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Pitch Practice, Final Founder Firesides, and Midwest Fashion Week: ISA Week 12 Review

[vc_row padding_top=”0px” padding_bottom=”0px”][vc_column fade_animation_offset=”45px” width=”1/1″][text_output]With only one more full week remaining until Launch Day, the Iowa Startup Accelerator program focused intensely on pitch preparation and life after launch this week.

Week 12 began with the program’s final Founder Fireside. Ravi Patel, President of Hawkeye Hotels, shared his entrepreneurial journey with the cohort, highlighting his parents’ immigration story, his congressional campaign, and his work on rapidly, creatively, and sustainably growing Hawkeye Hotels.[/text_output][pullquote type=”left” cite=”” id=”” class=”” style=””]“Pitch practice is a necessary evil for success. Each iteration brings out a better pitch. We’re looking forward to Launch Day.”

Soteria Bicycles CEO Kyle Gatzmeyer[/pullquote][text_output]This week, each team participated in multiple pitch review sessions and presented their drafts at the weekly sprint demos on Friday morning for peer review. By Launch Day, each team in the Iowa Startup Accelerator Cohort will have written and revised their pitch hundreds of times. Next week will have even more practice sessions with pitch experts built into the schedule to help each team take their pitch to the next level. Practice doesn’t end with scheduled workshops; every team is putting in extra hours specifically dedicated to practicing and revising their pitch each day.

The Iowa Startup Accelerator continues to be on the move even as the program comes to its close. WRITTEN Apparel was one of six fashion labels invited to present their collection at Midwest Fashion Week. This Saturday, CEO Emily Carlson will unveil WRITTEN Apparel’s sophomore collection of statement pencil skirts on the runway in Chicago. Emily created this collection with a deeper understanding of the WRITTEN woman gained through customer discovery interviews during the accelerator. The WRITTEN woman is “a confident, powerful, fearless female who is proudly writing her own story.” [/text_output][pullquote cite=”” id=”” class=”” style=””]“We’re excited to show our skirts to a new market that needs to hear the WRITTEN story.”

WRITTEN Apparel CEO Emily Carlson[/pullquote][text_output]Launch Day is quickly approaching, and the Iowa Startup Accelerator staff and cohort are putting in extra hours upon hours to create the best celebration of entrepreneurship in the Midwest. While the 2016 program ends on Launch Day, the cohort’s businesses will continue. After the accelerator, the cohort will have access to post programming led by the Iowa Startup Accelerator including:

  1. Bi-monthly Sprint Demos
  2. Free Space in Vault Coworking
  3. CEO Roundtables
  4. Targeted Workshops
  5. A Startup Community Exchange Program

More information on post-accelerator programming will be available as the next few weeks progress.

Help us fill the Paramount Theatre for Launch Day on November 3rd! Bring your friends, colleagues, and family to Iowa’s largest demo day. RSVP for your free tickets![/text_output][line][text_output]Soteria Bicycles
Smart bicycles creating a safer experience for cyclists.
https://soteriabikes.com/

AssetRover
Real estate investing simplified.
@AssetRover
http://assetrover.com

Girls With Ideas
Helping girls with ideas become women with vision.
@girlswithideas
http://www.girlswithideas.com

Hang
A mobile app that increases awareness of gatherings, hangouts, and local events to help users be more present in their lives and communities.
@jointhenoww
http://www.jointhenow.com/

Biffly
Audience engagement tools for content creators.

Written
Creating a globally respected and desired fashion brand from Iowa.
@writtenapparel
http://www.writtenapparel.com[/text_output][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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