At the Ernst Entrepreneurship Expo, hosted at Iowa State University, host Kaylee Williams sat down with Senator Joni Ernst to discuss the state of entrepreneurship, technology, and innovation in Iowa. Ernst opened by pointing to the Working Families Tax Cuts Act as a driver of new investment in small businesses, paired with Iowa’s strong base of skilled and educated workers. She stressed that workforce development needs to start early in the education system, training students not just in fundamentals but in analytical thinking—skills valuable whether someone pursues a two-year degree, four-year degree, or enters the workforce directly.
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Turning to artificial intelligence, Ernst rejected calls for AI moratoriums, warning that such pauses would let global adversaries pull ahead. She advocated instead for flexible regulatory “guardrails” that protect consumers and national security without stifling rapid innovation. She cited local examples of AI’s benefits, including Iowa State’s precision agriculture research (targeting herbicide application to individual weeds) and University of Iowa work on AI-driven cancer treatments.
Ernst identified advanced manufacturing and biotechnology as the industries she’s most excited about for Iowa’s future, framing supply chain security—especially for pharmaceuticals and food—as a matter of national security. Drawing on lessons from COVID-era shortages, she argued for reducing dependence on countries like China. She connected this to Iowa’s legacy through Norman Borlaug, the Cresco-born Nobel laureate behind the Green Revolution, whose work is now honored through the World Food Prize in Des Moines.
Asked what separates successful entrepreneurs, Ernst described a mix of resilience and flexibility: people who don’t quit when they hit a “closed door” but are also willing to adapt their product or pitch to fit what the market actually needs. She closed the interview by encouraging aspiring business owners to move their ideas out of the “kitchen table” and into the real world, framing action—not just good ideas—as the key ingredient for success, and encouraging founders to think globally about their market potential.
Interview Transcript
This transcript was created with help from Ai. Please report errors to us and always refer to the video as your primary source.
Kaylee Williams: Hello, welcome back. It’s the Iowa Tech Podcast, and I am here with Senator Joni Ernst at the Ernst Entrepreneurship Expo. Thank you for joining me today. Oh, it’s great
Joni Ernst: to
Kaylee Williams: be with you, Kaylee. Thank you. Um, so I have a few questions for you. We’re gonna dive right in. Okay. So Senator Ernst, entrepreneurship has been the cornerstone of Iowa’s economy for generations. From your perspective, what makes this the right moment to be building a business in Iowa?
Joni Ernst: Oh my gosh. Well, there is so much going on. One, uh, we had the passage of the Working Families Tax Cuts Act, um, that has allowed a lot more investment into small businesses. So now is the time if you’re thinking of owning a small business, further developing your small business, we have the right tax incentives in place and the specific breaks that will help our small business owners along the way. Um, so that’s one thing. If you’re here in Iowa, it’s just that we have such great workers out there as well. So if you are developing a business, whether it’s, it’s the tech side, you know that you have young people or skilled workers that will be the right fit for your business, and that’s one thing that Iowa has done very well at, is developing that next generation of worker that will contribute not just through their hands, but through their minds when it comes to advancing technologies.
Kaylee Williams: Well, and here we are at Iowa State University, where we have some of the brightest young minds in the state. Um, and I think I saw John Darcy out there and Chris Parker from the University of Iowa as well. Yes. So it’s always nice to see when the regents come together. Um, I’m actually gonna jump ahead on my questions because we’re talking about workforce and talent. Uh, one challenge founders consistently mention is attracting and retaining talent to their companies. What do you think Iowa can do to ensure we’re building the workforce that entrepreneurs need over the next decade?
Joni Ernst: Well, one, just making sure that s- we start early, start deeper in the educational system- Yeah and really develop young men and women who not only know the basics, the reading, writing, and arithmetic, but also can take a situation and analyze it. Mm. You know, really pull the challenges apart and figure out a way to turn them into an opportunity. Yeah. So whether they are seeking a four-year degree, a two-year degree, or going straight into the workforce, we need individuals that can think- You know, again, analyze the problem, come up with a solution. So that’s what we’re looking for in that workforce. Now’s the time to really, uh, leverage that workforce. But right here, obviously, we’ve got some great institutions that are producing those thinkers, those that will analyze. Mm-hmm. So not only know how to do the basics, but to, uh, analyze the situation and think, “Okay, what is the technology that’s going to get me to that solution?” Yeah.
Kaylee Williams: It’s the entrepreneurial mindset. Yes. Problems are opportunities- we can overcome. I know that’s part of the JPEG Venture School curriculum, is learning to see the world through an entrepreneurial lens. Yeah, I love the idea, getting that young. Um, so I would be remiss if I didn’t talk about artificial intelligence while I have some time with you today, Senator. Um, it’s changing nearly every industry, even industries that you wouldn’t really think could be affected by AI, like agriculture. So, um, how should policymakers strike the right balance between encouraging innovation while also protecting consumers and our national interests?
Joni Ernst: Right. It’s incredibly important that we embrace artificial intelligence, uh, because, uh, I’ve heard in the past people talk about moratoriums when it comes to AI, and I do not agree with that. Uh, one, that allows our adversaries to get even further ahead of this, this power swing towards AI. So what we should do is en- engage with artificial intelligence and see the possibilities, know that there are positives in engaging with AI, and there’s also some negatives out there. And so as a member of Congress, the way we, we’ve approached this is we need appropriate guardrails out there to protect consumers, protect our national security, um, but allow growth and opportunity because there are advancements in AI every single day. So there’s no way that we can codify what is the right way to approach artificial intelligence, what’s the wrong way. Mm-hmm. Um, but we can provide guardrails, so that’s what we hope to do, is set parameters for artificial intelligence that allow us to safeguard our constituencies, that allow us to advance and do good for our country and our own security. So I’m, I’m a big believer in artificial intelligence, and we’ve seen so many incredible things from precision agriculture right here at Iowa State University, where they’re developing the technology through AI for a spraying system to identify a very tiny little weed in a farmer’s field- and know to spray the right amount of herbicide- Mm-hmm um, rather than applying it just willy-nilly- Probably. Yeah over all of the acres of the farm. So AI is doing some really good things when it comes to the environment, when it comes to precision agriculture. And then we see AI as well, if you talk to the folks from the University of Iowa, advancements in cancer research and pharmaceuticals that can be targeted, um, to cancer cells. I mean, there’s just so much going on, and all of that, they’re embracing AI And making our lives better.
Kaylee Williams: Yeah. It’s honestly, at this point, hard to think of an innovation coming out of Iowa that isn’t implementing AI in some meaningful way. Um, so I’m, I’m really glad to hear your position on this, and I think, you know, from where I sit as a venture capitalist, we love to see the applications of AI in companies like PowerPal and Vida Diagnostics- Right RoboFlow. These are innovations that are homegrown right here and transformative- Yes for the industries that are so important for our GDP. Absolutely. Um, so Iowa, speaking of, Iowa has always been known for agriculture and manufacturing, but we are seeing incredible innovations in ag tech, bioscience, robotics, um, advanced manufacturing. Which industries or emerging industries are you most excited about for Iowa’s future?
Joni Ernst: Oh my gosh. Well, you just listed most of the shores. Yeah. And we had a wonderful conversation this morning at the Entrepreneur Expo where we had, uh, Josh Carter with the Small Business Administration and we had Drew Oding, who is with 8VC, uh, and they– we were having a conversation about what do we think is really going to grow, uh, our ability to really defend the nation in the future? Where are the advancements that we’re excited about? And, and they had shared some thoughts. And I large in part agree that advanced manufacturing, especially here in Iowa, is really a wave of the future, but also biotechnology. And they talked a little bit about what we’re seeing around pharmaceuticals and making sure that our supply chain is secured here in the United States- Yeah and being less reliant on countries like China. We experienced this in COVID. Huge lesson learned that we should be producing more of those items here in the United States of America or with partner nations. Um, but I went a little bit further there because I always take a look that, um, at what is national security? Well, part of that for me growing up right here in the heartland in a huge ag state is that food security is national security. And so how can we look at biotechnology to secure our food sources for Americans? Uh, so whether that is in the form of pharmaceuticals for our animals, uh, and animal welfare and animal husbandry, the, the meat that we produce- Mm-hmm making sure that’s secure, but then also all of the plant technology that’s out there and what are the hybrids that will work best in drought conditions? What are the hybrids that will work best in wet conditions? So feeding America is incredibly important. Feeding the world is even more important. Um, and we are finding all of that through the science and technologies and the advancements in biotech. Uh, so there are so many things that I’m excited about, but whatever you’re looking for for the future, you’re going to find it right here in Iowa. And the great thing is we are willing to invest in the technology that will push the limits and push us further, place us ahead of other nations when it comes to producing food or manufacturing just day-to-day goods that we can… So all of the above, but I’m excited that, that we’re embracing those challenges and finding the solutions.
Kaylee Williams: You know, I gotta tell you, the, uh, World Food Prize launched their Innovate for Impact Award, I think it was in 2024, so they’ve had two of them now, and I am blown away every year by the finalists who make it during the Borlaug Dialogue to the big stage downtown Des Moines, because you’re looking at innovations in food tech specifically being showcased in Iowa at the Hall of Laureates. I mean, this is… There is no better place in the world, in my opinion, than Iowa to showcase and invest in the next wave of technological changes that can help to ensure all people are fed, not just here in the United States, but globally.
Joni Ernst: Yeah, and I know a little different topic, Mama. E- we think about technology, we’re thinking about software, we’re thinking about code- Oh, yeah we’re thinking about the, the hardware, the systems that you’re, uh, using in, you know, whatever technology, whether it’s defense or, you know, um, whether it’s in the insurance industry or whatever. But when we think about food, we don’t think about the technology that goes into that, and, and the forerunner of that, Norman Borlaug- Yeah you know, the leader of the g- what we called back then the Green Revolution. Oh, wow. Uh, which, yeah, was literally a green revolution through growing food necessary to save the billions of people that we have inhabiting the planet. Um, Norman Borlaug from Cresco, Iowa, he received the Nobel Peace Prize because he had saved so many lives around the world with his different technologies at that time- Yep in seed development and making sure that we can feed a growing planet. Uh, so we are really grateful that they’ve been able to take that technology, focus on it now at the World Food Prize right here in Des Moines, Iowa. But food security, national security.
Kaylee Williams: I love that. So you’ve met thousands of business owners all across Iowa. Is there one quality or characteristic you’ve noticed that really separates entrepreneurs who ultimately are successful? It,
Joni Ernst: it would be those business owners or entrepreneurs that refuse to see a closed door. Because we know that when you are starting a small business, there will always be challenges. How do you sustain during those dry periods? How do you keep going when someone shuts a door on you? You know, many people will see that shut door and they will stop. But those that are successful are going to say, “This door is closed, but this window’s open and I’m gonna climb through it.” Um, so those that really believe in their product or their service will find whatever avenue necessary or possible to make it work. But they will also understand that maybe this is not the product that this entity is looking for, so I might need to modify it a little. Mm. And that creates the opening to get into a contract. Um, so whatever it happens to be, they’re willing to adapt and change and chase that, that goal of success. So not being stopped by a closed door and being willing to make those modifications to work for the marketplace or the environment as needed.
Kaylee Williams: That’s capitalism. Absolutely. Resilient, but not stubborn. Not married to the original idea. Exactly. Okay, one last question from me, Senator Ernst, and I wanna thank you again for your time today. Of course. If someone listening is sitting on a business idea and they haven’t yet taken the leap, what would you say to them?
Joni Ernst: I say do it, uh, because there are so many great ideas out there, and that’s what they are, they’re great ideas. It’s not until you take that leap, you put that idea into action, and you can actually provide a good or a service, an answer, a solution for a problem that exists in many households. So I’ve known a lot of people that will sit around their kitchen table and they’ll say, “I’ve got a great idea,” but unless they’re taking it outside of that kitchen and really getting it into the marketplace is not going to provide the solution we need. So there’s a lot of great, great ideas, and, uh, I’d love to see more of those ideas entering the marketplace because the more of those great solutions that we have engaging in the marketplace, the better off we’re going to be here in the United States. Uh, just as an example today, a gentleman was, uh, sharing with me a, a presentation on the product that he has. It’s a great product for farmers here in the United States of America, but I also posed to him, “Well, what if you took this product as well, developed the product, get it started- Mm. but then you take it to other areas that need solutions in agriculture in other countries? You have a worldwide market opportunity here.” And it’s exciting to see that. I’m glad that he had that idea, but then he started putting it on pencil and paper. Mm-hmm. He’s done a number of trials with the actual product. It works, okay? Now let’s get it to the marketplace. Wonderful. Not just here, but worldwide. Dream big. Dream big. Thank you, Senator. Thank you, Kaylee.