MULTICULTURAL TASKFORCE
MULTICULTURAL TASKFORCE
Vision Statement: We will expand, empower, and retain Ankeny’s diverse and multicultural business community.
If you would like to get involved with this taskforce please reach out to the Chamber at info@ankeny.org
VISION STATEMENT
The Multicultural Taskforce will provide events and educational opportunities that will expand, empower, and retain Ankeny’s diverse and multicultural business community.
Celebrating Ankeny’s Inclusive Initiatives
Written by Reyna Immerfall-Executive Board Member and owner of Reyna Immerfall State Farm Insurance Agency
On November 8, 2024, the Ankeny Chamber of Commerce was presented the Inclusion Award by the Greater Des Moines Partnership. This was a great honor for our organization as the Multicultural Taskforce worked together, bringing opportunities for our diverse community since 2022. The vision is to expand, empower, and retain Ankeny’s diverse and multicultural business community. The task force intentionally provides a welcoming and open environment for community members to voluntarily join, collaborate, and have honest conversations needed to foster Ankeny’s diversity and be a place where everyone can work, live, play, and thrive. They seek out as well as provide opportunities to create an inclusive workplace by having task force members, chamber board members, and staff, as well as community members, attend and complete a 6-week training titled “What LIES between us,” a course aimed at examining racism and a framework to heal. This was just the beginning.
In2023, the chamber had a booth at the Juneteenth event in Uptown and held its first Minority Owned Business Summit. The Taskforce continued the work in 2024, coordinating a Day of Service in honor of Martin Luther King Jr Day, continuing with our Juneteenth support, and hosting our 2nd annual Minority Owned Business Summit, Supercharging Growth and Opportunity within your Business. During the summit, the chamber had a live podcast allowing attendees to discuss their businesses. This was posted on Spotify Ankeny Chamber website and promoted on all of our social media handles to continue spreading the word about minority-owned businesses in the Metro. Many of the businesses interviewed were new entrepreneurs looking to make a difference in the minority demographic. The event is to help them thrive and succeed in business and staying in the area, all of which drive the economy of the Greater Des Moines region.
The Multicultural Taskforce is looking forward to a great 2025. Taskforce members are involved in many organizations outside of the chamber, spreading the word about Ankeny’s employment opportunities and welcoming community: Latinx, African American, Asian, and LGBTQ+ organizations. With these networking opportunities, we invite these communities to participate in our events, including Mentoring Women on April 1st, Minority Owned Business Summit on August 20th, and Discover Ankeny on November 6. Personal invitations are being made for more people to look at our chamber to meet our small business owners and join our community. If the diverse workforce hasn’t found you yet, it’s time for you to go find them.
Originally published in the January 2025 Ankeny Business Jouranl
ADDITIONAL SMALL BUSINESS RESOURCES
Small Business Development Center of Iowa
The Iowa Small Business Development Center (Iowa SBDC) provides no-cost business advice and resources when growing or starting a business in Iowa. The center is located in Des Moines and provides one-on-one no-fee, confidential counseling to existing business owners and would-be entrepreneurs in Dallas, Jasper, Marion, Polk and Warren counties, in addition to providing workshops and seminars.
Greater Des Moines Partnership
The Partnership offers a resource hub that was created specifically with small businesses in mind, providing online tools, small business and startup blogs and podcasts, education and networking events, and so much more.
Cultivation Cooridor
Iowa’s multi-dimensional ag startup ecosystem provides end-to-end solutions for ag entrepreneurs and startups at any stage of planning or development. Whether you are a student entrepreneur needing access to resources, a mid-stream startup needing customized consulting or a more mature startup in the customer acquisition phase, we have the tools, connections and resources to support your foray into the global ag tech revolution.
Pappajohn Education Center
The John and Mary Pappajohn Education Center has provided exceptional programs to the Des Moines area since its founding in 2008. The center builds on the UI’s heritage of outreach to cities across the state, offering leading degree programs and coursework in a state-of-the-art facility.
Venture School
Master the startup process with the premier statewide Venture School, an innovative training program focused on real-world experimentation, customer discovery, and Lean LaunchPad methodologies. With hub locations across the state, the program allows Iowa entrepreneurs to reap its benefits. This program works for startups, small businesses, non-profits, and corporate innovation teams.
DMACC - GOLDMAN SACHS 10,000 SMALL BUSINESSES
DMACC and all of the Iowa Community Colleges are proud to partner with Goldman Sachs to positively impact and encourage growth for small businesses throughout the State of Iowa. Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses is an investment to help entrepreneurs create jobs and economic opportunity by providing access to education, capital and business support services.
IASourceLink
IASourceLink is where business begins in Iowa. IASourceLink connects Iowa entrepreneurs to a network of 360+ nonprofit resource organizations that provide business-building services. We facilitate the linking of these resource organizations to one another and to established, emerging and start-up small businesses.
One Economy
OEFDC empowers underserved communities in Central Iowa to create financial stability and wealth by providing training, coaching, and loans to individuals and small business owners.
OEFDC is a spin-off of The Directors Council One Economy initiative. We work with partners to eliminate racial, economic, and other disparities in the Black community by addressing five key areas: Financial Inclusion, Employment, Education, Housing, and Health. We work primarily in the greater Des Moines area.
U.S. SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION- IOWA
Our office provides help with SBA services including funding programs, counseling, federal contracting certifications, and disaster recovery. We can also connect you to our partner organizations, lenders, and other community groups that help small businesses succeed.