Attend the Virtual Summit + Local Events During the National Small Business Week in DSM

From Sunday, April 30 to Saturday, May 6, National Small Business Week will offer small business owners and entrepreneurs networking, mentoring and opportunities to hear success stories from their peers. There are many opportunities to support small businesses during National Small Business Week in Greater Des Moines (DSM), including ribbon cuttings, business networking events or attending the National Small Business Week Virtual Summit.

The National Small Business Week Virtual Summit, taking place Tuesday, May 2 and Wednesday, May 3, is hosted by the U.S. Small Business Administration and SCORE. This year’s event will include sessions that discuss AI, advertising, business plans, cybersecurity, e-commerce and more. This two-day event is free, but don’t forget to register at sba.gov/nsbw. Insight into entrepreneurship from top experts will also meet during the virtual Small Business Playbook event on Thursday, May 4 with CNBC. Speakers will include the likes of Harley Finkelstein, President of Shopify, Kevin O’Leary, Chairman of O’Leary Ventures, Danian Lillard, NBA & Move Insoles Co-Founder and Asahi Pompey, Global Head of Corporate Engagement & President of Goldman Sachs Foundation, among others.

Upcoming Local Events

Networking

• Business After Hours in Johnston: Thursday, May 4 at 4:30 p.m. at 5525 Merle Hay Road, Johnston
• Business After Hours in Winterset: Thursday, May 4 at 5 p.m. at 1015 W. Summit St., Winterset
• Downtown Breakfast Club: Thursday, May 4 at 8 a.m. at 620 Cherry St., Des Moines
• Friday Chamber Coffee in Winterset: Friday, May 5 at 8:15 a.m. in Winterset
• FuseDSM Quarterly Breakfast: Thursday, May 4 at 7:45 a.m. at 1050 6th Ave., Des Moines
• MOXIE Business Owner Roundtable: Wednesday, May 3 at 8 a.m. at 2830 100th St., Urbandale
• State Street Trading Company – 5 Years in Business Celebration: Thursday, May 4 at 4 p.m. at 35 W State St., Marshalltown
• Waukee Wake Up: Wednesday, May 3 at 7:30 a.m. at 1185 SE University Ave.,
• WaukeeWest Side Referral Network No. 1: Wednesday, May 3 at Noon

Local Ribbon Cuttings

Spring is the unofficial start of ribbon cutting season, and our 24 Affiliate Chambers of Commerce are just getting started. Ribbon cutting ceremonies are a great way to welcome a business into a community or celebrate a business milestone. Check out a few upcoming ribbon cuttings that you can attend:

• Bianca’s Grill & Vineyard: Friday, May 5 at 11:30 a.m. at 410 S. Ankeny Blvd., Ankeny (restaurant)
• Cajun Belle: Tuesday, May 2 at 5 p.m. at 5460 Merle Hay Road, Johnston (restaurant)
• eve.: Thursday, May 4 at Noon at 1450 SW Vintage Pkwy, Ste. 130, Ankeny (boutique)
• Salon 86 Celebrating 15 Years Open House & Ribbon Cutting: Monday, May 1 at 4:30 p.m. at 8066 Douglas Ave., Urbandale (beauty services)
• Vara Guard: Thursday, May 4 at 5:30 p.m. at 700 Locust St., Des Moines (security services)

To find even more small business-related events, visit the Greater Des Moines Partnership calendar or each of the Affiliate Chamber websites.

The Greater Des Moines Partnership also celebrates minority-owned business owners as it continues to urge them to apply for the Scale DSM Minority Business Accelerator. The deadline to apply is Sunday, May 7, so if you’re a minority business owner and interested in taking part in the inaugural event, sign up now.

If you’re not a small business owner, but want to show your support, shop local at your favorite businesses this week. Not sure where to show your support? Check out our Membership Directory for ideas and gear up for 515 Day with our ideas for how to give back, where to shop, restaurants to visit and new places to go in Downtown DSM on Monday, May 15.

The Greater Des Moines Partnership celebrates the Greater Des Moines (DSM) entrepreneur community and helps small businesses succeed with one-of-a-kind entrepreneurship resources.