Des Moines Business Record

2024 LOUISE ROSENFIELD NOUN VISIONARY AWARDEE: SUZANNA DE BACA We would like to congratulate our president, Suzanna de Baca, on receiving the Young Women's Resource Center's 2024 Louise Rosenfield Noun Visionary Award. This award honors advocates, activists, innovators and philanthropists who have made significant contributions toward empowering girls and young women. Their work “advances the status and welfare of girls and women, and their investments have a ripple effect to inspire others in the community,” according to the Young Women’s Resource Center. We see Suzanna do this daily here at Business Publications Corporation, Inc. Suzanna inspires all of us to lift up women, especially through her leadership with our Fearless initiative and in her Leading Fearlessly columns. Please join BPC in congratulating Suzanna. Learn more about the Young Women's Resource Center and its programs at https://ywrc.org/.

Congratulations to these folks who are On the Move! Make sure to connect via LinkedIn and take a second to help us celebrate their promotions, job changes, awards and other accomplishments. Find details about everyone who is on the move this week at https://lnkd.in/gTVDftAx Want to feature your employees in the Business Record’s free On the Move section? Submit your employees at https://lnkd.in/gCDehACK This week we congratulate: Nina New, Julia Verhoef, Sam George, Matthew Kleczewski Shawn Holman, Jason Welter, Steve Belay, Andrea Wright

Find takeaways from the Technology Association of Iowa Iowa Technology Summit and news about upcoming events including next week's Day of Innovation Youth Tech Conference hosted by Pi515 and the Greater Des Moines Partnership's Small Business Success Summit in this week's innovationIOWA newsletter: https://lnkd.in/ghXTFkyC

The pandemic is feeling more like a distant memory to many, but four years on, it is shaping a new era for events in Des Moines’ entrepreneurial community. In this week’s Business Record cover story, event organizers and entrepreneurs share their insights into what’s changed about planning and attending events as they return after the pandemic and discuss the new events and leaders they see emerging in the ecosystem. Read the full story from Staff Writer Sarah Diehn here: https://lnkd.in/gEg8VEsx

Meet Shannon Draayer, one of the Business Record's 2024 Forty Under 40. She recently led the expansion of the new Meals on Wheels campus to triple meal capacity and reduce food insecurity. She also leads well-being efforts for 2,000 team members, residents and clients of WesleyLife. Beyond her career, she says, "our 2-year-old son has a rare, complex genetic disease called Zellweger syndrome, a life-limiting illness. A big role for me outside of work is as a caregiver and advocate for him. I hope to improve in my role as an advocate and expand my knowledge of American Sign Language." During the centennial celebration of our National Park System in 2016, she visited 100 national parks in a year. https://lnkd.in/gxnXNXsM

Join us for our annual CRE Forum next week, where Justin Lossner, CCIM, SIOR will be recognized as the Iowa State University Ivy College of Business Commercial Real Estate Professional of the Year. Also during the forum, six panelists talk about development projects underway or planned in the Greater Des Moines area. Other topics include the office market, development-ready sites, new trends in architecture and downtown development. PANELISTS: Jesse Bunney: director of operations, LAWMARK CAPITAL, INC Chris Costa: president and CEO, Knapp Properties, LC Craig Erickson: managing director, Shive-Hattery Carrie Kruse, CPA, CGMA: economic development coordinator, City of Des Moines Rachel Wacker: executive director, Greater Dallas County Development Alliance Ryan Wiederstein: broker/owner, WB Realty Co. TICKETS: Limited seating available, reserve your ticket today at https://lnkd.in/gFsfsF_u EVENT DETAILS: Date: Thursday, April 25, 2024 Time: 7 a.m. networking, 7:30 to 9 a.m. program Location: Hilton Des Moines Downtown, 435 Park St Des Moines, IA 50309 #dsmusa #desmoinesbusiness #desmoinescommercialrealestate #desmoinesiowa

Did you have a role model who made a difference in your career? For my Leading Fearlessly column last month, I wrote about role models and asked some local leaders who inspired them. So many people wrote to me to tell me how much that column resonated with them that I decided to share even more leaders’ stories of women who made a difference in their lives. Here is who Mashal Husain, chief operating officer, World Food Prize Foundation, named: "Dr. Rizwan Shah was a healer and hero of abused children – and my friend and mentor for more than half my life. She inspired me to be the best I could be as a humanitarian and professional. Dr. Shah lived that mantra every day as she witnessed the devastating impact of drugs on newborns and treated methamphetamine-exposed babies. Following her 1968 arrival in America from her native Pakistan, Dr. Shah made Iowa her home and Iowans her family. She was the visionary who launched Blank Children’s Hospital’s Child Protection Center and was a champion for all children. Recognized as a “Local Legend” by the National Library of Medicine, Dr. Shah tackled the most challenging and heartbreaking cases and made the well-being of children her life’s focus. This selfless and angelic caregiver made all those around her feel special with her comforting words and reassuring smile – she remains my inspiration and idol." Mashal has a lot in common with her role model -- with her reassuring smile and compassionate leadership, she is an inspiration to many! You can read the entire Des Moines Business Record column here: https://bit.ly/3UgkPcW. Stay tuned for more role models from Dwana Bradley and Nicole Grundmeier, and check out Molly Lopez's quote from yesterday's post. #womenleaders #rolemodels #womeninbusiness #ceos #womenrock

Meet Kacey Davis, one of the Business Record's 2024 Forty Under 40. She is the director of employee health and wellness at Dotdash Meredith Corp. Outside of work, she serves on the Young Women's Resource Center board of directors and on the Broadlawns board of trustees. "I want to see holes plugged in health care access – and that means all aspects of care and in any way access can be denied, including transportation, affordability, lack of available health care workers," she says. "At the same time, I aspire to advance work on behalf of environmental justice, focusing on inequities that surface as our climate changes." https://lnkd.in/gXgZAPyN

Join us on April 18 at Noon for our virtual event Fearless Focus: Financial empowerment Addressing the unique financial barriers that women face Wage disparities and differing policies on paid family leave continue to be systemic issues affecting women’s economic standing. On an individual level, women often feel less confident than men when it comes to budgeting, investing and planning for retirement. In this conversation, we will talk about both the systemic and individual challenges women face financially. Leaders will highlight programs, opportunities and policies that support women’s economic mobility. Featured Panelist Michele Williams: associate professor, management and entrepreneurship, University of Iowa Tippie College of Business Register today at https://ow.ly/jNXV50RfpNF

Help us out — comment your suggestions for business leaders with interesting hobbies to include in this year's Photo Issue.