Just as the crowd at the Temple for Performing Arts applauded during Thinc Iowa, we applaud The Principal Financial Group for its role in making the event possible. Photo by Anna Jones and Ikonix Studio.

We were very excited to welcome the Principal Financial Group on board as a premier sponsor of our inaugural Thinc Iowa. We had the Principal in mind immediately when we decided on a theme of “the common ground between startups and corporations,” as there is no more visible symbol of established corporations in Iowa than the Principal’s headquarters at 801 Grand (the state’s tallest building) in Des Moines.

The fact that The Principal is a Fortune 500 global company headquartered right in our backyard was even better. Officially, The Principal sponsored the conference’s lunch, which was held in the Des Moines Public Library and in the surrounding Western Gateway Park. But in reality, they did much more. For one, their backing of the conference and their visibility helped us recruit other firms as sponsors. Plus, we made a special ask to them for a presenter willing to talk on the topic. Principal VP Luke Vandermillen responded to that ask, and you can see his presentation here: “Thinc Iowa Video Series: Luke Vandermillen of The Principal.”

Lastly, we know the Principal is committed to the idea behind Thinc Iowa. You can read more about it in a op/ed piece Principal CEO Larry Zimpleman recently co-authored in the Wall Street Journal, expressing support of the Kauffman Foundation’s Startup Act (“An Entrepreneurial Fix for the U.S. Economy“). Zimpleman ends that piece with a great explanation of why the conversation is so important: 

“We realize America’s larger businesses have their own agendas and ideas for moving our country forward,” he writes. “But all of us know where the energy that drives our economy comes from—new companies with new ideas that build confidence and optimism.”

Thank you, Principal Financial Group, for your generous support of Thinc Iowa!