News
Announcement of 2024 Pitch Competition Finalists: Bank of America Presents Athene Black & Brown Business Summit Pitch Competition
WEST DES MOINES, IA (March 12, 2024) – The West Des Moines Chamber of Commerce (WDM Chamber) has announced seven finalists for the 2024 Pitch Competition presented by Bank of America at the fourth annual Athene Black & Brown Business Summit presented by Wells Fargo. The event is held at the corporate headquarters of Athene at 7700 Mills Civic Pkwy, West Des Moines, Iowa on April 18-19.Seven finalists were chosen from a pool of over 100 applicants from across the United States. These finalists will each
The West Des Moines Chamber of Commerce Announces Celebration of 100 Years
WEST DES MONES, IA (January 3, 2024) – The West Des Moines Chamber of Commerce (WDM Chamber) announces its celebration of 100 years in 2024, marking a century of growth, collaboration, and prosperity for the city of WDM. The milestone year will highlight the organization's commitment to its members, the strength of the local business community, and the spirit of innovation that has continued its success since 1924.Katherine Harrington, President and CEO of the WDM Chamber, expressed her enthusiasm for 2024,
The West Des Moines Chamber of Commerce Awards Ambassador of the Year and Runner-Up
WEST DES MOINES, IA (December 14, 2023) – The WDM Chamber has named Connie Blodgett as the 2023 Ambassador of the Year, with Charity Baird as the runner-up. Ambassadors play a crucial role in supporting the organization, contributing to member retention, and fostering community growth throughout the year. The Ambassador of the Year is determined by a point system based on engagement through events, member care calls, new member interactions, and monthly ambassador meetings.Named the 2023 Ambassador of the
The WDM Chamber Announces the 3rd Annual Raccoon River Rally Presented by Superstorm Restoration
WEST DES MONES, IA (September 26, 2023) – The West Des Moines Chamber of Commerce will host the 3rd Annual Raccoon River Rally presented by Superstorm Restoration on Saturday, October 14, at Raccoon River Park. This event is free to the community and will feature a variety of local food truck vendors, a family fun zone, cardboard boat races, live music, exhibitors, and more. “As we approach the 3rd Annual Raccoon River Rally, we look forward to bringing our community together for another memorable day of
2023 First Responders Date & Speaker Announced
WDM CHAMBER ANNOUNCES DATE, KEYNOTE SPEAKER FOR ANNUAL BREAKFAST CELEBRATING FIRST RESPONDERS WEST DES MONES, IA (JUNE 27, 2023) – The West Des Moines Chamber of Commerce is excited to announce the 2023 First Responder’s Appreciation Breakfast, featuring keynote speaker Jim Olson, a former CIA spy with an extraordinary journey and captivating story to tell. The event is scheduled to take place on September 21, 2023, at the Embassy Club West and is presented by West Bank and supported by Aureon.Recognized
WDM Chamber Announces Speakers for Second Annual Tina Talks
WEST DES MONES, IA (TUESDAY May 9, 2023) – The West Des Moines Chamber of Commerce (WDM Chamber) has announced six speakers for its second annual Tina Talks, held on June 6 at The Monroe in West Des Moines Iowa.Giving voices to female leaders in the region, the mission of Tina Talks is to challenge, motivate, inspire, and move attendees. At this event six women will share their impactful stories that will provide attendees with actional nuggets of information and inspiration. This year's theme is
Tina Hadden Named First Executive Director of In Harmony Farm
Tina Hadden has been chosen to lead the newly formed non-profit, In Harmony Farm, as its first full-time executive director, starting April 3.In Harmony Farm is a newly created organization focused on helping historically underserved farmers build specialty crop farm business in Central Iowa by providing access to land, infrastructure, and business capacity building resources. In its first year, the 70-acre farm created 9 parcels of land to be crop-ready and invited 6 farm families to begin their 5-year
WDM Chamber Announces 2023 Citizen, Emerging Citizen of the Year Nominations are Now Open
WEST DES MONES, IA (TUESDAY, FEB 7, 2023) – For the 78th consecutive year, the West Des Moines Chamber of Commerce (WDM Chamber) has announced the annual West Des Moines (WDM) Citizen and Emerging Citizen of the Year nominations are now open through March 8, 2023.“This is the longest running program within the West Des Moines Chamber of Commerce,” said Katherine Harrington, President & CEO of the Chamber. “As we lead up to our 100-year anniversary in 2024, this award is more important than ever.”Over the
Six Methods to Encourage Better Collaboration and Communication in Your West Des Moines, IA Small Business
Good collaboration and communication are essential for any business, but they're especially important for small businesses. When everyone is on the same page and working together toward a common goal, amazing things can happen. But when communication breaks down, it can have a ripple effect that negatively impacts every area of the business. Encouraging open communication and idea sharing, encouraging cross-team collaboration, not micromanaging people, seeking regular feedback from staff, using