Business Notes for July 6, 2025

The Gazette’s Business Notes is a compendium of the week’s promotions, new hires, certifications, added business lines and business events, among other items, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa City and the rest of the Corridor. Information and photos can be submitted at https://www.thegazette.com/business-notes/submit/

Promotions

Mallory Valdez has been promoted to first vice president, branch manager, at Hills Bank’s Iowa City office.

Kudos

Bradley Shelman, a private wealth adviser with Ameriprise Financial in Iowa City, was recognized as one of the top “Advisors to Watch Under $1Bil” by AdvisorHub, a publication covering the wealth management industry. AdvisorHub recognizes elite financial advisers who manage less than one billion in client assets based on their innovation, professionalism, and success in the business. Shelman has served the Iowa City area since 1993.

Other news

New clinic: Rhij Aesthetics, a medically supervised wellness and aesthetics clinic located at 1921 51st St. NE Suite 4, Cedar Rapids, opens today, July 6. Founded by double board-certified nurse practitioner Rhijeagn Babatido, the clinic offers IV therapy and advanced skin treatments — merging science, self-care, and cultural representation in one space.

Small Business of the Week: U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, has announced Continuum Ag of Washington County in southeast Iowa as her small business of the week. Iowa State University alum and seventh-generation farmer, Mitchell Hora, established Continuum Ag in 2015 to help farmers collect and interpret their soil health data. Today, Continuum Ag uses their proprietary tool called TopSoil to help fellow farmers improve their soil health, gather insights about their data, and work directly with supply chain partners. Ernst, chair of the Senate’s Small Business Committee, is naming one exceptional small business of the week in each of Iowa’s counties during this congressional session.