The following is a look back at the things that really stood out in the Iowa innovation community in 2016. To create it, I combed through the past 51 issues of The Pull and grouped the highlights into three pretty handy categories: Acquisitions, Accelerators and Investment. Of course, there were several other items that I wanted to include that didn't fit as neatly into one of the categories so you'll find them at the end in the "The Year in Other Stuff" section.

Putting together a post like this really makes one appreciate how much ground we cover as a community in the course of a year. You're all pretty great. 

For all of you who scoffed at my ability to publish the Iowa Startup Power Rankings at the beginning of the month, I present you with the following: the December post on the last day of November. Boom.

As promised, it's early, well, mid-September and the Iowa Startup Power Rankings are back for their fifth iteration, this time covering the good works of the people, institutions and companies that make up the Iowa startup community throughout all of August.

Matt Patane, technology and innovation reporter for the Des Moines Register and Geoff Wood, community builder at Gravitate, sit down for an in-depth discussion of the companies, events and ideas making news in the Iowa innovation community.

Topics discussed on this episode: Dwolla fined by CFPB, CBS News features the so-called "Silicon Prairie" and the launch of NewBoCo.

Feedback, thoughts or suggestions? Hit us up on Twitter or email the show at mvp@gravitatedsm.com

Gravitate exists explicitly to help grow the Iowa startup community. We were born from the needs identified by that community in 2014 and we continue to shape this organization around the needs of that community today.

Today those needs include a membership plan that caters specifically to the graduates of GAN programs: Free (basically).

Matt Patane, technology and innovation reporter for the Des Moines Register and Geoff Wood, community builder at Gravitate, sit down for an indepth discussion of the companies, events and ideas making news in the Iowa innovation community.

Topics discussed on this episode: Iowa Startup Accelerator Launch Day, Yahoo! Digital Democracy Conference, InnovateHER, Startup Weekend, Technology Apprenticeship programs.

Feedback, thoughts or suggestions? Hit us up on Twitter or email the show at mvp@gravitatedsm.com