Venture School Helps North Iowa Entrepreneurs Succeed

Applications Now Open for Spring 2024 Cohort

MASON CITY, Iowa – North Iowa entrepreneurs are achieving success with the assistance of the NIACC Pappajohn Center cohort of the University of Iowa Venture School. Venture School is the premiere business training program in Iowa, emphasizing real-world entrepreneurship and innovation based on a leading-edge curriculum. Participants learn to overcome the chaos and uncertainty of creating new ventures by conducting customer discovery, market research and developing their foundational business model in real-time.

Jayson Ryner of ReEnvision Agriculture in Nora Springs graduated from the North Iowa Venture School cohort in Fall 2019. Ryner took First Place and the top prize of $10,000 at the statewide Venture School Launch Day pitch competition held during EntreFest 2020. In December 2023, he won First Place and the top prize of $100,000 at the InnoVenture Challenge pitch competition. According to Ryner, one of the driving forces behind his success has been the support from the NIACC Pappajohn Center. Ryner says, “My experience during Venture School at NIACC propelled me to a successful launch of a dream. I have participated in a nationwide ag accelerator and an international business accelerator in Canada. What I learned during the Venture School at NIACC has propelled me through it all.”

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