Inside ISU's Startup Continuum: From Startup Factory to Iowa G2M with Hannah Kirkendall

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—founders paying it forward and programs coordinating behind the scenes. Her advice to early-stage founders: be candid about what you don't know, ask for help, and engage—"you get out what you put in." Links to apply and connect with Hannah are in the show notes, and there may still be time for founders ready to jump into the upcoming G2M cohort. Chapters:  00:00 - Welcome and Introduction 00:56 - Startup Continuum Overview 01:58 - How Programs Progress 03:36 - Venture Mentoring Model 05:28 - Who Can Participate 07:27 - Standout Startup Tech 08:51 - Go To Market Accelerator 10:54 - Program Cost and Equity 11:28 - Virtual Pivot and Reach 12:08 - Applications and Key Dates 13:41 - Hannahs Startup Journey 15:42 - Skills from Nonprofit Work 16:15 - Trends AI and Founder Culture 18:13 - Wrap up and Closing