Presenters: Marquas Ashworth, Media Fresh Records Date: April 8, 2022 Time: 12 – 1pm Location: Online Register: Online Come and listen to the stories of entrepreneurs, small business owners, and community members making their mark in Iowa. As you create your own story, treat yourself to this time each month to rekindle your entrepreneurial spirit and connect with others. Join us as we listen to the story of Marquas "MarKus" Ashworth, a local music artist who launched a record label, a small-batch rye whiskey line and much more! Marquas "MarKus" Ashworth Marquas Ashworth is a local music artist who launched a record label, Media Fresh Records, who in 2016 began making small-batch rye whiskey labeled Ziyad. The whiskey can be found in about 400 stores – including locally at Hy-Vee – and in seven states. And now is in the process of developing a commercial building that will house a non-profit black and brown owned business incubator, coffee shop, restaurant, and distillery. Register here!  The Iowa Center Women's Business Center is funded in part by U.S. Small Business Administration.

Date: April 11, 2021 Time: 9:00 am - 11:00 am Location: Online Registration: Click Here Work for Yourself@50+ is a webinar to help you gain the knowledge, support, and resources you need to make informed decisions about working for yourself and take the right first steps toward successful self-employment. The decision to start your own business can be both exciting and daunting. Work for Yourself@50+ breaks the choices down for older adults in an approachable way through five steps: 1. A careful consideration of the potential benefits and risks of working for yourself 2. Exercises to help develop the self-employment idea 3. A realistic overview of what it takes to pursue a self-employment opportunity 4. Guidance to help avoid pitfalls and scams 5. Ways to find trustworthy support and services This is an online webinar. In order to access the webinar, you will need to use either a computer, tablet for smartphone. You will receive instructions on how to join the webinar in your registration confirmation or your reminder email that will go out prior to the webinar. Please do not share the webinar access information with anyone who is not already registered. Click here to register!    The Iowa Center Women's Business Center is funded in part by U.S. Small Business Administration.

Presenter: TJ Daniels, WBC Program Director & Alex Polzin, Dir of Finance & Administration Date: April 20, 2022 Time: 12:00 - 1:00 pm Location: Online Register: Here As a small business owner, you won’t ever really know the unexpected challenges or opportunities that await you in life and business. Always Ready: Financials is a working session for you to learn how to financially prepare your small business for the next step in your journey. The Iowa Center staff will show you what you need to do to always be ready to make financial moves in your business, including applying for a loan or buying/selling new goods. This class is especially for you if you’ve ever been denied a loan or need a helping hand to get your financials on track. About our speakers TJ Daniels is the official cheerleader of The Iowa Center. She’s a vibrant supporter of our mission, programs, clients and staff. As a Certified Credit Counselor, she assists clients with their credit, budget, financial statements and so much more. She also works with our lending programs assisting clients from start to finish, and often times well after the loan has closed making many friendships along the way. Alex is responsible for Iowa Center accounting and governmental reporting, he also helps with lending and education programs provided by the Iowa Center. Click here to register!  

Presenter: Russ Dale, PM of Classes + Coaching and Jose Venales, Director of Microloans Date: May 4, 2022 Time: 12:00pm - 1:00pm Location: Online Register: Here Turn your dream into a plan with this small group, one-hour business planning class. The Iowa Center staff will help you kickstart your business plan by providing you a road map on completing your plan and taking the next steps towards business ownership. Also connect with other aspiring small business owners to refine your business ideas as you put them into real plans. About our hosts Russ Dale is our Classes and Coaching Project Manager. Russ spends his time working with clients, assisting them through their entrepreneurial journey. Russ also manages the IT initiatives for The Iowa Center, assists with the loan department as needed, and manages our CRM database. Russ is proud to say that he's the intern that never left!  Jose Venales is the Director of Microloans. Jose manages, develops, and implements The Iowa Center microloan programs. At the same time Jose has the responsibility to maintain a healthy loan portfolio to ensure the availability of these resources for future entrepreneurs.  Click here to register! 

Summary: A 7-week deep dive into the SBA's Ascent Program Date: Thursdays from May 5 - June 16 Time: 10:00 - 11:00 am Location: Online Registration: Click Here Journeys Covered: 02 | Strategic Marketing (May 5) 03 | Your People (May 12) 04 | Your Business Financial Strategy (May 19) 05 | Access to Capital (May 26) 06 | Government Contracting (June 2) 07 | Partnerships (June 9) 08 | Entrepreneurial Leadership (June 16) *** What is Ascent? Ascent is an online learning platform that utilizes a modern, e-learning approach specifically targeted for women business owners who want to grow their existing businesses. It’s packed with resources women need to set, and achieve, their business goals. All content is backed by research on the needs of women business owners. What is the purpose of Ascent? Ascent’s purpose is threefold: Cover more ground: Reach women business owners who may not be close to field offices. Look to the future: Create a digital experience that is more in line with how today’s entrepreneurs seek information. Identify resource gaps: Build a resource for women entrepreneurs who are ready to scale their businesses. Who is behind Ascent? The U.S. Small Business Administration, the Department of Labor’s Women’s Bureau, and the Department of Treasury collaborated to develop this platform, leveraging the best of government resources and entrepreneurial perspectives. Why target women business owners? Nearly 90% of women-owned businesses have no employees and tend to be smaller businesses with significantly lower revenues. While there are quite a few resources available for women looking to start a business, little is available for established business owners interested in growing to the next stage. Who is the target user? Ascent is for "the missing middle" - growth-oriented women entrepreneurs who are: Established businesses Generating revenue Interested in scaling/growing their...

Presenters: Rory Brown + Andy Haning-Brown, AllSpice Culinarium with special guest host Jodi Rhone, Canary Consulting Date: May 13, 2022 Time: 12 – 1pm Location: Online Register: Online Come and listen to the stories of entrepreneurs, small business owners, and community members making their mark in Iowa. As you create your own story, treat yourself to this time each month to rekindle your entrepreneurial spirit and connect with others. Join us as we listen to the story of AllSpice Culinarium in Des Moines' East Village. About Our Speakers... Rory Brown & Andy Haning-Brown Rory Brown and Andy Haning-Brown own and, along with their team, operate AllSpice Culinarium in Des Moines’ East Village. AllSpice was founded in 2010 by Alex and Jennifer Rhoads and was acquired by Rory and Andy in 2013. Prior to AllSpice, Rory worked in the telecom industry as a VoIP engineer. While he worked with technology, his heart was in the kitchen. He grew up cooking and has always enjoyed it. When the opportunity to join AllSpice presented itself, it made perfect sense. Andy’s background is in technology, HR, and communications. In addition to AllSpice, he is a Founding Partner and Consultant with Canary Consulting Group, an organization which provides strategic planning, organizational design, and other services to Iowa-based nonprofits. Register here!  The Iowa Center Women's Business Center is funded in part by U.S. Small Business Administration.

Presenter: TJ Daniels, WBC Program Director & Alex Polzin, Dir of Finance & Administration Date: May 18, 2022 Time: 12:00 - 1:00 pm Location: Online Register: Here As a small business owner, you won’t ever really know the unexpected challenges or opportunities that await you in life and business. Always Ready: Financials is a working session for you to learn how to financially prepare your small business for the next step in your journey. The Iowa Center staff will show you what you need to do to always be ready to make financial moves in your business, including applying for a loan or buying/selling new goods. This class is especially for you if you’ve ever been denied a loan or need a helping hand to get your financials on track. About our speakers TJ Daniels is the official cheerleader of The Iowa Center. She’s a vibrant supporter of our mission, programs, clients and staff. As a Certified Credit Counselor, she assists clients with their credit, budget, financial statements and so much more. She also works with our lending programs assisting clients from start to finish, and often times well after the loan has closed making many friendships along the way. Alex is responsible for Iowa Center accounting and governmental reporting, he also helps with lending and education programs provided by the Iowa Center. Click here to register!  

Presenter: Reginald McDade, Founder and Principal Consultant of Human Capital Strategies & Solutions  Date: May 24, 2022 Time: 12:00pm – 1:00pm Location: Online Registration: Click Here In this session business owners will learn how to turn chaos into clarity. When building your teams, what roadblocks are you establishing, what roadblocks are you dismantling, what are you exploring? Learn the Success Stories - HCSS Six Steps: 1) ID an all-star team. 2) What is the single biggest result? 3) Make it unique. 4) Create a lasting memory. 5) Make it easy to share. 6) Make it easy to attract new people. *** About Our Speaker Reginald (Reggie) McDade, founder and Principal Consultant of Human Capital Strategies & Solutions is a 25+ year seasoned executive coach; a recognized leader in change and talent management; professional development; crisis management; and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the workplace. Over his career he has provided unique customized approaches that helps organizations and people achieve long term, sustainable improvements by identifying and assessing their current state, evaluate what is working well and course-correct or pivot where necessary. He is known for his ability to improve and build great teams and recognize talent that others might miss. He has worked successfully in multiple states and has been a part of numerous success stories for businesses, individuals, and communities. He is heavily involved in developing culture that creates a safe, equitable, and thriving environment for organizations, their employees, their families, and the communities where they interact. Click here to register!   

Presenters: Mariela Maya, owner of Panka Peruvian Restaurant Date: June 3, 2022 Time: 12 – 1pm Location: Online Register: Online Come and listen to the stories of entrepreneurs, small business owners, and community members making their mark in Iowa. As you create your own story, treat yourself to this time each month to rekindle your entrepreneurial spirit and connect with others. Join us as we listen to the story of Mariela Maya, owner of Panka Peruvian Restaurant  About Our Speakers... Mariela Maya My name is Mariela Maya, I am the owner of Panka Peruvian Restaurant. I have three kids and three sisters, and I just recently moved to Des Moines in 2019. I feel that in today’s society it is important to share a story, one that provides a look into a person’s life and one that will result in the understanding of individual differences. I am an immigrant. I was born in Lima, Peru in 1976 and moved to the United States in 2001 in order to achieve what many of you know as the “American Dream.” In times of economic difficulty, I looked for an opportunity of stability that I thought I would immediately find in the United States. However, that dream is romanticized, and it is not all that easy to achieve. Having grown up in a different country surrounded by a unique culture, it is difficult to suddenly immerse yourself in a community that is so unlike the one I had growing up. With the language barrier and mannerisms that are different from those in Peru, it was difficult to establish myself with confidence. I took English classes in order to feel more secure and be able to do everyday things without the fear of being unable to communicate with others around me. Of course, it...

Presenter: Kevin Posey, Jr., Chief Sales Officer at Lumena Energy Date: June 14, 2022 Time: 12:00pm – 1:00pm Location: Online Registration: Click Here Running your own business isn’t easy…The Iowa Center is here to help! Join us for a discussion with Kevin Posey, Jr, Chief Sales Officer at Lumena Energy on A Foolproof Plan to Increase Sales. A comprehensive, nearly full proof plan on increasing sales. No matter the product. There are principles within sales that belong to everything.  *** About Our Speaker Kevin Posey, Jr., Chief Sales Officer at Lumena Energy With over two decades of sales experience, Kevin Posey Jr has left an indelible mark on the field of sales and business. From his start in door-to-door sales with Kirby Vacuums to brokering sales with entire municipalities, if it can be seen he believes it can be sold. “As long as I have product knowledge, confidence, and time, I can sell anything!”  Click here to register!   

Presenter: Russ Dale, PM of Classes + Coaching and Jose Venales, Director of Microloans Date: June 15, 2022 Time: 12:00pm - 1:00pm Location: Online Register: Here Turn your dream into a plan with this small group, one-hour business planning class. The Iowa Center staff will help you kickstart your business plan by providing you a road map on completing your plan and taking the next steps towards business ownership. Also connect with other aspiring small business owners to refine your business ideas as you put them into real plans. About our hosts Russ Dale is our Classes and Coaching Project Manager. Russ spends his time working with clients, assisting them through their entrepreneurial journey. Russ also manages the IT initiatives for The Iowa Center, assists with the loan department as needed, and manages our CRM database. Russ is proud to say that he's the intern that never left!  Jose Venales is the Director of Microloans. Jose manages, develops, and implements The Iowa Center microloan programs. At the same time Jose has the responsibility to maintain a healthy loan portfolio to ensure the availability of these resources for future entrepreneurs.  Click here to register! 

Presenter: Joseph Trimble, Wells Fargo Date: June 21, 2022 Time: 12:00pm – 1:00pm Location: Online Registration: Click Here In this session we will talk about steps you as a business owner can take to manage cash flow. We’ll discuss ways that may help you take control of your cash flow and create safeguards to keep cash flow positive. Cash flow is a key indicator of the financial health of your business. A consistent positive cash flow may help you pay expenses, invest in new opportunities, and grow your business. Cash flow is an essential part of running a business as it highlights the cash that goes in and out of your company. *** About Our Speaker... Joseph Trimble, Vice President and Small Business Leader for Wells Fargo’s Central region Joseph Trimble joined Wells Fargo in 2001, and since then has held numerous roles at different locations within the bank’s consumer and small business banking division. Currently, Trimble is responsible for building Wells Fargo’s engagement strategy with business owners in the $0-$10MM revenue segment by educating and developing talented small business relationship managers in the Central time zone. Trimble is based in Albuquerque, NM where he is raising his 14-year-old daughter Brooklynn. Trimble is active in the community and currently serves as the chair for the Albuquerque Hispano Chamber of Commerce. Trimble also sits on the board of Albuquerque Public Schools Education Foundation, NM M.E.S.A. program and the Pacific Southwest Minority Supplier Development Council. These are all organizations he is very passionate about. Trimble shares that his role is to build a strategy around engaging business owners in the $0-$10MM revenue segment in Arkansas, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Mexico, South Dakota, Texas and Wisconsin communities. Trimble values the opportunity he is given each and every day...