‘Creating things that benefit people’: Cole Lindaman, urban agriculture innovator

Flexing your entrepreneurship/innovation muscles

I have tried to take advantage of as many resources at Iowa State as possible. I created my startup in the second year of classes and have used many of the programs to network and gain valuable experience and networks in the industry I plan to operate in.

Do you have a startup or business?

I am currently working on scaling my startup called Seeded. Seeded’s goal is to address some of the problems that are occurring with modern-day urban living. We are starting with small grow-at-home kits, to allow people to become more connected to the food system. We are also entering into a farming-as-a-service model where we take our kits into a space and manage them for the client. We have our first client established with a community center in Clarion, Iowa. That farm will serve as an educational hub as well as provide revenue for the operation of the center.

Eventually we hope to expand into a space where we can establish more projects that connect people within their community through more traditional methods instead of just hydroponics. I’m really excited about the multiple directions we can go and look forward to what this year will bring!

Value of Iowa State’s innovation/entrepreneurial resources

Iowa State has several great programs and resources for those interested in entrepreneurship. One that I personally have used a large amount is the Student Innovation Center. Being able to cheaply and easily create prototypes was very useful in the beginning stages. Another was the programming offered by the Pappajohn Center for Entrepreneurship. Being able to pitch my business idea live allowed me to really think about what customer needs are and how to develop other aspects of the business.

Taking this mindset into your career

I am very interested in creating things that can benefit people. Throughout my career I hope to develop innovative solutions to my work, whether in a role as a civil engineer/community planner or in my startup. I feel that an entrepreneurial mindset will allow me to connect dots between stakeholders and allow me to create better outputs.

How do you hope to change the world?

I am passionate about solving some of the base need issues that our society faces, including hunger and housing. I hope to be able to build something that is able to tackle these issues head on and chip away at them. Ultimately I hope that I can be part of a larger movement that increases the quality of life for people in all parts of the world. By addressing these issues, we can allow people to focus on more than just surviving, and instead on how to thrive.

The moment you saw yourself as an innovator/entrepreneur

Thinking back, I have always had some interest in entrepreneurship. If I were to choose one thing however, it would be my time in Cub Scouts. There were several years where I sold a large amount of popcorn so that I could win the grand prize of a Waterloo Blackhawks Hockey game experience. Beyond that, I’ve always been interested in creating things and finding ways to share them. This has included, but probably not limited to, making paracord bracelets, T-shirts, and landscaping.