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Learn how you can benefit from VentureNet Iowa TM, an entity dedicated to locating and identifying inactive ideas that have the potential of becoming commercialized into sustainable wealth creation and jobs, in other words, so called “orphan technologies,” when you attend Commercialization of North Iowa Innovation – The First of its Kind in Iowa, on Friday, May 9, at the North Iowa Area Community College Muse-Norris Conference Center from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m., with a free breakfast beginning at 7:30 a.m.  There is no cost to attend this FREE event.

VentureNet Iowa TM serves as a collaboration between the Iowa Department of Economic Development, the NIACC John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center, the Association of Business and Industry and the Technology Association of Iowa.  VentureNet Iowa TM can benefit anyone in existing business and industry, company presidents and CEOs, engineers, product and software developers, ‘garage’ entrepreneurs and inventors, attorneys, CPAs, bankers and economic developers.

“We are looking of companies to come forward with products and/or technologies that may have been developed outside of their main product line.  We'd like to see these products and technologies turn into a profitable line item and, even better yet, an entirely new business in North Iowa,” Tim Putnam, NIACC associate director of the John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center, said.

Jim Goodman, who serves as a partner in VentureNet Iowa, LLC and president of Emerging Growth Group, Customer Ease, the East Des Moines Chamber of Commerce and Orchard Place as well as a general partner in EGG Capital Management, LLC and an adjunct professor of marketing an entrepreneurship at Drake University, will lead the seminar. 

It’s a fact that in the barns, basements, and boardrooms across Iowa there exists tremendous possibility to dramatically impact the Iowa economy and create greater wealth for all of Iowa and Iowans.  The goal is to more efficiently commercialize technologies that are sitting on the shelf awaiting for "next year" and determining if any "internal solutions" have market value outside of the four walls.  VentureNet Iowa TM would like to see more companies be more Entrepreneurial and Intrapreneurial (Corporate Entrepreneurship).

With more than 200 years of combined entrepreneurial experience, the NIACC Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center and VentureNet Iowa TM management teams are scouring all of North Iowa to find resource experts and “orphan technologies” needing commercialization.  What do you know…who do you know…that needs VentureNet Iowa TM? 

Please RSVP for free 7:30 a.m. breakfast by Friday, May 2.  Please email hagarshe@niacc.edu or call Shelly Hagarty at 641-422-4111 or toll-free at 1-888-GO NIACC, ext. 4111.  Walk-ins accepted for Commercialization of North Iowa Innovation – The First of its Kind in Iowa event at 8 a.m.

The John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center is located on the North Iowa Area Community College campus in Mason City, Iowa and provides college level courses and degree programs in entrepreneurship, as well as consulting services for business start-ups and existing industries in the North Iowa region.  The Center also provides FastTrac ® training programs both for start-up companies and established companies.  Space is available in the new North Iowa Business Incubator for start-up businesses.  For more information, contact the NIACC JPEC at 641-422-4111.

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