SOCIAL IMPACT THROUGH STEM
Startup Pi515 boosts youth entrepreneurs
Fashion designer Belange Mutunda came to central Iowa from the Democratic Republic of Congo at age 17. Like many ambitious immigrant teens here, an introduction to nonprofit founder Nancy Mwirotsi changed the Des Moines Area Community College student’s life. The young entrepreneur credits her impressive accomplishments—like inking a collaboration with global retailer SHEIN—to having a mentor’s guidance.
“I didn’t know how to pitch my business, or how to apply for grants,” said Belange, who is now pursuing her PhD. “The foundation of business that I know now is through Nancy.”
Nancy launched the nonprofit Pursuit of Innovation, also known as Pi515, in 2014 to encourage a diverse group of youth to pursue careers in STEM. Its free programming and mentoring create accessible opportunities to learn marketable skills they can flex at global corporations or in their own businesses. The organization’s social impact approach creates connectivity between afterschool education and Des Moines’ startup ecosystem.
“Sometimes people don’t realize what girls need to be inspired,” Nancy said. “It’s important that we tell them that you have a safe space to build, where you can take a risk and work on your courage.”
Pi515 has grown thanks to Nancy’s passion for preparing youth to meet workforce challenges. The organization recently moved into a space donated by Principal Financial Group. Now, students who participate in Pi515 programming badge-in at the company’s global headquarters in downtown Des Moines. The collaborative space features 3D printers and large screens for presentations. Notes on the dry-erase board celebrate college acceptances and highlight upcoming opportunities.
Weaving a network
Local startup leaders were “early adopters” to Pi515’s cause, helping Nancy forge connections and contributing mentorship and funds. She was selected to serve alongside several local leaders on Des Moines’ MIT REAP Team, working to develop strategic planning that will influence economic transformation in central Iowa.
“I love this community so much because I’ll get a girl with a brilliant idea who I can only help so far,” said Nancy, who was named a Microsoft Techspark Fellow. That’s where the rest of her entrepreneurial network can step in, especially for Pi515’s Girls’ Entrepreneurship Incubator participants. That initiative supports aspiring young women entrepreneurs through mentorship, workshops, networking, market exposure and resources.
“Disruptive skills like adaptability are so important,” Nancy said. “When you’re teaching, especially in Python and/or entrepreneurship, you’re teaching critical thought.”
As Nancy reflects on the strides she’s made over the span of a decade, her most profound satisfaction comes from students she’s watched grow into professionals. She points to young people pursuing advanced degrees and getting hired at financial services companies like Athene as proof that Pi515 has helped its students reach heights they never imagined. Because many of the youth involved in Pi515 come from immigrant and refugee backgrounds, this makes a big difference in their family’s ability to thrive.
“We celebrate amazing kids with great success,” Nancy said. “My goal is to make sure that companies know we have talent.”
Forge a fresh career path
Pursuing a Registered Apprenticeship in Iowa can jumpstart a rewarding future. From skilled trades like carpenters, plumbers, electricians and welders to hands-on careers in healthcare, child development and cosmetology, hundreds of meaningful programs exist in more occupations than ever before.
Apprentices earn a paycheck while learning skills in a valuable work environment. On-the-job training and related classroom instruction prepare participants to fill in-demand roles in Iowa’s thriving workforce. This pathway can fit high school students eager to enter the workforce or experienced adults who want to pivot to expand their potential. It’s an opportunity to receive a nationally recognized credential that can jumpstart a career path with little to no college/ educational debt.
Depending on the occupation, apprenticeship programs range from one to five years. Many receive offers to remain with their employer after completing their training. According to state data, the average starting salary for an apprentice after completing their training and coursework is $77,000.
Iowa’s Health Careers Registered Apprentice Program helps students pursue nursing pathways. Expanded opportunities for healthcare apprenticeships now include EMTs, RNs, direct support professionals, behavioral health & substance abuse specialists and other critical areas.
Through the Iowa Office of Apprenticeship, adults and students can take steps to explore a variety of opportunities across the state. IowaWORKS, the state’s employment network, is another helpful resource. Connect with career planning in person or explore online research at iowaworks.gov. Join thousands of Iowans who found success through apprenticeships by connecting with a program sponsor in your field of interest.
Find meaningful Postmilitary employment
Iowa is dedicated to moving veterans and their spouses to their next step after serving our country. Home Base Iowa (HBI) partners with employers, educators and communities to make working and living in Iowa both welcoming and gratifying. The program connects participants with Iowa businesses that are hiring and provides resources to help military veterans and their families settle in.
Across the state, HBI communities are committed to rolling out the welcome mat for relocating veterans. Becoming an HBI community requires a percentage of eligible businesses to become HBI-designated. These communities also provide an incentive package to help attract and retain veterans and their families.
For example, Shane Sawyer retired from the United States Air Force with goals to be closer to his family and feel connected to a sense of purpose. Like many veterans coming to Iowa, Shane connected with HBI for help in his job search as a civilian. HBI recommended he apply for a job as a veteran career planner. After helping to provide close air support for ground troops overseas, Shane now provides a different kind of support for his fellow veterans in the Davenport area.
HBI is now directly integrated into IowaWORKS, the state’s largest database of open jobs. Veterans can find one-on-one career assistance and add their resumes to a database that Iowa employers use to discover skilled veterans. Learn more and discover how HBI has helped others at homebaseiowa.gov.
Ignite a career in Iowa’s insurance sector
College freshmen and sophomores are gaining premiere experience in Iowa’s booming insurance industry thanks to the Insure Your Future program. Through this program, students acquire real-world experience and see participating companies like Athene, Nationwide and Sammons Financial from multiple lenses.
“This program allowed me the setting to hear from and connect with experienced professionals in the insurance business to learn from their wisdom,” said Sara Rhomberg, a 2024 participant with UFG Insurance in Cedar Rapids.
Insure Your Future interns hear from speakers and discussion panels and enjoy the chance to network together through a series of four summer leadership development events hosted by companies across the state. Many start out with only basic industry awareness, but all complete the program knowing how they can make an impact as they develop their skills.
In the first two years of the program, 30 insurance companies across the state came together to create 150 Insure Your Future internship opportunities. These companies pay at least double the minimum wage for intern roles that lead to lucrative careers. The state’s strong position in the financial services sector promises plentiful career prospects with upward mobility potential.
Insure Your Future is the first-of-its-kind early-stage internship program developed through a collaborative partnership between the Iowa Economic Development Authority, the Iowa Insurance Division, Iowa’s participating financial services companies and regional educational institutions. Insurance in Iowa accounts for 11% of the state’s gross domestic product. This program introduces the next generation of our workforce to rewarding careers while bolstering Iowa’s talent pipeline.
Plug into Iowa’s technical workforce
As an entrepreneur, Eric Engelmann loves solving problems. After attending a conference in Des Moines in 2012, he realized the shortage of technical talent hindered promising Iowa startups from growing. Eric explored thriving tech ecosystems and returned to Iowa full of ideas. In Cedar Rapids, a city that had been ravaged by flooding in 2008, he pulled together a team that turned recovery and rebuilding into a springboard for transformation.
In 2014, Eric launched the New Bohemian Innovation Collaboration (NewBoCo), a nonprofit dedicated to supporting entrepreneurship, innovation and technology education. That organization hosts a vibrant community where collaboration and ideation thrive.
“The economy has shifted toward technology as a basis for growth,” Eric said. “Now, it’s a big circle of interconnecting technical people, entrepreneurs building products and companies looking to create products.”
More than a decade after its founding, NewBoCo’s vision “to make Iowa known, around the world, for making big things happen” is still making a positive impact. NewBoCo youth and adult programs uplift the state’s entrepreneurs, creatives and technologists who are activating ideas.
Services for startups include business coaching, access to micro-lending, creative and marketing services, web and application development, hardware prototyping and engineering and more. NewBoCo is a robust resource for Iowa-based startup businesses of all types (local retail, national scale-up, SaaS, marketplace, ed-tech, med-tech, fin-tech, ag-tech, consumable, service, etc.) and at every stage
Start a business while in school
Jassma’ray Johnson was a freshman when she launched a cosmetics company from her dorm room at Iowa State University. As a first-generation college student, she needed a way to make money
while working toward her psychology degree.
Fellow students bought her products, and Iowa State faculty took note. An advisor invited the young founder to participate in the University’s Start Something LAS Academy, a two-year entrepreneurship cohort based in Iowa State’s state-of-the-art Student Innovation Center. The Academy’s director also encouraged Jassma’ray to apply to CYstarters, an 11-week summer accelerator for Iowa State students or recent graduates.
“Instead of working for someone else, they actually paid you to grow your business,” Jassma’ray said. “It played a big role in the evolution of my company. I learned how to convey my message through pitch competitions, and the mentors I met through Cystarters still communicate with me.”
Making connections through the LAS Academy, pitch competitions, CYstarters and the Okoboji Entrepreneurial Institute was a core part of Jassma’ray’s college experience. She’s just one example of many students at Iowa’s universities who pair a degree program with entrepreneurial activities.
Similarly, the John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center at the University of Iowa has grown its influence in the entrepreneurial community and inspired thousands of entrepreneurs to start a business in Iowa. Open to all University of Iowa students, the Student Ventures business incubator connects undergraduates with the resources to launch and grow their startup into a sustainable business. Community programs like Venture School help people transform high-potential ideas into viable businesses.
