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Lorentzen Hatchery students share progress at 1 Million Cups Des Moines
On a rainy Wednesday morning in Des Moines, entrepreneurs gathered, as they typically do, at Green Grounds Cafe in Valley Junction for 1 Million Cups. But instead of learning about an entrepreneur’s story about building their business, they got to hear four…
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Drake summer camp gives students chance to see their apps in App Store
It’s not often that a group of thirty-something middle schoolers is relatively silent, especially on a warm summer day. But in the upper classrooms in Drake University’s Carnegie Hall the only sounds that can be heard are the clicking of keyboards and the occasional shuffling of chairs…
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Drake alum’s Hatchery lets students spend summer building companies
While most college students spend their summers working part-time jobs or interning, six Drake University students have the opportunity to spend their time creating a startup. Through a $50,000 grant from Drake alum John Lorentzen, the Lorentzen New Venture Hatchery allows students to construct a business idea and recommit their time to a company they’re…
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Drake University Enactus hosts competition inspired by Shark Tank
Thanks to a new entrepreneurial-minded event, Drake University students are getting a taste of what it takes to pitch and develop a business idea. Inspired by the hit ABC show “Shark Tank,” Drake Enactus, a nonprofit student group focused on business and entrepreneurship, has developed a new student pitch competition called Project Bulldog …
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Drake, startup leaders reach out at 80/35 under Startup Central tent
Des Moines’ annual 80/35 music festival is generally the site of rock ‘n’ roll headliners, summer fashion and even a mosh pit or two, but this year Drake University’s Buchanan Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership brought an added element with Startup Central, an entrepreneurship-focused tent…
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Des Moines middle schoolers learn app basics at Drake summer camp
“Don’t blow up the moon.” That’s a bit of advice I received yesterday at Drake University’s summer App Camp while testing Space Battles, an interactive droid game app similar to Space Invaders. It’s designers are three Des Moines-area eighth graders—Ezra, Ian and Riley. But despite my best efforts, I did blow up the moon. During…
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Doppelganger, DIY app among those created by Drake students
To a room of classmates, professors and members of the Des Moines tech community, 29 Drake University students Wednesday presented the apps they’ve spent the past semester researching and developing. “Looking back from where they started, I’m incredibly happy with the progress they made …
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Prairie Portrait: Katie Weiler, Drake University senior
Silicon Prairie News: What were your main takeaways from the Big Dream Gathering last week at Drake? | Katie Weiler: I love the connections that are made at Big Dream Gatherings. We had someone who wanted to learn Hebrew who was able to connect with someone who speaks it fluently. There as also a woman…
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Prairie Portrait: Chris Snider of Drake University
Silicon Prairie News: What one development over the last five years has most changed the way you teach journalism? | Chris Snider: The amount of new tools out there. We could spend all day just teaching the tools and never get through them all, so that has forced me to focus more on the concepts…
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The Des Moines foursquare badge has arrived
The official “city badge” for the five winners of foursquare’s #VisitUS contest debuted this afternoon and for Des Moines that means a new global look at the Iowa State Fair’s famous butter cow. Des Moines entry to the contest was spearheaded by students in Chris Snider’s Social Media Strategies …