Start Up Stories

Grateful and Giving Back - Meet Danial Fandeh

When he was eleven his family fled from war ravaged Liberia for a life in Des Moines, Iowa. A sixth grader who had never seen the inside of a school he could neither read or write. Meet Daniel Fandeh, his immagrant story and what he is doing now to give back to Liberia. On April 22nd there will be a public opportunity for you to lend a Helping Hand. This story will warm your heart and, perhaps, move you to do something...
Insight on Business the News Hour with Michael Libbie is the only weekday, hour-long business broadcast in the Midwest. The national, regional and local business news along with long-form business interviews can be heard Monday - Friday starting at 5:05pm on AM-940. The Business News Hour is a production of Insight Advertising, Marketing & Communications through a business relationship with The Des Moines Radio Group. You can follow us on Twitter @IoB_NewsHour. 

A New Payment Processing Company & Why it Matters

Meet Austin Mac Nabb the founder of VizyPay a new, and Austin says, transparent, payment processing company located here in the Des Moines Metro. We spend some time learning about payment processing as an industry and then Austin shares with us why his company is different and out to disrupt the system he knows only too well. Good conversation that should be important for all small to mid-size business owners/managers. 
Insight on Business the News Hour with Michael Libbie is the only weekday, hour-long business broadcast in the Midwest. The national, regional and local business news along with long-form business interviews can be heard Monday - Friday starting at 5:05pm on AM-940. The Business News Hour is a production of Insight Advertising, Marketing & Communications through a business relationship with The Des Moines Radio Group. You can follow us on Twitter @IoB_NewsHour. 

News on The Foundry and Economic Development in the Historic Valley Junction

At mid-day on April 3rd about 100 people gathered for the "groundbreaking" of what is being called The Foundey near the Historic Valley Junction area of West Des Moines. Here is what you can expect from The Foundry from The Kitchen to The Hall to a new distillery. We follow that news story with a quick interview with West Des Moines Mayor Steven Gaer and Jim Miller from the Valley Junction Foundation on a recent move to help business owners and building owners fix, replace and renew their spaces. Good stuff here about small business economic development. .
Insight on Business the News Hour with Michael Libbie is the only weekday, hour-long business broadcast in the Midwest. The national, regional and local business news along with long-form business interviews can be heard Monday - Friday starting at 5:05pm on AM-940. The Business News Hour is a production of Insight Advertising, Marketing & Communications through a business relationship with The Des Moines Radio Group. You can follow us on Twitter @IoB_NewsHour. 

Home Theater Concepts - Small Business Spotlight

If you love movies and the sound that was meant to be part of that experience than Shawn Woolman is somebody you need to meet. Six years ago he bought Home Theater Concepts, based in Urbandale, and today his efforts have brought entertainment and joy to dozens of households from Iowa to Colorado. Home Theater Concepts is in our Small Business Spotlight. Roll the tape!
Insight on Business the News Hour with Michael Libbie is the only weekday, hour-long business broadcast in the Midwest. The national, regional and local business news along with long-form business interviews can be heard Monday - Friday starting at 5:05pm on AM-940. The Business News Hour is a production of Insight Advertising, Marketing & Communications through a business relationship with The Des Moines Radio Group. You can follow us on Twitter @IoB_NewsHour. 

Beerhouse - Restaurant of the Week

He is, perhaps the most unlikely successful restaurant owner in the Des Moines Metro. Corporate executive Nick Kuhn gave up the swanky office to open up a restaurant...something he knew "nothing about". Two years later, he's got a story to tell about his place The Beerhouse. ("We keep things simple.") Then he'll share his next big move into Valley Junction...hang on this gets fun.
Insight on Business the News Hour with Michael Libbie is the only weekday, hour-long business broadcast in the Midwest. The national, regional and local business news along with long-form business interviews can be heard Monday - Friday starting at 5:05pm on AM-940, FM-104.5 and in HD at 103.3 HD2. The Business News Hour is a production of Insight Advertising, Marketing & Communications through a business relationship with The Des Moines Radio Group. You can follow us on Twitter @IoB_NewsHour. 

Startup Story - Dorothy's House with Kellie Markey

She was one of the first 190 people to work at eBay where she earned a top spot in the company before leaving to return to Iowa. On her return Kellie Markey made the decision to go from for-profit to non-profit and founded Dorothy's House a sanctuary for children who have been sold into the sex traffic rings. With Kellie is our friend Kyle Oppenhuizen sitting in for Mike Colwell from SquareOne DSM. This next Startup Story is different but in a good way to register click here. Listen and get ready for an experience that will make you shudder.
Insight on Business the News Hour with Michael Libbie is the only weekday, hour-long business broadcast in the Midwest. The national, regional and local business news along with long-form business interviews can be heard Monday - Friday starting at 5:05pm on AM-940, FM-104.5 and in HD at 103.3 HD2. The Business News Hour is a production of Insight Advertising, Marketing & Communications through a business relationship with The Des Moines Radio Group. You can follow us on Twitter @IoB_NewsHour. 

Finding Money for Startups in Iowa

We run into this all the time when it comes to startups..."Where can I find funding to help me grow or launch my business?" It's a good question and one we posed to Mike Colwell from SquareOne DSM. Mike has worked with hundreds of startups and helped many of them better understand the jungle of funding. Here we talk about conventional funding sources as well as investor sources. What the difference is and what a startup needs to have in place before the ask. Good advice here my friends! 
Insight on Business the News Hour with Michael Libbie is the only weekday, hour-long business broadcast in the Midwest. The national, regional and local business news along with long-form business interviews can be heard Monday - Friday starting at 5:05pm on AM-940, FM-104.5 and in HD at 103.3 HD2. The Business News Hour is a production of Insight Advertising, Marketing & Communications through a business relationship with The Des Moines Radio Group. You can follow us on Twitter @IoB_NewsHour. 

Bubba Our Restaurant of the Week

Our Restaurant of the Week is Bubba. Here to visit with us is "Bubba" Christopher Diebel the managing partner of this "Downhome" yet "Downtown" eatery that brings a little Dixie to Downtown Des Moines. It's a great story about a restaurant that is getting great reviews. Come to comfort...with Bubba our Restaurant of the Week.
Insight on Business the News Hour with Michael Libbie is the only weekday, hour-long business broadcast in the Midwest. The national, regional and local business news along with long-form business interviews can be heard Monday - Friday starting at 5:05pm on AM-940, FM-104.5 and in HD at 103.3 HD2. The Business News Hour is a production of Insight Advertising, Marketing & Communications through a business relationship with The Des Moines Radio Group. You can follow us on Twitter @IoB_NewsHour. 

EcoSource - Small Business Spotlight

Using his work history Darren Fife made the decision to start his own business and focus on the work of sustainability and environmental management. That created EcoSource and that is why he is in our Small Business Spotlight. Learn what EcoSource does for commercial and residential property as well as waterways and more. It's a timely conversation about business and our environment. 
Insight on Business the News Hour with Michael Libbie is the only weekday, hour-long business broadcast in the Midwest. The national, regional and local business news along with long-form business interviews can be heard Monday - Friday starting at 5:05pm on AM-940, FM-104.5 and in HD at 103.3 HD2. The Business News Hour is a production of Insight Advertising, Marketing & Communications through a business relationship with The Des Moines Radio Group. You can follow us on Twitter @IoB_NewsHour. 

Big Al's BBQ - Restaurant of the Week

This man know BBQ having picked it up in East Saint Louis to Kansas City to Texas. Meet Al Laudencia and Big Al's BBQ and Catering is our Restaurant of the Week. Over the years he has quietly built his catering business and a food truck business into a brick and mortar location on Hubbell Ave on the East Side. We think his story rocks...enjoy and then go!  
Insight on Business the News Hour with Michael Libbie is the only weekday, hour-long business broadcast in the Midwest. The national, regional and local business news along with long-form business interviews can be heard Monday - Friday starting at 5:05pm on AM-940, FM-104.5 and in HD at 103.3 HD2. The Business News Hour is a production of Insight Advertising, Marketing & Communications through a business relationship with The Des Moines Radio Group. You can follow us on Twitter @IoB_NewsHour.