University of Northern Iowa students among winners in the 24th annual John Pappajohn Student Entrepreneurial Venture Competition
University of Northern Iowa students among winners in the 24th annual John Pappajohn Student Entrepreneurial Venture Competition
DES MOINES, Iowa - Davan Crooker [‘25, Finance] of the University of Northern Iowa’s John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center (UNI JPEC) emerged as one of three first-place winners at the 2024 John Pappajohn Student Entrepreneurial Venture Competition, held on April 22, at the University of Iowa Pappajohn Education and Events Center in Des Moines. Crooker was among the three first-place winners of this year’s competition and was awarded a seed grant totaling $5,000.
The final presentation round consisted of 17 students presenting 15 business ideas to a panel of judges. Student entrepreneurs entering the competition came from the University of Northern Iowa, Drake University, Iowa State University, North Iowa Area Community College, and the University of Iowa.
Davan’s venture, DC Outdoor Services, is a landscaping construction company that provides high-quality landscaping services of any size like patio installations, retaining wall installations, and general landscaping.
“My favorite part of this competition was being able to meet students from the other entrepreneurial centers and being able to connect with them,” said Crooker. “I plan on using the money from the competition to invest in more equipment for my business. This equipment will allow us to be more efficient and expand into a wider market of work becoming more competitive in the industry.”
Other first-place winners included Catherine Dow, a Northern Iowa Area Community College student who founded Instatat, and Joy Clark, a student at Drake University who founded Regain Orthotics.
Nathan Crooker [‘25, Finance] of the UNI JPEC was also named a finalist, receiving a $500 seed grant.
In 2023, Marketia Moore, a graduate of the Black Business Entrepreneurial Accelerator, a partnership program between the 24/7 Black Leadership Advancement Consortium and UNI JPEC also placed among finalists, contributing to a total of $10,000 in seed grants over the past two years for the center.
The competition is a collaborative effort among the Iowa John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Centers located at the University of Northern Iowa, Drake University, Iowa State University, North Iowa Area Community College, and the University of Iowa.
The UNI JPEC aims to empower and support entrepreneurs and innovators at UNI. For more information on UNI JPEC and its programming, visit jpec.uni.edu.
