JPEC Staff

Katherine Cota-Uyar is the Associate Director for the John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center at the University of Northern Iowa, the Policy Manager for UNI's Technology Transfer Committee, and an Instructor of Entrepreneurship (housed in the Marketing Department). She serves on UNI's Intellectual Property Committee, its Copyright sub-committee, is the chair of the Trademarks sub-committee. She also serves on UNI's Reaching for Higher Ground committee. She is currently a member of the Iowa Network of Women in Higher Education and a member of the National Business Incubation Association. She designs, develops, and manages the programs of the JPEC including: venture capital programs, entrepreneurial education and student business incubation programs, and various conferences and competitions. She conducted the original feasibility study and developed the original plan for the UNI JPEC's Student Business Incubator. She is strongly involved in UNI's STEM initiative and reaching out to K-college STEM-related entrepreneurship. She became an entrepreneur at 12 years old with various small businesses and had a small venture in college. After working in various industries for many years, she received her B.A. degree in 1995 and earned a Certificate in Business and Management Essentials (graduate-level) in 2003. In 2012, she completed her M.A. in Communication Studies with an emphasis in organizational communication and an internest in non-verbal communications from the University of Northern Iowa. Her final research paper was entitled: An Examination of the Self Perceptions of the Leadership, Teambuilding, and Organizational Cultures of the Small Businesses of Iowa Male and Female Entrepreneurs. Also in 2012, she received a Masters of Business Administration (MBA) from St. Ambrose University. Her final MBA project was a planning and operations manual for the Build Our Ballpark Organization. In 2004, she received certification as both a Kauffman Foundation FastTrac facilitator and administrator. She has given or presented more than 150 talks or workshops on various areas of small business and entrepreneurship. She has served in executive and managing editor positions for both general and academic publications including The Northern Iowan and The Business Case Journal. She has also published in literary publications and academic journals. She has been an officer in several community and college organizations and formerly served as the advisor for the UNI Collegiate Entrepreneurs' Organization (now UNI Entrepreneurs). She previously hosted a radio show on small business on KBBG-FM and was presented in 2003 with a Special Recognition Award for Facilitating Entrepreneurship in the African American Community by Afro American Community Broadcasting, Inc. She was selected by In Business magazine as one of its "20 Under 40" leaders in the Cedar Valley for 2004. In 2012, she was selected as a finalist for the Technology Association of Iowa's DuPont Pioneer Iowa Women of Innovation award. She previously taught 100:059 Planning and Growing a Business Venture, a UNI two-hour elective, and 130:170g Entrepreneurship. She currently teaches two courses listed under 130:186 Studies in Entrepreneurial Ventures -- the Okoboji Entrepreneurial Institute and CIPCO Business Enhancement Internships. She also teaches MKTG 3586 New Venture Development and Management (to be renamed Entrepreneurship Strategy) each spring. She taught a pilot Study Abroad course, Entrepreneurship in Taiwan, in May of 2012. Further, she guest lectures in numerous classes each semester. She previously served on the Entrepreneurship Task Force of the Iowa Department of Economic Development and the Iowa Department of Education as well as the UNI Higher Learning Commission Criterion 2 committee. Her philanthropic activities have included assisting the Cedar Falls Public Library, the African American Historical and Cultural Museum, and the International Wrestling Institute and Museum with their business planning; and serving on the boards of the Grinnell Community Theatre and Community Animal Rescue and Education Services (CARES).