Sally Dix is the Executive Director for Bravo Greater Des Moines, a nonprofit organization in central Iowa that leverages community resources from 17 local partner governments to maximize the impact of arts, culture and heritage on advancing regional priorities.  Bravo is primarily funded through hotel-motel taxes and has invested more than $50 million to support the cultural sector since 2006.

 Dix has an undergraduate degree from Northwestern University and a master’s degree from Johns Hopkins, both in Environmental Science and Policy.  She also earned her MBA from the University of Iowa.  

Website: http://bravogreaterdesmoines.org

Facebook Page: @BravoGreaterDesMoines         

Katie Byers is a former attorney turned entrepreneur and an avid music lover. She is the Founder & CEO of HomeDitty, a web based software built specifically for house concert hosts that launched into Beta testing in February 2017. HomeDitty connects musicians directly with house concert hosts, automates the entire hosting process and facilitates online payments to the musicians including a crowdfund payment option. Since its inception, hundreds of house concerts have been hosted through HomeDitty with over 500 host signups in 40 different states. HomeDitty was created and inspired by Katie’s love of hosting house concerts, to get more people across the country hosting private house concerts and to create an additional revenue stream for musicians.

Katie is a graduate of The University of Iowa and The University of Iowa College of Law.  She received the David Hurd Community Supporter of the Year award from the Des Moines Music Coalition in 2017 in recognition for her dedication to hosting local house concerts and for helping create home venues across the country. Katie resides in Des Moines, Iowa with her husband, Jay and their two teenage daughters, Sophie and Charlotte.

Twitter:  @homeditty

Facebook:  @homeditty                                            

Website:  https://www.homeditty.com/                   

Jay Byers is CEO of the Greater Des Moines Partnership. The Partnership is the regional economic and community development organization serving Central Iowa with 24 Affiliate Chambers of Commerce and a network of more than 6400 regional members.

Byers is a Certified Chamber Executive (CCE), graduate of the U.S Chamber of Commerce Institute of Organization Management (IOM), graduate of the University of Oklahoma Economic Development Institute (OUEDI) and graduate of Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives’ (ACCE) Ford Foundation Regionalism and Sustainable Development Fellowship. Byers currently serves as Vice Chair of ACCE and on the Executive Committee of the Iowa Chamber Alliance, the General Council of the World Chambers Federation and U.S. Chamber of Commerce Committee of 100. He is a member of the Professional Developers of Iowa, Iowa Association of Business and Industry and International Economic Development Council. Byers also serves on the boards of Simpson College, Catch Des Moines, Greater Des Moines Committee, ChildServe, Balance Autism and Keep Iowa Beautiful. He also is a member of the Young Presidents’ Organization. Byers is a graduate of Simpson College and the University of Iowa College of Law. He resides in Des Moines, Iowa with his wife, Katie, and two daughters, Sophie and Charlotte.

Twitter: @DSMPartnership 

Facebook:  @DSMPartnership                                                  

Website: https://www.dsmpartnership.com/                  

Tobi Parks is the creator and Executive Director of Station 1 Records, a non-profit 501(c)(3) artist development and entrepreneurship organization dedicated to the patronage and development of independent artists on the regional and national stage.  Prior to her starting the non-profit, she was Director of Copyright at Sony Music where she worked with Sony’s Columbia Records, Epic Records, and RCA Records labels.  She has a long history working in media having worked for a number of years as a Programming and Promotions Associate for Clear Channel Broadcasting and as Director of Marketing and Public Relations with the PBS produced series, In the Life.  She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communications, a Master of Arts in Media Literacy from Webster University in St. Louis, and a Juris Doctor from Drake University in Des Moines, IA. She is a musician that has played bass in the NYC glam-punk band Bambï, Toronto-based The Cliks, St. Louis-based acts The Star Death, Is That You?, and Grandpa’s Ghost.  As a solo performer and session player, she has worked with Cyndi Lauper, Margaret Cho, Darin Gray, Tim Garrigan, Keith Rowe, Mark Shippy, and video artist James Fotopoulos.  She has composed for stage, television and film.       

Twitter: @station1records

Facebook: @station1records                                        

Website: www.station1records.com