Kaylee Williams of Volunteer Local to Talk Business Development
“The most important thing to me has been to take the risk, to try new things and to get comfortable being uncomfortable,” says Kaylee Williams, Director of Business Development for Volunteer Local. “I’m looking forward to sharing our story and some of what I have learned along the way,” she says of her upcoming conversation with Mike Colwell, Executive Director of the Business Innovation Zone, at the BIZ’s February luncheon.
The BIZ luncheon, a source of education, inspiration and networking for established and emerging businesses alike will feature Colwell interviewing Williams for the first half hour followed by an open discussion with the audience for the remaining half hour.
Williams brings a unique perspective to the conversation, for while Volunteer Local is among the successful tech startups blossoming forth from the silicon prairie, it was her passion for volunteerism that drew her attention initially. “While at the University of Iowa I was very involved in non-profit work and was very passionate about volunteering,” she remembers, citing nearly a dozen organizations or events both on the U of I campus and throughout the community to which she donated her time and energy.
Couple this propensity to volunteer with a lifelong interest in small business and William’s future was being cast even without her knowing it. “When I graduated, I knew I wanted to work for a start-up, it was the hip thing to do,” she explains noting that her mother was engaged with small businesses through her work at the University of Northern Iowa. “I guess I’ve always had an entrepreneurial spirit, I started my first business, a dog walking service, when I was 11,” she recalls.
So, with a degree in English and Economics, a passion for volunteerism and an entrepreneurial spirit, Williams contacted Silicon Prairie News for job leads and was connected to Brian Hemesath, a developer and entrepreneur who was in the midst of developing new web based software to organize, schedule and manage volunteers.
About the Greater Des Moines Partnership
The Greater Des Moines Partnership is the economic and community development organization that serves Greater Des Moines (DSM), Iowa. Together with 23 Affiliate Chambers of Commerce, more than 6,100 Regional Business Members and more than 330 Investors, The Partnership drives economic growth with one voice, one mission and as one region. Through innovation, strategic planning and global collaboration, The Partnership grows opportunity, helps create jobs and promotes DSM as the best place to build a business, a career and a future. Learn more at DSMpartnership.com.