Russel Karim, a 2015 graduate of the University of Northern Iowa (UNI), won first place and a $40,000 prize at the 18th annual John Pappajohn Iowa Entrepreneurial Venture Competition. Karim’s business, Dhakai, enables eCommerce and promotional apparel brands to move from idea to final delivered products ethically, sustainably and cost-effectively through a single technology platform.
An Iowa-focused social media account showcasing memes, lifestyle, and the overall joys of living in the state has gone viral, garnering widespread attention both online and within Iowa itself. It’s called Iowa Chill, and the brand's story starts here at the University of Northern Iowa.
The University of Northern Iowa's Business and Community Services (BCS) launched a podcast in March 2023 to showcase its programs and services. The podcast, called "Building a Better Iowa," features interviews with people from each of BCS's 12 outreach programs. The podcast has been a hit, with two seasons released so far. The team plans to continue the podcast and dive deeper into the different stories and clients BCS services.
Experiment 529, a collaboration between Iowa CORE and the John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center (JPEC) at the University of Northern Iowa (UNI), has been awarded the Veridian Community Engagement Grant for the third year in a row. Experiment 529 aims to provide paid internships to college-bound high school and UNI students.
24/7 BLAC Black Business Entrepreneurial Accelerator (BBEA) and its collaboration with the University of Northern Iowa John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center (UNI JPEC) won the Model Community Accelerator/Incubator Award at the United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship (USASBE) annual conference on Jan. 21.
The Kauffman Foundation has provided a grant for research as part of the Black Capital Study + Projects, which will be carried out by Lindi Roelofse, the T. Wayne Davis Chair in Entrepreneurship at the John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center (UNI JPEC). The grant aims to support research initiatives that focus on exploring the journeys of underrepresented entrepreneurs and the challenges they face on their path to success.
