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DeSoto business support network reports on events, attendance and outreach; board presses for clearer metrics
Summary
The DEC Network presented a Q4 report on entrepreneur events and outreach. Board members pressed staff to include clearer benchmarks and neighborhood‑targeted outreach in future quarterly reports.
The DeSoto Development Corporation heard a quarterly update from representatives of the DeSoto business support network on Q4 programming and upcoming events aimed at entrepreneurs in DeSoto.
Kia Allen, standing in for network staff, summarized recent events including a DeSoto Business Connect information session and a mentorship “mix and mingle” co‑hosted with the DeSoto area chamber that staff said drew a packed room. Staff reported attendee demographics: roughly 72% female and 66% Black or African American; 14% of attendees were DeSoto residents. Staff said many attendees were early‑stage entrepreneurs (about one to two years in business) across industries such as consumer packaged goods and logistics.
The presenter outlined upcoming opportunities for the DDC to participate: Dallas Collaborative for Capital Access convenings (March 18 and September 17 in DeSoto), pitch competitions tied to accelerator programs (Big Idea, Start Up, Level Up) with a May 6 event in DeSoto, and finance‑focused trainings on April 22 and June 24. Staff also described an ``Amplify'' celebration for BIPOC founders (June 19) and participation in DFW Startup Week in August, including a proposed local track and an offer to host a “media net” event in DeSoto.
Board members questioned whether outreach reached DeSoto residents and asked for more targeted promotion and clearer benchmarks to evaluate the contractual partnership. Staff said event promotions are shared across several partners (Chamber, DEC network, DDC social channels and the city manager’s communications) and committed to adding photos and clearer resident‑attendance metrics to future reports. A board member asked that quarterly reports include explicit benchmarks and trend data so the council can evaluate contract renewals.
Staff also described planned “office hours” at the chamber (Tuesdays, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.), accelerator boot camps in June with a June pitch competition at the Redbird event center, and a three‑session financial readiness series. The board and staff discussed targeting outreach beyond digital channels (door‑to‑door, flyers) and aligning training topics to local employer needs. The board asked staff to return with refined metrics in the next quarterly reporting package.
