(Spirit Lake)– The Iowa Lakes Corridor Development Corporation is gearing up for its fourth annual Okoboji Entrepreneurial Institute.
Kathy Evert, the Corridor’s Executive Director, says this year’s institute will be held from Sunday, August 9th through Friday, August 14th.
Evert says 32 students will participate this year. Six are from the Corridor region. They include Cole Easton of Everly; Alex Schwarck from Spirit Lake; Austin Schwarck from Spirit Lake; Jay Olberding of Spencer; Michael Shire of Spencer; and Corey Juergens of Estherville.
Other students that were selected include Matthew Adams of Breda; Andy Becker of Cedar Rapids; Collin Forst of Urbandale; Megan Horn of Hudson; Alejandro Mancilla of San Antonio, Texas; Katherin Messerli of Fairfield; Jason Myers from Tigard, Oregon; Rachel Ruplinger of Iowa City; Lauren Collins of Sac City; Braden Boomsma of Iowa Falls; Kelsey Kempf from Coralville; Dustin Tardif of Cedar Rapids; Natasha Ahmed of West Des Moines; Brad Dwyer from Clive; Meredith Fisher of West Des Moines; Michelle Graeve from Manilla; Clay Hopes of Treynor; Jacque Karns from Urbandale; Adam Neske of Brooklyn Park, Minnesota; Daniel O’Neil from Omaha, Nebraska; Bikash Pandey from Katmandu, Nepal; Sujana Regmi of Katmandu, Nepal; Brianne Sweeden of Omaha, Nebraska; Anadin Tokmic of Sioux Falls, South Dakota; Reid Bencheck of Lohrville and Jenifer Knoer from Ruthven.
The students will be taught an advanced study of entrepreneurship that will include seminars with successful entrepreneurs and business and community leaders.
This year’s keynote speakers include Tom Bedell and Berkley Bedell.
Evert says it will be an excellent opportunity for students to network and get a better understanding of entrepreneurship opportunities.
Students will also be involved in a simulation that incorporates the creation and operation of a new business.
The Okoboji Entrepreneurial Institute is a joint effort of the Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Centers at the University of Iowa, Iowa State Univsersity and University of Northern Iowa. Buena Vista University, Iowa Lakes Community College and the Iowa Lakes Corridor Development Corporation are also involved in the consortium.
