Quad Cities ‘locals love’ Augustana’s EDGE Center – Quad Cities Business Journal

In the most recent Locals Love Us poll, Augustana College’s EDGE Center came in at No. 2 for Best Website Design in the Quad Cities. For Quad Cities businesses and nonprofits, EDGE also serves as a local source of affordable creative and technical expertise.  Today, the center has more than 200 clients on annual contract.
The EDGE Center — short for Entrepreneurial Development through Guided Experiences — is a hands-on learning hub where students provide communications, marketing, data analytics, event planning and creative services to local businesses, nonprofits and community organizations.
The model benefits students and clients alike.
Local businesses and nonprofit organizations gain access to affordable website development, design, marketing, analytics and other creative services that help them build their brands, solve problems and reach their audiences. Students gain experience working with clients, meeting deadlines, collaborating with teams and producing work they can showcase professionally. 
“Our students are solving problems for real clients, responding to feedback and seeing their ideas take shape,” said Doug Tschopp, the center’s director. “The ranking for website design is especially meaningful because it reflects the quality of work our students produce.”

Christian Care, a nonprofit based in Rock Island, has relied on EDGE students for website work for years. “They make the daunting task of maintaining our website seamless and efficient,” said operations manager Cindi Gramenz. “Their impact has been truly transformative.”
On her first visit to campus, Celina Rippel ’21 said she knew “the opportunities I would gain in the EDGE Center would prepare me for graduation, and I have to admit, high-school me was right.” She majored in business administration and graphic design.
Rippel is now the development manager at the Humane Society of Scott County in Davenport, Iowa, where she builds relationships with donors, sponsors and grant funders; writes proposals; coordinates PR and media stories; and keeps communications engaging and on brand.
Tschopp noted that students in any major can work in the EDGE Center. This sets EDGE apart from entrepreneurial centers at other schools.
Data analytics and business intelligence major Favour Noya ’26 clarified her career path during an EDGE Center internship, in which she focused on connecting nonprofit leaders with analytics. 

“Working closely with the community, I saw the people behind the numbers,” she said.  “It reminded me that behind every dataset is a story, and that’s the work I want to keep doing.” 
Noya is taking her data storytelling skills into a healthcare career. Currently she is completing a post-baccalaureate program in health informatics at University of Illinois – Chicago.
The stories of EDGE alumni reflect the lasting impact of their experiences, while the center’s growth can be seen in the numbers.
EDGE opened in 2010 as an expansion of the Augustana Web Guild, a student organization founded in 1998 to provide website development services and ongoing support locally and across the United States. Since its original web-development focus, EDGE has expanded to include logos and print materials, event planning, social media marketing and video editing. 
Each project gives students an opportunity to apply their skills in a professional setting, expand their portfolios and résumés, and build relationships with local businesses and community leaders. In turn, Quad Cities organizations gain fresh thinking and practical support while helping develop the region’s next generation of talent.
In 2026, Augustana’s EDGE Center provided marketing and creative services to 134 nonprofits and 84 businesses in the region. While area businesses and nonprofits go to EDGE interns for support, many other Augustana interns gain experience off campus, in the community. In 2025-26, 189 Augustana students interned at 93 Quad-Cities businesses, nonprofits and government agencies.
EDGE by the numbers:
• Community clients since 1998: 600+
• Websites launched (with redesigns) since 1998: 800+
• # of students involved in 2025-2026: 271
• # of student experiences in 2025-2026: 460
EDGE through the stories:
EDGE Center cultivates entrepreneurial skills

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