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…
The Business Record’s 2025 Lean Techniques innovationLEADER Award recipient is the Great Outdoors Foundation. The organization is only the second nonprofit to receive the award. The West Des Moines-based organization has found a way to maximize its impact by utilizing its Conservation Acceleration Fund, a new way of obtaining capital…
ESSAY BY TEJ DHAWAN I’ll quit and go into business for myself when the revenue from my company is 1 1/2 times my salary. This unrealistic goal was the first life metric that led me to quit a stable job obtained at the height of a recession. I’d largely reached…
ESSAY BY BILLIE ASMUS In 2021, my mornings began with tying my hair in a messy bun, pulling on my paint-stained overalls, grabbing my coffee and heading to my tiny basement studio to work on one of my many DIY projects. Fast forward to today, I’m flying across the United…
ESSAY BY LANA FOX The journey to where I am today wasn’t paved with certainty, but it was fueled by a willingness to speak up, take risks and persevere through challenges. Over time, I’ve come to see that each small decision, each moment of courage and each leap of faith…
ESSAY BY KATHERINE COTA I returned to Iowa for a job at Buena Vista University and a lovely home in Storm Lake in June of 2024 after having worked in California and South Dakota for several years. As I sit on the shores of Storm Lake to write this, I…
ESSAY BY ROBERT ABBOTT The journey to becoming an innovator and founder in Iowa is a testament to the power of education, experience and a deep sense of community. My path began at Maquoketa High School, followed by the University of Northern Iowa, where I completed a degree in graphic…
Get to know 3 organizations supporting entrepreneurs in eastern Iowa “Iowa has pockets of innovation across the state” is a common phrase among leaders and other stakeholders in Iowa’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. But what do those pockets look like? Across the eastern Iowa region, it includes a legacy company providing space…
How corporations are partnering with entrepreneurs By Lindsey Giardino For years, Cabin Coffee used Inbru Coffee Flavoring to boost its coffee drinks. Say a customer ordered a small caramel-flavored coffee at one of Cabin Coffee’s multiple locations: The barista would then prepare it using Inbru, which infuses flavor through rice…
Des Moines Prep wants close ties with business community By Kathy A. Bolten Before high school students can graduate from Des Moines Prep, at least 40 hours of career exploration must be completed, a stipulation that will require strong ties with the business community, the new charter school’s principal said….