Sioux City, Iowa — The winner of a regional entrepreneur contest is a boutique in Sibley.
People from across the region gathered in Sioux City, on Thursday evening, November 14th to attend the Northwest Iowa Regional Dream Big Grow Here pitch competition to determine the recipients of $7,000 in grant funds and to support entrepreneurs and small businesses throughout the region. Organizers of the competition say they are pleased to announce that Grace Boutique from Sibley was the first-place winner and recipient of $4,000.
Grace Boutique says they provide a boutique experience shopping for women’s and men’s name brand clothing, and decorative household and furniture items at an affordable price. Grace Boutique owner, Melinda Nasers says she has a goal of expanding her consignment store to offer more for her customers. Nasers says her grant funds will be used to increase the consignment store’s footprint, purchase retail display fixtures and racks for the new space, and develop a website to sell items online. She says that will allow Grace Boutique the ability to expand the product lines offered, to include infant and children’s clothing, as well as expand the number of days the store is open during the week.
The other winners were Brightside Café & Deli from Sioux City, which was awarded second place and $2,000, and Awaken Yoga from Le Mars, which was awarded third place and $1,000. These funds are provided to the business owners to help expand their businesses in northwest Iowa.
The other Dream Big Grow Here finalists who pitched on November 14th were Daniel Stillson with SnSLabz from Rock Rapids and James VanVeldhuizen and John Emerick with Northwest Iowa Firearms from Hull.
Photo caption: Grace Boutique owner Melinda Nasers and judges
Photo courtesy Northwest Iowa Development
