Lamberti Center for Rural Entrepreneurship at Buena Vista University

04/27/2026

Buena Vista University was one of 25 teams from across the United States selected to compete this weekend at the University of St. Thomas’s e-Fest from 170 teams that applied. BVU was the only Iowa college or university to be selected to compete at the Minneapolis event. E-Fest is three days of numerous competitions focusing on undergraduate entrepreneurship. On Friday, BVU Senior Alyssa Jordan was on the winning team for the Innovation challenge with a total prize of $15,000 which is $3,750 per student. The Innovation Challenge mixes students from the 25 universities into teams of four to solve a real-world challenge. This year’s challenge was to help a non-profit grow its female membership. On Saturday, the Fuller Radiance LLC team of Cody Fuller, Puritie Smith, and Alyssa Jordan won the Ready for Market award for $10,000 which is given to a company that demonstrated immediate growth potential. The Fuller Radiance team also secured $1,000 for their pitch in the Schultze pitch challenge on Saturday. Total winnings for BVU for e-Fest was $14,750.

04/22/2026

We hope you will vote for our incubator team of Fuller Radiance.

Brand Builder Award – Which Team Will Take Home $5,000?

04/15/2026

We’re halfway through the week—keep pushing. Sometimes all it takes is one reminder to shift your perspective and keep moving forward. Here’s your midweek wisdom.

03/26/2026

Alyssa Jordan, a BVU senior and owner of Outskirts Acres, a wedding and event venue to be located in Marshalltown in 2027, was selected to pitch her business plan at the Pappajohn Student Entrepreneurial Venture Competition on April 10 in Des Moines. She will compete against 14 other student teams from Iowa colleges and universities for three $5,000 awards.

03/26/2026

Fuller Radiance LLC, owned by Cody Fuller, and his team including Puritie Smith, Alyssa Jordan, and Alexis Kuehl, will travel to Minneapolis from April 23-25 to attend the 10th annual e-Fest -- the Schulze Entrepreneurship Challenge hosted by the University of St. Thomas – where they will compete against 24 other teams for prizes totaling $250,000. Other schools in the competition include: University of Minnesota – Twin Cities, University of St. Thomas (Minnesota), University of Wisconsin-Madison, Michigan State University, Dartmouth College (New Hampshire), Rowan University (New Jersey), Drexel University (Pennsylvania), Johns Hopkins University (Maryland), Duke University (North Carolina), High Point University (North Carolina), Clemson University (South Carolina), College of Charleston (South Carolina), Florida Atlantic University, Florida Gulf Coast University, Florida State University, University of South Florida, California State University – Sacramento, University of California – Irvine, and University of California – Santa Cruz.
Be sure to vote for Fuller Radiance in early April when the Brand Builder Award opens to help Fuller Radiance win $5,000 in prize money. More information to come when the voting begins.
In photo (l to r): Cody Fuller, Puritie Smith, Alexis Kuehl, and Alyssa Jordan.

03/25/2026

We’re halfway through the week. Sometimes all it takes is one reminder to shift your perspective and keep moving forward. Here’s your midweek wisdom.

03/13/2026

The Lamberti Center for Rural Entrepreneurship was pleased to work the Glass Slipper shop at BVU helping three young women select their dresses for prom. We were practicing our retail and customer service skills. The shop will be open again on 3/26 and 3/27 so people can still get beautiful dresses for $10

02/24/2026

We are incredibly proud to celebrate Alyssa Jordan for earning 3rd place at the NWIA Pitch Challenge on February 19th!

Representing the Lamberti Center for Rural Entrepreneurship and Buena Vista University, Alyssa took the stage to pitch her business, Outskirts Acres — a future wedding and event venue designed to serve rural communities by creating a beautiful, flexible space where life’s biggest moments can be celebrated close to home.

Competing alongside talented entrepreneurs from across Northwest Iowa, Alyssa confidently shared her vision, business model, and long-term impact. Her passion for building something meaningful in a rural community stood out to the judges and audience alike, resulting in third place with a total award of $500.

“Outskirts Acres isn’t just about hosting weddings,” Alyssa shared. “It’s about creating a space where people can celebrate the most important moments of their lives without having to leave their community.”

Her dedication to entrepreneurship, innovation, and rural development reflects exactly what the Lamberti Center strives to cultivate — bold ideas, strong leadership, and students willing to turn dreams into action.

If you are a BVU student interested in competing in pitch competitions or have a business idea of your own, we encourage you to connect with us at the Lamberti Center for Rural Entrepreneurship. We are here to support you every step of the way.

Please join us in congratulating Alyssa on this incredible accomplishment. We are excited to continue supporting her journey as Outskirts Acres grows from vision to reality!

02/23/2026

There are a lot of misconceptions in the entrepreneurship world — and we’re here to break them down.

Every Monday, we’ll highlight a common myth and share the reality behind it, so you can make smarter, more confident business decisions.

Have a myth you’ve heard before? Drop it in the comments — it might be featured in a future Myth Monday!