West Des Moines Chamber Extends Deadline for Athene Black & Brown Business Summit Pitch Competition

WEST DES MOINES, Iowa (Jan. 31, 2025) – The West Des Moines Chamber of Commerce (WDM Chamber) is extending the application period for the 2025 Athene Black & Brown Business Summit Pitch Competition, sponsored by pitch partner, Bank of America. Applications will be accepted until midnight on Sunday, Feb. 9, 2025.

“We’re passionate about creating opportunities for all entrepreneurs,” said Angela Jackson, senior vice president of diversity, equity and inclusion at Athene. “This effort is a meaningful stride toward supporting minority-owned businesses and building a community where diversity fuels success.”.

Eligibility Requirements

• Businesses must be 51% minority-owned.

• Must be an established small business (in operation for over two years, with fewer than 50 employees and under $2.5 million in annual revenue).

• Only for-profit businesses are eligible—nonprofit organizations may not compete.

• Businesses do not have to be in West Des Moines; any qualifying business may apply.

• Previous winners from the past three years are ineligible to apply.

“Since its inception in 2021, the Athene Black & Brown Business Summit has awarded $152,000 to visionary entrepreneurs,” said Katherine Harrington, president and CEO of the WDM Chamber. “We are excited to see what stories of ambition and innovation emerge this year.

Last year,  eight minority-owned businesses participated in the pitch competition and all received cash prizes. Winners included Femly in first place, winning $20,000. Lightly took second place and won $15,000. Fresh Mediterranean Express came in third place, earning $10,000. Additional finalists received $1,000 each: AbgT Shop, Dtocs LLC, Flikshop, Four Corners Coalition LLC and Redefine and Reveal.

Those interested in applying for the Athene Black & Brown Business Summit Pitch Competition, visit wdmchamber.org/pitch for the application. For more details about the summit, check out bbbsummit.com.
 

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About the Athene Black & Brown Business Summit
The Athene Black & Brown Business Summit is an annual event dedicated to providing a platform for Black and Brown professionals, entrepreneurs, and leaders to share insights, inspire change, and foster connections. The summit serves as a catalyst for growth, empowerment, and collaboration within the community.

About Athene
Athene is a leading retirement services company with over $350 billion of total assets as of September 30, 2024, and operations in the United States, Bermuda, Canada, and Japan. Athene is focused on providing financial security to individuals by offering an attractive suite of retirement income and savings products and also serves as a solutions provider to corporations. For more information, please visit www.athene.com.

About the West Des Moines Chamber of Commerce
The West Des Moines Chamber of Commerce, established in 1924, is a dynamic organization dedicated to championing all things West Des Moines. With a focus on strengthening local businesses, providing personalized resources, and attracting a top-tier workforce, the Chamber aims to position WDM as the best suburban city in America. Celebrating a century of excellence, the Chamber boasts a diverse community of over 900 members, offering something for everyone. Explore the possibilities, learn more about the chamber, and discover how you can get involved in shaping the future of West Des Moines at wdmchamber.org.

About Bank of America
Bank of America is one of the world’s leading financial institutions, serving individual consumers, small and middle-market businesses and large corporations with a full range of banking, investing, asset management and other financial and risk management products and services. The company provides unmatched convenience in the United States, serving approximately 69 million consumer and small business clients with approximately 3,700 retail financial centers, approximately 15,000 ATMs (automated teller machines) and award-winning digital banking with approximately 58 million verified digital users. Bank of America is a global leader in wealth management, corporate and investment banking and trading across a broad range of asset classes, serving corporations, governments, institutions and individuals around the world. Bank of America offers industry-leading support to approximately 4 million small business households through a suite of innovative, easy-to-use online products and services. The company serves clients through operations across the United States, its territories and more than 35 countries. Bank of America Corporation stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: BAC).
For more Bank of America news, including dividend announcements and other important information, visit the Bank of America newsroom and register for news email alerts.