“vague” – and say upholding it would be detrimental to students. A new development in central Iowa will soon help marginalized communities thrive. It’s being called an “incubator” for black and brown entepreneurs in Des Moines. KCCI’s Alyssa Gomez brings us to Center At Sixth – to show us more. (ALYSSA ASLIVE) < NOW THIS MIGHT LOOK LIKE A PATCH OF DIRT RIGHT NOW BUT COME FALL OF NEXT YEAR THE CENTER AT SIXTH WILL STAND IN ITS PLACE, A BUILDING WHERE MINORITY ENTREPRENUERS AND SMALL BUSNIESS OWNERS CAN CULTIVATE THEIR DREAMS INTO A REALITY. > The Center at Sixth will serve as an incubator for entrepreneuers. A place where artists, chefs, musicians and busniess people can test their projects and recieve guidance through experts from the Evelyn K. Davis Center. Marquas Ashworth describes it as a launching pad for innovation < 10;23;17;18 THERE’S A LOT OF ENTITIES IN TOWN THAT CAN TEACH YOU HOW TO STARTS A BUSNIESS, WE TEACH YOU HOW TO MAKE THAT BUSNIESS A BUSNIESS, HOW TO PROFIT FROM THAT BUSNIESS, HOW TO WIN, HOW TO BUILD GENERATIONAL WEALTH. > Something Nadia Aihssou is learning firsthand. < 10;57;17;27 SO WE HAVE THE SINK HERE THE WORKING TABLE HERE > Nadia is an immigrant from West Africa. When she lost her job in 2020, she began baking. < 10;42;13;04 AND THEN I START BAKING ALMOST EVERYDAY. > Word spread quickly when Nadia shared her treats. Landing her in the farmer’s market, where she sold out within an hour of opening nearly every weekend. The Evelyn K Davis Center saw Nadia’s potential. < 10;48;07;11 I THINK THEY LOVE MY DETERMINATION LIKE OH SHE KNOWS WHAT SHE WANTS > With their busniess knowledge and help from people like Marquas, Nadia is opening her own storefront next month. Nadia’s French Bakery. Standing in her kitchen – she can hardly contain her joy. <11;03;11;13 I AM SO HAPPY THIS IS THE BEST YEAR OF MY LIFE > A feeling that the Center at Sixth hopes to replicate for underrepresented communities in the near futire. <10;31;17;12 A YEAR FROM NOW I THINK THAT WE’LL START TO SEE THE BEGININNGS OF DES MOIENS BECOMING A BLACK ECONOMIC POWERHOUSE FOR BLACK ECONOMY > It’s a mission that’s garnering support from even BIGGER companies, like Wells Fargo – who’s recently contributed seven hundred thousand dollars for the Center’s bodega. <10;10;48;16 LOOK AROUND US TODAY – BUSNIESSES LIKE NADIA’S MAKE DES MOINES A BETTER PLACE TO LIVE, THEY MAKE OUR COMMUNITIES STRONGER, WE GET TO ENJOY THEM > And in turn, a dream – like Nadia’s French Bakery – is made a reality
Wells Fargo makes $700,000 donation to minority business incubator
The Center at Sixth is expected to open in fall of 2024. Once completed, it will be an incubator for entrepreneurs and small business owners from underrepresented communities.
Updated: 9:21 PM CST Dec 26, 2023
Once completed, the Center at Sixth will be an incubator for entrepreneurs and small business owners from underrepresented communities. The idea stems from Marquas Ashworth, who describes the future building as a “launching pad” for innovation, a place where artists, musicians, chefs, and business people of any kind can test their products and even sell them to the public. They’ll then receive guidance from the Evelyn K. Davis Center’s business experts on how to further expand their ideas. “The premise is that if you’re a black, brown, underrepresented entrepreneur in this state, in this county, in this area, in this region, you can come and you can get this training, you can get support, you can have a mentor, you can get those product pathways to land yourself in a store chain,” Ashworth said. And they’ve already seen success through a local business owner. Nadia Ahissou is an immigrant from West Africa. After losing her job in 2020, she developed a passion for baking. Word quickly spread about Nadia’s cooking skills, and she began to sell pastries at the Downtown Farmer’s Market, where she regularly sold out. With help from Ashworth and the Evelyn K. Davis Center, Nadia transformed her passion into a full-blown business. Her storefront, Nadia’s French Bakery, is set to open in Des Moines next month. She says it’s a dream come true.Ashworth hopes to repeat this success with fellow entrepreneurs through the Center at Sixth, which will be able to host hundreds of small businesses at once. A big donation from the Wells Fargo Foundation is helping the center become a reality. The $700,000 donation will go towards the creation of what Ashworth calls the “Bodega,” a space where people can actually sell their products. From this space, they can gauge how the public reacts, adjust price points and create a marketing plan for their products. “If you look at our community, we’re increasingly diversifying. If we want to build a stronger Des Moines for the future and a stronger America, then we need to be putting our best foot forward and helping these entrepreneurs,” Mike Slusark, Wells Fargo VP of Public Affairs, said.The Center at Sixth is expected to open in fall of 2024.
Once completed, the Center at Sixth will be an incubator for entrepreneurs and small business owners from underrepresented communities.
The idea stems from Marquas Ashworth, who describes the future building as a “launching pad” for innovation, a place where artists, musicians, chefs, and business people of any kind can test their products and even sell them to the public. They’ll then receive guidance from the Evelyn K. Davis Center’s business experts on how to further expand their ideas.
“The premise is that if you’re a black, brown, underrepresented entrepreneur in this state, in this county, in this area, in this region, you can come and you can get this training, you can get support, you can have a mentor, you can get those product pathways to land yourself in a store chain,” Ashworth said.
And they’ve already seen success through a local business owner.
Nadia Ahissou is an immigrant from West Africa. After losing her job in 2020, she developed a passion for baking. Word quickly spread about Nadia’s cooking skills, and she began to sell pastries at the Downtown Farmer’s Market, where she regularly sold out.
With help from Ashworth and the Evelyn K. Davis Center, Nadia transformed her passion into a full-blown business. Her storefront, Nadia’s French Bakery, is set to open in Des Moines next month. She says it’s a dream come true.
Ashworth hopes to repeat this success with fellow entrepreneurs through the Center at Sixth, which will be able to host hundreds of small businesses at once.
A big donation from the Wells Fargo Foundation is helping the center become a reality. The $700,000 donation will go towards the creation of what Ashworth calls the “Bodega,” a space where people can actually sell their products. From this space, they can gauge how the public reacts, adjust price points and create a marketing plan for their products.
“If you look at our community, we’re increasingly diversifying. If we want to build a stronger Des Moines for the future and a stronger America, then we need to be putting our best foot forward and helping these entrepreneurs,” Mike Slusark, Wells Fargo VP of Public Affairs, said.
The Center at Sixth is expected to open in fall of 2024.
