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The Greater Des Moines Partnership is delighted you?ve chosen to build your career, your future and your life in this community. To celebrate your move here, we?re hosting a party so you can meet other new residents and enjoy food, beverages and door prizes. Plus, learn about community resources and familiarize yourself with all the region has to offer so you truly will begin to feel at home. Feel free to bring a spouse, guest or the entire family. All are welcome and the event is FREE to attend. These receptions are meant for those that are new to the DSM community. ... read more

?Flourish seeks to provide a space for community investment in ideas that female business owners have to serve customers in the greater Des Moines community. We?re seeking innovative ideas that will spark, grow, or revamp your business; importantly, ideas that people can get excited about! Three finalists will present their idea at the Flourish event. Based on community vote, one finalist will earn the funds raised from ticket sales to be used for her business. Thanks to our sponsors, Emily Steele of Love Local and Christina Moffatt of the Greater Des Moines Partnership, for helping this event come to life! ... read more

Come and meet these Influential Business and Community Mentors and hear from them on their success, how they got there, and those who helped mentor them. Opportunity for those in attendance to learn and hear from one another on each of their growths and obstacles each had to get there, or how your working and learning to get to where you want to be in the future. ? Moderator: Bobbi Segura, Women LEAD Change, Mentors: Dawn Oliver Wiand, President/CEO Iowa Women?s Foundation, ?Solving Child Care Issues & Meeting Needs?; Molly Woodruff, Cindy Rockwell & Becky McCrea, Farmmee ?Overcoming Obstacles when Connecting Groups?; Pamela Goode, Medicap Pharmacy ?Meeting the Needs of Everyone?; Rhonda Frost, Parks & Recreations Supervisor, City of Carlisle ?Making Connections and Partnerships?. Thank you to each of our sponsors: Peoples Bank, Goodhue-Nolte, Etc!graphics, Central Iowa Insurance, Fareway and Cyber Solutions. ... read more

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Make It OK is community campaign to reduce stigma by starting conversations and increasing understanding about mental illness. We need your help to stop the silence on mental illness in Iowa. Sign up to join us as a Make It OK Ambassador. Anyone can become a Make It OK Ambassador - you do not have to be an expert on... ... read more

October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month People with disability make up 12.6% of the U.S. population and 11.8% of Iowa’s population. Iowa’s unemployment is at 3.9% but the unemployment rate of persons with disability is at 9.1%(Source: Iowa State Data Center). Research has proven that companies who prioritize inclusion of individuals with disabilities are four times more likely to outperform their competitors and have 28% higher revenues. People with disabilities are often overlooked because of the stigma that comes along with their disabilities, but employers who abandon these stereotypes will gain highly skilled employees with substantial motivation and valuable skillset because of their diverse backgrounds and experience. Presenter: Becky Curran Kekula TEDx Speaker, motivational speaker, passionate Disability advocate Becky received her Bachelor of Science in Marketing from Providence College, where she gained a passion for influencing authentic portrayals of people with disabilities in the media and society. Becky currently serves as Employment Chair of Little People of America (LPA). She’s also a member of the Board of Advisors for the National Center on Disability and Journalism (NCDJ) at Arizona State University, Positive Exposure, and Verizon’s Disability Advisory Board. She delivered her first TEDx Talk in 2014 and her second in 2021. Becky was born with achondroplasia, the most common type of short-limbed dwarfism. She stands 4 feet tall. Both of her parents and older sister are “average” height. Her parents always taught her to keep a positive outlook, no matter how harsh the outside world may be. She grew up participating in sports such as sailing, skiing, soccer, and swimming, amongst her ''average'' height peers. When people ask her if she likes being a little person, she always has the same answer. ''I never want to change but I want the way the outside world reacts to my difference to change.'' ... read more

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