Three Iowa businesses seek out the first-place title in a competition over the three top business plans in Iowa.

Green Start LLC, Iowa Adaptive Technologies, and Pear Deck all have been named finalists in the Pappajohn Iowa Business Plan Competition.

Pear Deck, based in Iowa City, offers a new take on how teachers can use their Google Drive to initiate a different type of learning tool using interactive lesson plans.

“It’s former teachers who understood what challenges were in the classroom who use creativity to come up with a solution,” said Mark Nolte, the president of the Iowa City Area Development Group, who works with Pear Deck. “I think we identify a great market need and built the right solution, so from a business standpoint we meet the qualifications to be in the finals.”

Another Iowa City business, Iowa Adaptive Technologies, aims to provide effective and universal means to overcome communication barriers during long-term care.

“Our technologies, for instance, allow these patients to activate a nurse call and, using a speech-generating device, communicate their needs, whether they have pain, how much pain, what part of their body is in pain,” said Rives Bird, the CEO of Iowa Adaptive Technologies.

Green Start LLC promotes a new and easier way to provide cleaner water.

— by Dan Renner