Host Kaylee Williams welcomes guest Hannah Kirkendall, program manager of the ISU Startup Continuum under the ISU Pappajohn Center for Entrepreneurship. The Continuum comprises three linked, founder-driven programs designed as sequential on- and off-ramps along a startup journey: ISU Startup Factory (an incubator-style intro program), ISU Venture Mentoring Service (VMS), and the Iowa Go-to-Market Accelerator (G2M), delivered in partnership with VentureNet Iowa, BioConnect Iowa, and the ISU Startup Factory.
Startup Factory helps founders create a commercialization plan anchored by a milestone chart—clarifying the next objectives to get off the ground. VMS, modeled after MIT’s approach, offers team-based mentorship: each startup works with 2–4 mentors via a mutual opt-in process, with founders setting cadence, goals, and scope over a six-month period before reassessment. G2M is a small, cohort-based accelerator with no fixed curriculum, tailored to two common needs: tightening for first revenue or preparing for a first capital raise. Support includes messaging, pitching, and financial work led by Hannah, director Peter Hong, and EIR John Kallen, alongside a deep bench of service providers.
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Programs are industry-agnostic, focused on tech-enabled, scalable models. No ISU affiliation is required—reflecting the land-grant mission—though many participants are university researchers. All programs are free and primarily virtual, enabling statewide and even global participation.
A Roadmap for Success
The “Continuum” isn’t just a single program; it’s a sequential journey tailored to a startup’s specific stage of development:
- ISU Startup Factory: An 18-week incubator-style “on-ramp” for early-stage tech-enabled businesses begins in early August.
- ISU Venture Mentoring Service (VMS): Based on a proven MIT model, this program matches founders with a team of two to four mentors for collaborative, founder-driven guidance accepts on a rolling basis with onboarding every other month.
- Iowa Go-To-Market (G2M) Accelerator: A highly tailored, small-cohort program focused on helping startups secure their first revenue or raise capital starts mid-April, with another cohort in October. Apply now at iowag2m.org with Applications on the ISU Pappajohn Center website.
Hannah’s path includes roles with Techstars Iowa’s inaugural class and Techstars Anywhere; earlier, she worked in nonprofit development and program management in Portland. Trends she sees: increasing AI integration and a strong Iowa culture of founders helping founders. Her advice to early-stage entrepreneurs: don’t hesitate to say “I don’t know,” reach out, and tap the collaborative ecosystem (Venture School, ISU programs, SBDC). You get out what you put in.