Melissa is an exceptional partner in regional economic development. Her ability to coordinate seamlessly with Alliant Energy ensures that Winnebago and Worth counties are always positioned for growth. She is proactive, deeply knowledgeable, and highly collaborative- bringing her into a project early is a guarantee that things will move forward efficiently and successfully.
— Chad Hansen , Alliant Energy
Venture School Helps North Iowa Entrepreneurs Succeed
30 Jul 2026
News
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 30, 2026
Applications Now Open for Fall 2026 Cohort
MASON CITY, Iowa – The NIACC Pappajohn Center is now accepting applications for the Fall 2026 cohort of the University of Iowa Venture School program. The Fall 2026 program will begin with an online orientation session on Thursday, October 1, 2026. Classes will be held online via Zoom on Thursdays, October 8 through November 12, 5:30-9:00pm. The Venture School program will culminate with the Venture School Launch Day pitch competition, held in-person at NIACC on November 19, 2026, where entrepreneurs will have the opportunity to compete for cash prizes. The cost for the program is $299.
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.
Venture School participants are assigned a local entrepreneur as their coach who will help advise and guide them as they learn to master the startup process. Participating teams will be eligible to compete for cash awards both locally and at the state level during the Venture School launch day at EntreFEST 2027.
To apply for the Fall cohort, visit http://www.venture-school.com and select the Mason City cohort in the drop-down menu. The deadline to apply is September 28, 2026. Contact Ashley Page at ashley.page@niacc.edu with questions or if you are a local entrepreneur interested in becoming a Venture School mentor. Learn more about the North Iowa Venture School cohort at www.pappajohncenter.com/ventureschool.
The NIACC John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center is the expert in rural business innovation and success. In partnership with North Iowa’s Small Business Development Center, together we provide tools, support, and resources to Iowa’s entrepreneurs. We counsel both new and existing local businesses, from Main Street to industry leaders. We’re growing Iowa’s entrepreneurial culture through grade school initiatives, college and community programs, and business training and development. Contact the NIACC Pappajohn and SBDC Center at 641-422-4342 or pappajohn@niacc.edu.
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