$30K invested in entrepreneurs at Invest In She – DSM
LIFT IOWA STAFF Sep 14, 2015 | 7:33 pm
2 min read time
357 wordsAll Latest News, Lift IOWA, Retail and Business
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| Megan McKay of Peace Tree Brewing Co., center, accepts a $12,000 investment from IWLC Chief Operating Officer Tiffany O’Donnell, left, and CEO Diane Ramsey. |
With opening words of wisdom from Iowa Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds, six female entrepreneurs presented their businesses at the inaugural Invest In She – Des Moines event, held Thursday at Sticks Inc.
The competition, hosted by Iowa Women Lead Change (IWLC), invited female business owners from across the state to compete for $30,000 from local investors.
Receiving the biggest investment was Megan McKay, owner of Peace Tree Brewing Co. Investors awarded McKay $12,000.
“This process gave validation to me as an entrepreneur,” McKay said in a news release. “And it is validation to an industry [brewing] that has not been historically strong in Iowa. It shows me that if you have a compelling story and product, you can succeed.”
Investors chose to distribute the remaining funds to the five remaining female entrepreneurs in the following denominations:
- Laird Nossuli – iEmergent – $8,000.
- Pam Patton – Patton’s Restaurant & Catering – $5,000.
- Ciji Mitrisin – Recycle Me Iowa – $2,500.
- Helen Adeosun – CareAcademy.com Inc. – $1,500.
- Jeni Betts – Fresh Mediterranean Express – $1,000.
Helen Adeosun of CareAcademy.com Inc was the winner of the Audience Choice Award.
“The support of the Invest In She – Des Moines investors will enable us to dramatically change our business,” Adeosun said. “We will be able to advance our company four months in our goals.”
The event, which also is held annually in Cedar Rapids, is designed to celebrate and foster female entrepreneurism in Iowa. Each entrepreneur was allowed to present in front of a panel of investors and pitch her business plans or needs. Investors then chose to allocate specific amounts of funding to each woman based on her pitch. The event was open to the public.
IWLC’s partners for Invest In She – Des Moines, including Square One DSM and The Greater Des Moines Partnership, identified, screened and prepped the women entrepreneurs who participated in the pitch opportunity. The partners will provide resources and services for the entrepreneurs, as required by the investors.
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