JPEC Stories & News

BCS Building

YOU & I Care Launch

A.J. Reding, Nathan Anderson, Xavier Washington, and Imani Reed met when participating in the SHIPHT Entrepreneurial Discovery Series at the University of Northern Iowa. Now known as the executive team for YOU & I Care, their mission was to create a project that would help the community. Wanting to make mental health help more accessible and cheaper, they came up with a unique idea that asks people to simply listen.
BCS Building

USASBE Celebrates Winners of 2021 3E Competition

On January 8, The United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship (USASBE) announced the 2021 winners of the Entrepreneurship Experiential Exercises (3E) Competition during the organization’s USASBE 2021: Be Boldly Unscripted annual conference.
Students at Competition

2020 UNI Entrepreneurs Elevator Pitch Competition

UNI students competed for $2000 in awards at the Annual UNI Entrepreneurs Elevator Pitch Competition. The 2020 competition took place on Tuesday, November 3rd at the Business & Community Services Building. There were two different competitions that the entrepreneurs could compete in: Ideation and Revenue. Ideation are students with business ideas that are in the early stages of development and have yet to earn revenue. Students in the Revenue competition have existing businesses and are making money. Each student had just 90 seconds to explain their business ideas to a panel of judges.
Robert Sales receiving award

UNI Student wins Global Entrepreneur of the Year award

Robert Sales is no stranger to the limelight at the University of Northern Iowa. The Communication major was a fixture at UNI Panther football and basketball games selling doughnuts from his year-round concession stand, Rob’s Mini Donuts and in the halls mentoring other entrepreneurial students in the UNI John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center (UNI JPEC). 
UNI student Rob Sales, a student entrepreneur, sells his donuts during a basketball game at McLeod Center.

UNI student spreads joy one doughnut at a time

Robert Sales arrived at UNI knowing he wanted to be an entrepreneur.

The Pella native’s business instincts had been apparent since he was a first-grader who won a contract mowing vacant lots in his neighborhood. At UNI, Sales focused on the food industry, launching a food truck business and then, with help from professors and mentors, narrowed his focus to selling mini doughnuts. 

PastimeU mobile app

Panther power represented at annual entrepreneurship challenge

University of Northern Iowa 2019 alumnus Jacob Smith and quantitative economics major Cole Wetzel have been selected as one of the Top 25 Finalist teams for the Schultz Entrepreneurship Challenge as part of e-Fest 2020, a three-day competition awarding a total of $250,000 in prize money.
Eric Schaefer UNI JPEC Donation

Cedar Valley native Eric Schaefer makes big impact for UNI entrepreneurial students

The University of Northern Iowa’s John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center (UNI JPEC) has received a $100,000 gift from Eric and Kelli Schaefer. The donation will be used to support services offered to UNI student entrepreneurs to assist them in launching their new ventures.
The team of UNI alumnus Russell Karim's new business, Dhakai.

UNI empowers entrepreneur’s impactful startup

UNI alumnus and entrepreneur Russell Karim's newest venture seeks to boost profitability and workers' salaries in apparel companies in his home country of Bangladesh.
Two students at global conference.

Two UNI Student Entrepreneurs Attend Global Conference in Tampa, Florida

Winner of the 2019 UNI Entrepreneurs Elevator Pitch Competition, Maddie Palmersheim, had the opportunity to attend the 2019 CEO (Collegiate Entrepreneurs’ Organization) Global Conference and Pitch Competition. This conference was held in Tampa, Florida from October 31st to November 2nd.
Sami with Student Entrepreneur of the Year award.

Sami's Sock Monkeys is awarded Student Entrepreneur of the Year

​On October 29th, North Iowa Area Community College’s Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center held the 2019 NIACC Pappajohn Center Entrepreneur Gala which recognized outstanding entrepreneurs in the area. One of the entrepreneurs recognized was UNI student, Samantha Schupanitz. She received special recognition of Student Entrepreneur of the Year for her business, Sami’s Sock Monkeys.