Des Moines businessman, John Pappajohn, will deliver the 2005 Open Boundaries Lecture on Thursday, March 31 at 3:30 p.m. in Smith Chapel. Pappajohn’s lecture, titled, “The Yellow Brick Road,” will focus on entrepreneurship and venture capitalism.

Pappajohn graduated with a BSC degree in business from the University of Iowa in 1952. He established an insurance agency after graduation from college and subsequently organized and became Chairman of the Board of Guardsman Insurance Investors, a public insurance holding company.

In 1969, he organized equity Dynamics, Inc., a financial consulting entity and Pappajohn Capital Resources, a venture capital firm in Des Moines. He was one of the early venture capitalists. Since this time, he has been involved in over 100 start ups and has served as a director in over 40 public companies.

Pappajohn and his wife, Mary, have gifted more than $25 million to various philanthropic causes including the John Pappajohn Business Building at University of Iowa Business School, the Pappajohn Pavilion at the University of Iowa Hospital and Clinics and the John and Mary Pappajohn Clinical Cancer Center.

The Open Boundaries Lecture serves two main purposes, to expose students to new ideas through outside speakers and to increase the visibility of the department of management, accounting and economics as well as Simpson College. This event is free and open to the public.