Iowa organizations are coming together to support a program that helps attract and train more female entrepreneurs. Next month when the fourth Iowa Startup Business Boot Camp for Women kicks off, the program will be presented by Cedar Rapids-based Ascent, an organization focused on strengthening female entrepreneurship in Iowa.
Currently Iowa is ranked last in the country for economic influence women-owned businesses have on the states’ economy. But Tom Swartwood, assistant professor of entrepreneurship at Drake University and the program’s creator, says he hopes the Boot Camp can change that.
“Women make up 50 percent of the state’s population,” he said. “How can you have a strong entrepreneurial cultural that women aren’t involved in?”
The four-day workshop will be held over the course of two weekends—June 6-7 and June 20-21—at Drake University in Des Moines and Mount Mercy University in Cedar Rapids. Swartwood says various speakers and aspects of the program will be live streamed between the two locations so both groups can participate.
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Over the course of the two weekends, participants will work to develop their business ideas and receive hands-on support from mentors and professionals in various fields.
Ascent’s president and CEO Lydia Brown recently was a keynote speaker during EntreFEST, which was held earlier this month in Iowa City. For the first time, the conference had a session track focused on women entrepreneurs.
Registration for the Des Moines event and the Cedar Falls event costs $150 and is open through June 3.
Learn more about the fourth Startup Business Boot Camp for Women on Ascent’s website.
