Entrepreneurship programs prepared Micah Walker for a successful career
As seen in the fall 2025 Ivy magazine.
Micah Walker (’23 entrepreneurship; ’24 master of entrepreneurship) is putting his college experiences to work.
A former thrower on the Iowa State University track team, Walker broke his foot and recognized a huge issue within the throwing industry: the design for throwing shoes had not changed in decades.
As an entrepreneurship student, he applied to and was accepted into the CYstarters summer accelerator program in 2022, where he developed his own company, Stratus, which is no longer active. With the help of fellow students Michael Brown and Peter Gilroy, who both studied industrial design, the three students worked to create a new throwing shoe.
Today, Walker is an investment analyst at InnoVenture Iowa in Des Moines, Iowa. Every Thursday, he teaches Waukee and Valley high school students about venture capital through the Aspiring Professional Experience (APEX) program.
As he teaches high school students, he aims to develop skilled innovators through partnerships with area businesses.
“In a position where I educate so much – whether it is founders, students, or interns – my past experiences put me in a position where I feel confident enough to educate them because I have done it,” said the 24-year-old from Houston, Texas. “Those experiences keep me from feeling like I am young and fresh out of college.”
His experience in CYstarters was a helpful part of his journey.
“Entrepreneurship is creating solutions to problems you have in your everyday life,” he said.
Walker experienced a series of steps through Iowa State’s innovation programs that allowed him to pivot, explore, and succeed. He participated in pitch-off competitions – presenting his idea in front of a panel of judges for cash awards – earning enough money to create shoe designs and conduct market research.
CYstarters, an 11-week summer accelerator for Iowa State students and recent graduates to focus on their business ideas, provided Walker with $6,500 and a support system of peers going through similar steps. Staff and professional service providers in the community contribute more than 200 hours of individual mentoring to the program. Participating in CYstarters, which is celebrating its 10-year anniversary, also allowed Walker to reshape his idea into a sneaker and apparel company to broaden the potential market.
“Leaving CYstarters, I had customer discovery done. I had a physical prototype. I had a landing page to collect customer emails, and I knew how to develop my website,” he said. “It helped me develop an idea on paper into a feasible business.”
He also worked as a managing project advisor for another entrepreneurship program within the Ivy College of Business – CyBIZ Lab, which provided real-life training for his current job. CyBIZ Lab connects businesses with student consulting teams to solve company problems. Partners gain access to university resources, external perspectives, and cost-effective solutions.
“It helped me learn the project management side of a new business,” he said. “I developed the CEO mentality in me to see how I like to lead teams and run things.”
Walker oversaw 10 projects for CyBIZ in a year, leading five of them, conducting feasibility analysis, market research, surveying, and customer discovery. Through pitches and accelerators, he earned enough money to continue to build his business while taking a full course load and participating in athletics. When he graduated, Walker had two shoes designed, a revamped logo, and had formed a limited liability company.
No time like the present
Walker tells the APEX high school students to build their ideas throughout college and take advantage of expertise and funds. With a broad academic program and close to 100 courses with an entrepreneurial focus or component across six undergraduate colleges, Iowa State offers opportunities for a wide range of majors. Walker estimates success in various pitch-offs and programs could net students between $5,000–$20,000 over four years at Iowa State.
“If students have an idea, they should use that as they go through the entrepreneurship program at Iowa State,” he said. “Classes where you are developing a business plan, I used for my own business. I got critiqued, not only by my peers, but by professors, for free.”
Walker spends most days helping aspiring founders develop their ideas and get the funds to make it happen. He knows solid ideas and how to strengthen others because he has been on the other side.
“We are here to educate Iowans on what venture capital is and how they can get involved to build an entrepreneur ecosystem in the state,” he said. “I know I am making a difference on a day-to-day basis and making a deeper impact in Iowa.”
