Posts tagged ‘des moines’
Official Movement Bash Poster (Click for Large Version)
DES MOINES, Iowa (October 8, 2009) – Impromptu Studio plays host to movers and shakers from across the Midwest at the first ever Movement Bash on Thursday, October 22. A select group from Des Moines’ growing tech and creative communities are joining forces to celebrate entrepreneurship with free food, free beverages, and free entertainment. Organizers are creating a casual networking evening for entrepreneurs and creatives from the Omaha, Kansas City, and Des Moines metro areas coming to town for Highlight Midwest.
“There’s a lot of good energy in Des Moines right now, and it’s connected in a big way to the same energy that’s growing across the whole Midwest,” said Dan Shipton, an organizer of the event and co-founder of Impromptu Studio. “Movement Bash will be a great way for big brains and big ideas to come together, network, and have a good time. No presentations, just conversations.”
To keep the event free and open, organizers tapped 18 19 different local businesses for support including tech start-ups, law firms, and creative agencies.
“Everyone I called was really excited,” Shipton said. “[Our sponsors] are a broad mix and involve a lot of businesses that are part of this movement of genuine innovation in flyover country. Events like Movement Bash, BarCamp, BIG Omaha, Ignite Des Moines, Advance Week…they’re tied to the new platform that real movers and shakers in the Midwest are building.”
Organizers are encouraging Movement Bash attendees to cut loose and come share their passions over food, drink, and activities. Rock Band, social games, an anonymous “suggestion box” for entrepreneurs, conversation-sparking nametags and other activities will help prevent wallflower-ing and keep the evening lively, Shipton said.
Movement Bash is being presented by Paragon IT, BitMethod, Law Offices Of Brett J. Trout, P.C., Public Relations Project, Grand Consulting, Click! Photography, Internet Solver, Napkin Sketch, Tweetup Badges, Test of Time Design, createWOWmedia, Market Street Media Foundry, Catchwind, 25 Connections, 48Web, Spindustry, SmartyPig, Olde Main Brewing Co. and Mars Café.
An RSVP is requested but not required and available at http://movementbash.eventbrite.com. Impromptu Studio is located at 300 SW 5th St, Des Moines IA 50309.
Impromptu Studio is known for a few things: being a hub for Des Moines entrepreneurs, highlighting and connecting our community, and throwing KICKASS shindigs! In October, Impromptu Studio plans to do ALL OF THEM AT ONCE! We lined up ~20 sponsors (which we kindly referred to as the Movers & Shakers of Des Moines) to help make this a reality so a BIG shout out is in order for them. A larger, more legible version of the poster below will be be gracing local businesses and available for download shortly!
On October 22nd, 2009 the Movers & Shakers of Des Moines are throwing a big party for all of the folks who are helping put the Midwest back on the map. This party is called the MOVEMENT BASH and it will include free bevvies, free food, and free entertainment:
Keep checking back for more info about the BASH but here is the lowdown-
- What: MOVEMENT BASH
- When: October 22nd, 2009. 6pm.
- Where: Impromptu Studio
- RSVP at EventBrite
At Impromptu Studio we strive to do great things for and with the business and technology communities. It is awful nice to hear feedback and feel the support from our community in whatever medium. Today has been one of those days. To that end, we want to thank James Eliason, Founder of Twittad for making a donation to Impromptu Studio.
“Impromptu Studio not only provides a great work environment for shared office space in Des Moines, it provides a great spot for meetings and conferences. I highly recommend that all local Des Moines and surrounding businesses hop on and support the Studio!” – James Eliason, Founder and CEO of Twittad
We love being a part of the great things that are happening in Des Moines and hope to be a part of everything for a long time to come. So a big thanks goes to James and Twittad for their continued support in making Impromptu Studio a sustainable reality.
Our big Townhall meeting is just two days away! If you haven’t figured out what our meeting will be about, look no further.
The Townhall meeting is aimed at three types of people and part of the meeting will address each:
- Those who want to learn more about coworking and Impromptu Studio.
- Those who interested in finding out what big announcements, including upcoming events, and changes Impromptu Studio has in store for it’s community.
- Those who are interested in lending a helping hand to make Impromptu Studio better than they found it.
The Townhall is a meeting where you can bring your questions and suggestions about coworking or Impromptu Studio. This is an open invitation to shape the way Des Moines works!
For those that are curious about who you might see at the Townhall…. some of the speakers that will be either talking about coworking, Impromptu Studio, or making an announcement include:
- Brian Anderson of CoLab in Ames
- Member, Andy Brudtkuhl of 48Web
- Scott Kubie of Market Street Media Foundry
- Member, Doug Mitchell of CreateWowMedia
- Nathan T. Wright of Lava Row
We hope to see you there! During the Townhall meeting we will also be collecting video testimonials in our green screen room.
If you like, RSVP on Upcoming.
Gabriel Glynn and Michael Libbie
Gabriel Glynn, Asset Protection Specialist founder, and Michael Libbie, President of Insight Communications, were at Impromptu Studio for Part 4 of our “What Now” series for entrepreneurs. They gave us some great advice about bootstrapping and how to get your business up and running for less. Check out who was there in the Des Moines Register .
Check out Part 5 of our WhatNow series this Friday, March 20th and listen to Brett Trout, Law Offices of Brett Trout, and Adam Steen, 25 Connections, discuss “Character: Don’t be an @$$hole” Sign up for your tickets today!
Senator Chuck Grassley Speaking to YPs
Last month Chuck Grassley was at Impromptu Studio to speak with young professionals of Des Moines about among other things the financial crisis and its implications. The Business Record posted even posted a nice video recap. Jennie Smith who along with Gabriel Glynn organized the event. She first came across Impromptu Studio when she attended the “Big Dream Gathering” at our space.
Our very own local photographer Brooke Peterson held her very first show at Impromptu Studio. We thought it was very fitting since this was our first gallery show as well. We couldn’t have been more excited for Brooke in her debut. We happen to think Brooke is a great talent and Des Moines is lucky to have her. Please check out her website here and support our local talent.
Thoughts from Daniel Shipton of Impromptu Studio and Redship Technologies
I personally was quite inspired when the discussion ceased. Venture capitalists seemed quite eager to reach out and engage young entrepreneurs. The VC’s were genuinely interested in forging real relationships with those around the table. That was the biggest take-away for myself. However….
At the meeting there were several people that had shown up with the sentiment ” I have a great idea, you should give me money.” Realistically, this is not how the world of VC works. We need to work together with Iowa leaders to build a community that supports young business and recognizes the type of idea that, when given funding, will really take off. We need to not be so caught up in thinking about what that money would mean to our business if . We also feel that VC’s will not be the central solution to the brain drain. There are many other factors involved with making Des Moines a thriving community. We’ve attached a few others opinions of the meeting.
What do you think?
Thoughts from Scott Kubie of Rock Iowa
A caveat: To me, the technical definition of Brain Drain – a net loss of skilled or educated young people – is not as important to me as the loss of some of those young people in particular – the artists, the musicians, the cultural entrepreneurs- the creative class people that can make Des Moines a pretty kickin’ place to live. Boring yuppies who would never buy art or go to a show moving out of the state doesn’t really tug at my heartstrings. –
The recent Brain Drain roundtable at Impromptu was revealing, though in my opinion not particularly helpful. Conversation is rarely a bad thing, but can be when it is not followed by action. As a member of the “creative class” and veteran of the DSM non-profit cultural “scene”, I’m no stranger to conversations about the brain drain. Conversations, and more conversations, and more conversations. What many at the table at Impromptu revealed is that they are not particularly interested in addressing the problem at hand, but rather the problems in their hands. Me, me, me. How do I get money for MY business? How do I become successful? Why isn’t anyone helping ME? I’d rather resist cliche, but you all know the JFK quote that comes to mind.
I wish Des Moines’ technology entrepreneurs all the best of luck. I really do. However, trying to build “the next Google” in Des Moines is hardly a basket worth putting any eggs into. Are we incapable of having a strong, culturally diverse community without birthing the next Web 2.0 wonder in our own backyard? I should hope not. Funding tech start-ups and reversing the Brain Drain are both important problems, but in my opinion not all that connected. Getting real businesses here that need to employ real people at real, competitive wages will go a lot farther.
My first comment at the Roundtable was that the Generation Iowa report seemed accurate, but, again, hardly useful.Young people like good paying jobs and not having giant student loan debts? Stop the presses.
I think the impasse our community is at right now is that not a lot of people are willing to work in the middle on this issue. On one side, you have snotty 20 and 30-somethings who already have good jobs and money to burn that bellyache non-stop about how terrible Des Moines is, how there’s nothing to do, how much the nightlife sucks, etc etc. On the other side, you have advocacy organizations and people in positions of power sugarcoating everything and blathering non-stop about what an amazing community this is for art and culture, how the next creative-class revolution is already happening here, how easy it is to be an artist or musician in Des Moines, etc. And then, somewhere in the middle, you have the reality of the situation. There are some good things happening in Des Moines, but there are some major, major problems as well. There are too many excuses being made on both sides. The “everything sucks” crowd is apparently illiterate, as I rarely seem to have trouble finding an interesting band to check out or art exhibit to peruse on any given night of the week. The “we’re doing just fine” crowd has apparently never spoken to an actual artist or musician or someone else trying to make a living as a cultural entrepreneur. I’m working on a collaborative art studio right now and am running into plenty of artists that can’t even afford $100 a month for studio space.
Here’s my short version: put up or shut up. There’s a lot of work to be done. Bellyaching isn’t work. Stating the obvious isn’t work. Spending money to do reports based on 2000 census data that state the obvious isn’t work. Grant-supported cultural events that support bad art or dead genres of music isn’t work. “Advocacy days” isn’t work. There’s too much hand-holding and
too much back-slapping and not enough impassioned, aggressive cultural development.
Impromptu Studio has had tremendous luck when it comes to attracting sponsors for events. The newest sponsor to step forward to connect with our community is The Technology Assocation of Iowa.
The Technology Association of Iowa bills themselves as the voice of Iowa’s high tech industry:
The Technology Association of Iowa (TAI) is a member-based, not-for-profit organization accelerating the success of Iowa’s technology industry. TAI works to create and sustain a positive environment for technology-based economic growth and job creation through innovation, advocacy and leadership. Visit their website at www.technologyiowa.org.
The Technology Association of Iowa also runs the “academy awards” of Iowa’s technology industry, the Prometheus Awards:
Iowa’s largest and most prestigious awards devoted to promoting and celebrating the innovation and high-tech excellence in Iowa. This showcase honors companies and individuals who represent the best and brightest in technology and business and have demonstrated outstanding leadership and innovation. For more information on the 2009 Prometheus Awards and to see the criteria for the 17 award categories, visit www.technologyiowa.org/awards/2009/. The nomination period ends December 22, 2008.
So, please visit their website to submit your nomination for the 2009 Prometheus Awards. You can also check out @TechnologyIowa on Twitter.
We also want to acknowledge one of our guests favorite sponsors, which is Olde Main Brewery. We reached out to Olde Main through their @OldeMain Twitter account which is ran by Jill Haverkamp. Jill and the folks at Olde Main have been great to work with and we are glad to work with them again for the Ugly Sweater Party! They will be supplying two kinds of their tasty beer that are brewed locally in Ames, Iowa. Everyone should stop in at Olde Main when they are in Ames for good eats and great beer.
All of the event info: The Epic Ugly Sweater Party
Click! Photography is holding their first ever Quick Clicks! Holiday portrait special! Click! is offering $10 sessions in a studio setting with holiday decor and the fun and relaxed atmosphere of a Click! photo experience which is happening here at Impromptu Studio. Click! held their first set of sessions last weekend and it was a great time. Big lovable dogs, nice people, and holiday cheer.
Grab your family and pets this weekend and head over for a great way to jump-start the holiday season! You can choose from three different unique Click! designed 5×7″ photo cards and take advantage of specials on print prices too! Session bookings can be made for Saturday December 6 from 10am – 4pm. You can call Click! Photography at (515) 229-2825 to get your session booked.
Dan Welk from Click! has graciously offered to waive the $10 session fee if you are participating in ActionCamp (which is also taking place this weekend at Impromptu Studio). So grab your spouse or significant other, give back to the community, and cross Holiday pictures off your todo list this weekend!
