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 since 2015 through his writing, mentoring other startup founders, and leading local entrepreneurial events including Startup Weekend Iowa City, Iowa City Open Coffee, and 1 Million Cups Iowa City.

His work with Techstars Startup Weekend has taken him across the country to facilitate local and statewide Startup Weekend events, sharing the best parts of Iowa’s entrepreneurial spirit with other communities and bringing back fresh ideas for our local events.