In a marketing atmosphere where traditional ads are resonating less with consumers and companies are willing to try new things, Emily Steele, co-founder and CEO of Hummingbirds, saw a unique opportunity to create an innovative platform for brands to engage with customers in a new way.
For her vision and development of her platform, Steele is the recipient of the Business Record’s 2025 innovationENTREPRENEUR of the Year Award.
Hummingbirds is a platform that allows businesses to interact with consumers via digital word-of-mouth marketing by connecting them with local content creators, referred to as “Hummingbirds.” Unlike traditional influencer marketing platforms that focus on high-profile influencers, Hummingbirds utilizes everyday people who are active in their communities and have local followers, regardless of their follower count.
Brands partner with Hummingbirds to launch campaigns in targeted areas. Local creators then experience the brand, such as visiting a new restaurant, attending a play or trying a specific product from a grocery store, and share their experience on social media, reaching their personal networks of friends, family and neighbors. This approach is successful because studies show people tend to trust recommendations from their peers more than most advertisements and promotions.
The next big thing for the future of Hummingbirds is moving into more cities, Steele said. She’s excited to continue learning how to best tap into new communities and drive commerce both online and offline.
Steele shared more insights about her career and the innovation behind Hummingbirds in an interview. This Q&A has been edited for clarity and brevity.
What inspired or motivated you to become an entrepreneur?
I never considered myself an entrepreneur until I started building local side hustles, like Pop Up Yoga DSM and FemCity Des Moines, and realizing I had a knack for building community-centric brands. It was the side-hustle experience that gave me enough experience and courage to go all in on building a local marketing agency which spun out to be Hummingbirds.
How do you describe innovation in your career?
For me, innovation isn’t just about building something new, it’s about building something better. In my career, innovation looks like listening closely, seeing patterns others miss, and creating solutions that feel personal, intuitive and scalable. Whether it’s through technology that connects brands to real people or reimagining how communities shape commerce, I aim to innovate in ways that are both disruptive and deeply human. Innovation is also about asking better questions: What if it looked different? What if it worked better for women, parents or people outside the coasts? That curiosity is at the heart of everything I build.
What were some of the biggest challenges you faced while developing your idea and how did you navigate them?
First, I had to educate the market on what the influencer space was and how local influencers fit into it at a time when influencers weren’t really being used in Des Moines. Second, I had to convince them to try my service so I could match them with who I thought would be great local influencers. Then I had to get investors excited enough to believe this was an idea with enough traction that warranted venture capital investment, that we could make this a really big company. I navigated these challenges like I always have: asking for help from my network, putting one foot in front of the other and figuring out what does and doesn’t work.
What makes Des Moines different from other cities you’ve operated in?
Des Moines is where it all started. It’s the people, the support, the spot where I could build and people were ready to cheer me and the team on. I think doing it anywhere else without the network I have here would be completely different and far more challenging.
What advice would you give to aspiring entrepreneurs and innovators?
Start before you feel ready, and stay close to your why. Entrepreneurship will stretch you in every way — mentally, emotionally, spiritually — but it will also expand your sense of what’s possible. Don’t wait for perfect conditions or permission. Build something small, talk to real people and let curiosity lead you. The most impactful companies aren’t always the loudest, they’re the ones that solve real problems in meaningful ways.