Rafael Colon Cruz is currently the Small Business Banker at Bank of America for the Iowa Market. Rafael started with Bank of America in 2013, serving as a Relationship Manager in Kansas City, MO. Over the 2 years Rafael was a Relationship Manager he strived to become a leader in the Financial Center. Rafael quickly became a Financial Center Assistant Manager, spending 1 year in role for stepping into the role as a Financial Center Manager for 6 years and just recently he accepted the Small Business Banker position in Iowa. Rafael has set a high standard in operations and sales achievements at every location he has held a role in. Rafael has turned each team he has been a part of into a sales force to be reckoned with and Operations powerhouse. Rafael spent a total of 6 years in Missouri and Kansas before relocating to Iowa with his family. After moving to Iowa, he has brought a unique blend of creditable coaching and desire to succeed to the staff and customers. As Small Business Banker Rafael looks forward to help small businesses in Iowa succeed using his experience and work ethics as a moving force. Rafael attended the PUCMM in the Dominican Republic, receiving his bachelors in Industrial Engineering. After relocating to Missouri he attended Park University to receive his MBA concentration in Finance. Rafael currently lives in Des Moines where he is becoming a leader in the Latino community through outreach and volunteering. He is a virtual active member of IGEN and HOLA. Rafael is carving out his life in Des Moines with his wife Patria and 2 daughters (Isabelle and Sara) attending as many art and theater productions as he can and becoming acclimated to the “Iowa nice” culture.
Joseph K. Oppong has nearly two decades of experience serving as a strategic business consultant to many Fortune 500 companies. As a Consulting Partner at EY, Joseph has extensive experience in helping companies align and drive strategic, financial, operational and compliance priorities. He works largely with healthcare providers and payers, advising executives on organizational design, governance structures, operating models and technical capabilities to improve performance, enable growth and reduce costs. Joseph is an inclusive leader who serves on the firm’s global social equity taskforce and a member on EY’s Americas Black Professional Network executive council. He has served as a member of the EY Americas Consulting People Advisory Committee and the Advisory Advancing Black and Latino Executives. Joseph holds a BA in economics from Grinnell College and a MS in accounting from the University of Virginia. He is a Minnesota licensed CPA and a Certified Medical Practice Executive with the American College of Medical Practice Executives.
Matthew, a native of Waterloo, IA is a descended from generations of servant leaders. He is the founder and President of Iowa C.O.R.E. Inc., Economic Development Chair for the Iowa-Nebraska NAACP, and a servant-leader on local, state, and national boards, commissions, and committees. Matthew enjoys mentoring youth, volunteering, and holistic wellness.
Jacob Derritt Business Banking Area Manager of KC/MN/ND/SD/MT. Jacob was a pioneer in Kansas City for Chase as the first Business Banking employee and is homegrown talent raised in KC. Jacob finished 2021 as the #1 Senior Relationship Manager in the country for Market Expansion based on not just his individual efforts but his investment in others including his peers, partners, and his community. Jacob is intentional about developing others as well as himself through his involvement in the Chase BB Advisory Board, KC Common Good Board, KIPP KC High School Basketball, MPJ Elite Basketball and beyond. Prior to joining Chase in 2019 Jacob spent 10 years in banking holding roles in Business Development, Private Bank, and Commercial Bank and is a graduate of Rockhurst University. When not at work you will most likely find Jacob in a gym, either working on his own fitness goals or pouring into the next generation as Head Coach of the KIPP KC High School and Michael Porter Jr. Elite Basketball teams. In his years as a Coach, Jacob has had the opportunity to coach a number of players who have gone on to play at the Division 1 level as well as the NBA. The list of players includes rising NBA star Michael Porter Jr., Trae Young, and his brother Javier Derritt who is a two time National Champion Football player at North Dakota State University.
Teleza Daniels is the Program Director of The Iowa Center Women’s Business Center. Teleza’s role at The Iowa Center involves strategically organizing and implementing programs to train and individually counsel Iowans, specifically women, interested in starting or growing a business. Teleza is a certified in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in the Workplace by University of South Florida Muma College of Business and a Certified Credit Counselor, and enjoys assisting clients with their credit, budget, financial statements, business plans, and whatever else she can to make each client successful. Teleza is known as the cheerleader for The Iowa Center and for our clients—you can often find Teleza out in the community supporting every small business that comes to The Iowa Center.
As an immigrant growing up between two cultures, Erik Dominguez felt firsthand the rejection and the ridicule that came with being different. He learned that not having the “right” words, the same knowledge as everyone else, or the ability to say what he wanted to, meant being outcast. A crippling fear of being judged changed Erik from a confident, communicative kid to someone comfortable with staying quiet. Until in high school, when through a series of unexpected and fortunate events he joined the speech and debate team. Erik has helped thousands of people discover how to use the power of their voice to not only deliver unforgettable keynotes and presentations but to: Gain clarity in their message Speak with confidence Be seen as original Gain momentum with your business; Earn trust; Inspire your mission; Motivate your team; Enjoy speaking as a thrill.
Ben McDougal is a tech founder, multimedia marketer and caffeinated ecosystem builder. His passion for the art of connection has allowed Ben to merge interesting roles with innovative side hustles. Along the way, he learned that the energy of accelerating others is unmatched. Ben was born in Ohio, but has lived his life in Iowa. He was not formally taught how to be an entrepreneur. After graduating with a computer science degree from Loras College, Ben went to California to be a video game tester. Realizing that was not viable, he returned to Des Moines and took a sales job at a small web development firm. In parallel to this commission-based role, Ben started his first side hustle in 2006. He had played competitive soccer his whole life and used online marketing to launch The Iowa 3v3 Soccer Challenge. In 2007, Ben McDougal co-founded Jet Set Studio and launched Gathering of Gamers®. Gathering of Gamers® grew into a nationwide social network for video game enthusiasts. In 2012, Ben retired from web development and went in-house at a high performance home builder. In 2015, Ben launched his third company. FliteBrite® infused technology into the food and beverage tasting experience. To do so, FliteBrite® patented the world’s first electronic serving system. In 2020, Ben co-founded his fourth company. OpenOpen is an open house scheduler built to optimize internal communication for the real estate industry. Ben joined Techstars as an Entrepreneur in Residence and Ecosystem Builder. This innovative role allows Ben to continue accelerating inspired founders while connecting mentors and investors from around the globe. In 2020, Ben wrote his first book. You Don’t Need This Book: Entrepreneurship In The Connected Era was written for those who spark action and champion change on the timeline of now.
Adamowski leads entrepreneurship strategy at Drake in an effort to expand the University’s reputation, reach, and impact locally, regionally, and globally. Prior to this role, Adamowski served as president of Iowa State University’s Startup Factory, where he led the implementation of the center from the ground up to being one of the top entrepreneurial centers in the country. He is also an accomplished entrepreneur who has founded, co-founded, and led a number of successful startups, including MortgageHub in Des Moines, which he grew to $40 million in annual revenue; ISGN where he successfully raised capital from New Enterprise Associates, one of the large venture capital firms in the US; and Ellie Mae, a software company in Pleasanton, California, where he led a successful IPO.
Annie Brandt is a Senior Vice President & Market Executive for Bank of America Iowa. Annie is responsible for the development and execution of the market plan, designed to drive revenue growth, employee engagement, and deploy resources to address social and economic concerns to build strong communities. For more than 10 years, Annie has overseen business strategy and community-based efforts for the Midwest Region for Fortune 500 companies. Annie received a B.S. in Psychology & Business Management from Iowa State University. She plays an active role in the community, is a graduate of the Greater Des Moines Leadership Institute, and a Forty Under 40 recipient.
Veteran banker, Majda Hadzic is Chase’s Executive Director of Banking in Iowa and Nebraska where she leads the bank’s continued retail expansion, bringing jobs and economic growth to the region. Previously, Majda was a district manager for Wells Fargo in the greater Des Moines area. Majda has a deep passion for diversity and inclusion. She currently serves as the Fundraising and Development Chair on the board of CultureALL, providing governance and oversight of their donor stewardship activities. She attended Iowa State University, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Sociology.
Kerty is the Managing Director of the Techstars Iowa Accelerator, part of Techstars, the worldwide network that helps entrepreneurs succeed. Her past experience includes: Entrepreneur in residence and interim director at the Iowa Agritech Accelerator. Founder, coach, and investor at KNLWorks.com, a small business advisory Partner at Eureka Group, a real estate investment partnership President of Kemin Personal Care and corporate vice president of Kemin Industries (Iowa) President of the Downtown Community Alliance, the downtown economic development arm of the Greater Des Moines Partnership Business development director and product manager with DigitalThink and Headlight.com (San Francisco) Management consultant with BCG (Chicago) and Technomic Consultants (Hong Kong). She also lived in mainland China for three years where she managed CCS, a Swedish trade office, was a stringer for the L.A.Times and Newsweek Magazine, and helped run a caviar processing facility on the Amur River. Kerty earned a Bachelor of Arts from the University of California at Davis in International Relations and an MBA from Harvard Business School. She loves languages and enjoys speaking Mandarin Chinese and Swedish. She serves on multiple boards including the Des Moines Airport Authority, ACS Ltd., Riley Resource Group, BioBag Americas and LBS. She retired this year from the board of Mercy Hospital. Kerty was named one of Des Moines’ 40 under 40 in 2006 and was recognized as a Catalyst by the Technology Association of Iowa in 2019. Kerty has two daughters who are away at school. She and her husband reside in Des Moines, Iowa, where they enjoy rowing on the Des Moines River as well as running and skate skiing in the woods.
Infinite Resources Founder and CEO Amner Martinez is a native of Guatemala and has resided in the U.S. since 1990. Amner has been in staffing and management for more than 15 years and has been organizing and planning events for more than 12 years. Amner's unique and diverse experiences inform his staffing approach and give Infinite Resources access to an unrivaled candidate pool. Amner combined all of his passions: recruiting, head hunting, leadership, team building & community involvement and created Infinite Resources. The result is a custom recruiting model that adapts to the changing needs of your business and the market.
Mike McCoy is chief executive officer of NCMIC, a diversified insurance and financial services business. Through its two brands – NCMIC and Professional Solutions – the company has a dominant presence in the malpractice insurance industry and is a leader in the credit card processing industry. McCoy is a well-known and respected financial services leader and is the co-author of “It Begs the Question - Learn how the best managers drive performance through Question-Centric Coaching.”
Everett Miles is Vice President, Capital Markets at the Principal Financial Group®. In this role, he is responsible for long-term capital planning and coordination of the company’s global acquisition and divestiture strategy. Prior to joining Principal, Everett worked at Prudential Financial, serving as Vice President, Business Strategy for the company’s Latin America Region and earlier as Vice President, Corporate Development/M&A. Everett received his B.A. from Columbia University and his M.B.A. from Harvard Business School. A native of Austin, Texas, he is conversational in both Spanish and Portuguese.
Brad Munford is a City Planner that is currently a Business Development Coordinator with the City of West Des Moines. With over 19 years in local government throughout the Midwest, Brad has had the welcomed opportunity to effectively guide communities towards the goal of improved development through the built and business environments. Brad is a graduate of The University of Iowa, a Member or the American Planning Association, sports and music lover and a proud father of two boys.
Rheya is the Breaking News Anchor for KCCI 8 News at 5, 6, and 10 p.m. News. She solo Anchors the 9pm News on 8.2 METV. Previously, she was the third Anchor on KCCI 8 News this Morning, Anchored traffic and KCCI 8 News at Noon. She has passion for social issues and has taken up the role of focusing on diverse and pressing topics that are reflective of society and Iowa communities. She's won a diversity and inclusion award from ISU in 2019 and an Emmy nomination in 2020 for her reporting. Rheya started her career in Albany, Ga as a multi-media journalist. Her career continued in Augusta, Ga where she started as a morning MMJ and quickly became the go -to for LIVE breaking news reports. There she also cultivated and Anchored a segment called "The Morning Top Five." Rheya is a graduate of ASU's Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and is currently getting her Master's in Legal Studies at ASU's Sandra Day O Connor school of Law.
Dr. Pamela Jolly is an established professional with 20 years experience in the areas financial services, strategic management, change management, marketing research and community and economic development.
She integrates both her corporate and entrepreneurial experiences to establish a solid understanding of how to bridge the enterprising interests of large corporations and government with minority business enterprises (MBE’s).
Pamela has developed a unique way of negotiating with both sides of investment table to merge shared interests in ways that benefit top line revenue and bottom-line profits of community and the economic systems around it.
She began her career in banking (NationsBank), where she was promoted to Assistant Vice President in three years.
After graduating with an MBA from The Wharton School of Business she honed her strategy skills at (Accenture) as a Manager in the Financial Services Strategy & Business Architecture Practice working within banking, capital markets, and insurance and technology industries.
In 2004, Pamela saw a need to leverage her corporate experiences to assist minority business enterprises grow and develop, she launched Torch Enterprises Inc, a firm committed to developing minority enterprises capable of arriving at legacy wealth both individually and corporately for their communities.
Torch over the past twelve years has been instrumental in raising both capital and awareness for minority enterprises across the country.
Pamela served as a contractor for FEMA in 2005 where she underwrote over $200 million for municipalities in Mississippi that were affected by Hurricane Katrina and later went on to lead the team that authored the strategic assessment of how to rebuild the Greater New Orleans area post-Katrina.
Pamela has a BS from Hampton University, an MBA from the Wharton School of Business, a MTs from Boston University School of Theology, and an Ed.D from the Graduate Theological Foundation.
In 2016 Dr. Jolly became the strategist for the National Association of Real Estate Brokers (NAREB), the nation’s oldest black trade organization. NAREB launched the 2 Million New Black Homeowners program using the NarrowRoad™ at their Annual Convention in Palm Beach California. The 2Mn5 Program raise awareness of the important role homeownership plays in the wealth building of African Americans.
An entrepreneur in every sense of the word, Daymond John has come a long way from taking out a $100,000 mortgage on his mother’s house and moving his business operation into its basement. John is CEO and Founder of FUBU, a much-celebrated global lifestyle brand, and a pioneer in the fashion industry with over $6 billion in product sales world-wide.
John is an award-winning entrepreneur and has received over 35 awards including the Brand Week Marketer of the Year, Advertising Age Marketing 1000 Award for Outstanding Ad Campaign, Ernst & Young’s New York Entrepreneur of the Year Award and, most recently, was named #2 on LinkedIn’s Top 20 Voices, a list of the top influencers, who are using their voice to help us analyze today’s changing world of work, navigate our industries, and find balance through an unprecedented year!
His marketing strategies and ability to build successful brands has made him a highly influential consultant and motivational speaker today. His marketing firm The Shark Group offers advice on how to effectively communicate to consumers through innovative means and connects brands with the world’s top celebrities for everything from endorsements to product extensions.
John is also an author of 5 best-selling books including his New York Times best-selling books, The Power of Broke (2016) and Rise and Grind (2018). In March 2020, John released his fifth book, Powershift, that walks through his tried-and-true process of how to transform any situation, close any deal and achieve any outcome through his own experience and vast network of industry leaders.
Finally, John is celebrating his 13th season on ABC TV’s critically acclaimed business reality show Shark Tank by renowned producer Mark Burnett, which has reinvigorated entrepreneurship around the world. Shark Tank has now gone on to win five Emmy® in the US and millions of weekly viewers world-wide tune into the show as John demonstrates his marketing prowess and entrepreneurial insights.
Christy Gooding is Assistant Vice President, Corporate Communications at F&G. In this role, she is responsible for leading internal and external communications and charitable giving for the company, including assisting leaders and the company to share their story to engage all internal and external stakeholders, enhance the company brand and reputation, and build relationships with its communities. She joined F&G from GuideOne Insurance, where she served as Director of Marketing. In that role, she led the strategic communications that promoted and protected the company’s brand and reputation, and was responsible for managing and executing media relations, corporate and field communications, crisis communications and social media strategy, as well as the GuideOne Foundation. Prior to that, Christy held senior communications’ roles with NCMIC Group, Inc., Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Iowa and South Dakota and American Agrisurance (AmAg). Christy received her bachelor’s degree in public relations and her Master of Communication Leadership from Drake University in Des Moines. She is an alumna of the West Des Moines Leadership Academy Class of 2015. Christy held various positions on the Iowa Chapter of the American Marketing Association (AMA Iowa) Board of Directors, and during her Presidency, the Chapter was recognized with the top Chapter Excellence Award as Gold Chapter of the Year from more than 70 chapters in the United States and Canada. In addition, Christy serves on the Greater Des Moines Partnership’s Communication Board, where she recently completed a two-year term as Communications Board Chair and member of the Executive Committee. She also serves as a Workplace Mentor through Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Iowa.
Lakewood, California. Robert, a multidisciplinary contemporary artist started painting to counter drug addiction and alcoholism among mental and emotional health outlets. To Robert, he is constantly in pursuit of happiness, which in his current state is defined by fulfillment + purpose. He finds purpose in connecting narrative and opening doors for connection, relation, healing, discussion. From up-cycled sculpture to abstract portrait and urban neo-expressionism, Robert has defined his genre or style as "narrative". He is purposeful with every word, brushstroke and connection to the work with contention if intentionally or accidental occurrences influenced the work. Like many human and human experiences, the exterior never truly tells how the person was composed within the interior or influences/experiences that impacted them and so human nature typically has a subjective stance. Robert attempts to strip away those subjective "soft" assumptions of narrative instead calling it out directly. That is the goal in his work, to conflict and provoke thought of narrative of African and African American diaspora as well as social and civil experiences of underrepresented people + narrative. Roberts work can be found internationally from green collections to established recognized private collections. Robert continues to develop the mastery of his craft without restriction of rules or style, or brand. He is constantly evolving, Roberts work can be found in public and private installations internationally.
Carlos is a business transformation enabler that helps organizations shape the conditions that makes them more adaptive, creative, and prolific when solving for modern business challenges. A builder at his core, Carlos sees potential in everything and loves to reimagine all aspects of an organization. He is known for his expertise in setting a clear and compelling business strategy that expands current offerings reach and profit revenues. He identifies target market growth opportunities by understanding new technologies, behaviors, and techniques that define new differentiating offerings and capabilities, and positions a company's short and long-term readiness to effectively engage their best customers. With over two decades of experience leading innovation capabilities for Fortune 500 companies, Carlos followed his entrepreneurial passion and co-founded BIZLAB, an innovation company that helps businesses of all sizes make bold moves. When he's not helping clients design success or focused on, Carlos enjoys spending time with his wife and two daughters and finding new ways to make them laugh, and is always up for an adventure – whether it's exploring a new city or going on a crazy roller coaster ride. Born and raised in Cochabamba, Bolivia, where he also completed most of his studies, Carlos earned both his industrial engineering and marketing undergraduate degrees from Universidad Privada Boliviana, and his M.B.A. from the University of Florida.
Andre Wright is a designer, activist, visionary, community builder and world traveler who has dedicated his life to BIPOC. Since launching his own fashion brand out of Iowa City, Iowa, Andre’ has grown Humanize My Hoodie into a global fashion activism movement, designing hoodies for rappers, Black liberation leaders, allies, and Black youth while staging fashion shows and workshops nationally, educating thousands about the power of fashion to inspire, empower and spark important conversations. His work has been featured at New York Fashion Week and promoted by Politico, NPR, Essence magazine, Target, Atlantic Records, Warner Music Group, Thisis50, Facebook, and Foot Action.
Katherine Harrington is a ballerina turned executive and is the president & CEO of the West Des Moines Chamber of Commerce. Over the last two years in this role, she created several new programs and committees including the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion Committee who produces the international Athene Black & Brown Business Summit & Pitch Competition, Diversity Week, & Diversity Fundraiser. She also helped to create the DEI Workplace Excellence Awards, Best of the West Awards, Raccoon River Rally Fall Festival, WDM Newsletter, WDM Edge Events, and more. With Katherine and her team’s efforts, they have been able to give back more than $70,000 to a wide variety of non-profit organizations in just two years. Katherine has an extensive background in public speaking, media sales, revenue stream creation, event development and leadership with organizations including US Magazine in New York City, Crain’s Chicago Business, San Diego Business Journal, DSM Magazine, and The Des Moines Business Record. She also bootstrapped and ran her own glossy technology magazine, events, and digital news organization serving leaders in the booming tech and internet industries in San Diego called The T Sector. At the Des Moines Business Record, she was director of innovation, was the number one sales producer, and started the lucrative innovationIOWA Magazine, Weekly E-News, and yearly awards event. Katherine has a passion for helping others and is on the board for the WDM Community Foundation, WDM Historic Commission, Raccoon River Pedestrian Bridge Advisory Council, Cystic Fibrosis and is a Big Brothers Big Sisters ‘I am Enough’ Champion. Past board work includes President of the board for Ballet Des Moines, and South Central Board Chair for the Iowa Governor’s STEM Advisory Council. Between 2020-2022, Katherine received the WDM Chamber MLK Jr Community Organization Leadership Award, was winner of the Great Outdoors Foundation Most Valuable Philanthropist Award, a Finalist for the Inspiring Women of Iowa Award, and was voted one of the ‘Most Likeable’ by Cityview magazine.
Pernell Cezar is the CEO and Co-Founder of BLK & Bold, a specialty coffee and tea company that prioritizes domestic social impact for youth in need, also the first-ever Black-owned nationally distributed coffee company. Pernell is an accomplished sales executive, successful entrepreneur and leader with more than 10 years of leadership success, who in just three short years has grown BLK & Bold to a top seller in Target and the #1 new coffee brand on Amazon in 2020. Pernell takes much of his inspiration from his own upbringing in Gary Indiana, where philanthropy and community programming helped his widowed mother take care of Pernell and his sister. Pernell earned his Bachelors in 2010 at University of Northern Iowa, with majors in Finance and Marketing. His diverse portfolio which spans from Target, SheaMoisture and more highlights his ability to influence and build brands at scale whether start-ups or multinational brands. As a longstanding sales executive and packaged goods advisor, Pernell continues to change the way Black-owned brands and consumer dollars are respected and supported by retailers. The entrepreneur welcomes the obligation to equip young people with tools to live their best lives and overcome familiar unfortunate circumstances by turning a daily ritual, enjoying a cup of coffee & tea, into a means of giving back. BLK & Bold pledges 5% of its profits to initiatives aligned to sustaining youth programming, enhancing workforce development, and eradicating youth homelessness. Additionally, Pernell has served as the Strategic Partner to co-develop Target's new Forward Founders accelerator program and also served on Target's Entrepreneurship Advisory Council with a focus on mentoring and building sustainable access to education of future business leaders. BLK & Bold’s recent partnerships with iconic companies such as the NBA and Ben & Jerry’s further support the brands mission to make purpose popular. Dedicated to supporting youth in need, Ben & Jerry’s collaboration is a natural extension of the brand's evolution and seeks to help transform the nation’s approach to public safety. While the NBA partnership represented a full circle moment for childhood best friends and Co-Founders, Rod Johnson and Pernell Cezar who met as youth on a basketball court. BLK & Bold is proudly B Corp Certified, Minority Business Enterprise, Fair Trade USA and FAIR Trade International Certified, as well as KOF-K Kosher and a SQF certified processing facility. BLK & Bold was awarded the 2019 Des Moines NAACP Small Business of the Year, was named 2020 Entrepreneurs of the Year by the Official Black Wall Street App’s Black Entrepreneur of the Year Awards, and recipient of the Mel Essex Achievement Award.
As the President and Chief Creative Officer, Ryan Ford leads all creative and marketing campaigns across Cashmere’s diverse set of clients. He focuses on identifying and navigating the evolving dynamics between brands and culture. With over 20 years of industry experience, Ryan has led strategies and campaigns for globally recognized brands including Google, Instagram, Facebook, BMW, Taco Bell, Warner Media, Disney, AppleTV, adidas and more. Ryan continually pushes boundaries to push The Culture forward positively that defines new general market consumers. Under Ryan’s leadership, Cashmere has been recognized as a leading force within the creative industry and a recipient of multiple awards including: 2019 Cannes Lions Creative Award, The Clio Awards, AdColor, A100, named Ad Age’s Multicultural 2019 Agency of the Year and recognized on Ad Age’s 2020 A-List Agencies To Watch list and Ad Age’s 2021 A-List Standout Agencies. Prior to Cashmere Agency, Ryan served as Executive Editor at The Source, once dubbed as “hip-hop’s bible.” For nearly a decade, Ryan played a pivotal role in the construction and content of every issue and interviewed hundreds of revered musicians, executives, celebrities and politicians, including Jay Z, Kanye West, Snoop Dogg, Jamie Foxx, Queen Latifah, Diddy, Shaquille O’Neal, Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, Nas and OutKast to name a few. Ryan holds a BA in Journalism from University of Iowa and a Masters of Arts in African-American Studies from University of California, Los Angeles. Ryan Ford has lent his voice as a thought leader and culture expert and appeared in a variety of publications, including Fast Company, AdAge, LA Times, Forbes and more. Ryan is currently on the Music Advisory Board of ADCOLOR, the premier organization dedicated to celebrating and promoting professionals of color and diversity in the creative industries and on the Advisory Board Member of The Marcus Graham Project. A music enthusiast, Ryan enjoys all genres of great music, not just hip-hop. In his downtime, Ryan enjoys spending time with his wife and daughter, watching football, playing video games (his favorite being Madden NFL) and nerding out on anything related to Star Wars (specifically the Dark Side). In his prime, Ryan played football for the University of Kansas as an offensive guard and hails from Des Moines, Iowa.
Bo James is born and raised in the urban core of Des Moines, Iowa. Despite going up in a two parent home, being in gifted and talented, in marching band, an honor roll student and a world class athlete he was in a constant state of survival mode. By high school most of his closest peers and relatives were in gangs including his younger brother. By his senior year in high school most of them were in detention centers, prison and some had even lost their lives to the streets. He accredits music, sports and mentors for keeping him from falling into the traps of society that snared his family and friends. After graduating high school Bo attended Simpson College on a full academic scholarship. He also had a flourishing music career that landed him a deal with Funk legend George Clinton as the bass singer for an R&B group. At the end of his freshman year he decided to pursue music. The deal didn’t work out, but it did set Bo James on a course to establishing his own record label, LaunchPad DMI Entertainment. He became a producer, promoter and music business consultant with a passion to develop, educate and advocate for “Starving Artists”. After 17 years of working with hundreds of artists, promoting shows across the nation and cultivating the music scene across Iowa he decided to impact Iowa by empowering youth who reminded him of his friends and family that he lost during his primitive years. In 2015 Bo founded Hip-Hope Inc. whos mission is to utilize arts and culture to promote Hope where symptoms of hopelessness are prevalent. As of September 2015, Hip-Hope Inc. is a non-profit organization with 501(c)3 tax exempt status based in Des Moines, Iowa who’s approach is Asset Based Community Development (ABCD). Hip-Hope has been fulfilling its mission by hosting a series of programs and projects designed to mobilize community stakeholders from the city’s academic, non-profit, corporate, legislative, medical and religious sectors. The purpose of our programming is to empower society’s most valuable assets, our youth. The outcomes are the presentation, organization and utilization of solutions, the application of enhanced skill sets learned, and improved relationships within families, peer groups and community stakeholders. Hip-Hope’s programs have reached over 10,000 youth underprivileged/over-challenged k-12 of all races, nationalities, socioeconomic status and genders representing the greater Des Moines area, throughout the state of Iowa and around the world. Hip-Hope shares its success with community partners such as Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Broadlawns Medical Center, Wells Fargo and Microsoft just to name a few. Bo James remains Hopeful in his community, his family, his network and most of all his “Cool Krew Kids”. He has been called a Founder, Executive Director and CEO but prefers the title of “Believer” because he believes that when Hope happens we are together, when Hope happens we are better.
When 14 year old Tar Macias arrived in Moline, Illinois from Mexico City with his parents and 4 siblings on July 4th, 1987, he was actually the 5th generation in his family to live in the United States. His great, great grandfather was the first to migrate here and his grandfather was born in Moline and moved back and forth to Mexico a couple of times during his life. Born and rooted in Mexico City, Tar considers Moline his home. He spent his formative years as an adolescent here and is deeply connected to the people, including his extended family of 7 siblings and their families, the majority of whom live in the Quad Cities area. Profoundly grateful that he has been able to build a successful business and flourish in this land of opportunity, he is also acutely aware that there is still much work to be done to create a level playing field for vulnerable members of the Latino community. Tar started Hola America Media in the year 2000 as a vehicle to empower and equip the Latino community with information and resources to facilitate their success and well-being. Hola America fills a void in the media industry by providing local, regional, state, national and international news through a lens of and for the Latino community. Guided by core values to be community minded, family oriented, educational and engaging, Hola America Media Group is a fully bilingual news outlet that brings information and stories about the contributions of Latino communities in Illinois and Iowa. By reflecting the Latino community fairly and with dignity, Hola America has earned the trust of the Latino community and garnered credibility in the mainstream community to raise the stature of the Latino community in Western Illinois. In the year 2014 Tar and his wife Erika launched Hola Iowa a sister publication of Hola America and since the summer of 2018 their family are now proud residents of the Des Moines area, West Des Moines to be precise. Their daughter started Drake last fall so they plan to stay in West Des Moines. . One of his proudest accomplishments is his partnership with LULAC Iowa that resulted in bringing 10,000 Latinos to the 2016 Iowa Caucus and once again in 2020. The numbers were 3,800 and 1,000 in 2008 and 2012 respectively. Tireless in his efforts to maximize and expand the reach of Hola America and Hola Iowa, its content is published in both English and Spanish. He has also embraced social media to engage younger members of the Latino community. In addition to maintaining a thriving business in the bi-state region, Tar has been exceedingly involved in the Great Quad Cities Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, LULAC, and many other community organizations in Illinois and Iowa including donating media space to publicize programs and initiatives of benefit to Latino populations. Tar believes in putting relationships ahead of business opportunities and has found that opportunities emerge from these nurtured relationships.
Rheya is the Breaking News Anchor for KCCI 8 News at 5, 6, and 10 p.m. News. She solo Anchors the 9pm News on 8.2 METV. Previously, she was the third Anchor on KCCI 8 News this Morning, Anchored traffic and KCCI 8 News at Noon. She has passion for social issues and has taken up the role of focusing on diverse and pressing topics that are reflective of society and Iowa communities. She's won a diversity and inclusion award from ISU in 2019 and an Emmy nomination in 2020 for her reporting. Rheya started her career in Albany, Ga as a multi-media journalist. Her career continued in Augusta, Ga where she started as a morning MMJ and quickly became the go -to for LIVE breaking news reports. There she also cultivated and Anchored a segment called "The Morning Top Five." Rheya is a graduate of ASU's Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and is currently getting her Master's in Legal Studies at ASU's Sandra Day O Connor school of Law.
Jacob Derritt Business Banking Area Manager of KC/MN/ND/SD/MT. Jacob was a pioneer in Kansas City for Chase as the first Business Banking employee and is homegrown talent raised in KC. Jacob finished 2021 as the #1 Senior Relationship Manager in the country for Market Expansion based on not just his individual efforts but his investment in others including his peers, partners, and his community. Jacob is intentional about developing others as well as himself through his involvement in the Chase BB Advisory Board, KC Common Good Board, KIPP KC High School Basketball, MPJ Elite Basketball and beyond. Prior to joining Chase in 2019 Jacob spent 10 years in banking holding roles in Business Development, Private Bank, and Commercial Bank and is a graduate of Rockhurst University. When not at work you will most likely find Jacob in a gym, either working on his own fitness goals or pouring into the next generation as Head Coach of the KIPP KC High School and Michael Porter Jr. Elite Basketball teams. In his years as a Coach, Jacob has had the opportunity to coach a number of players who have gone on to play at the Division 1 level as well as the NBA. The list of players includes rising NBA star Michael Porter Jr., Trae Young, and his brother Javier Derritt who is a two time National Champion Football player at North Dakota State University.
As the daughter of a chemist and an electrical engineer, Anne grew up immersed in the sciences. However, it was her passion for products and people that led her to tech. Anne is a product leader that built her product management career working with organizations such as Microsoft, Comcast, Mercedes-Benz, and Priceline. Her technical foundation stems from her engineering degree from the University of Michigan. Anne is also a startup advisor, and subject matter expert in AI, blockchain, tech ethics and product inclusivity. Also the founder of Griffin Product & Growth, and the Chief Product & Curriculum Officer of Tech 2025, an emerging technology community and platform to teach professionals to prepare for the future of work. Anne's workshop Human First, Product Second teaches organizations and professionals how to think about building more inclusive and ethical tech products. In Summer 2020, she was an instructor for the AI component of Columbia University’s course Blockchain, Cryptocurrencies, AI, and Beyond. Columbia University, Morgan State University and the University of Montreal are a few of the universities where she has guest lectured on the subject of blockchain. Anne teaches courses on Business Applications of Blockchain and Improving Product with A/B Testing through O'Reilly Media. She is currently working at Priceline as a Product Manager and as the Chief Product & Curriculum Officer of Tech 2025, while advising a few emerging tech startups. Outside of her work, Anne is a voracious learner, frequent traveler, and seriously committed to self-care and workouts.
Rod Mims joined Athene Annuity in July 2011 as Senior Vice President and National Sales Manager with responsibility for growing Athene’s retail sales organization. His experience includes 25 years of insurance and investment experience in a broad spectrum of roles ranging from personal production and wholesaling to sales management and business development at the division and national levels. Prior to joining Athene Annuity, he was the National Sales Manager for Genworth Financial, with responsibility spanning its bank, wire-house and independent broker-dealer channels. Rod received his B.S.B.A from East Carolina University. He holds a life insurance license, as well as securities licenses 7, 24 and 63.
Mo Sane was born in Senegal, West Africa. As an immigrant who lived and worked in minority communities, he witnessed firsthand the challenges black & brown businesses faced in New York City, Washington DC, and Tampa Bay. Currently, a Financial Advisor for Wells Fargo, Mo is deeply passionate about financial markets, financial education, and wealth building. Mo earned an MBA in international business from the University of Tampa and holds securities licenses 7 and 66. He resides in Urbandale with his wife Elma and their two children.
Angela Jackson serves as Senior Vice President of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion to help lift up others. Ms. Jackson is responsible for direct development and execution of diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives for Athene a leading financial services company. She works with the executive leadership team to put goals and strategies in place that align with Athene’s priorities around DEI efforts for the workforce. Ms. Jackson partners across business units to move the organization in a positive direction and ensure consistent internal and external messaging around initiatives. Prior to assuming her current role, Ms. Jackson served as a Senior Corporate Counsel for Maytag and owned her consulting firm delivering expert business, management, and legal coaching for clients in for-profit and nonprofit businesses to provide national leadership training, diversity training and community outreach. Angela Jackson is the owner of The Great Frame Up in West Des Moines. The Great Frame Up is a retail custom frame shop and gallery featuring local artists. She has opened the business in 2005. She holds a bachelor’s degree in History and International Studies from Duke University and a juris doctorate from Washington University in St. Louis. She is Chair of the Board of the West Des Moines Chamber of Commerce. She is also a board member of the Des Moines Arts Festival.
As the District Director of the SBA’s Iowa District Office, Jayne Armstrong oversees SBA’s financial, business counseling, government contracting programs statewide, including a resource partner network of 15 Small Business Development Centers, three SCORE chapters, a Women’s Business Center, and a Veteran’s Business Outreach Center. Jayne joined the Iowa District Office from the SBA’s Office of Field Operations in Washington, DC. She previously served as the district director of SBA’s Virginia, Delaware and West Virginia District Offices, and as regional advocate of the SBA’s Office of Advocacy, where she supported public policy at the federal and state levels and helped to organize the White House Conference on Small Business. She also represented the SBA in Russia during the first formal exchange between U.S. and Russian entrepreneurs. Prior to her SBA career, Armstrong worked in the advertising, economic development, and higher education development fields. A native of Pittsburgh, she earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from West Virginia University (WVU), where she served as student body president. Armstrong was recently honored by the Delaware Small Business Chamber of Commerce with its inaugural Lifetime Achievement Award and was previously recognized on the floor of the U.S. Senate with the “Great Federal Employee Award.” She is the recipient of the Risk Management Association’s Businesswoman of the Year Award in Virginia, Delaware Today’s Women in Business Award, the New Castle County (DE) Chamber’s Entrepreneurial Advocate of the Year Award, and the Delaware YWCA’s Woman of Power, Style, and Brilliance Award. She has been honored on four occasions as Advocate of the Year by National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) chapters in Iowa, Delaware, and Virginia, as well as the Iowa NAWBO She-Ro Award this year. She also was recognized by the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) with its Excellence in Communications Award, Girls Inc., of Delaware as its Volunteer of the Year and The State Journal as one of “The 55 Best Things About West Virginia.” She has been appointed to several boards and commissions by three different Governors in West Virginia and Delaware. She is particularly proud of the SBA Iowa District Office receiving the West Des Moines Chamber’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Award in 2021. Armstrong has served on the boards of a wide variety of non-profits and business organizations throughout her career, with a strong focus on the empowerment of women and girls, college recruiting, student mentoring and economic literacy. She has been an active member of Rotary for over 34 years, the National Association of Women Business Owners for 26 years and currently serves on the board of CultureAll in Des Moines. In her spare time Armstrong is an avid West Virginia Mountaineer sports fan and enjoys traveling the world fulfilling bucket lists.
Joy Briscoe is an entrepreneur and U.S. Air Force veteran who lives in Waterloo. Briscoe is the Executive Director of 24/7 BLAC or Black Leadership Advancement Consortium. The organization works to create access for Black professionals through education and employment opportunities. Her work is focused on helping stimulate the creation of generational wealth and financial empowerment.
Teleza Daniels is the Program Director of The Iowa Center Women’s Business Center. Teleza’s role at The Iowa Center involves strategically organizing and implementing programs to train and individually counsel Iowans, specifically women, interested in starting or growing a business. Teleza is a certified in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in the Workplace by University of South Florida Muma College of Business and a Certified Credit Counselor, and enjoys assisting clients with their credit, budget, financial statements, business plans, and whatever else she can to make each client successful. Teleza is known as the cheerleader for The Iowa Center and for our clients—you can often find Teleza out in the community supporting every small business that comes to The Iowa Center.
As the Team Lead for the Innovation team, Jill serves as IEDA's liaison to the Iowa Innovation Council, a thinktank of Iowa leaders that recommend public policy and strategies to support innovation initiatives in the Bioscience, IT and Advanced Manufacturing industry sectors. IEDA’s Innovation team also connects entrepreneurs with Innovation funding and business owners with resources, educational materials, workforce training programs and internships. Through the Targeted Small Business program, IEDA certifies and offers low-interest micro-loans loans to businesses that are 51% or more owned by women, minorities, individuals with disabilities and service-disabled veterans and helps them leverage their certification and financial literacy for greater business opportunities. Jill holds a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from the University of Colorado-Denver.
Katherine Harrington is a ballerina turned executive and is the president & CEO of the West Des Moines Chamber of Commerce. Over the last two years in this role, she created several new programs and committees including the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion Committee who produces the international Athene Black & Brown Business Summit & Pitch Competition, Diversity Week, & Diversity Fundraiser. She also helped to create the DEI Workplace Excellence Awards, Best of the West Awards, Raccoon River Rally Fall Festival, WDM Newsletter, WDM Edge Events, and more. With Katherine and her team’s efforts, they have been able to give back more than $70,000 to a wide variety of non-profit organizations in just two years. Katherine has an extensive background in public speaking, media sales, revenue stream creation, event development and leadership with organizations including US Magazine in New York City, Crain’s Chicago Business, San Diego Business Journal, DSM Magazine, and The Des Moines Business Record. She also bootstrapped and ran her own glossy technology magazine, events, and digital news organization serving leaders in the booming tech and internet industries in San Diego called The T Sector. At the Des Moines Business Record, she was director of innovation, was the number one sales producer, and started the lucrative innovationIOWA Magazine, Weekly E-News, and yearly awards event. Katherine has a passion for helping others and is on the board for the WDM Community Foundation, WDM Historic Commission, Raccoon River Pedestrian Bridge Advisory Council, Cystic Fibrosis and is a Big Brothers Big Sisters ‘I am Enough’ Champion. Past board work includes President of the board for Ballet Des Moines, and South Central Board Chair for the Iowa Governor’s STEM Advisory Council. Between 2020-2022, Katherine received the WDM Chamber MLK Jr Community Organization Leadership Award, was winner of the Great Outdoors Foundation Most Valuable Philanthropist Award, a Finalist for the Inspiring Women of Iowa Award, and was voted one of the ‘Most Likeable’ by Cityview magazine.
Chicago native, Adrian Cain is a veteran of the US Army and IL Army National Guard. She’s held several corporate leadership and entrepreneurial roles and is most passionate about ministerial and community outreach work. Adrian earned her Business Administration degree from Chicago State University. Currently a licensed commercial real estate agent, Adrian serves in the role of Community and Economic Development Liaison, with Shattered Glass Development, a women-owned and managed brokerage firm in Des Moines. In her role, Adrian connects communities with developers, builders, investors, and businesses to help them grow and thrive. She believes that when each entity brings their gifts and talents to the table, in a spirit of unity, that everyone can win.
Many immigrants view small business ownership as the epitome of the American Dream. No one knows this better than Brazil native Perlla Deluca. “If you have a dream and work hard, the opportunity is here for everyone,” said Deluca, president of Southeast Constructors, a general contracting firm in Des Moines. For Deluca, the American Dream became a reality when she was awarded a federal contract for the restoration of President Harry Truman’s home in Independence, MO. The symbolism was not lost on this dynamic entrepreneur who overcame many obstacles to make it in a male-dominated industry. After immigrating to south Florida when she was 20 years old, it did not take long to realize her real entrepreneurial passion was the construction industry, she performed on the residential construction sector and Hurricane renovations sector due to Florida’s large number of hurricanes. In 2018 she relocated to IOWA; Deluca made the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) one of her first stops. She quickly absorbed every detail of the federal agency’s programs and services, including counseling and training through its resource partners, the Small Business Development Center, SCORE, and the Women’s Business Center at the Iowa Center for Economic Success. Deluca credits her certification in SBA’s 8(a) government contracting program as a turning point for her small business success. Her awareness of small business resources comes in handy as she grows her business. Over the years she self- financed the business, but the SBA helped her understand her finances better in order to grow her business. The company’s work is featured in projects throughout central Iowa and Cedar Rapids, including the resurfacing of the Women of Achievement Bridge, the curbs and sidewalks at Blank Park Zoo, the DART bus stops, the concrete trails in West Des Moines and the post-flooding brick repairs in downtown Cedar Rapids. Its reputation for quality work led to another American Dream moment when Deluca won a three-year contract with the Army Corp of Engineers. Since 2018, Southeast Constructors, Inc., also known as SEC, Inc., has performed projects with the Army Corps of Engineers, the National Park Service, and the General Services Administration, including the recent parking lot renovation at Hruska Federal Courthouse in Omaha. Her most recent project is a Site Restoration at the Olmsted Lock and Dam in Illinois. Deluca knows that small business success depends on continuous learning. She recently graduated from the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Business program hosted by Iowa’s community colleges. Deluca believes perseverance keeps her in business – the longer you are in business, the stronger you become. Obstacles are mere learning curves for small business owners. When it comes to adversity, she focuses on the result, always growing and learning as an entrepreneur.
Stoy is a family man, (2 boys, 6,3), married to a lovely wife who is on the front lines of health care. He graduated from Drake University in 2011, where he play football for 4.5 years. Since then he has been dedicated to “ridding the world of financial illiteracy”, by going through the grueling path of financial services, he learned the in and outs (good and bad). With that experience he has launched a “Wealth Empire” with his partner Brian Maro, together they run/own a CPA firm (E&M PLLC), Wealth Management (Black Mammoth), Legacy Planning (Legacy Fiduciary Services), Commercial Real Estate (Trinity Investment Firm) and a new endeavor that deals with FOREX and Hedgefunds (Kᾱlᾱ Capital). This “Empire” is solely for the purpose of taking Ultra High Networth Concepts down to the everyday person to increase their Wealth exponentially.
Rheya is the Breaking News Anchor for KCCI 8 News at 5, 6, and 10 p.m. News. She solo Anchors the 9pm News on 8.2 METV. Previously, she was the third Anchor on KCCI 8 News this Morning, Anchored traffic and KCCI 8 News at Noon. She has passion for social issues and has taken up the role of focusing on diverse and pressing topics that are reflective of society and Iowa communities. She's won a diversity and inclusion award from ISU in 2019 and an Emmy nomination in 2020 for her reporting. Rheya started her career in Albany, Ga as a multi-media journalist. Her career continued in Augusta, Ga where she started as a morning MMJ and quickly became the go -to for LIVE breaking news reports. There she also cultivated and Anchored a segment called "The Morning Top Five." Rheya is a graduate of ASU's Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and is currently getting her Master's in Legal Studies at ASU's Sandra Day O Connor school of Law.
Will Brown has been in the Finance and Mortgage Banking industry for 17 years. Currently, he is senior Wealth Management Mortgage Banker for U. S. Bank providing financial solutions to primarily mortgage banking clients. In this capacity, he has been exposed to simple and complex financing options to a variety of executives including entrepreneurs, corporate management, and closely held business owners. Will was born and raised in the Des Moines, Iowa area. Growing up, his parents instilled in him a strong faith in Christ, family values, and strong work ethic. An extensive mortgage and credit expertise has been used to help financially educate members of several nonprofit organizations, churches, schools, and life groups. Prior to working at U.S. Bank, Will worked for Wells Fargo for 13 years as a Private Mortgage Banker, Sales Manager, and Regional Emerging Markets Manager. Before entering the world of banking and finance, Will was founder and CEO of Iowa Fence Co. and Vice President of operations for Brown Brothers Fencing. Will is married to an amazing wife, Charlene Brown, for 26 years and they have 4 beautiful children and 5 grandchildren. Throughout the years his greatest joys have been coaching and cheering for his children. He has served in his church for over 28 years as a junior high and high school youth leader, and a married couple’s counselor. Hobbies include photography, chess, basketball, pickleball, and foreign film & literature.
Terri Jensen, President of Three Elements Consulting, is an experienced business and technology executive and leader who focuses on developing and implementing technology solutions that bring business vision to life. She is a disciplined, results oriented leader whose strength is aligning people and processes with strategy. Terri has transformed IT departments from break/fix order-takers to high-performing teams that provide businesses with technology as a competitive advantage. Terri is a builder of businesses, teams, and people. She founded and grew an innovative and disruptive technology training and consulting firm for 14 years, led client services in a software development startup affiliated with a large enterprise, and became CIO of that enterprise. As CIO she has led organization-wide change in the higher education, construction, and insurance industries. Throughout her career, Terri has put people and relationships first. She has built strong, customer-focused teams, and mentored many technology leaders and staff to increase retention by enhancing the human side of leadership; communication, empathy, career development, and succession planning. A graduate of Drake University, Jensen earned her B.A. in Computer Science. She also holds a master’s in Organizational Leadership from Colorado State University.
Recruited as the first operations executive responsible for the administrative engineering for the start-up company – EquiTrust Life Insurance Company, Rosemary Parson is currently Senior Vice President (SVP) of Administration and Community Relations. Ms. Parson has led successful facets of operations for over 25 years. Before joining EquiTrust in 2003; she was part of the senior leadership team at Conseco, inc. (currently CNO). There, Ms. Parson led operations and technology initiatives for corporate merger, acquisition consolidation and outsourcing activities, state side and abroad. Relocating to Iowa in 2003, Ms. Parson developed and sourced cross-functional units from Call Centers and Claims to Tax administration, as the organization grew to over $20 Billion in assets under management. (Following two years of leading intense corporate build out activities, she managed to grab a nap … or two!”.) In her senior leadership role as SVP of Community Relations, Ms. Parson is involved in the community, serving on several boards of various organizations. Parson actively mentors young adult students in the areas of financial literacy, banking, education, character and personal brand ownership. She has recently been invited as key note speaker for the YMCA - MLK Youth Awareness event, panel speaker for the Executive Forum on Diversity and Inclusion; a key note speaker at the 2018 #WeAreWomen Community Event for the LA Sparks. Ms. Parson was an invited presenter at the WOCO 2020 inaugural women’s conference, focused on personal and professional self-development and a panel speaker at the West Des Moines Chamber of Commerce – 2020 Women Lead Change leadership event. Parson has been a p panelist speaker for Commercial Real Estate Women (CREW). She successfully led the Des Moines Art Centers’ virtual 2020 Gala, focused on inclusion of the arts; raising ~ $150K for the organization’s benefit. In 2021; Parson is scheduled to be inducted into the Iowa Insurance Hall of Fame as the first African American to receive this prestigious award. Ms. Parson enjoys youth mentorship, is a fair weather golfer, a past 2011 Business Record Women of Influence Honoree and was selected as a 2019 US Army War College National Security Seminar (#19) leadership participant.
Blanca Plascencia was born in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico. She attended 2 years of college at CUCSH -Universidad de Guadalajara with a major in Sociology. Blanca moved to the United States at the age of 21. She worked in the restaurant industry for 13 + years where she gained experience and escalated to all positions from busser to manager. After that she and her husband decided to go on their own and started a small business becoming co-owner of 3 Mexican Restaurants; El Fogon Mexican grill with two locations in West Des Moines and Cantaritos Mexican Grill in Pella, Iowa. She is an upbeat woman, mother, latina, minority that has learned to embrace her accent, roots and personality, she is constantly in search of wisdom, and justice. She has gone through extreme poverty and has lived on the 2 sides of the “American Dream”: Struggle and Success. She believes that education, knowledge of the system, personal finances, mentoring, resources and representation, are necessary for real “opportunities” to be stronger, happier and safer. Blanca has a great passion for entrepreneurship. She loves Greater Des Moines because it is a small community, where there aren't a lot of resources that bigger cities have, which is a bad thing, but is also good, it means that we have opportunities to Create a better place. There are plenty of needs. Blanca is currently serving as Immediate Chair at “Latina Leadership initiative of greater Des Moines” she strongly believes in their Vision; We can start “building the bridges” and opening doors for different communities and minorities, “We can start the foundations for our future generations to continue to build a better place for our children”. She is very enthusiastic about helping our latino and minority communities develop. By supporting latinos and minorities that are interested in business and entrepreneurship, Blanca has projects that involve creation of workshops, training and sharing resources and information because we are hard working people and good citizens that need opportunities, representation, organization, and we need to make the resources more accessible to our people. Blanca feels grateful to this amazing community that welcomed and supported her. She is a Graduate of Latina Leadership Initiative class of 2017. She has been recognized as one of “40 Women'' to watch in the hospitality industry in 2019 by Iowa Restaurant Association, Also recipient of “Latino Achievement Award” from Iowa’s Latino Heritage Festival in 2019, she received the “Impact Award” from Small Business Administration in recognition of small business success and contribution to Iowa’s economy in 2021 during Hispanic Heritage Month. Now she feels ready to pay it forward and be more involved in the community that is in much need.
Taufeek Shah is the CEO of Lola’s Fine Sauces, but before he began his entrepreneurial journey he worked in corporate sales at Principal. It was there, during an employee potluck that he truly realized the possibility of turning a generational family hot sauce recipe into a successful business. After realizing the popularity of his mother’s family hot sauce recipe, he opened a stand and sold it every Saturday at the Des Moines Farmer’s Market. After its continued success, Taufeek officially established Lola’s Fine Sauces located in West Des Moines in 2015, before continuing to collaborate with his mom, Lola and his sister Hannah to open Lola’s Fine Kitchen restaurant in Ankeny, Iowa in 2018. Most recently, Taufeek was named one of the top entrepreneurs in Making it with Lowes and has since launched Lola’s products in all 1300 stores nationwide. He gives all the credit to his mother, Lola for the success the company has had and for establishing his burning passion for the company. Taufeek believes the company is all about family and embracing your heritage, and what better way to do that than to share Lola’s family hot sauce recipe with the world.
Angela Jackson serves as Senior Vice President of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion to help lift up others. Ms. Jackson is responsible for direct development and execution of diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives for Athene a leading financial services company. She works with the executive leadership team to put goals and strategies in place that align with Athene’s priorities around DEI efforts for the workforce. Ms. Jackson partners across business units to move the organization in a positive direction and ensure consistent internal and external messaging around initiatives. Prior to assuming her current role, Ms. Jackson served as a Senior Corporate Counsel for Maytag and owned her consulting firm delivering expert business, management, and legal coaching for clients in for-profit and nonprofit businesses to provide national leadership training, diversity training and community outreach. Angela Jackson is the owner of The Great Frame Up in West Des Moines. The Great Frame Up is a retail custom frame shop and gallery featuring local artists. She has opened the business in 2005. She holds a bachelor’s degree in History and International Studies from Duke University and a juris doctorate from Washington University in St. Louis. She is Chair of the Board of the West Des Moines Chamber of Commerce. She is also a board member of the Des Moines Arts Festival.
