Iowa Loses an Entrepreneurial Light
I was shocked and saddened to learn of the death of Des Moines entrepreneur Jim Goodman (46) who died during the Hy-Vee triathlon yesterday. He suffered a heart attack during the swim phase and although rescue workers pulled him from the water, Jim passed away at a local hospital.
Jim was the CEO of Emerging Growth Group and also led VentureNet Iowa. VentureNet Iowa is an organization dedicated to creating wealth and job creation through "orphan" technologies. It was through these ventures that I got to know Jim. He was an incredibly hard worker and cared deeply about the future success of entrepreneurs in Iowa. When I appeared on his Iowa Business Hour radio program last month I could never have imagined I would be one of his last guests.
As Brett Trout said on Twitter about Goodman, "He was a visionary leader and entrepreneur and his passing is a great loss for our city." But Jim's passing will also be felt throughout Iowa as no one I have seen was more committed to assisting rural entrepreneurs in our state gain access to capital and resources.
My heart goes out to Jim's wife and three daughters. Jim Goodman will be missed.
