Skip to Content

Central College

  • Sign in to your Merit page
« Back to Recent News

Central College Sponsors First Annual Black and Brown Business Summit

by Central College

Pella, IA (03/08/2021) — Central College is proud to announce it will sponsor the West Des Moines Chamber of Commerce's first annual Black and Brown Business Summit, presented by Principal Financial Group, from April 22-23 at Athene in West Des Moines.

The two-day conference was created by the chamber's Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee with the goal of elevating ethnic minorities; bringing BIPOC businesses together to assist with connection building, programming, promotion and training; and providing resources to help businesses grow and prosper.

The conference will feature nationally recognized speakers and workshops to provide in-depth education from experts. Speakers include George Herrera, current independent director of the board of Travel and Leisure Co. and former president and CEO of the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce; and Brandon Copeland, a starting NFL Linebacker for the New England Patriots and financial wellness professor at the University of Pennsylvania.

"At Central, we are committed to teaching, learning, growing and developing leaders who will contribute to the world in positive ways," says Carol Williamson, Central's vice president for student development who also leads the college's DEI efforts. "The conference will be an important part of the college's Building a Culture of Inclusion initiative to strengthen our efforts in areas of diversity, equity and inclusion. Central is proud to sponsor this meaningful program."

To learn more about the Black and Brown Business Summit, visit the chamber's website.

Central College of Pella, Iowa, is a private, four-year liberal arts college. Central is known for its academic rigor, leadership and character development, global experiential learning, STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) and sustainability education, athletics and service. For more information about Central College: www.central.edu.

Media Attachments

Central College

Emily Hawk (641) 628-5339, hawke@central.edu

Share this Story

  • Print
  • Email

Recent News

  • Central RED Launches Fall Semester Program Schedule
  • Central College Realigns Advancement Staff to Support "A World of Good" Campaign
  • Central Chemistry Professors Publish Laboratory Curriculum
  • Central College Soars to Unprecedented Heights with Record-Shattering $17.7 Million Fundraising Year!
  • Central's Top Scholars for 2025-26 Awarded
  • Central Announces Consolidated Operations Plan and Promotions
  • Central College Earns Silver in CASE Circle of Excellence Awards
  • Central College Board of Trustees Welcomes New Leaders
  • Central College Professor Abby Rocha Publishes Research on How Teachers Learn Math
  • Lois Kuyper-Rushing '77 Receives Fulbright U.S. Scholar Award
… View all recent news
Copyright © 2025 Merit Pages, Inc. • All Rights Reserved. • Terms of Service • Privacy Policy • Opt Out