Valley Students to Host Entrepreneurship Fair Tonight

News release from West Des Moines School District:

Valley High School students will have a chance to showcase their business ideas at an Entrepreneurship Fair from 6:30 to 8 tonight at the school auditorium.

Students in Sarah Bird’s entrepreneurship class each have come up with a business plan to present to local business advisors who have volunteered to evaluate them. The students will get real world feedback on whether their business opportunity can be supported by growth in the marketplace.

The projects include Cupcake Therapy, Big Rig Detailing, Brain Food (lunch delivery service), supercoolwristbandsunited (selling Valley Tigers wristbands), Delightful Candles and The Highest Evaluation (market research for companies focused on teens). 

Speakers will include:

• Dawn Bowlus, xirector of the Jacobson Institute for Youth Entrepreneurship – University of Iowa
• Greg Abel, chairman, president and CEO of Mid-American Energy Holdings Company 

The following services will be present to offer free advice for students for the night:

• Bank – State Savings Bank
• Legal – Brown Winick
• Insurance – State Farm Insurance
• Accounting - LWBJ

 A list of all of the business advisors who will help with evaluating the students’ presentations:

• Carlos Acebey, president, ACB Sports Marketing & Management
• Dawn Bowlus, director, Jacobson Institute of Youth Entrepreneurship – University of Iowa
• Spencer Cox, president and owner, Vending Services Incorporated
• John Givant, sales, Dice.com
• Katie Givant, project manager, Edaptive Systems
• John Hansen, general manager, Chase Suite Hotels
•  Chris Haviland, vice president business development, Group Benefits, Ltd.
• Brian Hemesath, serial entrepreneur, VolunteerLocal/ Catchwind
• Carl Lingen, sales executive and HR consultant, GBL Payroll & HR Services
• Shawn Miller, president and CFO, Des Moines Acupuncture Clinic
• Greg Morrow, chief operating officer, Brown Winick
• Greg Shireman, vice president of marketing and sales, Delta Dental
• Zac Voss, president, Voss Distributing LLC
• David Van Ahn, owner, Heartland Investments & Insurance LLC