The Story Of Tobi Parks

Tobi Parks is an entertainment and intellectual property attorney, majority owner and CEO of xBk, a Des Moines-based music venue and the Board Vice President for the National Independent Venue Foundation, the 501(c)(3) arm of the National Independent Venue Association (NIVA). She has worked in the Business and Legal Affairs division of Sony Music for a number of years as both an attorney and Director of Copyright for Sony’s Columbia Records, Epic Records, and RCA Records. She has a long history working in media having worked for a number of years as a Programming and Promotions Associate for Clear Channel Broadcasting and as Director of Marketing and Public Relations with the PBS produced series, In the Life. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communications and a Master of Arts in Media Literacy from Webster University in St. Louis and a Juris Doctor degree from Drake University Law School. She is a musician that has played bass in the NYC glam-punk band Bambï, Toronto-based The Cliks, St. Louis-based acts The Star Death, Is That You?, and Grandpa’s Ghost. As a solo performer and session player, she has worked with Cyndi Lauper, Margaret Cho, Darin Gray, Tim Garrigan, Keith Rowe, Mark Shippy, and video artist James Fotopoulos. She has composed for stage, television and film.

Special guest host, a long time supporter of xBk, Franklin Codel. Franklin currently serves the Central Iowa community as a Board member of Iowa Center for Economic Success and the Community Foundation of Greater Des Moines. He also invests and supports the growth of local small businesses and startups. Franklin is a graduate of Harvard University and has an MBA from the University of Texas at Austin. Franklin and his family live in West Des Moines.

The Iowa Center Women’s Business Center is funded in part by U.S. Small Business Administration.