The West Des Moines Chamber of Commerce is now accepting applications for the 2026 Athene Beyond Boundaries Business Summit Pitch Competition. The application deadline is Monday, Feb. 9 at 5 p.m. All pitch competition applicants are invited to the Athene Beyond Boundaries Business Summit on April 14-15, at the Sheraton West…
The West Des Moines Chamber of Commerce has opened registration for the sixth annual Athene Beyond Boundaries Business Summit, presented by Chase Bank. The 2026 event will feature Coach Ken Carter and Reggie Love as the keynote speakers. Carter is a businessman, author and high school basketball coach best known…
Basi Affia, founder of the Des Moines-based comic book production company Sensi’il Studios, took second place in the 2025 Athene Black & Brown Business Summit Pitch Competition, held in West Des Moines April 16-17. “It’s an honor to be on stage with so many high-caliber business owners and people who…
The West Des Moines Chamber of Commerce has announced seven finalists for the 2025 pitch competition at the fifth annual Athene Black & Brown Business Summit. Seven finalists were chosen from over 400 applicants from across the world. These finalists will each present a five-minute pitch to the judges. An…
The West Des Moines Chamber of Commerce has announced Rachelle Long, founder and executive director of Taste of the Junction, as the recipient of the 2025 Mel Essex Entrepreneur of the Year Award. The award recognizes community members who have made an impact by fostering and supporting small business success…
The West Des Moines Chamber of Commerce has announced Kely Nascimento, co-founder and chief impact officer of Hadaf Global, will be a keynote speaker at the 2025 Athene Black and Brown Business Summit. Hadaf Global is a consultancy firm focused on sports diplomacy. According to a news release, Nascimento’s work focuses…
The West Des Moines Chamber of Commerce has opened registration for the fifth annual Athene Black and Brown Business Summit and announced Christine Hà as the keynote speaker. Christine Hà is a Vietnamese American chef, writer and TV host. Hà lost her vision due to an autoimmune condition called neuromyelitis…
The West Des Moines Chamber of Commerce has announced seven finalists for the 2024 pitch competition at the fourth annual Athene Black & Brown Business Summit. An eighth finalist will be randomly selected on the day of the event on April 18. The finalists were chosen from a pool of…
The West Des Moines Chamber of Commerce is accepting applications now through Jan. 31 for the 2024 Athene Black and Brown Business Summit pitch competition. Applicants must be a for-profit business that is 51% minority owned and has been in business for at least two years. The selected businesses will…
The West Des Moines Chamber of Commerce has announced seven finalists for the 2023 pitch competition presented by Bank of America at the third annual Athene Black & Brown Business Summit. The finalists were selected out of 47 applicants from across the U.S. including Florida, Indiana, Illinois, Tennessee, Louisiana, Georgia,…