NewBoCo lands grants and donations to expand Iowa tech education and founder programs
The Cedar Rapids nonprofit says new funding will grow student coding camps, teacher training and quarterly founder luncheons, though dollar amounts and grant terms remain undisclosed.
A Cedar Rapids nonprofit that runs coding camps for kids and accelerator programs for startup founders says it has secured a slate of grants and donations to expand its work across Iowa.
NewBoCo announced the funding in late 2025 and early 2026, according to reports published in April. The money is directed at two tracks: PK-12 computer-science education and entrepreneurship programming.
On the education side, the funds support CoderDojo, Girls Who Code Clubs, a Computer Science Professional Development Week for teachers, and a Summer Code Camp. On the entrepreneurship side, they back ENTREFest 2026, the Iowa Startup Accelerator Spring Demo Day, the NewBoCo Startup Sprint, and a new series of quarterly luncheons meant to give founders a regular place to connect and share resources.
"The generosity of our partners allows us to dream bigger for Iowa's future," said Jill Wilkins, NewBoCo's executive director. "This diverse group of supporters understands that investing in both our current entrepreneurs and our future workforce is the only way to build a sustainable, tech-forward economy."
Samantha Dahlby, NewBoCo's director of education, said the funds "directly translate into more confidence for Iowa educators and more opportunities for students. Whether it is through CSPD Week or our student programs, we are ensuring that Iowa's youth are not just consumers of technology, but the creators of it."
The ENTREFest sponsor page lists Hy-Vee, Google, Renew Rural Iowa, Nyemaster, Quick Action Accounting and the City of Iowa City as 2026 sponsors. Reports also name Van Meter Inc. as a donor for the quarterly founder luncheons. None of the organizations have released grant amounts, award dates or restrictions, and no primary grant announcements or financial filings have been made public.
NewBoCo has not disclosed its current budget, employee count or funding mix. The organization did not respond to requests for detail on how many additional students, teachers or founders the new money will reach.
Sources
- 1.NewBoCo secures grants, donations to support Iowa tech and entrepreneurship — Corridor Business Journal
- 2.NewBoCo announces support for STEM, entrepreneurship programs — Innovation Iowa
- 3.Sponsors — ENTREFest / NewBoCo
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