An enormous stretch of opportunity
Ambition: Provide pre-seed and seed stage funding to propel the future of industrial tech
Opportunity: Identify companies pioneering digital transformation to rebuild America’s innovation edge in manufacturing, infrastructure, construction, supply chain and logistics
Iron Prairie Ventures invests in the technologies poised to foster innovation, drive progress and shape the future of these industries. Headquartered in America’s Heartland, the fund leverages unique lines of sight to transformative resources, first-to-market solutions and technological catalysts aiding innovative startups in their pursuit of disrupting markets and elevating competition on a global scale.
Our Team
Maggie Kenefake
A Kauffman Fellow who’s spent 20+ years in entrepreneurship and VC, Maggie has a passion for activating ecosystems and catalyzing capital. As the founding partner of Iron Prairie Ventures, she enjoys guiding, advising and championing the innovators modernizing an industry that is fundamental to our national security and our way of life. Her commitment to service and pursuit of building on her grandfather’s legacy is indicative of the fund she’s steadfastly building brick by brick, one investment at a time.
Maggie’s deep and diverse background intersects at the crossroads of entrepreneurship and venture. She previously built and co-built funds for Portfolia, served as the managing director for ECJC’s Foundation Innovation Fund and invested in B2B enterprise tech during her time at Royal Street Ventures. She’s also helped women entrepreneurs and underestimated founders access support, experiential learning and capital through her roles at the Kauffman Foundation and University Venture Fund Crossroads. Maggie combines these experiences and her breadth of knowledge to identify industrial tech pioneers disrupting markets and elevating competition on a global scale.
Tracy Christian
A licensed CPA with significant experience assisting high-growth companies in a variety of consulting capacities, Tracy has been an integral part of Iron Prairie Ventures’ early and ongoing success. No stranger to the startup space, she previously worked as a manager for international public accounting firm Ernst & Young supervising staff as well as planning, organizing and administering all facets of audit engagements and other consulting projects for businesses in their Entrepreneurial Services Group.
In 1996, Tracy opened her own consulting practice serving businesses primarily in the manufacturing, airline and high-tech industries. Her consulting projects have included developing and performing due diligence procedures for acquisitions, assisting with preparation for financial statement audits, creating initial public offering and SEC registration statements, analyzing and streamlining business processes, and designing models for financial statement and cash flow forecasting.
Lydia Kinkade
Lydia is integral to IPV’s deal sourcing efforts, helping identify and analyze the strength of investment opportunities and support the due diligence process. She also leverages her extensive network to create partnerships and opportunities for collaboration with earlier- and later-stage funds, accelerators, universities and other stakeholders. Lydia graduated from Kansas State University, where she currently serves on the Alumni Association Board of Directors, and spent time teaching prior to finding her fit in the investing ecosystem.
Our Advisors
Strategic Partner Network
