Entrepreneurial girls succeed at Minnow Tank

We Create Here was an initiative within the Gazette Company to develop evolving narratives and authentic conversations throughout Iowa's Creative Corridor. read more

Guest post: Aren Buresh is a high school student and musician, rediscovering her hometown through the Iowa Big School, and our de facto high school correspondent for We Create Here. Shout out to her on Twitter!

On April 23, six teams of young girls gathered at the Mt Mercy University Graduate center to pitch their ideas to their community. The Minnows addressed problems close to home, and presented well constructed plans to solve them. The projects received over $2700 in funding and over 150 volunteer hours.

There were three aspects of Minnow Tank that really blew me away: the real world problems being addressed, the amount of preparation put into the pitches, and the level of engagement coming from the crowd and other teams. Hearing the voices of ambitious young girls, and seeing the type of support they were getting from their community and each other, made me want to dig up my old Girl Scouts sash and wear it with pride.

As I chatted with a few of the teams before the event, I could feel the energy and excitement in the room. Sure, nerves were stirring, but I gathered that the girls were more proud to present their projects than they were nervous.

The motives behind the projects really impressed me. The Hidden Book Reading Garden team, for example, wasn't simply aiming to create a relaxing place to read. It also targeted the low reading scores in their school by creating an environment that provided books and promoted reading.

These projects went deeper. At the heart of each of these pitches was a problem that the girls genuinely cared about solving.

The amount of preparation that went into solving those problems was incredible. These girls were putting together budgets. Some teams had their own website. There was even a group with matching T shirts! All the hard work that was clearly put into these pitches goes to show that young girls in our community are not only willing to take on such relevant problems, but that they are completely capable of doing so.

Amelia, the founder of Funding Fido, shared that the inspiration for her project came after visiting an animal shelter in Utah, and her aunt suggested that she open up her own shelter when she grew up. Her initial thought was:

'I didn't want to wait until I grew up.'

I think all the teams that presented at Minnow Tank shared that same thought. You're never too young to make a difference. Especially when you have the support of your community.

After each pitch, the room slowly began to popcorn up with questions from the crowd. The types of questions asked were meaningful, and often paved the way for possible next steps. I lost count of how many times someone offered up a valuable resource or constructive advice. After the first few pitches, the girls were even asking questions about their peers' pitches.

The level of support the Minnows received had me feeling like a beaming parent. I was inspired by the change they sought to make and all the success they have come across at such a young age. The world of entrepreneurship and community involvement is one I've only recently dived into, but doing so has had such a positive impact on me. Seeing girls dive into that same pool at a younger age makes me so proud. I know that this is not the last I will hear of the Minnows, and I'm excited to see the impact they have on our community.