West Des Moines Chamber Extends Deadline, Removes Fees for Athene Beyond Boundaries Business Summit Pitch Competition

WEST DES MOINES, Iowa (Feb. 10, 2026) – The West Des Moines Chamber of Commerce (WDM Chamber) has extended the application period for the 2026 Athene Beyond Boundaries Pitch Competition and eliminated the application fee to expand access. The awards for this year’s pitch competition are sponsored by Bank of America. The application submission deadline has been extended to Sunday, March 1, 2026, by 5 p.m.

“This update is all about possibility,” said Katherine Harrington, president and CEO of the West Des Moines Chamber of Commerce. “We’re excited to make the Pitch Competition more accessible and to welcome even more entrepreneurs into this experience.”

Eligibility Requirements

• Must be a small business. (Small Businesses – whether product or service businesses – are defined as more than two years in business, under 50 employees and under $2.5 million annual revenue.)

• This pitch is for-profit businesses only. No nonprofit pitches.

• Business does not have to be located in West Des Moines.

• If you have received funds from the past three years at the Athene Beyond Boundaries Business Summit, and to make room for new applicants, you are not able to apply for the 2026 event unless you were a randomly selected participant from a previous year.

In 2025, all eight finalists in the pitch competition received cash prizes. Winners included MinkeeBlue (Philadelphia); Sensiil Studios (Des Moines, Iowa); Spoonful Wellness (Brooklyn, N.Y.); West X East (Brooklyn, N.Y.); Do The Math 247 (Waukee, Iowa); Real Estate Investor Goddesses (Los Angeles); Regeily LLC (Bloomfield Hills, Mich.); and Relationship Wealth Enterprises (Waukee, Iowa).
If you are interested in applying for the 2026 Pitch Competition or would like to learn more about the Athene Beyond Boundaries Business Summit, please visit bbbsummit.com.
 

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About the Athene Beyond Boundaries Business Summit
The Athene Beyond Boundaries Business Summit was created by national stakeholders to assist with connection building, programming, promotion, training and provide resources to help businesses grow and prosper. The Summit is owned and operated by the West Des Moines Chamber of Commerce and is supported by several key stakeholders, including Athene, Bank of America, Chase, Principal and more. The West Des Moines Chamber of Commerce created The Summit back in 2021, and Athene became the naming rights sponsor in 2022.

About the WDM Chamber of Commerce
Recognized by ACCE (Association of Chambers of Commerce Executives) as one of the top Chambers in the nation, the West Des Moines Chamber of Commerce, established in 1924, is the largest, most active chamber in the Greater Des Moines region. With a focus on strengthening local businesses, boosting economic development, and attracting a top-tier workforce, the Chamber aims to position WDM as the best suburban city in America. Celebrating over a century of excellence, the Chamber boasts a diverse community of over 1000 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 and our entire region at wdmchamber.org.

About Athene
Athene is the leading retirement solutions company with $430 billion of total assets as of September 30, 2025, 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 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.