In the great City of Waukee, there’s a beautiful rock painting memorial on the corner of SE LA Grant Pkwy & Booth Dr. It’s a nice piece of art around both of the sides. It’s quite the scenery. Come visit this unforgettable tribute to our fallen heroes and always remember the ones above the clouds.
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Hole 6 Basket (Pictured above)
As the weather is getting nicer and warmer, like Thomas Wiggins and TJ Hendricks, make sure to stop by the Centennial Park in Waukee for some disc golf. The park contains its city’s popular 9 hole course located on the east side. Tee boxes are the round markings and the baskets are indicated by the arrows. The Waukee’s Centennial Park is located on the corner of Ashworth Dr. & SE Universite Ave across from the Waukee High School. This is a great opportunity for anyone to get out into the fresh air and throw some discs!
Thomas Wiggins (Pictured below)
TJ Hendricks (Pictured below)
Hole 4 Overview (Pictured below)
Hole 4 Basket (Pictured below)
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We’re (Apple) here today because across Iowa; businesses, schools, developers, and government are coming together to build a new home for innovation in America’s heartland.
– Tim Cook, Chief Executive Officer of Apple Inc.
Apple is building a 1.4 billion data center right here in Waukee. State and local leaders approved $208 million in tax incentives for Apple Inc. to build two data storage centers in Waukee. This is being called the biggest economic development deal in the history of the state.
According to Apple CEO, Tim Cook, Apple has pledged up to $100 million to Waukee, which will be paid out over decades and go towards the development of street and sidewalk projects, amenities such as libraries and parks.
Apple CEO Tim Cook said, “At Apple, we admire what you guys have accomplished, and we want to be a part of it. Data centers like this new facility are critical to Apple’s operations, and they make up the backbone of America’s innovation in infrastructure. Every day, they make it possible for Apple users to send tens of billions of messages, to save more than a billion photos and to place 10 billion FaceTime video calls.”
Having a tech giant such as Apple in the Greater Des Moines area, puts Iowa on the tech industry map and will open opportunities and growth for the city and state.
For more information visit: KCCI Des Moines 8, Des Moines Register
The WILC opened its doors this past January and is now home to the Aspiring Professional Experience (APEX) program for local high school students.
Michelle Hill, director of APEX, says the WILC was purposefully designed to be a welcoming, collaborative environment. “Our philosophy at APEX is for students to take ownership and leadership of innovation, and that’s exactly what’s reflected in the WILC,” said Hill.
APEX offers courses in five economic sectors—engineering; human services; finance and insurance; business, technology and communication; and bioscience and value-added agriculture. Within these sectors, there are 11 courses (soon to be 14) for the 2017-2018 school year.
Each course has its own “studio” within the WILC. The building also features some open learning spaces, like the “triangle” in the middle of the building, where furniture can easily be moved for small group work or large speaking events. One of the more unique features of the WILC is The Hub Café, which offers fresh food and even has a reclaimed barn wood kitchen table with the APEX logo for its base conceptualized and designed by students.
“When people are looking for me, I’m usually at that kitchen table,” said Hill. “I’m like the ‘APEX mom.’ I enjoy helping students to find what makes them happy. High school can be such as scary time, where they’re supposed to have it all figured out. We play a part in helping them figure out what the next step is.”
Every aspect of the WILC allows for what Hill and her team call “creative collisions.” As students come to co-work, serendipitous interactions happen, including relationships with business professionals.
Russ Goerend, an APEX instructor who previously taught sixth grade English in Waukee, says the WILC structure and the APEX program give metro high school juniors and seniors a rare learning opportunity unlike anything in the traditional classroom.
“APEX is a different, consultant model,” said Goerend. “While the school-to-work program functions more like an internship, APEX exposes students to working with real clients on real projects with real feedback, paired with the technical skills for completing the work and delivering the final product.”
Each APEX course has its own curriculum team made up of academic and business partners. Curriculum is evaluated and refreshed every six months to keep it relevant to the needs of the industry. Hill, Goerend and the APEX instructors also receive support from an advisory board of 23 partners who assist with program strategy and planning while also assessing workforce trends.
Before the WILC opened, students met exclusively at the offices of APEX partner businesses—what the program calls “host sites.” Now that students have a permanent space, they have the luxury of equally splitting course time between the WILC and in the professional environment, which Goerend said is essential to the program’s success.
While the school-to-work program functions more like an internship, APEX exposes students to working with real clients on real projects with real feedback, paired with the technical skills for completing the work and delivering the final product.
“APEX wouldn’t work without our business partners,” said Goerend. “Our APEX course standards are designed around client relationships, career exploration and development of technical and professional skills. Our business partners play an integral role in that.”
One such partner is the City of Waukee. Goerend teaches a course called Designing Communications Solutions, and as part of this course, he once had his students partner with the City to establish a portfolio of photos from around Waukee. The students were responsible for scheduling, shooting and editing the photos and then delivering the finished photo library to the client.
But, prior to receiving their course projects, APEX students go through a two-week onboarding period during which they adjust to professional dress every day and business basics, like firm handshakes and looking others in the eye.
“They quickly become independent and use me as a coach and sounding board for projects,” said Goerend. “Students learn to be self-motivated and independent learners, which is exactly what business partners want in employees.”
One of the foundational tenants of APEX is there are no prerequisite courses or GPA requirements to join the program, nor an application process. Students simply need to register with their counselor, signing up just like any other elective course at the high school.
“APEX can impact any student, regardless of where he/she might be in school,” said Goerend. “If they feel as though they’ve diverged from what school can offer, we’re here; if they feel as if they’ve reached the maximum school can offer, we’re here. The motivation is there from APEX students, and the experience they receive is incomparable. The amount of work and growth they’re able to accomplish in a semester is amazing.”
Primarily filled with students from the Waukee Community School District, APEX has seen tremendous growth, doubling and tripling its class size since its inception. Next year, APEX expects to see 400 students and will add an additional instructor.
While WILC and APEX offer students a unique learning environment and the chance to explore career possibilities, staff members also hope students begin to see the metro community in a different light—and perhaps consider the Des Moines area when deciding where they want to live and work in the future.
“One of the metrics we track with students after they finish APEX is how likely they are to return to the Des Moines area post-college,” said Goerend. “What we’re learning is just how much insight APEX gives them about what the Des Moines business and industry landscape has to offer.”
Goerend firmly believes in the APEX program, not only for the students he mentors and teaches, but for his own family, too. He and his wife, who is also a teacher in the Waukee School District, hope their three young boys will embrace APEX when they reach high school. “I want our own sons to have this experience,” he said. “I don’t care which APEX sector they choose, but I will highly encourage them to pursue this opportunity.”
For more information on the WILC and APEX, including how to apply or how to become a business partner, visit waukeeapex.org.
While it’s wonderful to hear kids speak of becoming doctors, lawyers and engineers, it’s also wonderful to see them taking part in entrepreneurial ventures right here in Iowa. When kids get a taste of what it takes to run a small business, they get an early glimpse into risk, profits and losses, expenditures and costs, customer relationships, and perhaps most importantly, what it really takes to earn a living.
Below are the stories of two local families with entrepreneurial kids. In the first story, you’ll read about how Ben Hughes started his own lemonade business to earn money for a new phone, but ended up getting much more out of it than he expected. In the second story, you’ll read about Iowa lawmaker Rob Taylor and his family of entrepreneurial beekeepers, and how they’re doing their part to support the bee population.
Ben Hughes was 10 years old, and he was dying for a new phone. Like many parents, his father told him if he wanted one, he’d have to pay for it himself. Ben and his father happened to be discussing this at a Rotary event, and a fellow Rotarian suggested to Ben that he start a lemonade stand. But Ben knew he wasn’t going to make the kind of money he needed to buy a cell phone by selling lemonade on a street corner.
So he started a lemonade stand of sorts, but he took it a step further—he created a booth at the Waukee Farmers Market.
That was three years ago, and he’s been an entrepreneur ever since.
The lemonade recipe is their own. “My dad and I experimented with sugar water, lemon juice and normal water until we found the right combination,” explained Ben. “It’s not an exact science, and we experiment with it. We keep it mostly the same every year and tweak it just a little here and there.”
Ben makes it every Friday night before the farmers market. Sometimes it’s hard to run a business in the summer, but he gets it all done.
He gets valuable family time, too. “My dad and I can talk, and it’s a good bonding experience,” he said.
For Ben, the lessons he’s learned from the lemonade business have been transformational. “It’s made me proud of what I’ve been able to do with the money, and it’s made me appreciate what I buy, because it wasn’t just given to me,” he said.
His parents have noticed changes, too. “He can talk more easily with people, and he’s developed more social skills. He can have a conversation with people he doesn’t know,” said his mom, Shelly Hughes.
My dad and I can talk, and it’s a good bonding experience
He’s honed his sales skills, too; Ben will sell his lemonade as people walk by, convincing them to stop for refreshment.
Ben’s success is a result taking ownership in the enterprise. “He does all the work, and he’s very particular about the setup and how it goes,” said Shelly. “When I’ve gone to help him set up, I apparently don’t do it correctly—he’s very particular,” she said with a laugh.
The business has also taught him about responsibility. “He has to get a permit and pay taxes, and he’s done it all on his own. He’s learned a lot about business, and that running a business comes with hidden fees,” explained Shelly.
This may be Ben’s last year selling lemonade at the farmer’s market. Since he’s going into the 8th grade and will soon be old enough to get a job, he might try his hand at a more conventional way of making money. But fear not, there’s talk of a familial buyout. Ben’s younger brother, Asher, wants to buy the lemonade stand from Ben—and call it “Better Than Ben’s Lemonade.”
Rob and Christi Taylor have been self-starters for a long time. Christi is a physician at Iowa Health, and Rob is an entrepreneur in the automotive industry, as well as a legislator in the Iowa house. The couple knew they wanted to get their two kids, Ben (16) and Will (12), involved in business and agriculture in a venture that would give them a taste of both.
“We wanted to do something that would connect our kids to agriculture and teach them how to run a business,” said Rob.
With that in mind, they decided on beekeeping. “Bees are responsible for a third of the agricultural crops in the world,” explained Christi. “If we lose bees, we’re in trouble.”
The whole family took beekeeping classes at the Iowa State Extension Lab. After completing the six-week course, they purchased their first set of bees.
“Believe it or not, you can order bees online,” said Christi. “The first time we ordered, we used pre-made hives. We were brand new at this, so we needed a hive quickly. From there on out, we’ve ordered wooden kits and put them together ourselves,” she said.
In 2015, they had four hives; in 2016, they had 16, and they now have 29 hives. “In 2016, once we had 16 hives, we decided to teach the boys how to start a company,” said Rob.
They named it the Iowa Honey Company. They built a website, got the name trademarked and had a logo made. They created Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts, too.
Their hives are scattered across Central Iowa. “We have two hives in our backyard in West Des Moines, 10 hives at our property in Osceola, another 10 on the farm where my dad grew up, and the rest are in Grimes,” said Ben.
The flavor of the honey produced varies between the locations because the bees feed on different flowers at each location.
The whole family takes care of the bees year-round, tending to them in the summer and making sure they have enough food in the winter. Every Labor Day, they process the honey in their once-a-year harvest.
The first year, they pulled 40-60 pounds of honey out of each hive. Now they’re up to 70-150 pounds per hive. The family is careful to leave enough in each hive so the bees can survive the long Iowa winters, and they also put the honeycombs back in the hives so the bees can keep using them instead of needing to build new ones.
Until recently, the company’s sales have been solely through word of mouth. But this summer, they entered into a relationship with Mayberry’s Coffee Shop in Osceola, which now sells their honey on a retail basis. “They love selling it because some of the honey is from right there in Osceola,” said Rob.
Needless to say, the family has learned a lot about bees along the way. “Bees have different personalities, and you have to handle them differently, depending on the personality of the hive,” explained Will.
He also explained that bees don’t like visitors when it’s rainy or stormy, that they don’t like offensive smells, and they prefer the scent of women and children over that of men.
As for Ben, he’s learned firsthand that bees give warnings before they sting. “They die when they sting, so it’s their last resort,” he said. “They’ll head-butt you first, as a warning. If the worker bees start pelting you in the chest, then they’re not in the mood to be messed with,” he said.
Avoiding bee stings hasn’t been the only challenge faced by the Taylor family. Last year, two of their hives were stolen from their location in Grimes. It made statewide and even national news. Fortunately, they were able to locate one of the hives a month later.
Since the beginning, and through all of its ups and downs, Rob and Christi have been sure to involve the boys in all areas of the business. “We do a lot of it along with our parents—the processing, selling, feeding, and caring for the bees,” said Will. “We build and stain the hives. We do almost everything they do.”
“We sit down at the kitchen table and make all of the decisions about the company together,” said Christi.
“They help make financial decisions, and they get to see costs and expenses, and how they affect profits,” explained Rob.
“It’s been a good experience to learn how to manage a business, but also to get a taste of agriculture. It’s given us a better understanding of both agriculture and business in general,” said Will.
Ben agrees. “It’s helped me realize how hard things in life can be, but also how much support we have around us. Not just from family, but from our community. They support our business and buy our honey, and they like our business and want to keep it going. It’s taught me that anything I want to do—with enough hard work, and enough people around me to support me, I can get it done.”
Tell us a little about your family.
Family is everything to me. My wife Angie is a dental hygienist, and we have two children. Our son Will is 13 years old and a 7th grader at South Middle school in Waukee, and our daughter Charlotte is 4 years old. They tolerate my quirkiness and they’re incredibly supportive!
Tell us about your career.
I graduated from the University of Iowa in 2001 and started out in the mortgage industry in Iowa City. I had an opportunity in the banking industry to come to Des Moines in 2004 and took the chance. I’ve worked for a few community banks throughout the years and have been lucky to find exposure to different areas within the bank. I’ve had successes and failures along the way, but have also discovered my passion, which is relationship development and helping people make smarter financial decisions.
You’ve worked in the banking industry for some time now. What sets Central Bank apart from its peers?
Central Bank is a true community bank that cares about people and the communities it serves. I think the quality and genuineness of our employees set us apart. Our employees are committed to providing our customers with a better customer service experience. It also helps that we offer competitive solutions and pricing for our customers. I’ve been impressed with our common sense approach to banking and how quickly we can make decisions.
In this issue we talk about golf, and we’re told you have something of a passion for the game. Tell us about that.
That is definitely true. I grew up in an athletic, competitive family in the Quad Cities. My brothers always pushed me to succeed and work harder. I played golf in high school and worked as a bag boy in college. Unlike team sports, golf is an individual game. It’s a mental game and your score can often be determined by your mental toughness as opposed to skill. It can be a frustrating game at times, but I’ve tried to adopt an “even keel” attitude, which I’ve also been able to use in business. Golf is a great setting for getting to know a customer or prospect on a personal level. I’m often asked if I let customers win, and my answer is, absolutely not! I want to win every time!
Do you have a favorite course to play?
For a challenge, I enjoy playing The Harvester or Tournament Club of Iowa. My son and I enjoy playing many of the municipal courses, along with Beaver Creek, Jester Park and Otter Creek. As someone in the finance industry, I’m always looking for a “hot deal,” and sometimes where we play is dictated by that.
The NE Carefree Lane establishment opened its doors on Feb. 3.
In addition to a full bar stocked with domestic and craft beers, Broheim’s has five PGA-sponsored golf simulators where single players or groups can play up to 66 different courses. Each simulator is 16 x 16 feet, and is surrounded by lounge chairs and couches. Each simulator can be rented for $45 an hour.
There’s also miniature golf, skee-ball and a big screen gaming system available for customers.
Hours are 10 a.m. to – 2 a.m. daily. The latest tee time is 10 p.m.
Goes said his passion for golf began in 2004 when he relocated to Urbandale from Lincoln, Neb., to help run the family business, Renaissance Granite and Quartz.
He continues to serve as general manager at Renaissance during the day and heads to Broheim’s every evening and weekend, where his brother—a musician by trade —manages the bar and carries out the day-to-day operations.
“He’s the hipster; I’m the golfer,” Goes joked.
His wife, Lacey, a consultative dietician, also helps with marketing for Broheim by managing its social media pages.
Goes credits his friends for getting him into the sport.
Once he and his friends moved away after going to college together in Nebraska, they used golf as a way to get together to do something they all enjoyed.
“You’re outside. You’re with your friends. You’ve having fun. You’re getting away. You’re clearing the mechanism. You don’t have to think about anything except what you’re doing on the golf course. All the stress and pressures of the day just fade away,” he said with a smile.
Part of their “buddy weekends” involved creating fake tournaments. Whoever won the tournament trophy got to take it home, with bragging rights included, until they got together again.
They all took turns creating tournaments. Goes called his the ABC Classic for “Anheuser-Busch Classic,” which he also says is their best-selling beer at Broheim.
But when the weather got cold, the men had nowhere to go. That was until Goes’ friend said there was a pub with golf simulators in Nebraska, and they should have a winter tournament there.
He recalls walking into the business and saying, “I could do this, and I could do it way better.”
His wife, however, wasn’t keen on the idea right away. “It took about six years of convincing her,” he said.
The Des Moines market was prime for it. The catalyst was when the Longview Golf Centre—the Urbandale driving range under a giant dome—closed its doors for business.
“That’s when my wife agreed there was a void in the market, and we should start our own golf and pub business,” Goes said.
The name for Broheim’s Indoor Golf and Pub is a play off the Solheim Cup. Goes and his friends are hyper-competitive and sometimes wouldn’t speak to one another after their tournaments. After one tournament dispute in particular, the Solheim Cup was on TV. They got the idea to call their next tournament the Broheim Cup in the spirit of brotherly love.
And the name of the future golf and pub was born.
Goes also decided they needed to do Broheim right.
“The simulators in my bar are all top-of-the-line. They’re the same ones on Golf Fix on the Golf Channel. Famous golfers play on these,” he explained.
Area golf pros like Wade Pettit and Eric Peyton also help improve the games of young gulf enthusiasts during private lessons taught on the simulators at Broheim.
While food isn’t yet sold at Broheim Golf and Pub, customers can order food into the bar. Goes said surrounding restaurants like Saints Pu —about 20 feet away from his golf pub—will deliver.
In time, Broheim will have snacks, a popcorn machine and a hot dog roller— similar to what you’d see on a golf course.
When deciding on a location, Goes said Waukee was a no-brainer. “Waukee made sense, because it’s the fastest growing city in the state,” he said.
As part of his role as general manager at Renaissance Granite and Quartz, Goes looks at housing starts to see where the market is growing, so he knows where their product is most likely to sell. Knowing that families in Waukee typically have some disposable income was another determining factor.
Goes said while Broheim Golf and Pub is a family establishment for parents who want to let their kids test out the simulators, minors do need to be out by 9 p.m.
“I’ve had a couple parents come in and take advantage of the screen-on-screen on the simulators, so their kids can watch TV while they’re playing. A few dads even loaded their Netflix account,” he said.
Goes has been proactive about ensuring Broheim shows support for social and community causes. They’ve donated gift cards to Waukee Teacher Approval and have allowed auctions to be held at the pub to raise funds for the Veteran’s Memorial in the Waukee Triangle as well as events for private charities for families fighting cancer.
With the Solheim Cup coming to West Des Moines in August, Goes is hoping to find a way to partner with the women’s professional golf tournament.
“In the golf world, the Solheim Cup is huge,” Goes said. “I don’t know if the city of Des Moines recognizes the economic boost that’s going to occur. It’s the biggest tournament to ever come here.”
Goes plans to take full advantage of having his key demographic down the street by advertising Broheim’s around lodging and restaurants in the area.
“After (spectators) are done watching golf, they can come in to play a round and have some drinks,” he said.
And Goes plans to be among those watching. “Oh, I’m absolutely going,” he laughed.
For more information on Broheim Indoor Golf and Pub, visit broheimsgolf.com.
The seven teammates (four boys and three girls) regularly compete in First Lego League challenges, where teammates practice teamwork, problem-solving, research real-world problems, and practice coming up with solutions and presenting them in front of an audience.
As part of a recent competition, the team came up with an idea for a mobile app called Trash Companion. They designed the app based on feedback from two trash-handling companies and one nonprofit which focuses on litter, hazardous waste, and community organization. All three companies were thrilled to hear about the possibility of a mobile app which will make their jobs easier.
But it’s not just the organizations who are excited about the idea – the residents of Waukee are excited, too. The Builders interviewed 100 adults in the community, all of whom shared their common questions and frustrations around trash and recycling.
The result is the idea for Trash Companion, a simple app designed to simplify the way you deal with waste.
If the app is built, members of the community can easily access pick up dates, find out what to do with hazardous materials, and learn about fees that may be attached to disposing waste. The app will allow users to set reminders, alerting them to their scheduled trash pickup. Users can find out how to dispose of hazardous waste and any fees that might come with it, as well as how to dispose of old electronics. The app will also allow users to schedule curbside and bulk pickup of items and it will include a community calendar with dates for neighborhood-wide waste disposal events.
The Waukee Master Builders need your help to bring this app to life!
In August, they entered the Verizon Innovative Learning app challenge. They won Best in State in the middle school category, and now they’re in the running for Fan Favorite.
If they win, they’ll get $15,000 and a mentorship with MIT experts to make the Trash Companion app happen.
Developing an app is an expensive and timely endeavor, and the Builders could really use your help.
You can contribute by texting the code “ITC” to the following number: 22333. The competition closes on February 14 – time for voting is drawing down.
These kids are doing something that we all wish happened more often in our schools: They are tackling real-world problems and implementing real-world solutions. All it takes is 10 seconds to support them today!