The winner of the second annual Invest in She – Des Moines event, held June 9, was TreePans.com Inc., a family-owned business represented by Susan Brown.

Six female entrepreneurs presented their startups and pitched their needs at the second annual Invest in She – Des Moines event. The competition, hosted by Iowa Women Lead Change (IWLC) at Drake University’s Olmsted Center, invited women business owners from across the state to compete for $30,000 from local investors. Business owners also received advice from previous Invest in She winners Megan McKay of Peace Tree Brewing Co. and Elizabeth Caven of UpCraft Club. 

Of the six women-owned businesses, investors chose to distribute $30,000 of support in the following denominations:

Susan Brown, TreePans.com Inc. – $12,000.

Becky Herman, Iowa Cricket Farmer – $9,000.

Allison Davidson-Motoyama, Dona Bela Shreds – $4,000.

Heather Hassebroek, Bublins – $2,500.

Steph Jessen, Mo’ Goodness Foods – $1,500.

Lyssa Wade, Veggie Thumper – $1,000.

“The caliber of women-owned businesses who applied for the event and the polish of our final six entrepreneur contestants speaks volumes about the quality of female entrepreneurism in Central Iowa and across the state,” said Tiffany O’Donnell, chief operating officer of IWLC, who served as event emcee and worked with the entrepreneurs to prep for their live pitches. “We were also incredibly impressed by the knowledge, insight and commitment provided by our Des Moines investors.”

It was invaluable to get feedback from professionals with experience who are willing to share it with others, Brown said.

“The questions from investors were attempting to dive deeper, and that’s what I expected,” she said.

IWLC will host a similar event in Cedar Rapids on June 14. More information on that event can be found on the event’s website.

To see a full recap from the Des Moines event, click here.