Our friends at the Business Record ran several stories in their most recent issue highlighting the startup community in Des Moines, and like we did with Lynn Hicks’ article in the Des Moines Register last week, we wanted to make sure our audience saw them as well. (Lynn’s article: “Des Moines Register: ‘Why is it so hard to start a business in Iowa?’“)
In the first article, writer Kyle Oppenhuizen interviews three prominent players in the local startup community, Mike Colwell of the Business Innovation Zone, Christian Renaud of Startup City Des Moines, and John Stineman of the Heartland Technology Alliance, about their ideas on the current culture for startups in Des Moines and the challenges our community still faces.
Des Moines’ tech start-up culture
What the tech start-up environment is like in Greater Des Moines and what experts say could make it better
By Kyle Oppenhuizen
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Silicon Valley, it’s not. Silicon Prairie? Des Moines is getting closer. The technology start-up culture in Greater Des Moines is improving, according to local experts who either help or have witnessed start-ups get off the ground.
Read the full story at businessrecord.com
In the second article, writer Todd Razor writes about what the success of Ben Milne‘s startup Dwolla can have on the local entrepreneurial ecosystem.
More Milnes
How Ben Milne’s success at Dwolla could inspire risk-averse Iowans to take the tech start-up plunge
By Todd Razor
The exponential growth of Ben Milne’s Dwolla Corp. has attracted mega attention in the past eight months, and the technology start-up company’s apparent success could spur the area’s entrepreneurial-minded employees to follow in Milne’s footsteps.
Read the full story at businessrecord.com
In the last story, Oppenhuizen gathers thoughts from Colwell, Renaud and Stineman on Milne and Dwolla specifically.
Finding inspiration from Milne, Dwolla
Ben Milne and Dwolla have provided a clear start-up success story in Greater Des Moines.
By Kyle Oppenhuizen
Others have taken notice, to the point that those involved in the technology start-up scene in Des Moines use Dwolla as an example that it can be done here. It’s a two-fold effect, they say. Not only are people with ideas more likely to take a risk, but they’re more likely to find funding. Now the trick is leveraging that into more successful tech start-ups.
Read the full story at businessrecord.com
