Networking is a huge part of the Okoboji Entrepreneurial Institute, and recently a couple of alumni reached out to share their story of how meeting at OEI started a friendship that turned into more! Angie (Wagner) Williams, OEI 2011 Speech-Language Pathologist at Central Rehabilitation in Des Moines Angie attended the University of Northern Iowa and … Continue Reading
OEI 2022: Photo Gallery
A big thank you to F8 Creative for all the hard work during the week of OEI to capture these moments.
OEI 2022: Business Pitch Winners
The Okoboji Entrepreneurial Institute 2022 culminated on Saturday evening, June 25th at Okoboji Classic Cars with dinner and our Business Pitch Competition Finals! Thank you for everyone who attended to support this year’s OEI students! Winners were announced at breakfast on Sunday morning. Here is the full list of award recipients: Idea Stage 1st: Henry … Continue Reading
OEI 2021: Photo Gallery
A big thank you to F8 Creative for all the hard work during the week of OEI to capture these moments.
OEI 15 Thank You!
The fifteenth year of Okoboji Entrepreneurial Institute wrapped up last week, and there are so many people to thank for making another successful year possible! First of all, we want to thank the sponsors who invest their resources into the OEI program without the financial support of these businesses and individuals, we would be unable … Continue Reading
OEI Alum purchases ownership shares in Spencer company
Perseverance and passion are two attributes that describe Andrew Pauley, a 2017 OEI alum and a new part-owner in Specialty Archery L.L.C. in Spencer. Pauley started his first business at the age of 12, which kick-started his love for business. In college at Iowa State University (ISU), he started a new business venture, U Conceal … Continue Reading
Okoboji Entrepreneurial Institute XV Postponed
The Iowa Lakes Corridor Development Corporation (Corridor) is announcing the postponement of this year’s Okoboji Entrepreneurial Institute (OEI) XV from August 9-13, 2020 with plans to return in 2021. After much discussion amongst Corridor staff and partners in the community and at the educational institutions involved in OEI, we have decided to postpone this year’s … Continue Reading
OEI featured on Develop This! podcast
In November, Dennis Fraise and Jason Hutcheson, co-hosts of the popular economic development podcast Develop This! visited the Iowa Lakes Corridor to keynote the Corridor’s annual Business Recognition Luncheon. While in the region, Fraise and Hutcheson sat down with community leaders to talk about some of the great initiatives and programs happening in the Iowa … Continue Reading
Entrepreneurship in the Corridor
Match – Learn – Launch Corridor & BVU collaborate to facilitate business succession The Iowa Lakes Corridor is partnering with Buena Vista University to innovate new technologies and programs that will be utilized to facilitate business succession. A team of three BVU computer science students are being led by BVU Instructor of Management Gary Sterling … Continue Reading
Where are they now? Carl Kirpes, OEI 2012
The “Where are they now?” series looks at how Okoboji Entrepreneurial Institute shaped the lives, entrepreneurial journeys and career paths of its alumni. Email your story. Name and Title: Carl Kirpes, Crude Oil Strategy & Analysis University attended, degree and year of graduation: Iowa State University, B.S. Industrial & Manufacturing Systems Engineering & B.S. Mechanical Engineering, … Continue Reading