Is this heaven? No, it's Iowa…

My family and I recently moved a little further west into the heart of the heartland, you might say, and have happily settled in the Des Moines, Iowa area.  I am a native Iowan but haven’t lived here for a number of years and so find myself in the process of rediscovery – through eyes that are a few years older and notice different things than those of my youth. There is definitely change (notably more good restaurants and fun things to do!) but thankfully the essence of Iowa that I remember, with big-hearted people who are kind and eager to help, remains the same. Fortunately, it seems that Iowans and Koné Consulting share some core values!

As part of my rediscovery, I did a little googling to refresh my Iowa expertise (facts I learned in 6th grade Iowa history have mostly slipped away…) and in the process happened across some fun facts—a few of the more interesting ones that I found (but did not rigorously verify) are below.

  • Nursery for Hollywood stars 
    Many stars were born in the Hawkeye state: Johnny Carson, John Wayne, Elijah Wood, and Ashton Kutcher to name a few.
  • Reading Rainbow
    Iowa easily has the highest literacy rate in the nation, boasting that 99% of Iowans can read!
  • Champion for Women’s Rights
    • 1851: Married women received property rights.
    • 1856: University of Iowa is the first public institution to admit women on an equal basis—GO HAWKS!
    • The 1st female dentist, attorney, and engineer all began practicing in Iowa in the 19th century.
    • 1920: After leading the fight for ratification of the 19th Amendment, Carrie Lane Chapman Catt, an Iowan, was the first woman to cast a ballot.
  • City Slickers??
    This one surprised me—Iowa’s population is actually more urban than rural these days—61.1 percent vs. 38.9 percent.

Last but not least, it looks like Iowa pride is alive and well! To see for yourself, check out @IowaBrag.

But enough Iowa trivia for now. While I continue to work on various projects around the country, it’s always great to have local connections as well so if there are organizations that could benefit from our services in Iowa or nearby states, reach out and let us know. We would love to sit down and talk about how we can help you and your team. Interested? Learn about our areas of expertise and our team.

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