Innovation and Entrepreneurship

Under President Wintersteen's leadership, Iowa State University is creating a vibrant ecosystem where innovation and entrepreneurship are built into the curriculum. Students will develop an entrepreneurial mindset that empowers them to turn their ideas into new businesses or startups, help existing companies innovate and grow, and make a difference in their communities. The deans of all seven colleges – Agriculture and Life Sciences, Ivy College of Business, Design, Engineering, Human Sciences, Liberal Arts and Sciences, and Veterinary Medicine – are leading conversations and working with Iowa State's entrepreneurial ambassador to develop unique approaches for curriculum and student experiences. Learn more about Innovate at Iowa State and how students can innovate their Iowa State adventure. 

Iowa State University's leading role in innovation and entrepreneurship

• Iowa State is ranked #11 in the nation by the Princeton Review for student entrepreneurship. 
• Iowa State was awarded the 2021 USASBE Model Program Award, the highest of the organization’s four prestigious annual Excellence in Entrepreneurship Education Awards.
• President Wintersteen has been selected to serve on the National Council for Expanding American Innovation.
• Iowa State was awarded APLU's 2020 Innovation and Economic Prosperity in Innovation Award. 
• Iowa State was selected to represent America's colleges and universities as a leader in innovation during the U.S. Postal Service's innovation stamp virtual unveiling. 
• Iowa State is the first public university in Iowa to offer an undergraduate major in entrepreneurship and only the eighth in the United States to offer a Ph.D. specialization in entrepreneurship.
• The Student Innovation Center is a hands-on hub for Iowa State students of all programs and majors. It provides a unique, state-of-the-art space for students to exercise their innovative and entrepreneurial muscles – to design, fabricate, test and demonstrate ideas -- everything from culinary to lunar, and digital gaming to vehicles. The facility also includes exhibit space, print and supplies shops, a student-run cafe, office space for student organizations and a plethora of wireless access points.
• Established in 1996, the Pappajohn Center for Entrepreneurship serves as a campus resource for students in all majors who have an entrepreneurial idea or want to create a venture of their own. Complementing classroom learning with hands-on experience, the Pappajohn Center offers workshops, competitions, internships, and other opportunities for students to engage in problem solving, idea generation, or business creation.  Programs like CYstarters, CyBIZ Lab, and ISU Startup Factory exemplify Iowa State’s culture of innovation and entrepreneurship.

• Iowa State is a National Science Foundation Innovation Corps site to enable researchers to explore the commercial potential of their emerging technologies.