Update2: Video highlights are now available

Update: We recently were invited to the Iowa State Fair for an official graduation celebration that included Governor Kim Reynolds, CEO of Goldman Sachs David Solomon, and Tyra Banks. Very cool event, and I was honored to be invited onto the same stage as those accomplished individuals. DMACC also released a news announcement for our class.

I'm excited to share that I recently completed Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Program. I was one of 36 small business owners that were part of the second class from Iowa to participate. It was a diverse group with businesses across multiple sectors including, IT, cosmetics, animal care, and more.

The 100 hour curriculum that was developed by the nation's leading entrepreneurship program at Babson College was a blend of online and in person training at the DMACC Ankeny Campus. All of the best instructors were sourced from every corner of the state to facilitate and instruct. We had 6 business advisors that provided the perspective of a successful entrepreneur "from the trenches" and kept us accountable as we worked. We covered ever topic you can imagine related to small business ownership and operation including: identifying opportunities, refining processes, understanding and using financials, leadership, culture, and marketing and sales. And, we all used our own companies as case studies so the training really addressed our unique needs! The focus was on identifying and solidifying a growth opportunity for our businesses and I can confidently say that the team here at Bio::Neos has embraced the growth plan that I designed during this course.

For a engineer turned entrepreneur, with training limited to trial and error for the last fifteen years: I cannot emphasize enough how much value I got out of this program. I am extremely grateful for all of the efforts of the instructors, BAs, facilitators, and the Goldman Sachs Foundation that funded the amazing program.

So far there have been over 8,200 graduates from all fifty states. It was a great opportunity to gain valuable insight and connect with other small business owners. This training will be invaluable as we look to the future work on achieving our growth plan.

Are you an Iowa small business interested in participating in future training with 10,000 Small Businesses? There are more details and application information here, or look for a program in your state at most major metros.