Quick look
The Ivy Custom Education program led by Iowa State's Ivy College of Business has become a go‑to partner for Iowa companies and organizations seeking targeted, research‑driven training created to meet their specific needs. Grounded in deep discovery and a listen‑first approach, the collaborative program brings the expertise of Iowa State faculty directly to organizations.
AMES, Iowa - As Iowa employers navigate rapid innovation and changing technologies, the Ivy Custom Education program led by Iowa State University's Ivy College of Business is partnering with companies across the state to help them build new skills and capabilities.
Launched in 2023, the non-credit custom education program creates custom courses, workshops, seminars and hands‑on training sessions that bring faculty expertise and research-driven insights directly to an organization and its employees.
"Companies aren't looking for generic workshops; they need training that reflects their reality," said Jim Summers, the program's faculty director and professor of management and entrepreneurship at Iowa State. "That's why everything we build is tailored to their specific needs."
The program's bespoke offerings are designed to support a range of organizational priorities, including leadership development and succession planning, strategy and innovation, data analytics and supply-chain operations, and can be delivered in-person, virtually or in hybrid formats to fit a company's preferences and operations.
Neha Sandvig, a growth and development consultant with Holmes Murphy & Associates, one of the nation's largest privately held, employee-owned brokerage firms, said this approach resonates with employers searching for more authentic and impactful training solutions. Holmes Murphy's corporate headquarters are located in Waukee, Iowa.
"Partnering with Ivy Custom Education has been a meaningful extension of our workforce investment strategy at Holmes Murphy, aligning with our goals through collaboration and flexibility," said Sandvig, who is also an Iowa State alum.
"The program is a valuable option for companies that are looking to develop their teams through thoughtful, customized learning rather than off‑the‑shelf training."
A listen-first approach
Corporate training is a crowded field, largely dominated by national firms selling standardized modules and templated solutions. The Ivy Custom Education program, however, takes a different path by acting as a partner to companies rather than a vendor.
"Many education firms sell set programs, and even though a company might only need 25% of that content, they're forced to buy the whole thing," said Mike Gassmann, an associate professor of practice at Iowa State who works with a variety of Ivy Custom Education program clients in the areas of sales and marketing. "We give you the 25% you actually need - and we build it around your business."
This customization starts with deep discovery and lots of listening, Gassmann said. Before he designs a single course slide, he often participates in several conversations to understand the company's current processes and culture, identify key challenges and opportunities, and prioritize desired outcomes.
"Sometimes companies think they need one thing before realizing they actually need something else," Gassmann said. "We work to figure that out with them, not for them."
For one client, this could mean 30 internal interviews and the creation of a comprehensive sales manual to serve as a blueprint for training its workforce, Gassmann said. For others, it could entail hands-on sales training, presentation coaching or leadership development.
Demand for AI training surges
While sales training remains one of the program's most requested offerings, Summers said its fastest‑growing demand is for AI literacy and ethics education.
"Companies are eager to build a better understanding of how artificial intelligence will alter everything from sales cycles to risk management to executive communication," he said.
This surge can be felt across industries.
Insurance firms want to understand how AI will influence underwriting and policy design, Summers said, while manufacturers are asking how AI tools can support presentations, workflow planning or customer engagement, and sales teams are curious to learn which AI platform can accelerate prospecting or sharpen value propositions.
"Even companies with sophisticated internal analytics teams are looking for help translating AI into day‑to‑day leadership and communications," Summers said.
This demand has led to a deeper collaboration between the Ivy Custom Education program and two of Iowa State's newest research engines: the Murray G. Bacon Center for AI Ethics in Business, led by Mike Howard, professor of management and entrepreneurship in the Ivy College of Business, and the Translational AI Center, an interdisciplinary hub that brings together core Iowa State artificial intelligence researchers and subject matter experts who are interested in applying new technologies to their work.
"Together, we are working to develop additional curricula that blends technical literacy with practical applications, which is a combination that companies tell us is difficult to find elsewhere," Summers said. "Iowa State is uniquely positioned to help these companies navigate AI as a core component of corporate upskilling."
A growing pipeline with right-sized pricing
The Ivy Custom Education program is also committed to providing pricing that is affordable. Fees vary based on scope, duration and number of instructors, but Summers describes it as a "sliding scale" that's designed to make custom education accessible to companies of all sizes.
Summers said the Ivy College of Business is also exploring open‑enrollment programs that would feature short courses and allow smaller companies to send one or two employees without commissioning a full custom engagement.
"It's an opportunity for smaller companies to upskill their workforce and network with others," Summers said.
Ivy's custom education clients currently span the manufacturing, agriculture, finance, insurance, technology and real estate industries. Most are based in Iowa, but many operate globally.
Molly Helmers, industry engagement specialist for the Ivy College of Business, said the program has welcomed many repeat clients since its launch, which highlights the value companies take from their experience and is one of the program's strongest indicators of success.
"We're also seeing more and more Iowa State University graduates bringing Ivy custom education to their employers and into their own companies, which is a wonderful extension of Iowa State's mission to support of industry and innovation throughout the state," Helmers said.
The Ivy Custom Education program is Iowa State's land-grant mission in motion. We're taking the expertise of a major research university and putting it directly in the hands of the people who drive Iowa's economy.
Jim Summers, Ivy Custom Education program faculty director and professor of management and entrepreneurship at Iowa State
Serving Iowans
Carol Reynolds, vice president of human resources for Kent Worldwide, said the Ivy custom education team's expertise in adult learning and curriculum design helped Kent translate its business needs into practice and create training that was engaging for employees.
"Their ability to connect to real-world applications was especially valuable in developing impactful CRM training for us," Reynolds said.
Summers said this kind of feedback reflects the program's commitment to Iowans.
"The Ivy Custom Education program is Iowa State's land-grant mission in motion," Summers said. "We're taking the expertise of a major research university and putting it directly in the hands of the people who drive Iowa's economy.
"When we do that well, we don't just respond to the future - we help shape it - and if we can help someone become a more confident leader, a more innovative thinker or a more capable teammate, that ripples through an entire organization and our state."
To learn more about the program, visit ivybusiness.iastate.edu/custom-education.
