The NIACC John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center hosted the second annual Iowa Student Entrepreneurship Summit on April 11-12, 2025 at locations in Mason City and Clear Lake, IA. This dynamic event brings together business majors and student entrepreneurs from Iowa’s community colleges, private colleges and the University of Northern Iowa. The Student Entrepreneurship Summit included a student pitch competition followed by a day of interactive workshops designed to support personal growth, leadership development, and entrepreneurial thinking—whether they are starting a business or planning to bring innovation and creativity into the workplace. The event featured keynote addresses from Brad Barber of Cabin Coffee Co. and Dan Gleason of TitanPro.
The Iowa Student Entrepreneurship Summit is the official pathway to the Pappajohn Student Venture Competition, where students pitch real business ideas for funding and advancement to the finals. Eight students from NIACC, Drake University, and the University of Northern Iowa participated in the Summit Pitch Competition.
Three NIACC students won a $500 Finalist prize and will advance to the Pappajohn Student Venture Competition:
Josh Hanson – American Rustguard
Caleb Renner – Renner Ag Solutions
Christopher Madsen with partners David Roman & Ethan Kudej – Blast Off Power Washers
Two Drake University students won a $500 Finalist prize and will advance to the Pappajohn Student Venture Competition:
Dorian Boyland – IonFlow
Gabe Howard – Nautilus Dynamics
Diego Munoz - Valor Storage
Two additional awards were presented to pitch competitors:
Heart & Hustle Award, $250 Prize – Karleen Roberts, Karl-Bean’s Coffee
Fueling the Future Award, $250 Prize – Holden Mathis, Mathis Speed Shop
The Iowa Student Entrepreneurship Summit was free to attend thanks to the generous support of local sponsors, ensuring that cost is never a barrier to students interested in pursuing entrepreneurship and leadership development.
Student Award & Hospitality Sponsors: Ag Ventures Alliance, NIACC Business & Workforce Solutions, Sukup Manufacturing Co.
Expo Sponsors: Clear Lake Bank & Trust, North Iowa Corridor EDC, First Citizens Bank, Bank Iowa
In-Kind Sponsors: Clear Lake Area Chamber of Commerce, City of Clear Lake, City of Mason City, City of Mason City Parks & Recreation, Mason City Chamber of Commerce
The Summit was hosted by the NIACC John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center in partnership with the Great Plains Entrepreneurial Consortium (GPEC). GPEC is a group of private colleges and universities working together and sharing resources to collaboratively scale and infuse an entrepreneurial mindset to foster entrepreneurship education, economic expansion, and job creation in technology-focused economic development.
