Siouxland Growth Organization members have been busy this Spring in their mission to nurture and grow opportunities for young professionals in our community! Since the last issue of Siouxland Magazine, we have volunteered at the Wine & Chocolate Festival, volunteered in Litter Dash, hosted our annual golf classic fundraiser, held social events, and had countless committee and general meetings. On May 18, we had the pleasure of hosting our 14th annual Innovation Market.
Innovation Market strives to grow our community through innovative ideas and supporting local businesses by helping to bridge the gap between the inception of an entrepreneurial idea and making it a reality. Siouxland Growth Organization uses this event to create an environment where potential startups or businesses less than a year old test their ideas in a community setting. With our partnership with the Siouxland Chamber to make our event a Rush Hour Connect this year, we were ecstatic with the turnout of Siouxlanders who came to rally around aspiring local entrepreneurs.
At the end of this year’s innovation market, the community decided which five business ideas they wanted to move on to the next round of judging by Siouxland GO members and our generous event donors. After several inspiring presentations, one business won $5,000 (provided by Sterling Computers) to assist with its startup costs. Second place (provided by the City of Sioux City, the Siouxland Initiative, and Vitus) and third place (provided by Iowa’s West Coast Initiative) walked away with $2,500 and $1,000, respectively, to make their entrepreneurial dreams a reality. We are incredibly grateful for the support of our event sponsors, who helped us create a space locally where progress can take root.
Siouxland GO members plan to assist with this summer’s RAGBRAI and Summer In Siouxland Internship Program. If you want to get involved in the community but are unsure where to begin, please stop by any of our general meetings! We will hold our July meeting on Wednesday, July 19, from 8 – 9 a.m., at the United Way of Siouxland. For more information on our upcoming events, please check us out on Facebook!
If you’re interested in becoming a member of Siouxland GO, there are many opportunities to affect change in our community. Check out our website at SiouxCityGO.com to learn more about Siouxland Growth Organization and the committees you can get involved in. Please contact any board member if you want to start a dialogue about membership benefits for yourself or your employees.
By Sydney McManamy, 2023 Siouxland Growth Organization President
