On August 12th, our Director of Communications, Rob Merritt celebrated one year with NewBoCo. And what a year it has been! As our Chief Relationship Officer, David Tominsky shared, “Rob chose 2020 as his breakout year. He’s hit the big time writing reviews of big-screen musicals, parodies of rock classics, and recently made his debut as a citizen journalist on … Read More
Alex Taylor named managing director of Iowa Startup Accelerator
CEDAR RAPIDS – Alex Taylor has been named the new Managing Director of the Iowa Startup Accelerator (ISA). Taylor, a longtime entrepreneur, business leader, and educator, has ambitious plans to expand the Iowa Startup Accelerator as the program enters its seventh year. “Alex brings extensive experience building and scaling businesses to NewBoCo”, said Eric Engelmann, NewBoCo’s Executive Director. “He will … Read More
A science-based re-entry approach for NewBoCo programs and events
NewBoCo is known for hosting a variety of events that bring many different communities together and foster collaboration, networking, and learning. During the COVID-19 pandemic, we are adjusting our events to protect our community members while still providing opportunities to connect and grow. As of mid-July 2020, COVID-19 cases and deaths are rising in Iowa. Developing a consistent and effective policy for … Read More
Creating an Innovation Culture
Our newest innovation event is all about learning and experimenting in Innovation. InnovationDojo is a monthly one-hour event where participants explore two tools that support innovation in any organization. Participants leave with enough exposure to try these tools with their organizations. All in less than an hour. Our July 21st session focused on culture. Culture is one key component of … Read More
Diverse Perspectives Amplify Innovation
Diverse Perspectives Amplify Innovation At the July 7th Virtual Innovation Coffee, we used a 2017 study that looked at the impact of diversity on innovation as the basis for our discussion. We were interested in how organizational leaders in our ecosystem would perceive and extend the discussion. The group did not disappoint! The study identified key findings around where diversity … Read More
Opportunity
Opportunity. NewBoCo started DeltaV Code School in 2017 to help solve Iowa’s technical workforce crisis. In Iowa, there are 3,000 open computing jobs each month, but last year, our universities only graduated approximately 679 Computer Science majors. All across our state, employers struggle to fill these positions. DeltaV helps solve this problem by giving Iowans the skills necessary to fill … Read More
Happy Workiversary to Craig Barkley!
Happy 2 year Workiversary to DeltaV Code School Instructor Craig Barkley! Craig started with us as a student at DeltaV and then an apprentice before he accepted his current role on our Instructor team. Craig brings a diversity of experience as a veteran of the workforce and the US Air Force, which he shares to help students relate the concepts … Read More
Planning for Now AND the Future
While many organizations adapt to the current situation, there is growing recognition that what served us pre-pandemic may not be what makes our organization stronger post-pandemic. Consider the opportunities this mindset brings. Most of us are in this scenario: We had a plan. It was a good one. We had our 2020 and maybe even 2021 vision mapped out. Then, … Read More
Happy Workiversary to David Tominsky!
Six years ago today David Tominsky said yes to an opportunity to work for NewBoCo and we are so glad he did! As reigning champion of the “Dad Joke” competition at Whiskey Friday we can always count on him to make us laugh out loud. Hosting open coffees, having conversations with the curious, and working as entrepreneur in residence at … Read More
Happy Workiversary to Jourdan McChesney!
On May 15th, our Events Coordinator Jourdan McChesney celebrated one year with NewBoCo. Jourdan has been an invaluable member of the NewBoCo team as we navigate the transition of our largest events to virtual environments. Jourdan’s efforts with ICR AGile, EntreFEST, 1MC Cedar Rapids, and support to various efforts and teams have proven invaluable! She makes even the toughest jobs … Read More