We're thrilled to have investor, entrepreneur and author Brad Feld join us in Des Moines in a little more than two weeks to present at Thinc Iowa 2011, our conference on innovation and entrepreneurship.

Brad's work in Boulder, Colo. has served as a model for what we've been building within the Silicon Prairie News community since 2008. In looking to a city like Boulder, one that has not only branded, but successfully built itself into a vibrant and supportive community for startups, Brad and the community's model has been invaluable to the Silicon Prairie News team.

Those lessons learned and experiences in Boulder are shared in Brad's soon-to-be-released book, "Startup Communities: Building an Entrepreneurial Ecosystem in Your City." After having the opportunity to read an early copy, I encourage you to pre-order it today, as it's truly an amazing look at what it takes to build a community over the course of several years.

I've also had the pleasure to get to know Brad in recent years and can assure you that you won't want to miss what he has to share onstage, or the opportunity to spend time with him in the halls and parties of Thinc Iowa.

Pre-order a copy of Brad's book or pick up the Kindle version today, and help us thank him via Twitter, @bfeld, for sharing his time with us in a few weeks.

Tickets still remain for Thinc Iowa (Oct. 9-11), a conference on innovation and entrepreneurship. Check out the discounts for startups, entrepreneurs, students and non-profits: Thinc Iowa tickets.

Credits: Video from Simpli-Film on YouTube. Photo of Brad Feld courtesy of Feld.