Empowering entrepreneurs at EntreFEST | The Gazette

EntreFEST is returning to Cedar Rapids on June 13-14 after two years in Iowa City, marking its 16th year of celebrating entrepreneurship and innovation.

The annual event, organized by The New Bohemian Innovation Collaborative (NewBoCo), brings together professionals at every level to share ideas and “own” their success.

The three keynoters will be Charise Flynn from Hummingbirds, Andre Wright from Humanize my Hoodie and Scott Selix, co-founder of Lua Brewing Co.

Flynn, chief operating officer of Hummingbirds and a prominent Iowa-based woman founder, will deliver a keynote address titled, “From $0 to $1 Million and Beyond: Tips and Tricks for High-Growth Success.”

Flynn, who has over two decades of experience in scaling tech companies and raising venture capital, said she hopes her session will inspire action and facilitate a faster learning curve for attendees.

“I firmly believe great companies can be built anywhere, but one thing we can continue to do in the Midwest is help accelerate the learning curve,” Flynn said.

Since joining Hummingbirds in 2021, Flynn has been instrumental in securing over $4.3 million in seed funding, expanding to more than 15 cities nationally and growing the company’s revenue tenfold in one year.

Flynn emphasizes the importance of focus in achieving high growth.

“In the early days of startups, there are so many things that could be done and a ton of shiny objects,” Flynn said. “We realized early on that we had signs of product-market fit and doubled down on that.

“It’s easy to want to chase a bunch of different opportunities, but we built rigor around focusing on ‘what was working’ — what types of customers were paying us for the product we had built and where we delivered the most value.”

Andre Wright

Wright, co-founder of Humanize My Hoodie and founder of Wright House of Fashion, is a designer, activist, community builder and world traveler who has dedicated his life to the underrepresented. His keynote address is titled “Fashion Activism.”

Wright has developed and grown his global fashion activism movement, designing hoodies for rappers, Black liberation leaders, allies and Black youth. He also has created and staged fashion shows and workshops nationally, educating thousands about the power of fashion to inspire, empower and spark conversations.

Wright was named Entrepreneur of the Year by the Junior Achievement Business Hall of Fame in 2021 and in 2022 started Wright House, an educational facility for creatives.

He and Jason Sole, the co-founder of Humanize My Hoodie, were keynote speakers at The Gazette’s Iowa Ideas Conference in October 2019. Wright also was awarded the Iowa City Area Development Designing Our Future-Sizzle Award in 2022 for being a community champion of economic development.

Scott Selix

Selix, of Des Moines, is the co-founder of Lua Brewing Co. and Climbing Kites.

His keynote address is titled “The Power of Why: How Purpose and People Drive Success.”

EntreFEST info

EntreFEST tickets — $249 for the two days, with lunch and snacks provided — are on sale at EntreFEST.com, with special pricing available to students and veterans. The event includes more than 40 speakers and 45-plus sessions in eight Cedar Rapids locations. More information is on the website.

EntreFEST’s emphasis on learning and networking is particularly beneficial for Midwestern entrepreneurs, organizers says.

Flynn, who lives in Des Moines, draws an analogy from social learning theory, which states that most human behavior is learned through observation.

“EntreFEST provides the opportunity for people to come together and learn from each other’s experiences,” she said. “If you’ve never seen someone ride a bike before, learning how to do it on your own is much more difficult than if you had the opportunity to observe someone else.”

For those attending EntreFEST for the first time: “Be curious and vulnerable,” Flynn advised.

“There are going to be a lot of great speakers and panelists — think about what you want to learn from each of them and ask questions. It might be uncomfortable, but sometimes the most insightful ‘aha’ moments come from those questions. Try to find opportunities to go beyond small talk and truly connect with people.”

Jessica Abdoney is marketing and communications coordinator at NewBoCo. Comments: jessica.abdoney@newbo.co