Hy-Vee to Hold Small-Business Owners Summit in Sioux Falls

Programming and resources give local businesses, including minority- and women-owned companies, the opportunity to grow and prosper

Marian Zboraj

3/28/2024

Hy-Vee’s summit gives local small-business owners and minority- and women-owned businesses the opportunity to grow and prosper, while providing Hy-Vee customers with diverse products.

Hy-Vee Inc. will hold its Hy-Vee OpportUNITY Inclusive Summit at the Denny Sanford Premier Center, in Sioux Falls, S.D., on June 18. The summit provides small-business owners learning opportunities and resources from Hy-Vee and other local business leaders to help grow their businesses.

A spotlight of the summit will be a live pitch competition open to minority- and women-owned businesses. Fifteen finalists will be selected to compete for cash prizes to use for their business. Hy-Vee will award up to $50,000 in cash investments. Selected applicants will present to a panel of judges who will select one grand-prize winner to earn $30,000. Plus, one first-place winner will be selected from each pitch category to win $5,000 each. Additional cash investments may be awarded. Those interested in participating in the pitch competition must apply by 11:59 p.m. (CDT) on May 19 at www.hy-veeopportunitysummit.com.

Hy-Vee is currently accepting submissions for the pitch competition in the following categories:

Food and Beverage
Technology and Innovation
Health, Wellness and Beauty

The summit will also offer breakout sessions led by industry leaders. Topics will include navigating access to capital, building strong networks and alliances, boosting your business marketing, and overcoming regulatory hurdles. Additionally, attendees can meet one-on-one with local Hy-Vee leaders to gain insight into retail operations and showcase products directly to retail leaders.

The Hy-Vee OpportUNITY Inclusive Business Summit in Sioux Falls is free and open to the public. Community groups, organizations, area businesses, and professionals supporting or networking with small businesses are encouraged to attend. Anyone interested in attending may register in advance at www.hy-veeopportunitysummit.com. The summit starts at 8 a.m. and ends at 3:30 p.m.

Earlier in the year, Hy-Vee revealed the pitch winners from the OpportUNITY Inclusive Business Summit in Omaha, Neb. The grand-prize winner Humbl Roots manufactures alternative foods to accommodate dietary restrictions.

Employee-owned Hy-Vee operates more than 550 business units across eight Midwestern states, with sales of more than $13 billion annually. The West Des Moines, Iowa-based company has a team of more than 75,000 employees and is No. 36 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2023 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America.