Events

To address this opportunity, IEDA is organizing a business development trip for Iowa companies to develop inroads in India. Participants will also receive a tailored schedule with prospective partners in New Delhi and Mumbai. The trip culminates with attendance at India's largest construction industry trade show, Bauma/ConExpo.

Once you know with certainty that you are going to start a business there are some administrative things that need to be done to get registered, licensed, and “officially” established. This business startup module will discuss business names; business formation (sole proprietorship, LLC; C-Corp, S-Corp, non-profit), state and local requirements (EIN, licensing), opening a bank account, customer discovery, other startup resources and considerations.

Join us for “The Story Of,” a monthly series offered at The Iowa Center, focused on Iowa entrepreneurs and small business owners making their mark in our communities. Treat yourself to this time each month to rekindle your entrepreneurial spirit and connect with others.

Join us in person at The Iowa Center on February 3 at 12pm to hear the exciting entrepreneurial journeys of some black owned small business owners in Iowa. After they share their stories there will be time to network with speakers and each other.

“The Story Of…Black Owned Businesses in Iowa” panel will include: Lily Okech, owner of Cleaning for Hope, Kourtney Perry, CEO of Privacy LLC, and Terrence Thames, CEO of Cocoa Creative Agency.

Some of the many topics that will be discussed will be:

How each business owner got their start.
What advice they have for new and growing small businesses in Iowa.
How can we as a community support black owned businesses.

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.

Meet the Buyers is an experience where businesses can network and develop relationships with government agencies, prime contractors and local corporations looking to expand their supplier base. The morning will include short briefings from the featured buyers highlighting how to do business with them followed by a structured networking opportunity to connect with agencies, corporations and other businesses.

Register here. For more event details, contact Kelly Freel at [email protected].

Ensuring important export markets are open, relationships are sound, and opportunities for export growth continues will highlight the Iowa Ag Trade Mission to Japan and Korea from Feb. 18-25, 2023. The International Trade office of the Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) will lead this trade multi-segment trade mission to both countries.

The focus of this trip will be on Iowa livestock, poultry, grain, and meat processing, along with affiliated Iowa agriculture industries and associations. This business-focused trip will provide attendees with group meetings, industry development opportunities, cultural exchange, and export knowledge development. We will ensure one of our most important agricultural export markets is secure, relationships are sound, and opportunities for export growth continues.

The focus of the trip will be on Iowa livestock, poultry, grain and meat processing, along with affiliated Iowa agriculture industries and associations. The business trip will provide participants with group meetings, industry development opportunities, cultural exchange and export knowledge development.

We are living in a time when so much is documented that we know the foibles and faults of all the people who are in the public eye and many of our historical figures have come under greater scrutiny. Can we still have heroes when we know so much of the faults of human beings? Do we need to have heroes? Why or why not?