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West Des Moines Chamber of Commerce Open Nominations for 2026 High School Leadership Academy
WEST DES MOINES, IA (October 14, 2025) – The West Des Moines Chamber of Commerce (WDM Chamber) today announced that nominations are now open for the 2026 High School Leadership Academy (HSLA)—a free, spring-semester program exclusively for students in grades 9–11 within the West Des Moines Community School District (WDMCS). Led by Meredith Murphy, Director of Future Workforce at the WDM Chamber, HSLA will select 30 students for its 2026 program, featuring four full-day sessions designed to build
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West Des Moines Chamber of Commerce and ITA Group Launch New Podcast, The Drive
WEST DES MOINES, IA (October 7, 2025) – The West Des Moines Chamber of Commerce (WDM Chamber), in partnership with ITA Group, is excited to announce the launch of a new podcast series, The Drive. This engaging new series will carry forward the momentum of the Chamber’s CEO Insights podcast, building on its success while taking conversations in a fresh direction. The Drive will explore leadership, business innovation, and community impact through dynamic conversations with influential voices from across
These Are Critical Factors Small Businesses Should Consider When Planning for Growth
Growth is exciting — but it’s also one of the riskiest phases for any small business. Whether you’re hiring your first employee, entering a new market, or scaling operations, the decisions you make now will shape your company’s long-term trajectory. Planning well means balancing ambition with sustainable structure. Building Solid Proposals to Win Clients and Projects One overlooked driver of growth is how effectively you communicate your value. A strong proposal isn’t just paperwork — it’s your
How Small Businesses Can Capitalize on Seasonal Promotions
Holiday rushes and seasonal shifts are more than just calendar bookmarks—they’re pulses in the economy that shape consumer behavior in predictable and powerful ways. For small businesses navigating a market dominated by big-box names and algorithm-driven ad wars, these temporal rhythms offer a rare kind of leverage. It’s not just about slapping a 10% off banner on a product and hoping for the best; it’s about understanding how seasons shift desire, urgency, and spending habits. When done right, seasonal
Strategies for Building a Brand Online That Feels Alive in 2025
If your business still treats its website like a digital brochure and your social media like an afterthought, you're going to lose. That’s not hyperbole, it’s the math of the current era. The entire internet ecosystem in 2025 has matured into something less mechanical and more conversational, more experience-driven, less keyword-choked. People expect presence, not placeholders, and if you’re not modernizing how you show up online, you’re silently telling customers they don’t need to bother showing up
Taming the Chaos: Practical Ways to Cut Admin Overload and Boost Productivity
Running a small business is a game of balance. You’re the strategist, the creative mind, and—whether you like it or not—the administrative workhorse. Those endless emails, invoices, scheduling conflicts, and compliance forms can easily swallow up your time before you even get to the real work that drives your business forward. The good news? You don’t have to accept this as your fate. There are practical ways to strip down, simplify, and systematize your administrative tasks so you can focus on growth,
2025 Pitch Competition Finalists Announced for Athene Black & Brown Business Summit
WEST DES MOINES, Iowa (March 10, 2025) – The West Des Moines Chamber of Commerce has announced seven finalists for the 2025 pitch competition at the Fifth Annual Athene Black & Brown Business Summit. The pitch competition is supported by Bank of America, and the Summit is presented by Wells Fargo. “Bank of America congratulates the finalists of the Athene Black & Brown Business Summit Pitch Competition,” Annie Brandt, senior vice president and market executive for Bank of America Iowa. “We are proud to
WDM Chamber Opens Registration for YURtern Summer Intern Program
WEST DES MOINES, IA (Mar. 4, 2025) - The West Des Moines Chamber of Commerce (WDM Chamber) announces the opening of registration for its YURtern Summer Intern program. YURtern (which get its name from a combination of "It’s Your Turn" combined with the word "intern,"), now in its eighth year, offers opportunities for young professionals to gain insights from industry experts on networking, interviewing, and the transition from college to career. Graduates of the program have gone on to become influential
WEST DES MOINES CHAMBER LAUNCHES WEST YP APP & VYP PROGRAM
WEST DES MONES, IA (FEBRUARY 18, 2025) – The West Des Moines Chamber of Commerce (WDM Chamber) is excited to announce the launch of the West YP App, a groundbreaking tool designed to revolutionize the way young professionals connect, learn, and grow. Available exclusively to members of the West YP program, this app is a reimagined experience tailored for Central Iowa’s next generation of leaders. West YP is the young professional program powered by the WDM Chamber that launched in 2021 and has since
