It's a Startup Extravaganza!

Innovators from across Iowa City/Cedar Rapids are gathering at Vault Tuesday, Jan. 31 to celebrate big ideas, the national and statewide startup movement, and the opening of our region's first entrepreneurial and startup focused coworking space. Join the fun! 

Schedule: 

• 3:00PM Iowa Startup Fair Opens
• 4:30PM Vault Ribbon Cutting & Toasts 
• 5:00PM Startup Drinks Cedar Rapids #7
• 6:00PM Iowa Startup Fair Closes

Drinks and light refreshments will be provided by The EDC throughout the afternoon. The entire event is free and the public is welcome. Please RSVP above to help us with space planning. 

Directions: 

Vault's official address is 222 3rd Street SE, which is located on the 5th floor of the red brick building on the corner of 3rd St and 3rd Ave SE in downtown Cedar Rapids. Guaranty Bank is on the first floor. To reach Vault, enter the building through the bank and take the elevator to the 5th floor. We'll meet you there!

Parking:

Metered parking is available as well as a surface lot directly next to the building (parking lot entrance is on 3rd Ave by the ATM drive through). 

Iowa Startup Fair

Startups at all stages will be talking about their products at informational tables throughout Vault from 3-6PM. The event is designed to help local entrepreneurs showcase their projects for local businesses, investors, and community members. Fair attendees are encouraged to meet our local entrepreneurs, get to know their products, cheer them on and connect them to resources and people who may be able to help them get to the next stage of business. 

24 startups are registered so far including ActiveGrade, RecBob, CelebrateCR, MCG BioComposites LLC., STOVE SHOES, Tutor Universe, Geemus, Josa Enterprises, U.S. Small Business Association, Brag Tag, Criterium-LeTellier Engineers, CoreTCS, SeedHere, Vault Coworking & Collaboration Space, Componica, NewBo Books, Moment Tracker, Moped U, KB Productions, The Early Bird Coffee Shop and Boutique, Winkel Design Studio, Corridor Coworks Conference Center, Cajillion, Benny's Bloody Mary Beef Straw, RJ Construction, Corvida Medical, and Get Her Covered . More to come!  Startups interested in participating, please register here to res

erve your display space. It's free, but space is limited.

The Iowa Startup Fair is part of a multi-city statewide event that will take place concurrently in Des Moines (Midland, Bank of America, and Liberty buildings downtown), Pella (Central College and Veel Hoeden), and Cedar Falls (Far Reach Technologies). The event runs from 3 to 6 pm and is free both for exhibitors and visitors.

Vault Ribbon Cutting

Bring your own scissors! We are excited to commemorate the official opening of Vault Coworking & Collaboration Space, a flexible and affordable shared office and community space designed for entrepreneurs and creatives. Vault provides desks, outlets, coffee, meeting space and supportive coworkers, with the aim to create a productive and collaborative work environment for startups, innovators, entrepreneurs and creatives in the heart of downtown Cedar Rapids.  

Vault is located on the 5th Floor of the Guaranty Bank Building at the corner of 3rd Street and 3rd Avenue SE. The space was created through a partnership between Corridor Coworks and Seed Here.

Join us as we celebrate the opening of the space and its first members. A short program and toasts to innovation and collaboration will begin at 4:30PM. Everyone at the event will be invited to take part in the ribbon cutting. Bring your own scissors and some to share, so you can be part of this historical event. And open house of the 5th floor space and our partner space, the new Corridor Coworks Conference Center on the 6th floor, will go from 3-6PM. 

Startup Drinks Cedar Rapids #7

A drinking group with a startup problem, Startup Drinks CR #7 is an informal gathering of entrepreneurs, creatives and innovators who will gather around a keg to talk about what we're working on, what we're excited about and where we need help. Learn something, share something, pitch your biggest startup ideas and meet other like-minded folks! Startup Drinks is free, and everyone is invited. 

About the Event Hosts:

Startup Iowa

StartupIowa was the eighth region to join the Startup America Partnership, a national effort to encourage and accelerate entrepreneurship across the country.

StartupIowa is a combination of people and organizations from the entrepreneurial ecosystem around the state. StartupIowa does not aim to create new organizations or programs, but rather to highlight the wealth of existing programs and organizations and help connect entrepreneurs with those resources. 

Seed Here

Founded Independence Day 2011, Seed Here cultivates the conditions and community that give entrepreneurs the best possible chance to thrive in the Cedar Rapids/Iowa City Region. 

By developing new partnerships, networks, events, resources, tools and relationships, Seed Here seeks to grow a thriving and prosperous entrepreneurial ecosystem leveraging resources and knowledge across the Silicon Prairie, the country and the world. Seed Here is partnering with Startup Iowa, Corridor Coworks and The EDC to produce this and many events for the community this year. 

The EDC

Established in 2003, the Entrepreneurial Development Center, Inc. (EDC) is a private/public sponsored business accelerator. The EDC's mission is to provide economic growth in the Technology Corridor and throughout Iowa through the expansion and development of entrepreneurial enterprise.

The EDC's primary function is to connect entrepreneurial needs with qualified community and state resources and to provide hands-on professional and business direction. While working with both emerging and existing businesses, EDC supports the development and commercialization of new products and new technologies. Staffed by seasoned veterans, EDC helps entrepreneurs maximize their success by helping them navigate resources, strengthen knowledge, improve skills, form strategic alliances, and secure proper capitalization.

Corridor Coworks Conference Center

The Corridor Coworks Conference Center provides flexible conference space for businesses and individuals who need to host meetings, luncheons, receptions and other events in downtown Cedar Rapids. The space offers a variety of affordably priced options including conference rooms, reception space, off-site work space, luncheon meeting space, strategic planning, HD video conferencing. Host your meetings, conferences and receptions in a professional setting that includes wireless Internet and access to copy services and other resources. Small businesses, independent professionals, corporations and nonprofits enjoy this affordable, all-in-one workplace.