We are so grateful to the Des Moines team (Geoff, Diana, Tej, Mikayla, and Abby) for putting together such an intentional and dynamic summit. There was something for everyone as we explored more about the Des Moines ecosystem and gathered in person for the first time in over a year. Here are a few highlights from our 2.5 days together.
You are the Bridge
Des Moines has a very popular flag that represents three bridges, three rivers, and the people who are the lifeblood of the city. We took that flag as the inspiration for the summit theme, centering it on the idea that ecosystem builders are inherently bridges. Bridges to resources, to people, to storytelling, to communities, and to other ecosystems. We saw that played out in multiple ways throughout the ecosystem and in the takeaways from each session.
Building bridges and being intentional
In order to be the change you want to see, you need to challenge the status quo, be the builder, and bring others along with you. This is how the burgeoning ecosystem in Des Moines got started. When Eric Engelman co-founded ISA Ventures, Tej Dhawan co-founded Plains Angels, and Geoff Wood founded Gravitate Coworking. They wanted to live in a place where entrepreneurs had resources to grow and a community to belong to. So they built it and people came.
Eric Engelman shares his journey founding ISA Ventures
During Wednesday's InterCultural Unity session, we were empowered by Buckminster Fuller's quote
"You never change things by fighting against the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the old model obsolete."
After a deep dive on power structures and the inherent systemic barriers they create, we split up into groups to run through an exercise that helped us think outside of the traditional models to solve the challenges we face as ecosystem builders. It was a great reminder that our job as bridge builders is to bring groups together from all parts of the pyramid - those at the top, in the middle, and at its base.
In the session on developing startup infrastructure for underrepresented groups, we were reminded of the importance of relationship and trust-building.
A Flourishing Creative Community
Speaking of building what you want to see, we were blown away by the creative community flourishing in Des Moines because of the people and organizations dedicated to supporting it. On Monday night, we got a taste of that at Teehees Comedy Club, founded by an environmental engineer/comedian who wanted to build a comedy community so that Iowa talent could grow there and not leave to places like New York and Chicago. Guess what? Building that community worked and Teehees can proudly say that 87% of the performers at there live and work in Iowa.
We felt that same passion at Mainframe Studios, a collective space for artists and makers. Mainframe brightly colored building is now the largest non-profit creative workspace in the world, housing 138 artists. In another session on the music economy, we felt that same community spirit. Kuuku Saah and Mickey Davis shared how their organizations, Greater Des Moines Music Coalition, and the 80/35 music festival look for partnerships and think critically about supporting the musicians. Building a music ecosystem for them is all about thinking through the ripple effects of programming and events to ensure that professional development and breakthrough opportunities are plentiful. The Greater Des Moines Partnership has been a great partner for them, as well as the City of Des Moines, who created a tourism tax program called Bravo.
Identifying and owning your strengths
Did you know that Des Moines is the insurance capital of the U.S.? The ecosystem does - and has brilliantly leveraged the large pool of professionals and companies in the industries to drive innovation in the Insurtech and Fintech space by developing industry-specific accelerators. We learned all about it from representatives of four of them during a very unique1 Million Cups at the Cubs minor league stadium. Throughout the summit, we also learned about the important role The Greater Des Moines Partnership (who was a summit sponsor) serves in all facets of the ecosystem. They are integral in corraling and supporting startup, corporate, creative, and business communities.
Metrics and Storytelling
There was another thread woven throughout the summit - a common theme that helped many of the organizations we heard from during our three days together: metrics and storytelling. On day one, Geoff Wood shared why he started Clay & Milk and why local storytelling is important.
Eric Engelman also stressed the importance of crafting a compelling story and stressed its importance in the growth of ISA Ventures. In the creative community, data has been important as well. The Greater Des Moines Music Coalition is working on asset mapping to create data, benchmarking, and resource connecting. Their goal is to get a good picture of the music scene to help them with partnerships and funding. That's data + storytelling at work!
On day three, we heard from Debbie Irwin, Tom Chapman, Andy Stoll, and Danny Laudick on the intricacies of ecosystem metrics. Debbie has been using metrics and storytelling in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia and has successfully won a $750,000 grant from the EDA and $1M Community Navigator Grant from the SBA! Speaking of metrics and storytelling, we will be launching another Ecosystem Health Challenge with Tom Chapman soon. Stay tuned!
Summit Resources
There were so many great resources shared during Summit. Here's a quick list.
EcoMaps wrote a wonderful summit recap. Read it here.
On November 3, long-term SCN member Anika Horn is launching the pilot of her 10-week ecosystem builder training The Keystone Program. Use the code champions at checkout for an exclusive SCN membership discount
When ecosystem builders learn from one another, entrepreneurship thrives. Explore the Kauffman Foundation’s Ecosystems in Action series, which features actionable insights from practitioners nationwide. We are so grateful to Kauffman Foundation, our Presenting Sponsor.
“Ecosystem building work is hard, but it’s even harder without a supportive community that is going through those same struggles. SCN offers that community and enables you to be the best bridge you can be.”
Thank you, sponsors
Where to next?
Join us in Durham/Research Triangle Park, North Carolina for our Spring 2022 Summit. Dates have been set for April 4-6 2022! Get your tickets now at our Super Early Bird price!
