicles have been operating in Iowa for 10 years already. Colin Hurd, CEO of MACH recounts past Iowa successes, and why future of “off road autonomy” is thousands of different robots for niche uses cases. Hurd…
-
University of Iowa Student invents platform to give students career clarity
“What am I supposed to do now?” It’s the question every student wants to know the answer to, but few mentors or advisors know how to answer. The Founder of NexPath, Sriram Pullapantula says this is the challenge he is focused on solving. The platform finds valuable skills, certifications and experience, and properly connects students…
-
New Iowa Startup Conference Is Midwest Draw
What is Iowa Startup Week? The inaugural 4-day conference is coming to Des Moines, Iowa and will draw startup talent, investors and startup ecosystem advocates from the entire midwest. Founder Kaylee Williams (and host of our own Iowa Tech Podcast) joins us to break down the event, who’s behind it, and why now is the…