2022 genYP Group

Curvin has joined Comparion Insurance Agency, a Liberty Mutual Company, in August 2022 as a Sales Representative offering Personal & Casualty Insurance as well as Life Insurance. Comparion Insurance Agency helps individuals transfer the risks during life's most uncertain moments. Curvin's goal is to understand his customers needs and align them with the proper products and coverage they deserve; knowing their property and families are protected against uncertainty in the event of a loss. 

I grew up in Northwest Iowa and moved to Des Moines in 2006 after graduating from Northwestern College in Orange City, Iowa.  I settled in the Beaverdale area after buying my first home in 2017.  My husband, Jarred, is extremely supportive of my real estate career and respects the time I dedicate to serving my clients. 

I got into real estate because I love connecting with people and wanted a career that could impact the community.  Buying a home is such an exciting time of change and it brings me great joy to see how the plans all come together for my clients.  I'm here to build relationships and help people through a major life change that involves a process I'm passionate about.

Morgan is from Algona, Iowa, and joined Webspec after graduating from Simpson College with a B.A. in Public Relations and minors in Psychology and Sociology. She helps clients with their digital strategy, including writing content for their websites and optimizing them for users and search engines. Outside of work, Morgan enjoys running, hanging out with her husband, and trying new restaurants around the metro.

Bryanne is a storyteller, advocate, leader & community connector who finds unique ways to motivate others. She is known for having a connection in any setting. Since 2016, she has served Mosaic in Central Iowa in various capacities; first with the Mosaic at Home program as an Independent Contract Program Manager for over 5 years then was promoted to the role of Resource Development Manager in March of 2022. Her connection with Mosaic has grown over the last few years as her youngest sister now lives in a Mosaic host home setting, allowing her family to see real life, real possibilities each day.

I am a  Senior Recruiter on Palmer Group's Office Administration & Customer Service division. I work with candidates searching for new positions here in the Des Moines metro. 

Mo is a financial advisor for Wells Fargo in Johnston. His favorite about being an advisor is getting to know clients on a personal level and learning about what matters to them. Outside of work, Mo enjoys reading, grilling and running. Him and his wife Elma live in Urbandale with their two daughters Neyla and Sofia. 

I am an Optometrist and Partner at Urbandale Eye Care. I grew up in Urbandale, and I am happy to be back in the community. My history with the practice is deep! I was a patient here as a child, then worked as a technician and receptionist, and returned as a doctor in 2008. It's great to serve the community I grew up in. I am passionate about vision and my patients, and I love getting to form relationships and watch families grow! I see patients of all ages, starting with providing free eye exams for babies 6-12 months of age. You can read more about it at www.infantsee.org. One of the fun things about my day is the variety that comes with routine eye care for all ages, fitting contact lenses, treating urgent care problems, managing eye disease, and evaluating conditions like diabetes that can affect the eyes...never a dull moment! Almost 12 years in, and I truly love it. I'm always happy to answer questions, so don't hesitate to reach out!

Gina is a small town Iowa girl. Proud of her roots, she was born and raised on a farm. Her work ethic stems from the life her parents instilled in her and her 5 siblings. She was raised with strong Christian values and the belief she could accomplish anything if she put her mind to it. 
Gina has spent the majority of her professional career in hospitality and working in the community. It was in this industry she found her passion for management, leadership and most of all, working with people! This simple position led her into development with multiple well-known brands.
In her free time, Gina is family focused. Family time is spent with her husband, Bobby and daughter, Shae. They enjoy time on the deck, grilling and entertaining. 
 
 

Ashley Miller


Ashley is the owner and inspired genius behind Des Moines Creative. In her 11+ year career her work has traveled the world. Out of college she headed the design department for an international fortune 250 company. In the advertising world her small team of misfits moved the U.S. digital newspaper industry to mobile and created the digital ad empire. She's a self-taught web developer and branding expert. Her fascination with creativity and technology lead to the development of her first company, Des Moines Creative, by age 32. Now an award-winning agency. 

Sarah Nielsen has always had a passion for design. With her father working construction and a woodworker on the side, she began building and designing at a young age. She attended Iowa State University, graduating in 2013 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree emphasizing in Woodworking and Photography with a Minor in Business. In 2014, she started at Showplace Cabinetry Design Center as an Assistant Designer/Customer Service representative. This allowed for Sarah to learn the design process from measuring a space, selecting design details, to finishing the project. She became a designer in 2016 and has since exceeded her expectations in sales, won a prestigious NKBA Thirty under 30 award, and is working towards her first accreditation and 'Aging in Place' certification. With her background in woodworking, she strives for a function-oriented design to create one of kind spaces that work well for the particular client.

 

Megan is chiropractor at Yost Family Chiropractic which has served Urbandale and the surrounding metro the past 18 years. 

She realizes that many people suffer from pain that just won't go away and strives to take a personalized, whole-body approach to identify and treat the source causing discomfort so you can do all of the things you love pain-free.

When she's not in the office she enjoys running, exploring hiking trails, volunteering at her church & the Food Bank of Iowa, coaching with Girls on the Run, reading, and supporting & experiencing all things local in Des Moines!

My responsibilities include executing financial plans and assisting clients. I also help clients create personal and business budgets focused on achieving their financial goals.

Recruiter at Palmer Group with 7 years of experience placing professionals in a variety of positions throughout the Des Moines Metro. Graduated from Iowa State with a degree in Communication Studies, Go Cyclones! Outside of work, I like to volunteer, hike, collect houseplants, and ride bikes and horses.

You could say real estate is in Alec’s blood. His mother owned a residential real estate agency in his hometown of Norfolk, NE and at age 19, he became one of the youngest people to receive his real estate license in Nebraska. Moving eastward to Drake University, Alec continued pursuing his love of real estate as an intern at R&R, becoming a full-time employee after graduating. As a millennial, Alec has special insight into what types of office design and company culture and attract and retain talented, younger employees. These skills, along with unique insight on the warehouse market make Alec a valuable broker for his clients.

Jie is a tax advisor and an IRS certified enrolled agent with Shaul and Associates PLLC in West Des Moines. Originally from the Guangxi providence of China, Jie moved to Des Moines in 2012 where she took accounting and finance classes at DMACC. Today, she has over 6 years of experience with personal and business taxes. Jie is also proficient in bookkeeping and instructs clients on accounting with Quickbooks. On her free time, she enjoys cooking, gardening, running, playing table tennis, and traveling with her husband, Geoffrey.  

Amanda has been an Account Executive at Palmer Group for more than two years and has been in recruitment for nearly 10. Amanda enjoys consulting with hiring managers and HR professionals on their staffing needs, employee retention, and sharing market data for the Des Moines employment scene. In her freetime, Amanda enjoys working out at Krave Gym, reading books and watching movies, and spending time with her two sons.

My name is Kara Calease, and I am a Senior Account Executive with Palmer Group. I have been with Palmer Group for 10 years and I've supported our Mortgage and Banking Division, my entire career. I've held multiple positions in my career involving recruiting, sales, and management. We are committed to building strong, long-term partnerships with each of our clients. We achieve this by learning all we can about your organization and getting to know you. With that knowledge, our team of over 70 industry-specific hiring professionals stands ready with local marketplace expertise to help you accomplish your specific goals. As a growing employee-owned company, we strive to be Iowa’s premier employment firm by recruiting talented professionals for your business. I look forward to partnering with you now, and in the future, with your hiring needs.

Nicole has been a Physical Therapist Assistant with Champions Recovery Room and Physical Therapy for two years, with four years of total experience in the outpatient PT setting. Nicole enjoys working with individuals of all ages to help improve their pain, strength, flexibility, and overall quality of life. Nicole is a new mom and enjoys spending her free time with her husband Jacob, and their twin boys, Jackson and Lincoln.

Home Finder. Dog Mom. Jeep Driver. I grew up in SW Iowa where I learned that hard work pays off. You learn to respect animals as they provide a food source and sometimes they were your best friend or even your county fair project. You’ll most likely master driving a stick shift by age 13! I hold a Bachelors of Science in Management and worked in the corporate world before pursuing my dream job in real estate. I excel in resolving challenges with innovative solutions to increase customer satisfaction. I strive to be the best full-service REALTOR by building a reputation of choosing the ethical way by my commitment to honesty and integrity for my clients. I have 2 crazy but loveable goldendoodles Gigi & Roxy.  In my free time I enjoy trying new restaurants and traveling to new places.

Ben has 7 years of experience in public accounting. He currently serves as an Audit Manager for Forge Financial & Management Consulting specializing in audits of non-profits, governmental entities as well as employee benefit plans. Outside of work Ben enjoys golfing, cheering on the Chiefs and the Cyclones, and spending time with his family. Ben and his wife live in Waukee with their two children, Baylor and Cohen.

We host casino-themed events across the entire state of Iowa and also cover Omaha and Kansas City.  For our corporate parties, after-Prom events, and special events - Birthday/Retirement/Holiday parties - are 100% zero-risk, no gambling allowed and we party it up with funny money chips! 

Casino Parties are one of the best fundrasing tools ever designed and our clients are very happy with the funds we are able to help them raise during one of our events!  We work with the Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals for our fundraiser events, making sure our clients have the proper licensing in place to throw the best fundraising event possible!
Regardless of the event, our casino parties all receive the full casino experience, as we provide actual casino quality and size gaming tables, chips, cards, dice, equipment and professionally trained dealers - you just provide the guests! 

Energetic and highly effective award wining Sales Director. Promoted to leadership after 6 years in Sales Rep role. I am looking to network with other Sales professionals in order to continue to learn and grow in the world of Sales.

I’m the founder of Abundant Health Massage&Bodywork in Clive IA. I just love to spread positivity to our universe,  creating good jobs to community and have our clients receive one of the best massage in Iowa is always I’m driven for. 

In personal time, I love to spend time with my husband and my son and our dog Bailey to explore the world. Classical music is always my favorite hobby! 

Hey everyone! I graduated from Grand View University in 2018 with my Bachelors Degree in Kinesiology-Health Promotion, with hands on experience in nutrition, strength and conditioning, and physical therapy. Outside of my career at MMIT, my main hobbies are finding house projects to do, woodworking, watching sports, and playing with my dog Gracie, who is a chocolate lab pit bull mix. I also like going to country concerts, festivals, spending time with my family, cooking, and exercising. I am always down for a cup of coffee to learn more about other people's businesses and how we can help support one another in our wonderful community. Let's connect sometime!

Baylie is a seasoned loan officer for us. If you need a loan, she's the rockstar who can help you! She adores her family and 2 cats, and lights up any room with her smile and laugh!

Dr. Courtney is a physical therapist and the owner of Revive Physical Therapy and Wellness. She graduated from Des Moines University in 2018 with her doctorate in physical therapy. She then went on to complete two more certifications to become a specialist in pelvic floor and women’s health. Dr. Courtney is passionate about women’s health and helping women navigate pelvic floor and perimenopause symptoms throughout their lifespan. She is also certified in Perimenopause Functional Wellness Coaching. She helps women take a deep dive into their health history to understand how each system of the body is impacting their health and helps them navigate the necessary lifestyle changes to improve their overall health and wellness. Though Revive mostly treats women, they also treat males because everyone has a pelvic floor!

My name is Kyle Younker, I am originally from Mason City, IA. I was a Track and Field athlete at NIACC for two years before I went on to Iowa State University and graduated in Fall of 2021. I currently am with Financial Architects in Clive, where we focus on helping families, couples and young adults organize their finances, reduce taxes and better their overall financial world. I am excited to be apart of a great group in this Chamber and getting started in meeting other younger and older professionals.

Since 2004, Tiffany Menke, IOM, has been the President of the Urbandale Chamber of Commerce. She has served on the boards of and is a Past President/Past Chair of ICCE, CITR, and IMA.  She currently represents Iowa on the MACE Board of Directors and serves on the Diversity and Inclusion Council through the Greater Des Moines Partnership as well as participates in a pilot program through the Evelyn K Davis center to mentor exoffenders.

In 2017, Tiffany was honored as a Woman of Influence through the Des Moines Business Record. Other honors include 40 under 40, and Ovation award from the Iowa Women's Foundation. She grew up in Newton and went on to Grand View University in Des Moines where she earned a degree in Mass Communications, Journalism and a minor in Photography.

To schedule a meeting with me, calendly.com/tmenke  

Experienced HR Business Partner with a demonstrated history of working in the environmental and managed services industries. Skilled in multiple HR platforms, Teamwork, Leadership, Microsoft Excel, and Strategic Planning. Strong human resources professional who graduated from Minnesota State University, Mankato for Business with an emphasis in Human Resources.

As a Business Consultant with MMIT (formally M&M Sales and Imaging Technologies), I help our clients find a realistic approach to smooth out and improve their day-to-day. My services include helping people find practical solutions to everyday problems by offering cutting-edge IT solutions, printing equipment, and network solutions.

Hello,
My name is Colin Newell and I am a Farm Bureau Financial Services Agent. I started in May 2022 upon completing my time at Iowa State where I played football and got my undergrad and masters degrees. I am looking to get connected in the Des Moines area and always willing to connect and build relationships. I enjoy serving and connecting people. Never hesitate to reach out to learn more about what we do at Farm Bureau Financial Services or to connect. 

Cheers,
Colin Newell

I was born and raised in Hawkeye country- Iowa City! Go Hawks! While attending the University of Iowa, I was involved in many student organizations, where my passion for event coordinating began. After 5 years primarily in the wedding industry, I was ready to take on a different and new avenue of events, leading me to the Chamber world! I am dedicated to bringing impactful event opportunities to life for our community's professionals. 
When I’m not running around Urbandale, you might find me trying to keep my flower garden alive, in the kitchen cooking an extravagant meal, boating at the lake with my family, or at a country concert. A few of my favorite things include iced coffee, any form of pasta, cats, Kenny Chesney, and gnomes (solely because they’re cute).

Blake is the Executive Administrative Assistant at Midland Credit Union. Their job involves supporting the CEO and CFO, coordinating projects, marketing, and IT support. In their free time, Blake enjoys playing with their two kittens, baking, and traveling.