[vc_row padding_top=”0px” padding_bottom=”0px”][vc_column fade_animation_offset=”45px”][text_output]In 2014, Iowa was the worst state for minority-owned businesses according to a report produced by the Small Business Administration’s Office of Advocacy. In 2015, Iowa ranked dead last in the number of women-owned businesses.
Those cringeworthy statistics are nothing to boast about for the Hawkeye State. That’s why ISA identified the inclusion of women and minorities in Iowa’s entrepreneurial community as a top priority when we applied for the SBA’s Growth Fund Accelerator Competition.
We are putting our $50,000 from the SBA to work by hosting the ISA 2015 Community Connection Welcome Party, a reception for the ISA teams specifically aimed at featuring diverse business leaders from Iowa’s Creative Corridor. Special thanks are due to Alizabeth Jetter who is spearheading this program for ISA.
Our aim is to invite entrepreneurs who are new to our startup community to the event in order to connect them with the people they need to know. Our objective was influenced by two key points in Brad Feld’s Boulder Thesis:
1. The startup community must be inclusive of anyone who wants to participate in it.
2. The startup community must have continual activities that engage the entire entrepreneurial stack.
This event is open to the entire community, but we will be intentional about creating collisions between people who otherwise might not otherwise meet. For example, the vendors who will cater the event will be new, locally owned businesses. We are inviting key members of underrepresented groups to help us make stronger connections with their communities. This event is more than an opportunity for new entrepreneurs to get a foot in the door: it’s a mutually beneficial leg up for our entire startup community.
RSVP for the event here: ISA 2015 Community Connection Welcome Party
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