January marked a new milestone for the Start Something CALS Winternship program. With seven students spread across four participating Ag-startup companies, the size and magnitude of the program has more than doubled from one year ago. Since launching the idea in 2025, the Winternship (winter + internship) program connects students with passionate entrepreneurs for a 5-day, hands-on project learning experience. This unique opportunity occurs in January during the Iowa State University winter break session.
Beginning in October, students with an expressed interest complete a project preference form, followed by an in-person interview with a Start Something CALS employee. Based on their outlined interests, skills, and experience, students are matched with a corresponding startup company and entrepreneur serving as a mentor throughout their week-long innovative project.
From shrimp production to soil compaction, the 2026 Winternship lineup offered depth and uniqueness. In Eastern Iowa, Sadie Bays, junior in Agricultural Studies, completed a Winternship experience with Terraform Tillage, focused on exploring new niche markets for soil compaction devices. Near Manning, IA, Brooke Askren, sophomore in Animal Science, and Henry Melzl, freshman in Dairy Science, assisted with the planning and logistics phase of starting a new Organic Dairy Operation. Then, nearby Boone, IA, Jacqueline Nettnin, senior in Biology, and Tatum Bogner, freshman in Animal Ecology, experienced indoor shrimp production with Midland Co. Shrimp. Also near Boone, IA, Abhishek Mohanty, senior in Microbiology, and Hrutishaa Nanduti, graduate student in Information Systems, explored new algae wastewater treatment methods at Gross-Wen Technologies.
In just 5 days, students succeeded in growing their skills, knowledge, and expanding their professional network. For some, participating in a Winternship provided an opportunity to dig into their existing interests; meanwhile, for others it served as an opportunity to investigate an entirely new career path. Across each of the project categories, students shared that one of the most valuable moments of their Winternship was being mentored by an entrepreneur who demonstrated an incredible amount of passion, grit, and determination for their business. As we look ahead to the upcoming fall semester, the Start Something CALS program is excited to continue expanding its offering of Winternship projects. To learn more about the program, or if
you are interested in hosting a student Wintern for your startup business; please contact Caleb Frostestad at calebf@iastate.edu to see how you can positively contribute to growing this valuable student program.