The Decatur County Development Corporation (DCDC) and Central Decatur High School, in partnership with GRM Networks©, City of Leon, Rotary Club of Decatur County, and MFA Oil Foundation, hosted a grand opening for a new business incubator and co-working space to serve high school students throughout Decatur County. The N.E.S.T (Nurturing Entrepreneurial Students for Tomorrow) is located in the Leon Community Center.
This project originated with students in the Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) club at Central Decatur High School. This group formed in 2016, and as they thought about way to fundraise to support group efforts, they have focused on providing “value added” services to businesses throughout Decatur County in exchange for donations.
FBLA students plan to start by offering social media marketing to small and medium businesses in Leon. Students also have interest in working on other marketing material such as print, photography, videography, market research and analysis, and more.
Almost $20,000 in grants and in-kind contributions have been secured to fund the installation of this incubator in the Leon Community Center. This off-campus space will be used to host meetings, make presentations to business owners and potential clients, and collaborate.
DCDC will partner with the county director of the Senior Corps Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) and the Rotary Club of Decatur County to recruit volunteers to help manage the incubator during open hours. The DCDC Executive Director will also hold office hours in the incubator, and will be available at any time to provide guidance and connect students to resources to assist in the continuous development of this program. If you are interested in utilizing this service for your business, contact Shannon Erb, DCDC Executive Director, by email at serb@dcdciowa.org, or by calling 641-442-6511.