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Monetery Summit in Des Moines to Discuss Building Midwest Tech Ecosystems

Monetery, a tech summit in the Midwest which is organized and produced by Dwolla, a digital payment platform similar to Square has announced dates for its second year. The conference is to be held in Des Moines, Iowa, on May 21 and 22, 2019.

Monetery is a conference dedicated to connecting people who believe in creating value in the Midwest. The two-day event will provide opportunities for inventors and creators to hear from and interact with successful venture capitalists, angel investors and business leaders from around the United States.

The goal of the conference is to create and maintain a tech ecosystem in the Midwest. “I know this is something the Midwest supports,” said Ben Milne, founder and CEO of Dwolla in a press release.

“We have the resources, we have the ingenuity, we are starting to have the infrastructure. As companies are beginning to divest in places like Silicon Valley, there is no reason why the Midwest can’t fill that gap. And if there is a reason, it’s that Midwesterners don’t realize it’s possible. That’s what Monetery is for.”

In 2018, Monetery raised over $10,000 for Pi515, a 501(c)3 organization that teaches computer coding to Iowa’s underserved population, particularly refugee 7th-12th graders in central Iowa. The event aims to continue to being fundraising resource for programs that provide financial support dedicated to underrepresented groups in technology.

Steph Atkin, VP of Marketing at Dwolla, says expanding Monetery, which held its first conference in 2018, will allow for more coverage of topics facing the Midwest tech ecosystem.

“The topics we’ll be covering have everything to do with ways the Midwest can lead the nation in the most pressing issues in the tech world,” Atkin says. “We will have sessions about Seed fundraising, IPO, diversity and inclusion—all the things that create a competitive ecosystem. And we’re adding speakers and sessions as we get closer to May 21.”

Part of the appeal of Monetery is its relative exclusivity: The 2018 conference was limited to 200 people. “To start a conversation, you need to be able to hear each other,” says Atkin. “Monetery is very much for serious believers in the Midwest who want to collaborate with others on how we can bring the region closer to its full potential. Intimacy and real dialogue are essential.”

The event will be held in downtown Des Moines at the Temple for Performing Arts and attendees are expected from across the country. Registration for Monetery 2019 will open in early 2019. Speakers and agenda items are being added continuously until the conference opens in May.

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