When Mukundan Kasturirangan enrolled at Iowa, he had a clear goal: gain real-world, industry-relevant experience. That ambition led him to Iowa MADE, a student run manufacturing and e-commerce marketplace facilitating the growth of MedTech innovation in Iowa.

On the first day of the Iowa Innovation Leadership Fellows program, Ashley Cooney introduced herself as a lung biologist. Optometrist Christine Sindt wasted no time: “I want to talk to you.” That conversation led to a breakthrough for patients with severely dry eyes.

The event awarded $25,000 in non-dilutive funding in each of two categories: Therapeutics and Medical Devices.