Top 10 Finalist: Yrikka
https://vimeo.com/884069404?share=copy What is yrikka? Yrikka is an automated AI risk management technology designed to serve customers in the healthcare and national defense sectors. AI risk management is fundamental to AI safety as it enables the adoption of trustworthy and responsible AI. In 2022, within 6 months of its inception, Yrikka received a $75,000 SBIR contract with […]
Top 10 Finalist: FBB Biomed
https://vimeo.com/884067497?share=copy What is fbb biomed? FBB Biomed is a big-data biotech company based in Coralville, Iowa. Their mission is to provide an alternative to painful medical procedures by leading the way for personalized medicine through personalized diagnostics. FBB Biomed combines two proprietary products to enable the first blood test alternative to a spinal tap. The […]
Top 10 Finalist: Dhakai
https://vimeo.com/884056022?share=copy What is Dhakai? Dhakai is a factory-direct B2B marketplace that enables promotional product distributors and suppliers to move from idea to final product ethically and cost-effectively. Dhakai streamlines the apparel sourcing process by automating design, sampling, quotations, production matchmaking, communication, auditing, approvals, payment processing, production tracking, and logistics. Dhakai serves brands like the NFL, […]
Second-Round Judge: Kate Lyon
Kate Lyon is our guest judge for the second-round of the InnoVenture Challenge. We recently sat down with Kate to hear her thoughts on Iowa entrepreneurship and what she’s looking for from the Top 10 Semi-Finalists in this year’s competition. Tell us about your experience/involvement in the startup ecosystem to-date. My involvement with the Iowa […]
Meet the Second-Round Judges
Kate Lyon – Top 10 Finalist Judge Kate Lyon is an attorney and entrepreneur who has founded and built multiple companies in the consumer and manufacturing space. She was instrumental in growing a local company multi-national and has extensive investing and capital raising experience with venture firms across the country. She currently sits on the […]
Meet the First-Round Judges
Derick Jiwan Levi Rosol Liz Keehner Megan Brandt Gregg Barcus Diana Wright Ann Dieleman Andrew Kirpalani Mikayla Mooney Simeon Talley Bernie Stone Ryan Peterson Mike Upah Jay Cooper Adrienne Greenwald Tom Swartwood
First-Round Judge: Adrienne Greenwald
About Adrienne Greenwald Adrienne Greenwald is the Managing Principal at VentureNet Iowa where she guides entrepreneurs applying for Iowa’s innovation funding. Her responsibilities at VentureNet include market opportunity evaluation, strategic planning, capitalization strategies, management recruitment, business evaluation, and organizational and structural logistics. She’s involved directly in event and project planning and execution. And she manages […]
First-Round Judge: Jay Cooper
About Jay Cooper Jay Cooper is an entrepreneurial ecosystem builder, founder of Cider Finder, an app and community designed to bring cider enthusiasts together with the cider makers and brands they love, and director of the Undergraduate Startup Incubator at The University of Iowa JPEC. Jay has been a fixture in eastern Iowa’s startup community […]
First-Round Judge: Derick Jiwan
About Derick Jiwan Dr.Derick Jiwan comes with over a decade of experience in agriculture and working closely with growers, breeders and packers from specialty crops and row crops. He has mentored over 50+ startups with focus in agriculture, sustainability and digital tech. Presently as part of Innovation & Business Development he leads product ideation and […]
First-Round Judge: Levi Rosol
About Levi Rosol Levi Rosol, the CEO of We Write Code in Des Moines, Iowa, is a visionary entrepreneur and technology enthusiast who has been instrumental in shaping the city’s digital landscape. With a strong foundation in computer science and programming, Levi founded We Write Code to bridge the gap between creativity and technology. Under […]
