We are Irontek.
About Us
OUR HISTORY
For 150 years, downtown Beloit was home to an enormous foundry that manufactured paper-making machines the size of football fields. When the company went bankrupt in 1999, the 800,000 square-foot space was abandoned and thousands were left without jobs. American businesswoman, Diane Hendricks, and her late husband, Ken, purchased the property in 2001 and began redeveloping the large bays into high-end commercial spaces for local companies and tech startups. The campus was named "Ironworks" to pay tribute to the early days of the manufacturing companies that called it home. Today, Ironworks Campus is home to nearly 20 companies and more than 1,500 employees.
Irontek opened in 2016 as an 8,000-square-foot coworking space on the Ironworks Campus, with a mission to "Build Beloit" by cultivating the community's entrepreneurial ecosystem. Offering a creative work space, a dynamic community of members, and a wide variety of amenities, the space filled quickly. Two expansions later, Irontek has tripled in size, serves nearly 200 members, and continues to grow and support new ideas every day.
MEET THE TEAM
LAURA
PIERCE
DIRECTOR OF IRONTEK
Laura joined Irontek in 2025 with over twenty years of executive leadership experience in operations, strategy, and team development. She has led large-scale initiatives across multiple industries, optimizing processes and driving growth. Passionate about mentorship and innovation, she thrives in dynamic environments. Outside of work, she enjoys traveling, country concerts, and cheering on her son at his sports events.
KERRY
VISTINE
COMMUNITY MANAGER
Kerry brings over two decades of experience and a deep passion for community building to her role as Irontek’s Community Manager. Her most recent positions include Event Manager for Geronimo Hospitality Group as well as the Greater Beloit Chamber of Commerce. Kerry thrives on creating authentic connections and making people feel seen, supported, and empowered—qualities she’s excited to bring to Irontek as she helps members grow their businesses and feel at home.​
OUR PARTNERS
Grey Collar Ventures (GCV) is Irontek’s venture capital arm, engaged in growing and investing in Beloit-based startups.
gener8tor is a nationally-ranked venture capital firm and accelerator that brings together startup founders, investors, corporations, job seekers, universities, musicians and artists.
learn more
Located inside Irontek, the Greater Beloit Chamber of Commerce (GBCC) advocates for local businesses and focuses on improving the economic, civic and cultural climate of the Greater Beloit Community.
greaterbeloitchamber.org