UNI Center for Business Growth and Innovation (CBGI)

For the past two decades, the University of Northern Iowa Center for Business Growth and Innovation (UNI CBGI) has built a network of resources and services designed to attract, connect, and accelerate small business and start-up growth with business assistance, capital, partner resources, and valuable connections to their peers. Our programs, including partner programs are: Advance Iowa, Business Concierge, Connections, Dream Big Grow Here, EDA University Center, EntreFEST, IASourceLink, Innovation Incubator, Small Business Development Center, Small Business Survey, and Webinars. The success of UNI CBGI initiatives can be attributed to our team’s philosophy to listen to small business owners, imagine what we can do to make life better, and to create solutions leveraging our university and technology assets. Annually, we evaluate how we’ve done in terms of economic impact, user experiences, and potential to scale. We have learned how to better understand entrepreneurs through online interactions, an e-mail listserv, statewide annual survey, regional workshops and outreach events, and EntreFEST- the largest Midwest celebration of entrepreneurs and the people who support them.