That sigh of relief mingled with anticipation you feel blowing from the direction of North Iowa Area Community College is Tim Putnam.
Last week, Putnam, the director of NIACC s John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center, and five other area tech/economic development leaders pushed the send button on a $750,000 federal grant application that, if awarded, would change the innovation/tech/workforce landscape in North Iowa for good.
The application is for the Build to Scale Venture Challenge Grant, sponsored by the US Economic Development Administration. The grant, which must be matched by local funding, supports the creation of a regional pipeline to grow tech entrepreneurship in North Iowa.