Pella Silicon Prairie News: What are the biggest challenges you face in helping cultivate an entrepreneurial mindset among college students? | Wade Steenhoek: Students often mistakenly think that entrepreneurship is reserved for someone else and question their own place in this space. Part of my role is to establish competence in starting a new venture but also develop the confidence that allows students to believe in their ability to achieve their dream of starting their own business. | SPN: As a big fan of Steve Blank's work, what are a couple of the most important lessons you've taken from him? | WS: The single most important lesson is that products … read more

Cedar Falls Silicon Prairie News: What were the biggest challenges you encountered last year moving from a job in the advertising industry to your current gig with Banno? | Abby Goltz: I would say the biggest challenge was just learning and working in a completely different niche. I went from proof reading disclaimers and pulling manufacturer incentives for automotive advertising to product implementation and support for financial institutions nationwide. This industry is a much more technical environment and very highly regulated. I feel challenged and learn something new every single day which is only one of the many factors attributing to my happiness at Banno. | SPN: Banno colleagues have praised your knack … read more

Des Moines Silicon Prairie News: What are the most important lessons about being a community builder you've learned in your eight months at Volunteer Local? | Kaylee Williams: I think most importantly, know your product. Know its strengths and weaknesses. That’s important. Second, know your competitors. My first project for VolunteerLocal was to complete in-depth reviews of our top four competitors. I still look to those reviews when I’m speaking to prospective clients today. Third, respond quickly. It builds trust and lays … read more

Omaha Silicon Prairie News: What led to your decision to join the team at RockDex? | Matt Barr: The offer fell into my lap at the right time and in the right way. I had gained general software lifecycle and project management skills while working at Kiewit, and when I moved on to LeaseTeam I was working with some of the best developers in Omaha. When approached about RockDex, I had absorbed a lot of know-how from the team I was on and was ready to build something no one had seen before. | SPN: With the presidential debates on the horizon and just more than a month until the election, what does VoterTide … read more

Omaha Silicon Prairie News: For those who aren't familiar with The Pink Store's origins, what's the story behind the business? | Beka Doolittle: I was living in a house with our three teenage boys and my hubby when the idea for The Pink Store came to me. I knew I wasn't the only one who loves the color pink and decided to begin building a company where anyone could shop for a variety of primarily pink products. I registered The Pink Store LLC in January 2007, but when I lost my job in 2009, I knew my idea would soon come to fruition. By March 2011, my hubby and I … read more

Des Moines Silicon Prairie News: What led you to Des Moines and Hatchlings? George Jurgens: Eight years ago I was invited to a friend originally from Iowa’s lake house on Lake Panorama. Ever since then I’ve been visiting every year and got to know Brad through mutual friends. | After graduating from university this year in England, I started looking for jobs with startups in the U.S. Brad was an ideal contact and offered me a position with Hatchlings, a business I've seen grow over the last few years. I didn’t realize until I started work at Hatchlings how huge the startup scene in the Midwest is, and I am excited to see where it will be in 10 years. Depending on how the visa situation goes, I’d love to stick around and be a part of that …  read more

Kansas City Silicon Prairie News: In recent months you've added three side projects to your plate to complement your full-time gig at Cerner. How do you manage your time as you juggle so many projects? | Sam Bao: Well, Backly is a new development, so it hasn't taken up too much time yet, but I've had to change up my routine to fit everything in. During the week, I try to get up around 5 a.m. every day and put in two hours either working on Linkminded/Backly or go to the gym. Then I go to my day job at Cerner. After work, either I hit up the gym or have dinner with my wife before coding a little bit more. On the weekends, I usually spend a couple hours each day on Linkminded/Backly. Throughout the week … read more

Omaha Silicon Prairie News: For those unfamiliar with Kohort, what's your pitch for the service and why it would make sense for their group? | Shane Reiser: Kohort is a new take on group management. Right now Kohort has the basics — you can start a group, invite people, manage your membership list and have Discussions with your members (which are integrated with email). The vision is to build a truly engaging, easy-to-use group management platform that gives organizers everything they need. The mission to enable group organizers of any type to spend more time actually leading their group and less time managing tools. I believe that groups … read more