Three student-owned businesses at the University of Northern Iowa (UNI) John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center (JPEC) won the regional Pappajohn Student Venture Competition and will advance to a final pitch with the hope of earning seed money. 

Emma Slagle, founder of Honor and Respect, LLC; Noman Ikram, founder of Zemira; and Ryan Pentico and Trevor Pentico, founders of Pentico Bros Catering, will advance to the final round on April 28, where they will present virtually to John Pappajohn and Dan Storck, CFO of Equity Dynamics. The regional winners were awarded $500 each, and $5,000 of seed funding will be awarded to the top three business plans who submit and present at the final round.

“Pentico Bros Catering is a small family business that has been operating since April 2020,” said Ryan and Trevor Pentico, who will present in the final round of competition. “We specialize in large event catering, especially weddings, but have done all sorts of events such as fundraising galas, business events, graduation parties, cooking classes, etc. We were very proud to be able to partner with our family’s church to be able to prepare food for distribution in our community throughout Covid, helping feed over 15,000 people. We are very excited to be starting our third year of business and looking to now grow our company!”

“We are proud of our students, who work so hard to develop their businesses from the ground up,” said Laurie Watje, Director of the UNI JPEC. “This competition will allow them to elevate their businesses to the next level.”

The Pappajohn Student Entrepreneurial Venture Competition is sponsored by John Pappajohn, Equity Dynamics, and the Pappajohn Centers. This competition is intended for Iowa university and college students with an interest in starting their own businesses. Plans are judged based on content and concept of the plan and viability of the plan.

Learn more about the three UNI student-run businesses at jpec.uni.edu. 

Please contact Katie Kreis, program associate at Business and Community Services at the University of Northern Iowa, at katie.kreis@uni.edu or 319-273-4724 for more information.

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The UNI John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center is empowering the next generation of entrepreneurs and innovators. Located in Business & Community Services at UNI, the JPEC offers more than a dozen programs to assist students in their entrepreneurial efforts. Learn more at jpec.uni.edu.