Episode
Inside ISU's Startup Continuum: From Startup Factory to Iowa G2M with Hannah Kirkendall
- Podcast
- Iowa Tech Podcast
- Published
- Mar 10, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 1278
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Summary
Host Kaylee Williams welcomes ISU Startup Continuum program manager Hannah Kirkendall to the Iowa Tech Podcast from the Jethro's Barbecue Studio (yes, the giant Jethro cutout still looms). Hannah breaks down ISU's "continuum" of founder support under the Pappajohn Center for Entrepreneurship: the ISU Startup Factory (an incubator focused on commercialization plans and milestone mapping), the ISU Venture Mentoring Service (team-based mentorship modeled on MIT's VMS with mutual opt-in mentor teams), and the Iowa Go-to-Market Accelerator (G2M), a tailored, cohort-based program helping companies tighten messaging, pitches, finances, and either land first revenue or raise initial capital. The programs are industry-agnostic but tech-enabled and scalable by design; they're open to any Iowa startup (no ISU affiliation required), are delivered almost entirely virtually, and are free—founders invest time and effort rather than cash or equity. Key timelines: Startup Factory cohorts align with semesters (next starts in early August), VMS onboards on a rolling basis, and G2M runs two six-month cohorts annually (next starting mid-April, then October), in partnership with VentureNet Iowa and BioConnect Iowa. 💡 Find this show on your favorite player: https://iowapodcast.com/ISU-startup-continuum-program 🗞️ Be first to get new interviews: https://iowapodcast.com/subscribe/ 🐖 Get a free $30 gift card from Jethro's BBQ: https://iowapodcast.com/jethrosbbq Hannah shares her path from nonprofit development in Portland to Techstars Iowa and Techstars Anywhere, then home to Iowa to help build founder-focused programs. She highlights trends like AI permeating new solutions and exciting deep-tech from ISU in materials and battery technology, while celebrating Iowa's collaborative culture—founde…