Three UNI students won funding for their businesses at the 2026 John Pappajohn Student Entrepreneurial Venture Competition on April 10. Kadin Walter was one of three winners of this year’s competition, receiving $5,000 for his venture Work N Walter Farms.
The twenty-first annual statewide competition will award $100,000 in cash prizes to Iowa startups and entrepreneurial ventures, joining other startups from University of Northern Iowa John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center (UNI JPEC) alumni that have received this critical funding support.
If you give a student 24 hours and a local business problem, chances are they’ll develop an innovative idea to solve it. That’s exactly what 10 student teams did at Business Breakthrough, an event hosted by the University of Northern Iowa’s John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center.
Five UNI faculty members and one graduate student — representing fields from music and education to engineering and astrochemistry — have been awarded funding and support to advance early‑stage ideas through the university’s Intellectual Property and Innovation Disclosure Competition IV.
The series aims to generate excitement about manufacturing careers and highlight programs preparing the next generation of industry leaders. "It’s really getting that hands-on experience, and the University of Northern Iowa is doing a great job of that.”
Iowa governor Kim Reynolds made a weekend visit to the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls. During her visit, Reynolds toured two newly renovated facilities supporting programs designed to meet high-demand areas across the state.
The University of Northern Iowa will welcome more than 2,000 students, mentors and coaches to campus March 26–28 for the 2026 FIRST Robotics Competition Iowa Regional, the state’s premier high school robotics event.
![Kadin Walter ['28] won $5,000 to support his business venture](/sites/default/files/styles/square_teaser/public/news-images/kadin%20walter%20.jpg.webp?itok=G0iAiE1j)
