1. One of JPEC’s entrepreneurs, Lauren Aguilar
(BBA, ’15) of team SPEEKO, has relocated to
Hyde Park and the University of Chicago,
Booth Business School Incubator. She and
SPEEKO were accepted in July and knew it
was a great opportunity to advance
their startup.
As their new website states, “SPEEKO
provides users with an instant, objective
analysis of their speech that highlights the
individual’s unique problem areas. Users can
rehearse and practice their speech when it’s
most convenient for them. The same way
fitness apps measure a progress in physical
activity, SPEEKO tracks improvements in
public speaking skills.”
Part of the SPEEKO team is still working in
Iowa City while Lauren and her brother Nico
are making their contributions from Chicago.
“Startups are risky, but I thought now is the
time to take that risk,” Lauren said. Team
SPEEKO hopes to be Beta testing by next fall.
STUDENT STARTUP RELOCATES
eVENTURINGFALL 2015
The John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center
(JPEC) presented its second annual EntreDays,
whichincludedthreeevents:anIdeaStormpitch
contest, the John Hughes Lecture Series and a
Startup Social. Prominent Iowa entrepreneurs
and students gathered for the three events that
had a record turnout.
The first event was the IdeaStorm Pitch
contest. The student startup winner, Fight
from the Feet Up, received the first-place
prize of $500. Fight from the Feet Up strives to
make a child’s hospital stay more comfortable
by providing them with socks and gowns
that make them feel like their favorite
hero. Creators Billy Roediger (Marketing,
Entrepreneurial Management Certificate,
’17) and Ahsan Mujeeb (Entrepreneurial
Management Certificate, ‘16) developed the
idea during an entrepreneurial course taught
by JPEC lecturer Bob Walker.
“Participating in IdeaStorm has a ton of perks!
I would say getting the confidence from other
people supporting your idea, not only with
complimentsbutalsowiththemoneyrewarded,
is pretty humbling and inspiring,” Roediger said.
On Tuesday, five successful entrepreneurs
discussed the secrets of entrepreneurship at
the Englert Theatre. The John Hughes Lecture
Series, sponsored by Hills Bank, has been a part
of the JPEC program for more than ten years.
This year’s speakers were Tara Cronbaugh,
president and owner of The Java House and
Heirloom Salad Company; John Mickelson,
founder and managing partner of Midwest
GrowthPartners;TraciFenton,founderandCEO
of WorldBlu; and Zac Voss, president of Voss
Distributing, LLC. The event was moderated by
Andy Stoll, co-founder of Seed Here Studio and
the Iowa Startup Accelerator.
TheStartupSocialwrappeduptheweek’sevents,
which drew in a large crowd of experienced
entrepreneurs as well as student entrepreneurs
looking to network, discuss internships, job
opportunities and share their knowledge.
“Meeting people with goals like your own and
networking in a great place were outstanding
experiences,” Roediger said. “There are crazy
amounts of bright and creative people in
those gatherings.”
SECOND ANNUAL ENTREDAYS DRAWS IOWA ENTREPRENEURS
JOHN PAPPAJOHN NAMED HONORARY UNIVERSITY OF IOWA LETTERMAN
During the University of Iowa vs. University of Pittsburgh football game on Sept. 19,
John Pappajohn was recognized as an honorary letterman. Mr. Pappajohn also served as the
Grand Marshal for University of Iowa’s Homecoming parade.
UI JPEC HOMECOMING CELEBRATION
This year, the 2015 Homecoming festivities began with a keynote
speech by John Pappajohn entitled a “Life with Phil.” At the end
of Pappajohn’s talk, each student present was given $10 in an
envelope. Pappajohn asked the students to donate the money
back to the University to the college or department they wanted to
support. $10,000 was donated that day! “We all believe in helping
people,” Pappajohn said. “Philanthropy is a way of life. And, if you
incorporate it in your DNA, it becomes part of your persona.”
JPEC FLOAT IN HOMECOMING PARADE One of the new parade entries in
the UI Homecoming Parade was a JPEC float. The entrepreneurial
fraternity Sigma Nu Tau and I-Envision group helped Professor Bob
Walker to create the float. Students met for weeks in preparation
for the parade. Not only did they spend time building the float,
but the students appealed to local entrepreneurs for the funds to
create it.
“Entrepreneurship is a team sport and the two groups worked well
towards a common goal,” Walker said. “The float gave us a chance
to get to know everyone better and both groups are stronger and
more cohesive than they were before the float.”
Also celebrating the parade is style was this year’s Grand Marshals,
John and Mary Pappajohn.
After the parade ended, UI JPEC alums gathered at FilmScene for
the annual Homecoming Networking Reception.
PHOTO BY BRIAN RAY
ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT: DIANA REED
During her years as a student, Diana
Reed (BA, Performing Arts Management,
BBA, Management, ’07), started her own
business through the BELL, was named
Miss Iowa and performed as the Golden
Girl for the Hawkeye Marching Band.
Eight years later, she is still pursuing her
passion in performing arts by performing
in production companies including Walt
Disney World, Universal Studios and New York Theater Ballet.
“Both degrees have been essential to the success of my career since
graduating from the University of Iowa,” Reed said. “I have learned
to manage, market, negotiate and promote myself for consideration
by entertainment companies in various roles and shows. From the
technical aspects of dance and theater to the negotiating and finance
skills of business, I use the knowledge and experience from my
degrees everyday in the performing industry.”
AsastudentintheFoundersClubattheBELLfrom2005-2007,Diana
started her business, Diana’s Golden Twirlers, where she taught kids
between the ages of 4-18 years the art of baton twirling.
“It started as a hobby with 10 students my freshman year and quickly
grew to over 60 students from all over Eastern Iowa,” Reed said. “My
passion for the performing arts inspired me to become a student
entrepreneurandgrowafor-profitbusiness.”
Since graduation, Reed has volunteered at many of the JPEC
programs such as the Be Your Own Boss Entrepreneurship
Conference, roundtables at the Founders Club and JPEC
Homecoming events.
“Ithinkthemostrewardingthingistowitnesssomeoneturntheirlife’s
passion into a business,” Reed said. “I hope by sharing my story with
other upcoming entrepreneurs I can inspire them to take something
they are passionate about and turn it into a profitable business.”
Reed is currently performing in the Festival of the Lion King show at
Walt Disney World and for various shows on property at Universal
Studios in Orlando. In December, she will become the announcer and
media host of the More Monster Jam Tour. Reed still plans on opening
a performing arts studio in the future.
“I decided it was important to expand my experience, knowledge and
credentials in the performing industry so I can be more successful
as a business owner down the road,” Reed said. “I am still a certified
NationalBatonTwirlingAssociationcoachandjudge,andcontinueto
teach twirlers from all over the country.”

2. Corvida Medical™ founders, John Slump (BBA, Certificate in Entrepreneurial
Management, ’08) and Jared Garfield (BBA, Management Information Systems and
Certificate in Entrepreneurial Management, ’09), joined the Bedell Entrepreneurship
Learning Laboratory in 2008 determined to “make cancer care safer for healthcare
workers,” said Garfield.
“Both our families had been affected by cancer,” Garfield said. “We wanted to write a
business plan for a relevant issue. So, we sat down and designed something that would
offer a complete solution. That solution would protect those providing cancer treatment
from being exposed to the toxic drugs necessary to treat the disease.”
“Sevenyears,manybusinessplancompetitions,familysupport,grants($5millionintotal
from the National Institutes of Health, $1 million from the state of Iowa) and significant
capital from outside investors has earned Corvida Medial the prestige of being the “only
product in the space with the support of the National Cancer Institute,” Garfield said.
TheirfirstproductisknownastheHalo™,whichisaclosedsystemtransferdevice(CSTD)
that protects healthcare workers from exposure to hazardous drugs when preparing
and administering chemotherapy. The device is airtight and leak-proof. According to
the Corvida Medical website, it is easy to use and was designed to be compatible with
existing therapeutic procedures.
Most importantly, the Halo™ has received a 501(K) clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). As Garfield boarded
a plane to the next hospital meeting he said, “It is exciting. We are working with leading cancer centers across the country. People are
excited when we present, Halo™. And, it’s made in America!”
2015 has been a thrilling year
for UI student startup company
Western Wise — a service that
provides interactive one-on-
one English lessons online to
children in China.
Founded by Emily Roberts
(Entrepreneurial Management
and Spanish, ’16) and Chen Cui
(PhD student, Electrical and Computer Engineering, ’16), Western
Wise won the Student Startup of the Year Award presented
by the Office of the Vice President for Research and Economic
Development, and also received one of three top prizes worth
$5,000 at the statewide Pappajohn Student Entrepreneurial
Venture Competition. The company was a finalist for the 2015
Prometheus Award and a quarterfinalist in the International
Business Model Competition put on by Brigham Young University
in Utah.
“I really became passionate about helping international students
because they’re such hard workers,” Roberts said. “Their grammar
is really good and they have a lot of strong vocabulary, but they
struggle to communicate their ideas.”
The Jacobson Institute for Youth Entrepreneurship completed its first
national entrepreneur competition for high school students this May. 151
studentsappliedfrom44teachersacross16differentstates.
One of the winners from the spring 2015 competitions was Emily Wills
with her business, Empire Designs. Empire Designs sells custom made
high-waisted shorts that support local communities and the green
movement. The extra fabric is saved and sewn into quilts for homeless
shelters and made into shoes for children in Africa. Her online presence
is huge—with 60,000 followers on Instagram and a thriving Etsy shop.
The competition would not have been possible without dedicated John
Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center (JPEC) alumni judges Patricia Miller,
Androu De Vera and Duane Wilson.
“This was a great experience to hear from young entrepreneurs around
the country and to be a judge that impacts their ventures,” Wilson said.
“The dialogue and coaching were priceless, like a virtual Shark Tank!”
The Jacobson Institute strives to create 21st Century thinkers for the
K-12 market. Its programs teach the ‘entrepreneurial mindset’ and
encourage creativity, innovation, critical thinking and problem solving.
The next competition for K-12 students is the fall 2015 BizInnovator
competition. All high school students are eligible to compete.
JACOBSON INSTITUTE GEARS UP FOR FALL BIZINNOVATOR COMPETITION
APASSIONFORSAFETY
WESTERNWISEWINSSTARTUPOFTHEYEAR,STUDENTVENTURECOMPETITIONANDMORE
EMILY WILLIS
LAVENDER IN THE LOESS HILLS HELPED BY VENTURE SCHOOL AND JPEC CONSULTING CLASS
After a visit to lavender fields in 2005, Mary Hamer was
determined to create her own lavender farm in the Loess Hills,
in northwest Iowa. Hamer did her research to find the right
perennial variety of the culinary herb known for their essential
oils and ornamental beauty capable of growing in zone five,
where winter temperature can dip to -10 degrees.
The first five years of hard work launched the Loess Hills
Lavender business as both a lavender farm, a small retail shop
and a destination location with 25,000 visitors to the farm.
“Mary and Tim Hamer came to the Council Bluffs Venture School
having been in business for five years and after experiencing a
90% crop loss in the winter of 2014,” said Elizabeth Hallgren,
UI Venture School Instructor in Council Bluffs. “They were
in a rebuilding phase and really put the UI Venture School
methodology to work in order to take a clear look at their
business and the opportunities and risks they faced.”
InadditiontobecominganawardwinningteamatVentureSchool,
the Hamer’s will be participating in the business consulting class
this fall. The team of four JPEC students working with Loess Hills
Lavender is excited to work with a real-world client and help
their business.
“It is an awesome experience to establish a relationship with the
client and learn the ins and outs of their day-to-day operations,”
said Madeleine Sell, (Interdepartmental Studies and Certificate in
Entrepreneurial Management, ’16). “I hope the research we do can
make Mary and Tim’s life and their business operations better.”
“I love this class,” said Colin Sloan, (Entrepreneurial Leadership,
’17). “As project lead, whether our group is working in or out of
the classroom, I always look forward to the opportunity this class
provides of real-world consulting experience. Especially for me,
my dream career is to be a consultant, working for a firm that
provides operations and marketing consulting for clients.”
“Mary needs our help to gain a much clearer understanding of the
seasonal sales trends so that her farm can maximize profitability
and avoid overproduction of less popular items,” said Sloan.
The Hamers are excited to work with the University of Iowa again
on another business project and hope that the students in the
consulting class can provide a fresh take on their business plan.
“We hope the team will help us identify sales, marketing and
product trends over the past 24 months,” said Mary Hamer. “We
sometimes are flying by the seat of our pants and want to become
more intentional about running our business.”
“This class is about as close to real-world consulting experience as
you can get in the classroom,” said Sloan. “Books can only convey
so much knowledge, but there’s nothing like getting out there and
really experiencing the world of consulting for yourself. From this
class, I will gain a better understanding of the client-consultant
relationship as well as learning to think innovatively and adapting to
the inevitable obstacles that have and will come our way.”
JOHN SLUMP & JARED GARFIELD
COLIN SLOANMADELEINE SELL