As promised, it's early, well, mid-September and the Iowa Startup Power Rankings are back for their fifth iteration, this time covering the good works of the people, institutions and companies that make up the Iowa startup community throughout all of August.
Susan Gentz
Susan Gentz met her husband on Capital Hill in a Senator’s office somewhat notorious for successful matchmaking. “It’s a true D.C. nerd love story,” said Susan. The office known for true love is none other than that of Iowa’s longstanding Senator Chuck Grassley – perhaps surprising as cupid. And the experience led to the happiest moment of her life.
Geoff's Blog: Gravitate's Two Year Birthday Celebration (schedule)
Mahalo's Coffee & Mini Donuts
When it comes to finding coffee in West Des Moines, you’ll be hard-pressed to find someplace that’s not a chain. So when it comes to setting up shop in a cafe to do a little coworking, you may not be overwhelmed with options.
Enter Mahalo’s Coffee & Mini Donuts. Located in a strip mall off Mills Civic Parkway and buffered by a Quizno’s and a day spa, the small shop may not immediately be a place you would think of to get work done. But Mahalo’s free wifi, comfortable environment, and (let’s be honest) easy access to mini donuts makes it a great place to pop in for some powdered sugar coated productivity.
Steve Sherlock
Grounds for Celebration
When it comes to remote working, sometimes it’s important to step outside your normal routine and go in search of a different environment. In Des Moines, that can mean crossing neighborhood boundaries or taking a new interstate exit to visit a different suburban coffee shop.
While the west side neighborhood of Windsor Heights is notorious for its speed traps and home to Senator Chuck Grassley’s favorite Dairy Queen, it’s also a wonderful place to get things done. Nestled between restaurants and residential spaces, the neighborhood branch of the local chain Grounds for Celebration offers a welcoming atmosphere and a great setup to ensure productivity.
Iowa Startup Power Rankings—July/August
We're now four months into doing the monthly Iowa Startup Power Rankings and I'm tweaking things just a bit. Rather than posting towards the end of the month with a floating time frame for recognition, I've decided to push the publish date until after the first of the month. That means that we'll be able to consistently recognize the efforts of the people and companies in our community from the calendar month prior. Also, it means that this post isn't technically late even though today is August 3rd and the post is about July (when all else fails, change the rules).
Cafe Diem
When it comes to finding a good place to work remotely, quiet public environments can be few and far between. Despite it’s “punny” name, Cafe Diem is a coffee shop sure to make you seize the day and get things done.
If you’re working from home, around your kids’ schedules or just want to get outside of downtown a bit, Cafe Diem brings a bit of suburban love to our coffee shop coworking series. Located in an Ankeny strip mall alongside a pet store and the deep dish pizza fan favorite Wig and Pen, Cafe Diem is an unassuming locale that dares to surprise you with its plentiful work stations and relaxed environment.
We Write Code
Paul Singh's Iowa Tech Tour—recaps, by the numbers and takeaways
Last week was busy.
From about 8 AM on Monday morning through 3 PM on Friday, we packed Paul Singh’s schedule full of presentations, meetups and office hours. When I first talked with Paul, just over a month ago, about potentially squeezing in an Iowa week on his North American Tech Tour he said that he wanted to come here to get to really know what it is like to be part of our startup community. He wanted to meet the people, see the companies and experience the life of an Iowa entrepreneur.